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“Do you think Cara could be like my mommy someday?”
I think I’d like that. Fuck.“I…uh…well…you know, Lucy, Cara’s got her own life, her own family, and —”
“I know, but isn’t that how everyone starts? Two people with two different families make their own family. That’s what you and Mommy did. Kind of. Right?”
Damn, she was wise beyond her years. I patted her hand gingerly. “Cara’s your nanny, sweetheart. Is that okay with you?”
Lucy’s face fell. “Yeah. That’s okay. Let’s go see the penguins.”
I wished I could have told her what she wanted to hear. Made her smile for the rest of the day. For the rest of her life. But I would have been lying to her if I’d said there was a likelihood that Cara would ever be anything more than her nanny.
But even though it was improbable…didn’t mean it was impossible.
And there, in front of the penguins in Central Park Zoo, I realized something that terrified me. I not only liked Cara. I wanted her. And that feeling was not going away any time soon.
Chapter11
Cara
I was sitting at a coffee shop near Lucy’s school, waiting for Danny Morden. I had to wonder how lately, I seemed cursed to have to wait for men in coffee shops when they were running late.
After I told him I wasn’t accepting the deal without the contingencies — or should I say, afterWesleytold him that — Danny was eager to meet up with me to talk about the deal.
Despite being furious with Wesley for interceding the way that he did, I had to admit, he was right. It would have been reckless to accept that deal when I didn’t know what could be wrong with the building. And if I had to shell out a little more money for the property, that was the price for my peace of mind.
Yesterday, I’d decided to give Wesley a call to ask for help. It had taken about an hour out of my day just working up the nerve to call, but I knew I needed his expertise.
“Cara, what a surprise. Is everything alright?”
“Yes. I was hoping you could give me some pointers. I have a meeting with my realtor tomorrow and I want to make sure I’m going in with all the tools I need to…to not back down.”
I could hear his smile over the phone. Picturing it my mind’s eye, I felt the impact to my core. “I’d be happy to help. You have something to take notes with?”
Wesley and I spoke on the phone for a while as he explained to me everything I needed to know to stand my ground when it came to Danny Morden. His skills were clear. I had a lot to learn. At the end of the call, Lucy hopped on to say hello and how excited she was to see me the next morning. She’d already found a home in my heart.
And Wesley was sneaking in there, too.
So anyway, back to the coffee shop. Danny finally showed up, nearly half an hour late. Aviators plastered on his face and hair greased back as usual. “Cara, baby! How are you?”
“Hi, Danny.” I stood up to greet him, letting him kiss my cheek, even though it made me cringe.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Busy, busy, busy. You know how it goes.”
I tried to smile. “I do.”
We sat down. Danny whipped off his glasses like he was some sort of Hollywood star. “So tell me, how’re your parents?”
You’ve got to be kidding.“Good.”
“And Katie? How’s Katie? I haven’t seen her in years. She’s gotta be a grown woman now.”
I didn’t like the way he was talking about her. A grown woman? What the hell did that mean? That she had breasts or something? “She’s good. Business school.”
“Mmm. She was always a smart girl.”
“Can we get started? I have to pick up the girl I’m caring for in about half an hour and —”
“Oh, shit. My parents mentioned you’d moved families. How’s it going?”
