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Joy Foster beams from her spot beside me on the bench. “Okay, I’ve made my decision. The job is yours.”
I clasp my hands together in an attempt to corral my excitement. “Really?”
The new mother nods. “Absolutely. There’s nothing left to consider. Your references speak for themselves. I’m getting a super comforting vibe from you. My fiancé put me in charge, which means he’s on board too.” She leans closer to share her final point. “And full disclosure, it’s tough to find a reliable sitter to fill random hours in this town.”
My heart swells at her faith in me. “Wow, that means a lot. You won’t regret it.”
“I’m confident in my choice. Belle agrees. Don’t you, precious angel?” She simply glows while making googly eyes at the baby girl who’s dozing in her stroller.
A mist blurs my vision while I indulge in their sacred bond. It’s moments like these that solidify my decision to find a partner to share this life with. Sooner rather than later. And if we’re lucky, there will be children included in our journey.
Joy nuzzles her newborn’s nose before returning her focus to me. “This might seem like a strange question, but did you set out to become a nanny or was it more of a happy accident?”
“Um, both? If that’s an appropriate answer.” I take a pause to wipe at my wet lashes and compose myself. “When I only had a few months left of college, a family friend introduced me to Wanda Nelson. She was pregnant with her daughter and had a rambunctious toddler at home. What was meant to be a summer gig to offer a helping hand during the transition turned into a permanent position. And now, here I am, fortunate enough to care for Belle as well.”
“We’re very pleased to have found you. That’s definitely one consistent factor in a small town. Talk travels fast. It just so happened to swing in our favor for once.” She rolls her eyes, more than likely thinking about the rumors constantly churning in Knox Creek.
I bob my head in agreement. “It’s useful in this case that everybody knows everybody. Abbie was all too eager to pass along the news. She’s been trying to get me to move here since I started working for the Nelson family two years ago.”
Joy swivels on her seat to face me. “You should. It’s such a great community.”
With limited dating potential. But I don’t voice that concern. I compromise with a truth. “It’s being considered.”
She chews on her bottom lip. “Do you plan to make a career change soon? Just so I can prepare for how long you’ll be available.”
“To be perfectly honest, I’m extremely fulfilled with this role. I couldn’t have picked a more suitable field whether I stumbled into it or not. The kids are incredible. There’s no reason to leave something I’m enjoying, right? At least until I start a family of my own.”
“Ohhhh,” she croons. “Is that already in progress?”
“Not even close,” I laugh. “First, I need to ditch my singleton status.”
She squints against the sunlight. “Ah, yes. That can be challenging.”
On cue, a figure in motion across the park catches my attention. I turn to see none other than Garrett running along a paved path. He’s shirtless, which just isn’t fair. Tan skin, sculpted muscles, and colorful tattoos fill my vision. Even from this distance, I can see sweat streaking down his chiseled abdomen. Heat infuses me in a fiery wave that sets me ablaze. My throat is suddenly dry, which is becoming an inconvenient recurrence whenever he’s near. I part my lips in a weak attempt to draw in a much-needed breath.
“Do you want to borrow Belle’s bib?” Joy’s voice is barely recognizable.
“Huh?” But there’s no looking away from sinful temptation in the flesh.
A pink cloth suddenly blocks my view. “To mop up the drool.”
That wrenches me from the foolish gawking. I swipe at my chin as flames burn my cheeks. “Good grief, I’m sorry. That was extremely unprofessional. Please don’t hold this against me.”
She’s laughing too hard to appreciate my apology. Tears are nearly spilling from her eyes. “Oh, gosh. Don’t even. I understand completely. My body is pumped full of enough raging hormones to satisfy an entire hockey team if I desire. Cole can barely handle my sex drive.”
“I doubt he’s complaining,” I joke in an effort to bury my embarrassment.
“Not even a little bit. Who’s the lucky duck to get you flustered?” Joy scours the open field for suitable suspects. A loud gag rips from her in the next second. “Ugh, gross.”
“What?” I don’t dare look at the source of her upset.
“My stupid brother is over there, flaunting his male ego.” She makes another disgusted noise.
“Your—?” My voice slams to a halt as realization strikes. “Ah, crud buckets. Foster.”
“That’s our last name. Don’t wear it out,” she sings.
“I never would’ve made that connection.” Which pummels me with another punch of humiliation. “You don’t really look alike.”
