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“I wouldn’t mind bringing her by once a week if you were okay with it. She loves seeing you and her uncle.”
“I’d like it too.” His gaze flicked from me to Maggie.
I was doing this for him, letting him see his daughter during the workday. It had nothing to do with me wanting to see him. I reminded myself of that as the image of him bare chested in those thin sweatpants played on repeat in my brain.
CHAPTER6
SAM
“That’s your girl-next-door nanny, huh?” Mac asked as I watched Alice drive away, with Maggie waving to us from the backseat.
His tone suggested he thought she was more attractive than I’d let on.
When they were out of sight, I slapped the back of my hand against his chest. “Fuck off.”
He touched his chest with the palm of his hand. “I can see why you’re struggling lately. It must be hard not to hook up with her.”
I groaned. “Seriously, shut up. I’m not a teenager anymore. I’m a grown adult with a child.”
Mac continued without pausing. “Sucks to be you. If it were me—”
I stopped him with a look. “You’d do the same thing I’m doing. You’d do right by your kid.”
Mac sobered. “You’re probably right. Still, you’ve thought about it.”
I nodded. “I’d be lying if I said no.”
“I knew it,” Mac said, with none of the teasing tone from before.
“She’s great with Maggie. She takes her places, spends time with her, plays those imagination games she loves so much.” She was what I’d always wanted in a nanny, or maybe even a mother. Someone who put Maggie’s well-being first.
“You mad Alice brought her here?”
It was something I’d never suggested, mainly because job sites were dangerous for four-year-olds. “I’m pretty sure Maggie hoodwinked her into that, but she mentioned wanting to make it a weekly thing. Said it was good for Maggie to see me at work.”
Mac nodded as we headed back into the house. “I can see that. Then Maggie sees you’re doing actually something, not just staying away from her.”
Alice’s presence eased the guilt. Maggie was with someone who cared for her, and she was having a good time. Now I could look forward to a weekly lunch. “This thing with Alice is working out.”
Mac smirked. “We’re still talking about the nanny thing, right?”
I barely restrained myself from rolling my eyes. “You’re impossible. I can’t even talk to you.”
Mac’s smile faded. “When was the last time you dated anyone?”
“No one serious since Felicia. I don’t want to introduce anyone to my daughter.”
Mac’s lips twitched. “It’s convenient that Alice already knows Maggie. No introduction necessary.”
I bit off a curse. “That makes it worse, not better.”
Mac straightened, and I knew I was getting his best big-brother advice. “All I’m saying is that you deserve something too. Felicia’s off living her dream life, ignoring her responsibilities.” When I opened my mouth to protest, Mac held up his hands. “I’m not saying ignore Maggie, but you can have a life too. It’s not all about being a dad.”
He’d said that several times over the years, or some variation thereof. “I know it’s only been a week, but I don’t want to lose her. She’s nothing like the other women I’ve hired.”
“Maybe there’s something to be said for that. She’s not just a nanny,” Mac said thoughtfully.
I’d hired younger ones who had their heads buried in their phones and older ones who thought their job was to instill respect and manners in Maggie. I just wanted Maggie to be a kid. She’d be in school soon enough. “If we got involved, it would screw up everything.”
