Deep male laughter had her turning. “I think he’s a little young to date,” Jacob said through a chuckle.
“Not all dates are for adults. Are they, handsome?” She poked a finger in Maddox’s belly. “Daddy obviously doesn’t know about playdates. But that’s okay, he’s new to this. Lucky for you you’ve found an expert.”
“An expert?” Jacob moved next to them and nodded to the backyard. “What’s a playdate expert?”
“Oh, I’ve got a degree in early childhood development and education, and as an educator I can recommend playdates as a good way to teach Maddox how to socialize with his peers and adults too, of course.”
“You’re a teacher?”
“Yes, but currently I teach the future teachers.”
“Wait. You’re a teacher of teachers?”
“That’s right. I work for an online college.”
“So you aren’t at a daycare or something like that here in Sunnyville?”
“No.”
“Too bad. I’m in need of childcare for this guy. I started my new job two weeks ago and Mad has been staying with his uncle and aunt while I work but I need a special type of care because I work shifts, twenty-four hours on, forty-eight off.”
“Sounds like you need a nanny, not daycare.”
“Yeah, that’s what Maz thinks too.”
“Maz?”
“Madman’s aunt. She just had a baby so both she and Ry have been home since Zane’s birth which is why I took the job when offered.” Jacob frowned. “Except now I have to find some other arrangement because Ry is going back to work, although, if one of us can switch our shifts we could work different days and I’d be okay leaving Mad with Maz and the baby.”
“How would that help?”
“Ry would be there with her. Unfortunately he’ll be at work the same day I am. It’s too much for Maz to handle on her own even if half the time Maddox would be asleep.”
“Ah, right. I see. And you can’t change your shift?”
“No. No one can swap with either of us.”
“What is it you do that requires twenty-four hours shifts?” This was one thing she was unsure of. The PI’s report had shown Jacob hadn’t worked since receiving custody of Maddox.
“I’m a helicopter pilot. Ry’s a pilot too, and Maz is a trauma nurse, but she’s on maternity leave at the moment. We all work at Mercy-Life.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s just the name of the medivac company we work for.”
“Sounds important.”
“It is. I haven’t had any life threatening call outs yet but I’ve heard enough from the crew about some of the calls they’ve seen through the years. One of the guys, Greyson, got suspended a few years ago because he took a patient to a different hospital during a bad storm.”
“You fly in bad weather?”
“Not usually but sometimes. And it was life or death so Greyson made the call to go against orders.”
“Did the patient make it?” Mallory asked as she lowered Maddox to the rug spread out beneath the tree.
Jacob frowned. “No.”
“Oh.”
