AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ivy pranced into the room, the yards of tulle in her skirt bouncing with each step. Her hair was free. One of the first things we did each morning was braid it. When I did a crown braid earlier this week, she thought I was magic. I think Cody thought the same. “We’re getting the cats!”
“Yay!” I had no details but relief that the scratch incident hadn’t scared them away from cats was strong.
“We’refosteringboth cats.” Cody came into the living room just as I crossed through the entry. His jaw was a chiseled marble, but he was dressed in jeans and a forest-green shirt, which only made him more imposing with his dark hair and deep brown eyes. “To get them used to kids—and loud noises.”
My mouth went dry. Casual Cody assaulted my senses. He was approachable. Softer in a way a guy like Frederick never could be. While there was a grim set to his mouth, humor sparked deep in his gaze.
“Two cats?” I asked around my parched mouth. My breathing rate picked up as I raked my eyes down his body. Oh, god. He wasn’t even wearing his strict loafers. On his feet were dusty, used cowboy boots.
My hormones kicked into a seductive salsa.
His attention was traveling up my skirt, drifting past my abdomen and breasts like a caress before landing on my face just as my gaze hooked on his. We’d been checking each other out at the same time.
I should be embarrassed, but the way his jeans molded to his powerful thighs sapped all thought from my brain. Meanwhile, a place farther south on my body needed to quit thinking so much. “Day off?”
“It’s Saturday, for one.” The corner of his mouth kicked up. “What you said yesterday got through to me. I’m due for a day off.”
“Oh.” I was pleased for him, but disappointment sifted through me. “You don’t need me today?”
He shook his head. “Not so fast. I have two very excited kids who will be wanting to smother two very nervous kittens. And they’re due for shots and deworming. Sutton said we could stop in any time this morning at her new clinic, but I need a hand.”
Sutton. His sister-in-law.
Kids and kittens and vet clinics were evidence of an ideal life I’d wanted to be a part of so badly since I was a kid. Big dreams of sleepovers and dance parties and pets had faded, and I’d clung to my dance lessons, the one thing Mom had been able to keep constant. Now, I was the hired help, but excitement welled in me nonetheless. If I was going to seek shelter with an ex-smoker who snored while I scrabbled enough money together to keep my mom in good hands, then this wasn’t a bad way to do it.
“One cat wrangler, at your service.”
His eyes darkened, but he gestured to the door.
Outside, Catherine’s mother was stepping out, juggling a tote bag, her keys, and her purse. She spotted us, eyes wide. “Oh. Good morning.”
“Morning,” Cody said. “Vienne, have you met Tova yet? She’s working as a nanny for the summer with the kids.”
Vienne was pretty with a sophisticated, indie vibe. Jealousy came perilously close to forming in my head, but Vienne’s gaze was perfunctory, almost clinical behind her glasses, when she looked at Cody. His muscled shoulder was next to mine, and it’d be too awkward for me to peek at how he reacted to her.
Tova, you have no business getting jealous.
“Tova, hi. I’ve heard about you from Catherine.”
Hopefully good things, but maybe annoyed at best since I wasn’t sure how the teen reacted to my invites. “She’s welcome over anytime.”
Vienne floated down the stairs. Her light brown hair had blonde highlights growing out, but she’d blown it out and added soft curls. Her heeled boots paired nicely with her skintight jeans, and the slouchy, loose-knit top she wore with a mustard tank underneath was perfect for a June day. She was simple but stylish compared to my surfer-girl chic.
She crossed the wet grass between the yards, heedless of the recent rain. She stuck her hand out, her phone held in her other. A tangle of bracelets lined her wrist and matched the fall of necklaces around her neck. Classy but cool. “Welcome to town, Tova. I’m Vienne.” I shook her hand. When she released me, she dropped her keys and stooped to pick them up in a jingle of jewelry. “About Catherine.” She straightened and glanced at the house. “She, uh, says she prefers modern dance.”
She said it, exasperated in a way I’d heard many parents in my teaching days speak about their kids’ specific interests.
“I do modern stuff. We can always change it up if she joins us.” I smiled. “As long as it’s kid friendly.”
“That probably rules her out entirely.” She rolled her eyes and shoved her dark-framed glasses up her nose. “If it’s not pushing the limits, she’s not interested.”
I’d been the same. “There are still moves we can work on. Maybe even some evenings when I’m not working?” Catherine was clearly interested, and there was nothing better than mentoring a kid who had a heart for learning. Excitement welled inside me thinking about it.
“Oh.” She blinked, her turquoise eyes owlish. “I’d pay you.”
My interest perked up. The more income, the merrier, but I was dedicated to the Knights. “I can’t commit to a schedule.”
“We could work around lessons,” Cody said. I glanced at him, but his expression was unreadable. “I’d hate for Catherine to miss out because you’re at our beck and call.”
