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Dylan, surprisingly, was the voice of reason. He leaned forward, eyeing her. “You said you’re twenty…?”
“Twenty-four,” she filled in.
“Why does a twenty-four-year-old want to be a nanny? You don’t know anything about Finn, so what would make you walk right up to Liam and ask for a job?”
This exact question was in the back of my mind, and I folded my arms, waiting for her answer. Afraid to hear what I knew to be true.
She licked her lips, shifting her attention across the bar to her sister then to Nate in front of us and finally back to me. “I recognized you. But that’s not why I came over.” At my apparent expression of doubt, she shook her head. “I recognized you and was curious at what the Hot Professor could possibly be working on at a bar. You looked so serious.”
“I am very serious about my child,” I said.
“As you should be. And I am very serious about this job.” Her dark eyes turned a little glassy. But I wasn’t going to fall for it. I took a deep breath and settled my gaze somewhere over her shoulder as she said, “The thing is…”
She paused long enough that I focused back on her. She blinked her eyes clear and tipped her chin, confident now. “I’ve spent a lot of my life being underestimated by everyone around me. I even underestimate myself. I make excuses and let people think less of me because I think less of myself. But I don’t want to do that anymore, so I’m not going to give you excuses. I know I’m young and don’t have experience, but I am good with children. I’m good withpeople. I’m patient and a good listener. I’m creative and know that I can have fun with your son.”
“He doesn’t need fun. He needs someone to keep him from inadvertently killing himself.”
Her lips trembled with a threatening smile, and I found myself giving in to one of my own. “Go ahead. You can laugh. I know it’s funny. My son is basically the Tasmanian Devil.”
“The who?”
“You know, the cartoon?” I waved my arms around like the whirling cartoon animal.
She shook her head. Jesus, she was young.
“I need someone to drop him off and pick him up from preschool. I need someone to be around for his speech therapy appointments and to occasionally be home with him if I have a function at school. And like my ex-best friends pointed out, I need help with a little housework. Oh, and potty training. It’s been a struggle, so his nanny has to be able to handle that.”
“I can do all of that. Whatever you need, I’m your girl. I promise, if you give me a chance, I won’t let you down.”
I stared at her for a moment. She didn’t blink or look away, and it took a lot of self-assurance to hold eye contact. When I silently asked Nate his opinion with a questioning stare, he nodded his approval. Jude was obviously in. I glanced over my shoulder to Dylan, and he shrugged. “She seems sweet.”
Too sweet, maybe.
When I faced her again, the corner of her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth and her fingers were knotted together. Whatever was going on with this girl, it did seem like she needed a break. And hell, it couldn’t get any worse than it was now.
“Okay,” I said. “When can you start?”
She gasped and grinned, bringing her hands up under her chin. “Whenever you need. There’s just one thing?—”
“Hi.” Kennedy and I both twisted around to find her sister stepping up next to our stools, the guitarist right behind her.
“Oh. Hi,” Kennedy said, her cheeks flaming a little. “This is my sister, Taylor.”
“Taylor Novak,” she said, sticking her hand out to me.
I shook it. “Liam O’Neil.”
Taylor motioned behind her. “This is Dean Hargrove.”
I shook his hand too.
“Kennedy’s lawyer,” he said, and I shot my brows up.
She had a lawyer?
“Oh my God,” Kennedy intoned, angling her body as if she could block them out. “We were just wrapping up.”
Taylor’s piercing gaze shifted between us. “Looked like it was going well here, and I thought I would see what you were chatting about.”
