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Shit.
What if Easton didn’t want Bethany to know anything? There’s sweat beading on my forehead at the thought of him coming home to his daughter badgering him with question after question about me.
I nod slowly. “How about we keep anything you heard to yourself for now?”
Bethany arches a brow and smirks. “What’s in it for me?”
Of course, the twelve year-old is going to try to get something out of me for this. It’s exactly what I would’ve done at her age.
“A girl’s night with Sav?”
She taps her chin and eyes me curiously. “Can I eat as much junk food as I want?”
“Whatever your little heart desires, girl, as long as you don’t mention anything about the conversation I just had with your aunt.”
She shrugs, then stands from the couch and gives me a sassy grin. “Just saying, I would’ve kept my mouth shut regardless.”
That little – she’s twelve, Autumn, no need to get nasty.
I’ve two grocery bags filled with everything we might need for our girls’ night and Bethany is bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet as she looks over it all. I sigh and wave a hand over the junk food. “Is this good enough for you?”
She giggles and reaches into one of the bags for the large bag of Twizzlers, then happily prances into the living room where we’ve got our mini spa situated. Aside from trying to keep her mouth shut, after some thought, I figured this was actually a really good idea.
There’s a knock on the door before it’s being pushed open and Savanna sticks her head inside with a smile. “I come bearing gifts,” she says, lifting her grocery bags in the air.
I rush up to her when I see the brown paper bag that holds my favorite wine and snatch it from her hand. “Have I mentioned how much I love you?”
She shrugs. “Once or twice, but I might need to hear it more after tonight.”
“Aunt Savvy!” Bethany says excitedly from the hallway before throwing her arms around her aunt. “Come on, we’re going to have so much fun!”
Savanna chuckles as Bethany pulls her into the living room and sits her gently on one of the couch cushions planted right in front of the spa area. I figured with Bethany joining us that we could go all out – do mani-pedi’s, hair, facials, then relax with a movie and junk food.
If Easton walked in here right now his eyes would probably bug out of his head at all the junk I managed to buy for the night. That’s why I chose to do it while he was gone. He can’t get mad at me for something he’s not here to witness.
While Bethany brushes through Savanna’s hair, I walk over to the large glass case filled with movies and survey our options. Tonight isn’t a night for any action, which is basically all this man owns, but I eventually find Clueless and pull it out with a smile.
“I don’t mind, you know,” Bethany says softly while focusing on Savanna’s hair, briefly glancing at me after she says it. “About you and my dad.”
“You don’t? I thought you’d be upset to know that I’m with him while working as your nanny.”
Bethany chuckles. “Come on, Autumn, we both know I don’t really need a nanny. It’s just a way for him to feel better, so I deal with it.”
Savanna looks at me with a frown on her face and she closes her eyes slowly. I’m sure everyone around Easton has told him how short of a leash he has his daughter on, but he refuses to let anyone tell him what to do. Would he change his tune if he heard what Bethany is saying right now?
I sigh. “Well, I don’t know what’s going to happen and that’s why I need you to keep your lips sealed about it.”’
She nods, then cocks her head to the side. “Do you think he’ll ever be happy again?”
It never fails for a girls’ night to get deep before the real party starts. Savanna pulls away from Bethany and turns so she’s in front of her. “You’re dad is happy, Bethy. He loves you madly. He’s just wary about getting involved with another woman. He just needs time.”
“How much time, though?” Bethany asks, then gestures around the house. “What is he going to do when I’m eighteen and go to college?”
Savanna chuckles. “Okay, Bethy, no need to go so far into the future. The idea of you going off to college gives me hives.”
My mouth is clamped shut, not wanting to say anything as it’s not my place. Do I hope that Easton could eventually be happy, even if it’s not with me? Of course.
I won’t lie, I’ve wished for years that I could be that person even when I thought I was over those feelings. Deep inside it was always his name etched on my soul – which is weird now that I think about it since he never gave any indication that he felt the same way until now.
