Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
ANGELO
The fact that Gracie is making plans for the future in Willow Creek makes me very happy. It could be that she planned to stay anyway because of her brother, but I like to think it has more to do with me and the girls.
Call me romantic like that.
"There's an events committee, and I'm on it. Not by choice, mind you," I'm quick to add. I don't need her to think I'm an overachiever or anything. "It's one of those town rules that someone from the founding family must be on every committee the town has."
It's another rule I want so badly to change. I understand tradition, but it's exhausting. And I don't want that responsibility for my girls. I want them free to make their own decisions and not be tied to the town like I am.
"A.K.A. you have to be on every committee in the town."
Gracie smiles when I roll my eyes and answer, "Exactly."
"So . . . would I have your support?" She tosses me a smirk that screams trouble.
"Maybe," I tease her back.
"I'm taking that as a yes," she sasses, and I can't help but smile at her in return.
I thought it was hard telling the girls no, but it looks like it will be even harder when Gracie uses that upturn of her lips.
"So how long before it's ready?" Her question brings me back from thoughts of her sassy mouth to the reason we’re here.
"A couple of weeks, max. The girls and I usually come at least once or twice a week, but we've been busy the past couple. As long as I get back on track, it’ll be done in plenty of time for the anniversary celebration."
Gracie's focus is back on the truck. "Can I come with you?
" she asks in awe, then shakes her head.
"I mean, I don't want to intrude on your time with the girls.
I know we just talked last night about taking things slow, but I would love to be a part of this.
Only if it's okay with them, though. Again, I don't want to step on toes. "
I don't know how she's not out of breath after that long ramble. I'm pretty sure it was one long sentence without a single inhale of air.
"I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't plan on sharing this part of our lives with you."
Her shocked expression reassures me that Gracie understands my meaning when I say our lives. "But I need to talk to you about something first."
Her smile slips down into a frown. "I can tell by your tone that I'm not going to like this."
No, she's not, but I need to know that when I come clean in a few weeks, she's not going to get mad at me.
"I have to keep a secret that's not mine to tell."
"Oooookay." Confusion laces her tone. "Then why are you telling me?"
I soften my voice. "Because it's something you would want to know. And I can't tell you. Not yet anyway."
I know I'm talking in riddles, but I made a promise. Only now, after seeing the hurt on Gracie's face, I wish I hadn't.
"I don't understand."
She looks between me and Everly, who is now running around the garage in circles. At this rate she's going to nap like a champ.
"I know you don't. And I wish I could say more, but I signed a contract. Believe me, if I had known at the time what I do now, I never would've signed."
"So then why are you even telling me you have to keep this secret?"
I run my fingers through my hair and tug on the ends in frustration. "Because I feel guilty keeping it from you, and secretly I'm hoping that by telling you this much, you won't be too mad at me in the future when you find out what I knew." I blow out a big exhale after getting that all out.
Clearly my discomfort amuses Gracie because she chuckles. "You want a free pass for me to not be mad at you in the future when you tell me a secret I know you have today?"
"Exactly."
Gracie laughs even harder. "Well, I can't speak for future me, but I can say I'll try. I mean, just remembering how flustered you look right now should be enough to cool my jets."
She says that now.
"I don't want to keep secrets from you." I step forward until the toes of our shoes are touching. "That's not how I want to start this relationship." I reach down for her hand and intertwine our fingers.
"Is that what this is?" Gracie looks up through her eyelashes and bats them at me. "A relationship?"
I smile at her teasing gesture. "I mean, after last night I was kinda hoping that's where things are headed."
Gracie stands on her toes and plants a lingering kiss on the corner of my mouth. I'm tempted to slide just a bit to the right and capture her lips, but now isn't the time. Not with Everly running around the garage.
"They are," Gracie says as she drops back down. "I just wanted to see what you would say."
I can't help but shake my head at her bluntness. Life is never going to be boring with her in it.
I'm about to tell her as much when Everly crashes into my legs, screaming, "Daddy!" I pick her up so that her little legs wrap around my back like the spider monkey she can be.
"Yes, baby girl?"
"I hungry."
"You are?" I let her climb until she's sitting on my shoulders. "And what are you hungry for?"
"Bee's!" she screams, just like she does most of the time when she talks.
I turn back to Gracie and ask, "Does the diner sound good for lunch?"
"I'll never pass up food I don't have to cook."
"Me either." I smile. I just hope Bee can keep herself in check today. Otherwise I have a feeling the whole town is going to know the feelings I'm starting to develop for my nanny.
GRACIE
"Well, if it ain't Willow Creek's newest couple," Bee boisterously hollers across the diner before we've made it two feet inside the place.
"I should've known this was going to happen," Ang mutters from where he stands next to me.
I'm frozen in place as everyone inside the diner stares at us. "How does she even know?" I whisper back.
"Bee knows everything that happens in Willow Creek." He grabs my hand and pulls me to the left toward an open table. "Come, let's take a seat."
I'm too shocked by him taking my hand and basically verifying Bee’s claim in front of everyone to do anything but follow along obediently.
We've barely sat down when Jo comes over to the table. "Sorry about my grandmother."
"How many times a day do you apologize for her?" Ang asks as he gets Everly situated in her seat.
"More times than I care to count,” Jo answers with a chuckle. “What can I get for you to drink today?"
I shake myself out of my stupor long enough to answer. "An iced tea, please."
"I'll have the same,” Ang says before adding, “And the little lady will have an apple juice, please."
"Be right back with those." Jo shoots us another understanding smile before heading back to grab out drinks.
Once Jo is out of earshot, I lower my voice so Everly doesn’t pick up on how guilty I’m feeling.
"I know you’re in dad mode right now, but I’d love you to give me space to be in nanny mode during the day when you’d normally be at work.
It would be better for all of our routines.
” Ang took over as soon as he picked us up, and I'm starting to feel bad about it.
I know he's her father, but it's literally what he pays me to do.
"What if I said I don't want you here as the nanny right now, but as my girlfriend?"
My mouth drops open and then closes again. Then it opens again and closes. I’ve gone from a nanny sitting across from her handsome boss to a guppy fish, that's how shocked I am at his words.
Ang merely chuckles at my loss of words. "I haven't used that word since high school. Feels kinda weird, doesn't it?"
And now I’m a bobblehead doll.
Not sure what the hell is wrong with me, and why all of a sudden my vocal cords no longer work, I clear my throat. "I just wasn't expecting you to throw that out there while we're in public."
"I'm pretty sure Bee already outed us, so why not? I could really throw everyone into a tizzy and kiss you right now." Ang waggles his eyebrows and I laugh without a care in the world.
Why the hell not? I enjoy living on the edge, why should this time be any different.
"You won't do it," I challenge him.
And oh boy did I underestimate him. Not only does he accept the challenge, he dives in with a flourish. Wrapping his palm around my neck, he yanks me to him until our lips crash together.
But he doesn't stop there. Nope. This is no plain-Jane, PDA-approved kiss. This is Ang showing the whole town who I suddenly belong to. And I am all for it.
It ends all too soon, and when we pull away from each other and I finally come back from floating on cloud nine, it's to discover the whole diner is clapping.
I open my eyes and find Ang smiling at me. "I told you I could get them in a tizzy."
Dropping my head to his chest, I laugh. "I guess that's what I get for challenging you."
Ang laughs with me. "Just so you know, I've never done anything like that. You have a way of making me feel carefree in a way I never have before."
Hope flutters in my chest, but before I can say anything, Everly starts chanting, "Everly wants kiss, Everly wants kiss, Everly wants kiss."
The diner erupts in laughter, and Ang, being the amazing father he is, plants a big loud kiss on his daughter’s cheek. She promptly breaks out in a fit of giggles, the whole diner claps again, and my heart falls a little more for the most perfect man.