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“Is it not enough? I have to admit, I’m a little out of the loop for what’s standard nowadays.”
“No, no. That’s more than enough. Almost too much.” I handled multiple classes of thirty for less.
The smile that cracked his stoic face was too attractive to be legal. “You haven’t met my son yet.”
“I’m not worried.”
“I see you don’t lack for confidence.”
“I can handle kids. How old is Gio?”
“Six going on sixteen.”
“Sounds like my sister, the ten-year-old. So much attitude in such a small package.”
“Gio doesn’t have an attitude, but he has more energy than most. I don’t want to insult you and ask you about your physical capabilities, but he does better when he can be out running around, playing, staying busy.”
“If you would be okay with it, I was planning on doing some exploring of the town on my days off. I’d love to bring Gio along on my little adventures. I didn’t know if you’d want us to stay at the house. Or if you’re okay with him being in a car with me.”
“When it comes to Gio, you’d be better off getting out of the house as much as possible. I assume you have a clean record?”
“Squeaky clean.”
“Then I’m perfectly fine with it.”
“And not to make you doubt me, but you’re good with my word?”
“Do people tend not to believe you?” he asked, and I bit my lip to keep from blurting out a resounding yes. It wasn’t true. Not really, anyway.
“Sorry. I’m just public school trained. We couldn’t let kids in our car for any reason without parental consent. Then we had to get paperwork signed and approved, and it was an extensive process.”
“I think you’ll find my rules are a lot more lax than public schools. I just ask that you feed Gio lunch. You let him stay active during the day and try your hardest to keep him in one piece, though I’m not always expecting that either. If there is a way to get hurt, I guarantee my son will figure it out. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”
He held his hand out, and I stared at it for a second. This was not what I expected when I walked through those doors. After everything, this was the miracle I needed.
I took his hand in mine, noting how much larger his was. A true working man’s hand with calluses and thick fingers. Oh Jesus. I was staring at his hand. I snapped my eyes to his. “You got a deal. When do I start?”
“Tomorrow?”
After stopping at the taco truck, I made my way to my rental. The house was small with only two bedrooms, one bath, but I didn’t need much. I left home at eighteen for college. Mom already had CeeCee and JJ, and by the time my first semester was over, Phineas was born and then Birdie. My old room was soon filled with nursery furniture just waiting for me to head back to school. Going from an only child for over a decade to an older sister of four made me realize how much I could sacrifice in order to give them everything I never had. Not that Mom didn’t try, but having me at seventeen, abandoned by her high school sweetheart, she struggled to make ends meet.
Tossing my bags on the counter, I poured myself a glass of water, and made my way to the couch. The place didn’t have a kitchen table, but the snack tables I picked up at a yard sale in town worked just fine. I took a bite of the carne asada and sighed. I’d been looking forward to these tacos all day. The truck was never at the same location, but I made a point to follow their social media accounts after stumbling upon them one day and falling in love with Maria, the owner, and her cooking.
My phone buzzed in my bag, and I reluctantly put the taco down. Mom’s face flashed on the screen, and I tapped to answer the video call. Her red hair, like my own except for her wild curls, filled the screen. She’d always looked like a young Julia Roberts to me.
“Hi Mom.”
“Hey, Quinny. Any luck with the job search?”
I took another bite of my taco and waited to swallow before answering. “It went better than expected, actually.”
“That’s fantastic! Did you get the job at the winery?”
“No actually, I didn’t.”
“Oh.”
“I was filling out the application, and I overheard this gentleman saying he needed a babysitter or a nanny. A job I am much more qualified for, as you know.”
