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“Zoe wouldn’t fall asleep tonight.” Briar lurched to her feet and blearily brushed at her tiny sleep shorts that I definitely wasn’t looking at. “I guess I fell asleep waiting for her to fall asleep.”
I smiled and pivoted from Briar to Zoe’s softly snoring little body. “Yeah, I’ve been there. Some nights it’s just easier to let her sleep in my bed. I know she’s supposed to sleep on her own, but I just can’t do the back and forth all night long. I need to sleep too.”
“You’re a good dad.”
My eyes snapped back to Briar and I shrugged. “Some days it doesn’t feel like that. My publicist was just telling me a good dad would… Never mind. Anyway, you don’t have to sleep on the floor tonight if you don’t want to. You should get to bed.”
I took one last look at my sleeping daughter then headed for the door. I’d gotten a few feet down the hall when Briar’s quiet, “Wait,” stopped me.
I turned and found her standing behind me with her arms crossed over her chest. She bit her lip, then shook her head. “Please don’t let anyone ever let you think you’re not a good dad. You do everything you can for your daughter, and I’m not talkingabout monetarily. You put in the time. She knows you and loves you—wants to be with you. And that’s what makes you a great dad. Anyone who says otherwise has ulterior motives. Or they don’t know you.” Her cheeks turned pink as she looked away. “I’m not saying that I know you. Because I don’t. But I’ve seen all kinds of parents. And you’re definitely one of the good ones.”
“Thanks, Briar. That means a lot.”
And it did. Being a parent was so hard, especially since I was doing this on my own. I didn’t even have the best example from my parents—past or present. They’d divorced when we were in elementary school and then used us as weapons against each other. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw, or even spoke to, either of them.
“Right. Well. I should be getting to bed. Zoe gets up early.”
“Me too. Although I should’ve told you, I have a later call time tomorrow, so I get to have breakfast with you guys in the morning.”
Briar beamed. “Great.” She flushed and shook her head. “I mean, Zoe will be so happy to see you. She’ll be thrilled.”
I hitched a shoulder. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“’Night.”
“’Night,” I repeated, taking a step back in the direction of my bedroom.
And yet I lingered and watched Briar walk away in the opposite direction toward her room at the other end of the hall.
Not that I noticed how her tiny sleep shorts clung to her heart shaped ass.
Because that wasn’t something I would do.
* * *
The next morning, I was already downstairs making breakfast before either of them woke up. I had eggs and bacon going—Zoe’s favorites—when I heard her stirring on the monitor app. After quickly turning down the burners on the stove, I was halfway across the kitchen when Briar’s voice came over the feed.
“Who’s awake? And slept all night in her own bed like a big girl? Zoe!”
My little girl squealed, and my heart melted.
Watching on the video app as Briar walked across the nursery to Zoe’s toddler bed, my eyes tracked her the entire time. Whereas before, I would’ve been so concerned about how my daughter was adjusting and whether or not the nanny was a good fit, now I knew. Briar was so great with her. She didn’t make Zoe feel bad about having to sleep on the nursery floor—instead she praised Zoe for sleeping in her own bed. Briar was exactly the kind of nanny I’d always wanted to have.
Well almost. It would’ve been better if she didn’t come in such a tempting package.
“I’ve got a surprise for you this morning.” Briar’s voice drew my attention away from my wayward thoughts and I focused on the video feed again. Briar was changing Zoe on the changing table while Zoe burrowed her face in Bunny’s soft fur.
Zoe’s voice was muffled by her stuffed animal as she repeated, “Sup-pise?”
“That’s right. Good job! Surprise. It means something you didn’t know was going to happen. And I’ve got a surprise for you downstairs.” Briar pulled leggings up Zoe’s little legs. “Do you want to go see what it is?”
“Yes!” Zoe latched herself to Briar’s side, her hands clutched on Briar’s shirt, pulling the fabric.
“Let’s not forget Bunny,” Briar said as she picked up the stuffed animal with her free hand.
“Bunny!” Zoe’s voice had me smiling again.
They’d left the video feed, but I could still hear their voices. “You ready for your surprise?” Briar asked. “Do you smell something?”
