Page 56 of Wishing for Love

They hadn’t had one chance to even talk about it other than him quickly asking her when she left his room while Elsie had gotten dressed before breakfast.

“We can change the conversation right now,” he said. “Elsie, why don’t you tell my mother what you got?”

He knew that would take up a few minutes and his mother would listen intently to it.

After five minutes, his mother said, “I wish you were here but understand. I’ll let you go and you can color with Elsie.”

“That’s on the list along with some arts and crafts fun.” He hung up with his mother after that and saw the smirk on Crystal’s face. “What?”

“You’re such a good sport,” she said. “You have no idea what a great catch you could be.”

He didn’t have a chance to reply before Elsie ran over and put his coloring book in his lap and then gave Crystal hers. “Looks like we are coloring. Want to share markers?”

“Sure,” she said. “I like to share.”

“Me too,” he said softly.

19

THINK THINGS THROUGH

Crystal was putting dinner together when her phone rang. She walked over to see it was her mother.

Since dinner was sandwiches and chips, she answered her phone and started to walk upstairs. Phoenix was playing a game with Elsie at the other end of the house and she pointed to the stairs so that he could see where she went.

“Merry Christmas,” she said to her mother when she answered. She’d texted her mother early so hadn’t expected the call.

“You too,” her mother said. “Was it boring being by yourself all day or did you work?”

She let out a sigh. She should have figured her mother would start right in like that. Rather than be happy that her daughter found a job she enjoyed, her mother was going to find something negative with it. “I didn’t work, but I wasn’t by myself. I spent the day with Phoenix and Elsie. I was just putting dinner together when you called.”

“So you’re working,” her mother said. “I hope he gave you a nice bonus or something for that. It’s pretty sad you don’t even get holidays off.”

“Mom, I’m not working. I like them as people. I live in the house. They were alone too. Elsie thinks of me as family and it’s her first holiday without her mother. I was going to do everything I could to make it a good one for her. She came up to get me this morning, but I was planning on it anyway. We opened gifts and I made her favorite breakfast for everyone.”

“Sounds like work to me. Did they at least get you a gift?”

Her mother always went there first. “Yes. Just like I did for them too.”

“What did Phoenix get you? A cash bonus?” There was laughter there.

“No,” she said. She wasn’t sure why this still bothered her so much. Her mother always went for the money. She did the same thing with Taylor.

It’s like her mother didn’t think Crystal could do anything without being greedy or making a mistake to get where she was.

Sure, she and Taylor were more outgoing and maybe hung out in the crowds most likely to snag a wealthier man, but that had never been their plan. Ever.

Taylor learned the hard way what happens when you fall for a wealthy guy, and in her eyes, her sister just got lucky with Reed, as he was so down to earth.

That was how she felt about Phoenix too.

Yes, he owned a business that seemed successful, but she didn’t know for sure. It wasn’t open that long. At least the sale of the bags wasn’t. And it appeared he was having some issues running it, but didn’t everyone starting out have those things happen?

“Maybe now that you know you can be a nanny, you should try to go to a family that travels a lot and gives bonuses. Just think of how great that would be.”

“I love it here,” she said. “I’m not sure why you have to look at those things. Tell me how it went today.”

“It was fine,” her mother said. “The kids were wild and spoiled, but I expected that much.”