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Haley’s face blanched and she looked like she might throw up. “Your dad?” she asked.
I nodded. “Is that okay?”
She was silent for a moment, then answered honestly, “I don’t know.”
I looked at my watch to try and disguise my disappointment. “Well, dinner will be in thirty minutes so if you want to join us, we’ll be in the formal dining room.”
Haley nodded, grabbing her shopping bags and purse and heading past me to her room.
I was never great at disappointment, but I chose to hold out hope. I would probably be a little gun-shy too if my boss/lover told me I was meeting the parents.
Dad arrived fashionably late as usual and immediately gave each of the kids a hundred-dollar bill.
“Dad, I’ve told you that’s too much money for the kids.”
“Nonsense,” he replied. “They have things they like to buy. Don’t you, kids?”
My traitorous spawn cheered loudly and replied, “Yeah!”
I sighed and sent them to the dining room, fetching the dishes of food I’d catered from the kitchen.
I was just gathering silverware when I heard the sound of a female voice clearing behind me. I turned and found Haley, looking gorgeous in a red sweater leaning against the wall, smiling.
“Is this appropriate ‘dad’ attire?”
I nodded with a smile I couldn’t restrain. “I should say so.”
Without a care in the world, I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the cabinets, pressing a deep kiss to her lips. She wrapped her slender fingers around my cheeks and kissed me back with a happy noise.
“Thank you,” I said. “This means a lot to me.”
Haley nodded. “You’ve done so much for me, and… well…”
She didn’t need to finish the statement. I knew what she wanted to say and I smiled in agreement. This was slowly becoming something more than an employer/employee situation and neither of us was upset about it.
“Can I help you carry anything to the dining room?” she asked, holding out her hands.
I handed her the silverware and napkins and nodded toward where the kids could be heard talking to their grandfather.
“Go on,” I said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She smiled and took a deep breath, then walked confidently to the room where we would be having dinner. Hopefully the first of many.
My dad looked up as she walked in, and began to weigh her with his eyes almost immediately. He had a way of deciding how he was going to interact with people before he’d even had a conversation with them. It was one of the things that most got in the way of us having good communication and a great relationship.
“This must be the nanny I hear so much about,” he said with a mischievous smile that I saw all too often on Leann’s face. “What a knockout.”
“This is Haley Bo Baley,” Ben said playfully, sticking his tongue out at her. “She’s pretty much our sister.”
An uncomfortable shudder rippled across my skin hearing him call her his sister. That had some unfortunate implications I really didn’t care to entertain.
“She is not like your sister, Ben.” I chuckled nervously.
Haley shot me an uneasy sideways glance and I shrugged. The kid really did have an odd mind.
“Well, sit down,” my father said, pulling the chair out next to him. “I’m always looking for girlfriends.” He chuckled with a gurgle like the old lech he was and Haley looked to me for help.
“Actually,” I said, intervening. “If Haley doesn't mind, I’d prefer that she sit over here near Leann. You don’t mind that, do you Hales–er–Haley?”
