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“Nice to meet you.” She doesn’t pay him much attention, and I can’t say it upsets me, especially when it’s because she’s too busy studying Lilly. “She sounds gassy.”
“Pardon?”
“The baby. May I?” She holds out her hands, smiling.
“I should ask you first how much experience you have with kids this small.” Sure, the agency told me she’s trustworthy, but this is my kid she wants to hold.
“I’ve been babysitting since I was twelve,” she explains with a patient smile. “From newborns to ten-year-olds. Believe me, I’ve seen it all.” Still, I exchange a look with Keaton, and he knows. He’ll dig deeper.
“Well, let’s see what you can do with this little one.” I hate handing her over to a stranger, even one as sweet and gorgeous as this girl. Claire’s smile widens as she lets Lilly settle against her shoulder. “Hi, little girl. We’re going to be good friends. First, let’s get some of that gas out of your tummy.”
All we can do is stand back and watch as she looks around, and then grabs a folded receiving blanket from the coffee table—I never did find time to put them away, but that’s sort of been at the bottom of my priority list. She spreads the blanket out on the sofa, then gently places Lilly on her back.
“Okay, girlfriend. Here we go.”
Keaton and I watch as she stretches the baby’s legs out, then pumps them back and forth in a bicycle kick. She moves them up and down, then stretches Lilly out before pressing her knees close to her stomach. Keaton and I burst out laughing when the most obnoxious sound imaginable explodes from my daughter’s tiny body.
“Lilly! Good God!” Keaton howls.
“It’s just gas,” Claire explains again before repeating the motions. I pay closer attention this time since I know they yield results. Again and again, Lilly releases the gas that was making her so miserable. By the time Claire is finished, Lilly is cooing peacefully, stretching and yawning.
“She’ll sleep now.” Claire picks her up and looks around. “Where is her crib?”
All I can do is stand back and point the way up the stairs. The girl truly is an angel.
It’s clear when Keaton shrugs that he’s sold. So am I. “When can you move in?” I ask.
She freezes, wide-eyed. “Wait a second.”
“Sure, you haven’t officially been offered the position yet.” Keaton rolls his eyes at me. “But I agree with him. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve got the job.”
“Thank you. It’s just that nobody told me it would be a live-in position.”
“Oh. I discussed it with the agency. I have plenty of room here at the house, and I’m going to have to go back to work full-time. I run a graphic design agency. I’ll be so busy that I need someone who can live here and take care of the baby. Does… that not work for you?”
I will offer this girl anything it takes. More money. Hell, I’ll pay her health insurance and set up a 401(k) if that’s what she wants. All I know is, Lilly is quiet. Content. I can hear myself think.
And I would do anything to keep Claire under this roof.
She chews her full bottom lip, and it’s all I can do to keep from growling at the sight. “Okay,” she decides. “If you’re offering the position, I accept.”
2
CLAIRE
Imust be dreaming. This can’t be real. Staying in this gorgeous house? Taking care of this precious baby?
Living with her hot dad?
Okay, that’s wrong. I shouldn’t think of him that way. I shouldn’t think about his brother that way, either. I need to be professional, especially if this job means getting off my friend’s couch and having a room of my own.
And once I put the baby down in her beautiful nursery, Nathan shows me the guest room across the hall. “It’s all yours,” he tells me as I admire the spacious, sunlight-drenched bedroom. There’s a queen-size bed, with a pretty flowered comforter, and a cute little dresser and nightstand. A big closet, too, though I don’t really need that much space. I don’t have a lot of clothes. I would pinch myself, but I’m afraid to wake up from this dream.
“This is so much more than I imagined,” I admit with a giggle. “I just thought I was coming in for a sort of nine-to-five position.”
“But you are willing to live here?” The anxiety in Nathan’s voice is hard to miss, and my heart goes out to him. Why is he here alone? I mean, his brother is here, but there’s no mother for the baby. He’s not mentioned her, anyway. I’m not going to ask in case it’s a touchy subject. What if she passed away? How tragic that would be.
And he looks exhausted, too. Both of them do. I can only imagine the stress they’ve been under if they didn’t even know how to relieve the baby’s gas. Poor little thing.
