Page 358 of Manhattan Bossholes

“So what do you think we should do for your weekly treat?” I asked Catie. I’d decided it would be good to instate a weekly routine Catie could look forward to. And this week, I definitely felt like I’d earned a treat myself.

After all, it was a mere two days since the great Declan Byrne followed me to a bus stop and begged me to come back because he finally realized I was the best nanny in the whole wide world.

At least that was the joke I’d made to Molly when we went out to the pub last night. I’d glossed over the whole thing until it sounded like a funny misunderstanding. I’d done it partly because it would feel like a betrayal of Declan’s trust to repeat any of what he’d actually said. But I’d also kept silent because if I thought about the whole thing too long, I found myself getting emotional.

It was hard to think about Declan going from being a kid who just wanted to be told that everything was going to be all right to a man determined to protect a little girl he loved from ever experiencing half of what he had.

I couldn’t think about how in all the families who had fired me, Declan was the only one who had realized he was in the wrong and chased after me. I was used to seeing value in my work, even if no one else did, but with Declan, for the first time in years, it felt like someone else saw my value. And it was the grumbly, emotionally constipated, lethally gorgeous Irishman who slept down the hall from me.

But I couldn’t think about it. So instead I was throwing myself into my job.

Catie stared up at the ceiling and swayed back and forth a little bit, considering. “We go to the bookstore all the time anyway, so that’s not really a treat. And Uncle Declan lets me have ice cream every night.”

That he did. Declan was an undeniably soft target for Catie’s sugar cons.

Catie brightened. “I want a movie night. On the big TV, not a laptop. With popcorn.”

I smiled. “That sounds perfect.”

“And you and Uncle Declan will be there, so it will be like a family movie night,” Catie added.

Oh. A family movie night.

No matter how many families I worked for, it always caught me off guard how quickly kids included me in their understanding of “family.” It was a bittersweetness I was never prepared for.

Catie was waiting for an answer, so I made myself smile. “That sounds like a great idea. But I don’t know your uncle’s schedule. How about you go wash your hands for lunch and set the table, and I’ll ask Uncle Declan what he thinks.”

Catie bounded off, murmuring to herself about the merits of potential movie picks.

I climbed upstairs and knocked softly on Declan’s closed office door. I didn’t want to interrupt him if he was in a meeting.

“Come in, Olivia,” he called.

I opened the door. “How did you know it was me?”

Declan’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he talked. “You’re the only one who knocks that softly. It’s the only soft thing you do.”

“Hey. I can be soft,” I said defensively.

His smile was crooked, and a little bit wicked. “I’ll bet you can.”

I fought off a blush as he came to a stopping point on whatever he was working on and turned his chair to me. Why was I blushing?

“What can I do for you, Ms. St. James?” Declan asked, his tone something that almost sounded like it bordered on affectionate. Weird—I must have heard him wrong.

“I want to build in a fun activity Catie can look forward to each week. She wants a movie night with all of us.” I couldn’t quite bring myself to say family movie night. “But I know you’re busy, so…”

“No, that sounds brilliant.” His phone started buzzing. He glanced at the screen, then swiped to answer it. “Let’s do it tonight, yeah?”

I nodded, scurrying out as he took his business call in his firm I pay your salary so impress me voice.

I closed the door and blew out a breath. Apparently, I was having a movie night with the Byrnes.

Declan was still in his office at seven thirty when I started the microwave popcorn. Catie skipped into the kitchen, looking adorable in her purple butterfly pajamas.

I did a double take. Did those butterflies have fangs?

Catie put her hands on her hips. “Where are your pajamas?”