“Shelly likes that one,too,” I countered smugly. “Mykidsare well-rounded. I don’t know whatyou’redoing wrong.”
“Their mother.That’swhat I did wrong,” he snortedwith a shake of his head, and I sighed impatiently at the mention of hisex-wife. If I had a dollar for everytimehe broughther up, I’d be an even richer man.
“Anyway,” he went on,“that’s good, right? You’regonnahire her?”
“Yeah,” I replied, lackingthe enthusiasm I should’ve been feeling.
“And hey, she’s prettyhot, too,” he tossed in, a coy smile tugging at the edges of his lips.
“You’re such a perv,” Imuttered.
“What?” He blanketed anexpression of innocence over his face and shrugged. “I’m just saying. I mean,it might do you some good to have someone to at leastlook ataround the place.”
I ignored the comment.Because Tessawashot. Attractive,pretty, gorgeous—pick any complementary adjective and it’d suit her perfectly.I’d be a liar if I said I hadn’t noticed it the first day we met. But it waseasy to ignore then, when I had thought I’d never see her again. Back when shewas just another woman I chanced upon, no different than passing someone in theaisles of the grocery store or at the laundromat.
Even our second meetingthe other day hadn’t startled me as much as having her show up at my doortoday.
Because I could preparemyself for seeing an attractive woman in a neutral setting. But I couldn’tquite prepare myself for opening my home to one. With her feathery-soft MegRyan haircut circaYou’ve Got Mail,falling stylishly into her eyes and drawing attention to the warmth held withinthem. With her arms and shoulders exposed in her flowery sundress, giving me agood look at the tattoos scrolling down her biceps with the vibrancy of everyrainbow I’d missed over the past two years.
She had lit the placeup with her undeniable beauty, almost elven and delicate, with a nose thatturned-up slightly and a mouth that matched perfectly, always slightly curledupward at the corners.
Sodifferent.
She’sso different from you.
I shook my head at thethought, lifting the glass back to my lips in a pathetic attempt to look busy.I took a long sip as the shame trickled down my spine to settle into my veins,and I silently apologized for my carnal male instincts.
It might’ve been amistake, I considered—no, itdefinitelywas. I should’ve waited to find someMrs. Doubtfirewannabe. Crochety,matronly, and far from my age range. Not this pretty Meg Ryan-lookalike. Not anaspiring author who now just found herself falling into a job watching the kidsof a lonely widowed man, who, despite the distance and heartbreak, was stillhopelessly devoted to his wife.
It’snot too late.I couldtell her I changed my mind.
I nodded to myself,making the brash decision to let her go on her first day. Sure, I knew I wasgoing to feel guilty for it. I assured myself she’d be fine, and that she’dfind another job easily. One with better pay, in a better neighborhood. Justbetter—it would be better. For her.
Butmostly for me.
***
“Daddy, you have todrink it,” Shelly reminded me in her most businesslike tone.
I shifted my weight onthe little chair and looked at the small, plastictea cupin my hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I replied, and lifted the cup to my lips. Iexaggerated a long, drawn-out slurp, pulling twin giggles from my tea partydates, Shelly and Annabel. My lips smacked as I lowered the cup to the matchingsaucer. “That is thebestJapaneseoolong I’veevertasted, PrincessShelly. My sincerest compliments.”
“Thank you,” she said,so prim and proper as she bowed her head and turned to pour a cup for one ofher dolls.
“Daddy cookie?” Annabellooked to me with big, hopeful eyes.
“Uh, does Daddy evernotwant a cookie?” I held out my hand.With a pleased smile, Annabel produced a clenched fist and dropped a crumbledOreo into my palm. I eyed it skeptically, drawing my brows together andwondering how I could discard the half-eaten thing without her noticing. Butshe was watching me, waiting for me to eat it, and I forced the corners of mymouth to lift in a grateful smile. “Thank you so much for sharing with me,baby,” I said, and popped the warm cookie into my mouth.
I uttered a strangled“mmm” for good measure, as Lilly giggled from her bed.
A knock came at thedoor, puncturing the happy little bubble the group of us were in. Withoutlooking through the peephole, I knew it would be Tessa. Here to change things,here to rattle my cage. Here to be fired.
The guilt was alreadyeating away at me as I turned to the girls. “That’s Tessa,” I told them, eyeingeach of my daughters with a stern warning. “Remember to be on your bestbehavior, okay? She’s a nice lady.” I didn’t wait for a reply as I stood up intime for her to knockagain, andhastened my walk tothe front door.
“Hi,” I answered, myvoice constricted and rasped as I swung the door open. “Tessa.”
I couldn’t stop myselfbefore my eyes momentarily dropped, to take in her cropped denim jacket,another flowery sundress, and combat boots. She looked as though she’d juststepped out of a time machine, straight from the nineties and ready to walk themall with the cast ofMy So-Called Life.
Those upturned lips ofhers accentuated into a full-on smile. “Hey, could you do me a favor?”
