Page 10 of Wishing for Love

“I understand. She might be shy and withdrawn regardless due to everything else going on in her life.”

“Yes,” he said. “I’ve been in her life since the day she was born, but she’s not even talking much to me. I’m hoping your energy and understanding will help.”

Awww. He just gave her the sweetest compliment without even realizing it.

“I hope so too,” she said.

“I have to get Elsie in an hour and what I should have done was see if you could have stayed to meet her.”

“You know,” she said, “if you don’t mind, I can turn around and come back. Maybe we both should do that before a full decision is made.”

She was stupid saying that and knew it, but maybe Elsie would hate her and she wouldn’t want to give notice at her job and be stuck with nothing like she’d had happen in the past.

“I can reimburse you the gas,” he said, “to have you drive back out. You said you’re about thirty minutes away.”

“No, please,” she said. “It’s fine. I’d love to come back. It’s nothing more than like having a second interview. You tell me the time.”

“Would you mind coming back around five then? Does that work? You could meet and have dinner. I can show you the house and hopefully everything will meet your standards.”

“That’s perfect,” she said. “I’m excited about it.”

“One thing I didn’t bring up. I guess I got sidetracked and I should have said something. I’ll have a contract for employment for you to sign. But in terms of guests…”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’d never bring anyone over.”

“It’s where you live and I know I can’t ask someone to never have guests.”

“Well,” she said. “You can. I’d be living there for free, which is the best perk ever. But the truth is, if I’m going to hang out with friends, I’ll go to their place. There is no guy or woman or anyone else romantically in my life, so no worries there.”

“Thanks for that,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon, Phoenix. Bye.”

Why did she say she had no guy or girl in her life? He probably thought she was flirting with him and that was a surefire way to get the job offer rescinded.

4

OUT OF HIS ELEMENT

Phoenix pulled through the line of cars to wait for Elsie. When he got to the pickup zone, the school staff directed her to his car. He’d have to meet with the school this week too and let them know the change in plans. It’d been him and his mother picking Elsie up for the past few weeks. He hadn’t wanted her out of school more than necessary to at least keep something stable in her life.

“Hi, Elsie,” he said.

“Hi, Uncle Nix.”

He always smiled at that name. She was the only one who called him Nix. At some point, he might tell her she could drop the Uncle. It was too soon to make any of those changes in her life. She’d had more than enough.

“Did you have a good day?”

“I did,” Elsie said. She must have had fun playing outside at recess because her hair was falling out of her braid. He hoped Crystal knew how to do hair. His mother had been dealing with all of that right now. Even the bathing.

He’d have to get over it, but he felt uncomfortable being in the bathroom with Elsie now. When she was a baby and toddlerhe didn’t think anything of changing a diaper or bathing her when she stayed with him or he was watching her.

But now...it didn’t feel right.

All the more reason he needed this nanny situation squared away.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said.