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“Did she die?” Ava asked. “Ours did.”
Bailey patted her hand in return, and shook her head. “My mom and dad couldn’t take care of me, so I had foster moms and dads. I know she loved me, though, just like your mom loved you.”
“We’ve got a real dad,” Harrison said, for once sounding a little bit grateful. I felt a swell of pride at that tiny acknowledgment because I had to take what I could get.
She pulled a stuffed bird out of her purse with shaky hands and my concern flared again. Was she normally that pale or was that just from being a redhead? The dog got excited when he saw it, and she told the kids, if they threw it, he’d fetch it and bring it back. They scrambled to their feet, shoving each other to be the first one to throw the toy.
“Take turns,” she said. “Freddy likes order, not chaos.”
Poor Freddy then, since my kids were the definition of chaos. To my shock, Ava stopped hanging off of Harrison’s arm and let him throw it. The dog went bouncing all ten feet away and quickly returned, dropping it at their feet. I waited for a new ruckus, but Harrison waited for Ava to pick it up, letting her have a turn without any issue. Wow. I turned to Bailey to see if she had wings or a halo. No, just a human woman. But an amazing one.
“Do you have kids?” I asked. “You seem great with them,” I added quickly to cover for the invasive question.
“No, but I used to be a nanny.”
No way. I actually looked up at the sky, like the universe might be on my side for once.
“Used to be?” I asked. “Not anymore? We’re actually looking for a new nanny.”
She shrugged slowly. “I’m looking for a position now. My clearance just came through at the Morrison agency.”
I’d used that agency. I’d used all the agencies in Manhattan. I didn’t think we were blackballed from that one. Was it a sign? Could she be the person who saved our vacation, maybe our lives? I nearly snorted at that. Of course not. That was foolishness. The kids were only being good because of the little rat dog, their moods wouldn’t last. But they seemed to like her for now, and maybe I wouldn’t have to cancel our trip after all. I still had a speck of common sense, so I didn’t immediately blurt out a job offer, but I couldn’t stop staring at her.
Could there really be such a thing as fate? Ava wanted a little dog, and I wanted full-time help again, and this angel with nanny experience and something resembling a dog just waltzes around the corner? And she effortlessly managed to save the next few Christmases for Harrison without ever coming right out and saying the stupid fat man up north was real.And she was gorgeous.
I needed to stop. I stood up before I got lost in the depths of her tired, fascinating eyes. “Come on, kids,” I called. “Time to let Bailey and Freddy go.” I held out my hand to help Bailey to her feet and, after a second’s hesitation, she put her hand in mine.
If there was electricity between us, I forced myself to ignore it. This wasn’t a sign; there was no such thing as signs. With a snap of her fingers, the dog returned to her side, its toy firmly in its jaws.
Ava scrunched up her face, turning red from holding her breath. Here came tantrum time. I hurried to scoop her up and get away before Bailey witnessed the meltdown, but all of a sudden, Ava let out her breath, her eyes widening. She pointed behind me.
I whirled around to see Bailey crumple in a heap to the ground, her little dog yapping in fear by her still body.
Chapter 2 - Bailey
I opened my eyes to see the hot dad looming over me. He was even more handsome close up. Did I dream the whole thing where he had two adorable kids and was looking for a nanny? Because that seemed too good to be true. And if it was true, I surely messed up any chance by passing out in the middle of the park.
Being homeless was exhausting, even just a week of it. Working that crappy waitressing job while waiting anxiously for my security clearance at the nanny agency, trying to get people from the shelter to watch Freddy, scared to death that Rick would find me. The only people I knew here in New York were his friends, and I wasn’t sure I could trust any of them to not tell him where I was, especially since they only saw the good side of him, not what went on behind closed doors. Not for the first time, I felt like a supreme idiot letting myself get into my current situation.
I should have listened to my friends back home, and I probably should have just given up and gone back to South Carolina, but I still had some pride. It was pretty much the only thing I had left besides Freddy. It would sting to admit that moving here with Rick after only knowing him a few weeks was a mistake and that everything about him was a pack of lies. I didn’t want to slink back with my tail between my legs to see the pity in their eyes. And even though I had only been here for six months, I loved this dirty, crowded, magical city.
Now the handsome dad, Will, was patting my cheek. The look in his eyes was so concerned, I wanted to melt into his touch and go back to sleep. His little daughter, Ava, peered over one shoulder and his son, Harrison, popped his head over the other, both of them looking a mix of curious and worried. I hated to make them upset. They’d been so sweet with Freddy, who loved the attention from kids. I was hungry and tired, but unless one could actually die from embarrassment, there was no need for them to look so concerned.
“Do you need an ambulance?” Will asked, taking out his phone.
“No, I’m fine.” I waved them away and sat up. “Sorry,” I said. “I don’t know what happened. I’m really sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry,” Will said.
Right, of course. I was so used to trying to keep Rick from finding fault with me that apologies were my default answer to almost everything. I needed to get over that. I tried to stand up, but Will put a firm hand on my shoulder. I let my weary eyes travel up his muscular forearm to his broad shoulders and settle on his dark eyes that were full of concern. It felt so good to have someone show me a shred of kindness I almost leaned into him and rested my face against his chest. Thankfully, I just managed a weak smile.
“Just give yourself a minute,” he said. I was happy to comply as long as his big, warm hand rested on me.
“She needs food,” Ava said. “We should feed her.”
My stomach loudly agreed, but I realized she meant Freddy, who actually also could stand a solid meal. I’d been scrambling with my tips to keep us both fed. Between that and giving a few bucks to the people who watched him while I was at the restaurant, I barely had ten dollars in my pocket at a time. The thought of being able to save up for my own place was so daunting it always brought tears to my eyes.
“He’s okay,” I said, my pride not allowing me to agree.
