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“Not that you are hard to handle, you understand, Master Storm.” The toddler turned back in response to hearing his name. “It’s just that there is so much going on that one adult responsible for two charges is the limit. Don’t you think?” Storm nodded while he grinned and jabbered back, perfectly content to have this conversation with his nanny.
As Finley pushed the stroller on the path with the babbling toddler running alongside in this idyllic setting she moved with purpose, her long, measured strides taking her down the familiar sidewalk. At twenty-eight years old, she cut an imposing figure. Standing just over five feet six inches tall, her lean, muscular frame was an undeniable testament to her military background and her dedication to fitness. Her wavy, dark hair was pulled into a tight bun, revealing sharp cheekbones.
Her intense hazel-green eyes scanned her surroundings with the efficiency of someone trained for combat. There were guards at the front gate of Jac’s house and a locked gate at the front of the Gander’s house. Finley felt as safe as she had ever been outdoors with Storm. She listened for Levi.
Jac came from money, and his business did a lot of good for people and brought a number of high-stakes criminals to light in a lucrative way. Jac said his job was sometimes to simply shinethe light where it needed to be, but the rest was out of his hands. And while Finley didn’t usually ask, no one kept things quiet around her. She was just as vetted as any of his other employees and they all had a job to do. Hers was to keep Storm safe from assholes who thought getting to Jac and Sharlee through their son was an easy task.
She’d happily show them how wrong they were. Finally, as they reached the gate, she rang the bell that was attached to the neighbor’s house, announcing that she was entering their garden. She waited for one of the Ganders to ring back over or say something over the speaker, but they didn’t. Odd.
“They must be out of the house already, Mr. Storm. Hold on while I start your mama’s brilliant program.” She flipped on the Keep Safe program, leaving it on standby easily accessed on her phone. “Now we are ready.”
She put in the code to open the tall, fairytale-like gate that allowed them to gain entry into a world of fauna and floral delights. Storm was already pointing and babbling, trying to get out of his stroller that she had placed him in when his little legs had grown tired. Their grounds were extensive, and it was a lot to ask a little one to traverse it all on foot. He loved the garden gnomes and looking glasses amongst the fairy lights that were not on now, but the garden fairies and lovely other decorative animals throughout the beautiful plot of land didn’t need illumination.
Once he was out of his stroller, Storm explored. He knew this place well because they visited often.
“Hey, there you two are,” said Levi. “Let me see what you’re doing.” He opened the gate and walked through.
Storm, who was used to big, strapping men in his world, grabbed Levi’s hand, comfortable with him as one of his people, and attempted to pull him in the direction of a particularly colorful group of flowers and fairies.
“Isn’t it beautiful out here today?” Finley breathed in deeply, the sweet scent of blooming flowers mingling with the earthy aroma of grass. She pushed Storm’s stroller beside the gate, her eyes scanning the vibrant scenes around them.
“Absolutely,” Levi agreed, his gaze lingering on the joyful expression of the toddler enjoying the day. “It’s been a while since we’ve had such nice weather.”
As they continued their meandering, Finley couldn’t help but feel at ease, the tranquility of the garden soothing her busy mind. The warm sunlight seemed to chase away the shadows that often lingered, leaving her feeling lighter, more carefree.
Levi wasn’t experienced with young children. Unlike Finley, who was the eldest of four children, each four years apart, Levi was an only child, the product of two only children. He tried but Storm was a busy little guy and putting his hand into flowers and grabbing a few blooms to yank out was something he would do often without gentle redirection. Finley walked in Levi and Storm’s direction.
“Storm, look what I found. A butterfly!”
Storm turned and ran his best to see the butterfly. His mouth was open and his eyes wide in discovery. The chirping of the birds was enchanting as Finley laid the blanket down for them to explore the newly cut grass, and surrounded by the scent of overturned rich, dark soil. Putting her hands out to encourage Storm to come and explore with them, Levi pretended to be a bear chasing him to safety. He plopped down amid screams, giggles, and squeals.
After some chasing and playful gobbling by Levi, Finley started to walk down one of the trails found throughout the wooded area surrounding the garden. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the path ahead. Finley kept a watchful eye on Storm as he toddled beside her, his tiny hand gripping her fingers tightly. Levi walked on her otherside, his presence a reassuring reminder of their deepening connection.
“Storm’s growing up so fast,” Levi said, his voice tinged with awe as he watched the small boy navigate the uneven terrain with surprising agility.
Finley smiled, warmth blooming in her chest at the shared affection between them. “He is,” she agreed, then added, “I’m just grateful I get to be a part of his life.”
Levi glanced at her, his eyes softening. “Still think kids aren’t in your future?”
“If you mean that I produce, then yep. No changes there. I just don’t want that responsibility. I love being the nanny, but the mommy role just doesn’t appeal to me. Does that make me seem odd?”
“Odd? No. I’m relieved, really. I mean, I’ve always thought I might have a kid but feel empty without one? No. I just imagined the woman I eventually hooked up with would want one. But if she didn’t, I’d be fine. If I was with you? I would be more than fine.”
“Not sure Cash would be okay with that. Maybe we could adopt?”
“Cash said he would at least need a dog.”
She laughed. “A dog I can do.”
An unexpected blush crept up Finley’s cheeks, but she didn’t have the chance to respond as Storm suddenly tugged at her hand, pointing excitedly at a nearby squirrel chattering away. She crouched down, her protective instincts kicking in. “That’s right, buddy. It’s a squirrel. But we need to keep our distance and let it go about its day.”
“Skwerla!” Storm echoed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Exactly,” Finley said with a laugh, ruffling his hair. She looked up at Levi, who was grinning at the sight.
“Come on, little man,” Levi said, crouching down next to them, his fingers brushing against Finley’s as they both held onto Storm. “Let’s see what else we can find in this park, huh?”
As they continued their wandering, Finley couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. She wasn’t unhappy at all, but truly content? She didn’t know if she had ever been that. Even though she knew that happiness could be fragile, she allowed herself to imagine a future with Levi and Cash.
