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"Before I sleep?"
"Before you sleep. I'll read you a bedtime story."
"Yay," Carmen exclaims and jumps up and down before heading back to her chair.
I say my goodbyes, and after a quick chat with Gina about dinner, I head off.
****
As I step into the office, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greets me like a warm hug. The hustle and bustle of my employees working diligently on their projects is a symphony of productivity that usually comforts me. Today, however, it feels more like an unwelcome distraction from the growing concerns swirling around in my head.
"Hey, Roland!" Brett calls out as he strides toward me, his blond curls bouncing with every step. "How was your morning?"
"Unexpectedly pleasant," I reply, thinking back to breakfast with Maddie and Carmen. "I had breakfast at home with Carmen and Maddie."
"Ah, quality time with the ladies," Brett says, flashing me a wicked grin. "Nice change of pace for you, huh?"
"Definitely," I agree, but then my thoughts drift to Sofia and my mood sours. "Speaking of which, I'm worried about Sofia potentially trying to get custody of Carmen. She might just be doing it for more alimony."
Brett's blue eyes suddenly lose some of their usual sparkle and his easy-going demeanor shifts. "Uh, yeah... That sounds rough, man. But, um, you never know what people's motives are, right? Just try to focus on what you can do to protect Carmen."
His response catches me off guard, and I study him closely. Normally, Brett would be all fired up, ready to offer advice or even help strategize. Instead, he seems almost... evasive.
"Is everything OK with you?" I ask, furrowing my brow. "You seem... off."
"Me?" He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nah, I'm good. Just, you know, busy with work stuff."
"All right, if you say so." I decide not to push the issue, although I can't shake the feeling that something's amiss. "Let me know if you need any help, OK?"
"Will do," he says, giving me a half-hearted smile before heading back to his office.
As the day progresses, my mind keeps drifting back to what Sofia might be up to. I try to stop worrying by picking up my work pace and focusing on getting the business where it needs to be. We're having problems with one of our distributors and one of the massive farms providing us with coffee and those are two problems I need to solve right now. Sofia I'll deal with if and when I have to.
I also receive texts from Gina telling me that Maddie's day two is even better than Maddie's day one. And I tell myself I have nothing to worry about–I take excellent care of Carmen. And I'm going to sign up for that online parenting course too. I smile, thinking back to breakfast. Maddie might have a temper, but she's definitively someone I could get used to having around when she's in a good mood. It doesn't hurt that she's pretty to look at too.
Chapter seven
Maddie
Maddie
"Good for you, Maddie!" Gina exclaims, her fiery red hair bouncing as she claps her hands together. "You managed to make Roland listen to you. I can see he already respects you in a way he never respected the other nannies."
I can't help but grin at her enthusiasm. "Thanks, Gina. I know it's hard being a parent as I raise my brother and, unfortunately, you aren't enrolled in parenting school when you become one. As a nanny, I've seen well-meaning parents do all sorts of things that don't really help their children."
"Absolutely," she agrees. "And Roland has been through so much, and with all the pressure from work, sometimes he can be a bit... well, grumpy."
"Grumpy" is an understatement, but I nod in sympathy. Roland's dark eyes and beard give him an intimidating appearance, but deep down, I know there's more to him than his brash personality. At least, I'm starting to guess there is now. At first, I wasn't so sure. I'm also curious to find out just what he's been through. I confess to writing him off as being just privileged and acting entitled when I first met him.
I'm just about to ask Gina about Roland's past when Carmen interrupts my train of thought. "Now I've finished breakfast. Can you read to me?"
I smile at her. "Sure thing, Carmen. And after we read the book we're going to do some school stuff, OK?"
Carmen nods solemnly, licks her fingers, and looks at the book, anticipation gleaming in her eyes. I can't help but smile–I've met a lot of kids and most of the younger ones weren't that into reading books apart except at bedtime.
I pick up the book and start reading and before long we move on to learning some numbers and then heading to the park for a picnic. Gina has kindly packed us a picnic basket complete with snacks, a blanket, and some of Carmen's toys.
"Yay! Picnic!" Carmen cheers as we make our way outside. Erin, Roland's head of security, joins us to ensure our safety. It feels strange having a bodyguard accompany us, but Erin is nice, and I find myself not minding having her around.
