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“Because she just accepted a very special present from a very special friend.” Tuck casually wipes his hands on a towel like he didn’t just write me a six-figure check. He’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt that’s molded to his thick chest and biceps. “Isn’t that right, Maren?”
“We need to talk, Tuck.”
“I like presents.” Katie toys with my necklaces. “Can I have yours if you don’t want it?”
I laugh, even as the tears continue. “Here, you eat your peas so you can have a treat, okay? I’m going to talk to your daddy for a second.”
“But I don’t like peas,” she wails as I set her down. “They’re not warm.”
“Yes, Katie, they are. Now sit down at the table, or you’re going in time out.” Tuck’s tone is firm but not loud. He really is a patient man. I have a lot to learn from him.
Something I don’t want from him? Money.
Katie, of course, just digs in her heels. “I won’t eat them.”
“That’s one,” Tuck says.
“Daddy, no!”
“Two.”
“Daddy—”
“It’s time for lunch, Katie.” I pick her back up and set her in her chair, sliding it forward so she can reach her plate. “Which means we sit at the table and try to eat. I’ll set the timer, okay?”
She sniffles. “Okay. But only two minutes. Is that a deal?”
“Deal.” Tuck heads off to the side of the kitchen by the pantry.
I follow and hold up the check. “I’m not taking this,” I whisper.
His green eyes twinkle. “I’m not taking it back.”
“It’s way too much. I owe half this.”
“Then take the other half and put it in your savings account.”
Throwing up my hands in exasperation, I stare at him. “I can pay back my own damn student loans, Tuck. May take me a while?—”
“Tiny, the money’s a gift.” He twines his fingers through mine and pulls me to him. “Let me help you. If the money helps you sleep better at night—if it makes finishing your degree any easier—it’s worth it. Have you given that any thought, by the way?”
I nod, desire pooling low in my pelvis. His hands are so big and warm. Any time this man touches me, I go up in flames. “I wrote a paper this morning, as a matter of fact. It felt... well, not great, but not terrible, either.”
“Good. Take the money. Keep at it.” His gaze is imploring. “Your role here... it’s gonna change soon.”
I scrunch my brow, my pulse taking off at a sprint. “What does that mean?”
“Means you’re not going to be Katie’s nanny forever. You’re becoming a part of our family, and at some point...” He looks at me, the unspoken question hanging between us.
At some point, am I going to become Katie’s stepmom?
My heart soars. It’s too soon to talk about it. Way too soon to wonder that if I’m Katie’s stepmom, does that mean Tuck will ask me to marry him?
I love,lovethe idea of being his wife. Again, too soon. But the thought is there.
The desire is there.
“I’m not gonna stop paying you or anything,” Tuck continues. “But that transition from nanny to family member, it’s going to happen. And knowing you, you’re gonna want tohave another job lined up after the baby comes, which means you have to finish school. The money I’m giving you is a gift, but it’s also safety net. I want to provide for you and the baby over the course of whatever maternity leave you take. I don’t want you to feel pressure to find a new job right away.”
