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“You wouldn’t be. I offered, remember? How many hours were you thinking?”
Mindy sat up straighter. She buttoned her gown and handed me Adaline while she took Ava. “I’m not sure, exactly. I didn’t really think it was possible. Probably a few days a week, or nights, whatever you’re willing to swing. I’ll take whatever help I can get.”
I nodded and stared down into the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. Adaline squirmed, and then her face pinched like she was in pain. There was a white burp cloth hanging off the side of the bassinet. I grabbed it and slung it over my shoulder, then lifted her upright and patted her back while I swayed from side to side.
Mindy stared at me with a funny expression on her face. “Wow, you really are something.”
I laughed. “How so?”
“There’s more to you than meets the eye, and I intend to find out what you’re hiding.”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“No?” she asked with a raised brow. “Seems to me you’re hiding a lot behind that party façade.”
A wave of panic crested over me. I wasn’t used to being so transparent or having people like the real me. Normally, they wanted something the rich girl could give them. Friends, guys, family, they were all after money from me. I’d never had a loyal friend or boyfriend who liked the real me, and I’d built a wall around myself because of it. The party façade, as Mindy put it, kept me from getting hurt.
I had finally let my guard down when I met Alessandro, allowing him to see the real me, and that crashed and burned. I was terrified to allow someone in again. Which was why going with Sid to the gala was a terrible idea. Even if he was grumpy and someone I’d likely not fall for.
“Does Rebecca know you used to nanny? Because she’s never mentioned it before.”
Another wave of anxiety washed over me. As I opened my mouth to explain the situation with my sister, the door to the room opened, and Sid and Frank walked in. Relief rushed through me. I wasn’t ready to explain myself, and I didn’t want anyone judging how ridiculous it sounded. It was hard for people to understand why the rich girl hated her life unless they had lived it.
It was also really hard to explain my relationship with Rebecca. Especially to friends who were hers before they were mine. Loyalty ran deep with this group. A pang of sadness ran through me at the thought of losing them. They’d become family, and I couldn’t imagine not having them in my life.
“Hey,” Sid said, startling me. I was too deep in my head.
He walked to a small table on wheels beside the bed and set down a takeout bag and coffee. Sid was frowning, and the room thickened with tension. I felt nervous. Sid and I hadn’t talked since he’d offered to be my date two days ago. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
“You went all the way to Grateful Cup?” Mindy asked.
“Frank said you’d be mad if we didn’t,” Sid muttered.
“I never said that,” Frank said. He frowned when he saw me burping Adaline. He walked over and put his hands out. “I’ll take her.”
Mindy rolled her eyes. “He’s a little weird about people holding the girls.”
“They’re so small. What if something happened to them?” Frank asked.
“Nothing is going to happen. We’re in a hospital, for God's sake.”
I glanced at the clock and panicked. “I have to go. I’m going to be late for work. I’m so sorry.”
“No. Go. I understand. Thanks for staying.”
“Anytime.” I bent down and gave her a hug. “Call me about the other thing,” I whispered into her ear.
She nodded and smiled. “Thanks.”
After waving goodbye to the guys, I bolted from the room, almost running to the elevator. Luckily, it arrived as quickly as it had the first time, and I slid inside and hit the button for the lobby. I shot a quick text to Sarah to let her know I was going to be late. As soon as I was outside of the hospital, I ran for my car.
Chapter 7
SID
ONLY FOUR OFFICERS, INCLUDING me, worked at the station since Oak Springs was such a small town. We had to take turns with our shifts, and because I was the sheriff, I took a lot of the crap shifts. I was also always on call. Thankfully, nothing big ever happened.
Occasionally, I was called to handle a drunk roaming around town naked or an animal that had escaped someone’s farm and gone for a stroll down Main Street. Nothing more than that, though, and it made work boring.
