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He could tell from the short conversation he’d had with her that Lily Palmer was…different from the women who usually floated his boat.
She was different and she was off-limits…at least until her month of caring for the kids was up.
Stop. Stay on task, he reminded himself.
“You didn’t have to defend him,” Cullen said. “His behavior was inappropriate.”
“He’s just a kid,” Lily said.
“Does that mean you still want the job?”
Lily blinked at him as if changing channels from champion of children to nanny candidate. “Well, yes. Of course I do.”
Cullen exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Next, he gathered his own inappropriate thoughts and urges, stuffed them into a mental box labeled Off-limits and pushed them way in the back of his consciousness. If he was going to hold George to a standard of appropriateness, then he had to set the example.
“Can you start now?”
* * *
“Why didn’t you get George in trouble?” Megan asked Lily. “Because you totally could’ve. I’ll bet you could’ve gotten him grounded if you wanted to.”
“Nuh-uh,” said George. “Uncle Cullen can’t ground us. Only Mom and Dad could do that, and they’re dead.”
Lily winced and brother and sister continued to verbally duke it out. As long as they didn’t come to physical blows, she was willing to let them settle it while she regrouped and figured out what they were going to do for the rest of the day.
She hadn’t planned on being hired on the spot, much less starting today. If she’d known there’d been a chance of that, she would’ve planned better. She would’ve brought things for the kids to do. But, she rationalized, being hired on the spot was far better than having to wait or getting passed over for the job.
She’d had a certain level of confidence coming into the interview since her friends Kate Thayer—who was married to Dr. Liam Thayer, who worked with Cullen at the hospital—and Sydney James, who was good friends with Kate, had both recommended her for the position.
But she had to admit her confidence took a tumble when she saw Angie racing to get out of the house.
Lightweight. She chuckled to herself and then reined it back in. Not everyone was cut out to care for children. Those who weren’t had no business trying. There was a fine line between keeping a child in line and breaking his or her spirit.
The Thomas kids needed special care after all they’d been through. Maybe even a bit more slack than she would usually allow the typical kid in her class. To a point.
Through the years, she’d learned that caring for children was not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It was an ongoing choose-your-battles work in progress.
“How about if we play a game of Monopoly?” Lily suggested with all the enthusiasm she could muster. “Your uncle Cullen said he just got it for you.”
Playing a board game, especially one like Monopoly that had the potential to last hours, would not only be a good way to keep them occupied, but might be a good way to get to know them better.
“You know he’s not our real uncle,” said Megan. “We just call him that. He was my dad’s best friend.”
“He’s a good guy,” Lily said. He must’ve been. It was a commitment to take in four kids. Even if it was just temporary.
“I’m hungry,” said Bridget. “Can we have something to eat first?”
Lily glanced at her watch. It was later than she’d realized, well past lunchtime. Cullen had left some money and the number of the local pizza place that delivered. It had been so chaotic she hadn’t even thought about whether or not they’d eaten. “You know what? That’s a good idea. What kind of pizza should we order?”
The girls wanted cheese. George wanted the works. After she placed the order, she instructed the kids to set up the game and count out the money.
While they were busy, she searched the pantry, which housed a full wine refrigerator and not much else. Then she started opening and shutting cabinets in search of a light snack to tide them over. Other than cereal, which they told her they’d had for breakfast, she found a jar of peanut butter in the cupboards and some fruit, baby carrots, a gallon of milk and juice in the refrigerator. That was it for the healthy snacks. Of course, she also found some fancy crackers that were past their expiration date, a jar of olives and a rather smelly, green-looking wedge of blue cheese in the refrigerator.
