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Nodding, I returned, “Okay. Then I’ll have a cup with you.”
When Banks entered the room again, he was carrying two coffee mugs. He handed one to me and sat down.
“So, I have to thank you again for offering me a safe place to stay tonight,” I said, nervous and needing to fill the air with small talk. “I can’t believe the snow.”
“It’s okay. Honestly, I would have been beside myself until I knew you made it home safely. And if you ran into any trouble on the way, I’d just feel guilty for not insisting you stay. Really, I should be thanking you,” he remarked.
I attempted to take a sip of the coffee as another distraction, but it was too hot, so I set it down on the table, sat back, and decided to give it some time to cool off.
There was a brief moment of awkward silence, and I cracked under the pressure. Being that close to him, it was easy to take in the scent and sight of him, both of which made it a little difficult to focus.
But I didn’t want to make a total fool of myself, either. So, I decided to speak, even if the conversation wasn’t exactly thrilling.
"So, should I assume you don’t like the snow then?” I asked.
“I like the snow. In fact, I think as Rhys gets older, I’lllike it even more. But I’m not thrilled with having people I care about driving around in it when the roads are bad.”
People he cared about.
Though I knew Banks was a good guy who wouldn’t want to see harm come to anyone, I had to admit it was nice to hear him say he cared about me. It was impossible to hold back the smile. “Fair point. Do you prefer the winter, or are you more of a summer weather kind of guy?”
He shrugged. “I like it all. I think that’s one of the best things about where we live. We get to experience all four seasons, even if the milder ones always seem to be shorter than I’d like. What about you? Do you really not enjoy the snow and cold?”
I laughed softly. “I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of it, but it’s certainly not my favorite, either. I just wish the timing of it would be more like I remember when I was younger.”
“What do you mean?”
Memories from my childhood flashed through my mind, some of the tension I’d been feeling dissipating. “I can remember waking up and having a white Christmas more than once. Now, it’s so rare to get any substantial snow before January. If I had my way, we’d have snow from the beginning of December through the entire holiday season, and as soon as we get past Valentine’s Day, I’d like for it to start warming up.”
“You’re not asking for much, are you?”
I shrugged. “I like the idea of being cozy for all those holidays, but after that, I think it’s nice to be outside.”
Banks studied me. “I guess it’s not a bad idea. I wonder what Rhys will like as he gets older.”
His words had me considering something. “With him being so young and everything else you were goingthrough, this past holiday season probably wasn’t much fun.”
Shaking his head, Banks confirmed, “No, it wasn’t.”
“By the time the holidays roll around again, he’ll be over a year old. He’ll have so much fun opening presents. You’ll have to take a picture or two, so I can see how excited he is.”
“If you don’t have any other plans, maybe you can come over that morning and see it all for yourself.”
Just like that, Banks tossed it out. It was as though he didn’t think it was a big deal. Maybe it wasn’t to him. Truthfully, assuming I was still working as Rhys’s nanny then, I couldn’t say I wouldn’t want to stop in to see them. Of course, I’d have plans to visit with my mom and sister, but I could visit with Banks and Rhys first, and the fact he wanted me to spend time with them meant everything to me.
“I guess that all depends on whether or not I’m still working as Rhys’s nanny, right? I mean, what if you fire me before then?”
Both of Banks’s brows shot up. “That’s not possible. Why would I fire you?”
Unsure of what to say, I reached for the coffee mug and brought it to my lips to take a sip and buy myself some time to come up with a response. By the time I set the mug back down on the table, I hadn’t come up with anything particularly good.
“I don’t know. I guess I was joking.”
“You better be,” he advised. “My kid likes you too much. I don’t know what we’d do without you here.”
We.
He mentioned his kid liking me, but indicated they’dboth want me around. My heart couldn’t handle all of these little things he said that made me feel so good.
