I stood, my eyes bulging at the sight of this tall, tatted musician swinging Sophia around. When he placed her back on the floor, I sensed he was assessing me. And I knew he was trying to determine who I was and what I was doing here.
A heavy feeling settled in my gut. What washedoing here? Had Alexis known he was coming?
“Daddy! I have so much to show you and tell you and…”
“Who’s your little friend?” Cal interrupted, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.Dick.
Sophia jumped around, never letting go of his hand. “This is Preston. Preston, this is my dad.”
“Ah.” He jerked his chin toward me. Everything about him, from the long hair to the fitted T-shirt to the ripped jeans, seemed so contrived. Right down to the leather bracelets. “So, you’re the new neighbor.”
I frowned, holding out my hand to shake. “I live in the pool house. So yes, I guess, technically, that makes me their neighbor.”
“Pool house?” He turned to Alexis, tightening his grip on my hand. Guess I wasn’t the only one Alexis had kept in the dark.
“Yes, Cal,” Alexis said. “Preston is living in the pool house for the summer.”
Sophia bebopped around the room. “And he’s my manny.”
Cal choked. “He’s your what?”
“My manny,” she said. “You know—” she placed a hand on her hip “—man plus nanny equals manny.”
Cal glared at Alexis, but Sophia was so excited to see her dad she didn’t notice. “Come see the new game I learned at camp.” Sophia tugged on Cal’s hand, but he remained rooted to the spot.
Cal blinked at me a few times as if he hadn’t heard her correctly. “This…” he finally said, gesturing to me, his eyes going wide. “He’s…” he spluttered. “He’s the new nanny?”
Alexis nodded. “Yes.”
Unbelievable. It wasn’t like I expected her to tell him we were dating, but seriously—she hadn’t even told him I was watching Sophia for the summer?What the hell?
“Him?” His voice was strangled, and he glanced between the two of us.
“Yes, Cal,” she ground out.
“You didn’t think it was important to mention the fact that a guy was watching our daughter? Was spending timealonewith our daughter.” His voice rose with every word.
Sophia was now staring at them, and I bit my tongue, knowing better than to respond in front of her. Alexis went over to Cal and gripped his bicep, speaking low into his ear. I couldn’t hear the words she said, but judging from the dark look on his face, he wasn’t pleased.
“Come on, princess,” I said to Sophia. “Let’s go build a castle upstairs.”
She eyed me warily, like she knew I was trying to distract her. But ultimately, my offer was too irresistible to deny. She complied, darting up the stairs ahead of me.
“Oh good. He’s gay.” I could hear the relief in Cal’s tone, and I paused at the top of the stairs.
Was he serious? And why had he gotten the impression I was gay? Not that there was anything wrong with being gay, but if Alexis had told him I was…
I stewed over it while Sophia and I built her castle, imagining all the things Cal and Alexis could be saying or doing downstairs. I was on the verge of charging down there when they appeared in the doorway. Alexis cleared her throat, and Cal shifted uncomfortably.
“Preston,” he said, and I pushed myself off the floor, standing before him. “I’d like to apologize for my earlier outburst.”
“Thank you.” I reached out to shake his hand.
As Sophia’s father, I would show him respect, even if I sometimes imagined myself fulfilling that role. Not that I’d ever want to replace him, more that I hoped to soothe the damage he’d done in being an absent, often unreliable figure in her life. But for the moment, I had to remind myself, I was just the nanny.
“Alexis assures me you’ve been vetted by the best of the best, and I want you to know that you’re welcome in our home.”
I gnashed my teeth.Our home?This was more my home than his.
