She opened her mouth, then closed it as if she wanted to say something but wasn’t quite brave enough. She swallowed, twisting her fingers tighter. “Is there another parent in the picture? A wife or husband?”
I grinned, fighting a chuckle. “No wife or husband.” The humor slipped away. “The boys’ mom isn’t in our lives.”
Empathy swept over Hallie’s expression. “That must be hard.”
“I need help. Things have gotten a little squirrely trying to keep up with all the boys’ activities and work.”
“What do you do?” Hallie asked.
I was reminded that the agency left it to their clients to share personal details with the prospective candidates. “I’m the chief of police for Cedar Ridge.”
Hallie’s lips parted on a silentO. “They never said…when I was in the hospital, they just told me that a volunteer search and rescue team found me.”
“That’s true. I volunteer with SAR on the side. Sometimes, the gigs overlap.”
She nodded. “That makes sense. Being a police officer must be a rewarding job.”
“I love it, but it also means that whoever takes this nanny position has to be okay with middle-of-the-night emergencies. I can usually get my family to help on the weekends, so you’ll have those days free to do whatever you want with friends, but—”
“I don’t mind. I can be on call on the weekends, too.” Her cheeks flushed. “I’m kind of a homebody.”
I studied her for a moment, an ache settling somewhere deep as questions flooded me. Was she a homebody because of her personality? Was it what she wanted? Or was she scared to go out into the world?
The latter had that ache inside me burning brighter. In so many ways, Hallie’s life had been stolen from her—her innocence cut short. Everything about it was wrong.
But as much as I felt for her, I couldn’t help but wonder if she could handle taking care of my three boys. They were rowdy and loud, and Luke would test her at every turn.
I shoved the concerns to the back of my mind for now. “I appreciate your willingness to be available.”
“What do you and your boys need, Mr. Hartley?”
The question was earnest as if she really wanted to make our lives easier.
“Call me Lawson. Or Law.”
Hallie nodded slowly. “Okay, Lawson.”
It was rare that I heard my formal name these days. And Hallie said it as if it were some extraordinary foreign language.
I forced my focus back on her question. “Getting the boys to and from school. Drew has sports practices. Charlie has playdates.”
Hallie nodded. “And your eldest? Luke? Does he drive?”
The muscle at the apex of my jaw tightened. “Luke hasn’t been allowed to get his license yet.” I paused momentarily, trying to choose my words carefully before simply going with blunt honesty. “He’s had some behavioral issues lately. He needs to rebuild some trust before I’ll let him get behind the wheel.”
Taking my department SUV for a joyride hadn’t helped things in that department.
Hallie frowned. “He’s sixteen?”
I nodded.
“That’s a hard age. Trying to figure out who you are, needing your parents but also wanting to spread your wings. It can be uncomfortable. Like outgrowing your own skin.”
I stared at her for a few beats as we stood in my entryway. None of the other candidates had sought to understand my boys—where they were at and why. Maybe what Hallie had been through had given her a more finely tuned empathy and a better understanding of others.
“I think you’re right.” I squeezed the back of my neck. “I probably haven’t done the best job navigating it either.”
“You’re trying,” Hallie said quietly. “That’s what matters.”
