Sully
“So how are the girls?” Wilder asked. “Any great escapes lately?”
I chuckled. “Not one. You did a solid job. Though I could probably leave the doors unlocked these days and not worry about it. Their behavior’s gotten way better lately.”
“Oh yeah? They get used to the new living arrangements?”
“That… and I hired a nanny. She’s amazing with them. They’re like different kids. They absolutely love her.”
He studied me with an amused half-smile. “What do you think of her?”
Shrugging, I looked away at a TV screen, making my tone as blasé as possible. “I like her. She’s good with them. And she’s… nice.”
Wilder sat back in his booth seat, folded his arms across his chest, and shook his head, laughing softly. “Oh man… you’ve got a thing for the nanny.”
My eyes lasered to his, my tone suddenly harsh. “I do not. That would not be… smart.”
He shook his head, still grinning. “No. But it would be understandable. I mean, she’s there in your house every day, taking care of your kids, making your life easier. Is she young?”
I gave him a grudging nod. “Twenty-three.”
Wilder nodded. “Mmmhmm. What’s her name?”
There was a long moment when I hesitated, sizing up my friend across the table. “Angelina.”
Wilder, who’d been in mid-sip, choked on his beer. “Angelina the hot preschool teacher? Oh, dude—you are in so much trouble. That woman is smokin’.”
I battled a surge of possessive animosity, actually had to suppress a growl.
“I hadn’t noticed,” I lied through gritted teeth.
“She’s also planning to become a nun—did you know that?” Wilder said, clearly not buying the lie.
“Maybe. She might become a nun. She’s weighing her options right now.”
Wilder nodded, his lips twisting in a thoughtful expression. “I see. And do her options include being Sullivan Reece’s new woman?”
I frowned. “Of course not. She’s my kids’ nanny. And she’s gonna be a nun.”
“Might be a nun,” Wilder corrected. He took another drink. “Say you did have a thing for her… would that be so bad? She sounds like the total package. It’s obvious you like her. Yeah, it’s inconvenient that she’s the nanny, but it’s not like it would be the first time in history. I mean, it’s practically a celebrity rite of passage.”
“Yeah, it would be that bad,” I told him, finally starting to crumble under the strain of interrogation.
Rubbing my forehead, I stared down at the scarred wood tabletop. “No matter how amazing she is, how sweet and funny and smart and yeah, ‘smokin’,’ I can’t go there. I don’t want to be that guy. If I ever made a move… tried to take it to another level, and it didn’t work out… my kids could lose their nanny.”
“So get another one. Date Angelina and hire someone else.”
I shook my head adamantly. “No. There’s no one like her. She’s the best person to care for my girls, and they deserve the best. I’d be the world’s worst father if they lost her because of my selfishness. I’m just gonna… you know, get over it, put her out of my mind… move on.”
My tone of voice wasn’t convincing even to myself, but what else was there to do?