I look up at him, and my spit dries up. He isn’t just tall, dark, and handsome. He could have walked off a runway. His sharp features take my breath away. I’m pretty sure his suit is Italian, and costs more than my kidneys can bring on the black market. I feel like an underdressed worm standing next to him.
Tobias barely acknowledges me with a head nod and a quiet, “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” before he turns to Ellie. “What a lovely dress you have on today. Is it new?”
Ellie grins. “Oh, this old thing?” She laughs and nudges him. “You flatter me.”
Tobias takes a sip of his coffee and pretends not to notice me, but I can tell he’s taking in my ripped Wranglers and my faded Goodwill blouse. I think I make him uncomfortable because he starts looking at the basement walls like they’re filled with fine art.
Ellie’s fingers run over her necklace. “Do you still need a nanny? Kiki just moved here and is looking for work.” Ellie beams like she’s solving the problems of the world.
Tobias chokes on his coffee and takes a second to get himself under control. “Uh…” he says, and I’m sure he’s trying to figure out what to say to get himself out of hiring me.
My face heats to a hundred degrees. “Actually…I don’t know how long I’ll be here. So…”
“You’re leaving Willow Shade?” Ellie frowns at me. “I thought you were looking for a job. Aren’t you out of work?”
Tobias and Ellie both stare at me. I need to get out of here. Before I can say I’m taking the next shuttle to the mainland, Tobias’s daughter comes running up to us. “Hi!” she says brightly, and my heart melts into a puddle on the floor. Her blue eyes mirror my own, and I look for other features that might resemble me. Her upturned nose. Her pointed chin. The smattering of freckles across her face.
All thought leaves my head, and I crouch down to her level. “Hi there. What’s your name?”
“I’m Skyler.” She turns to her father and grabs onto his hand. “Can I have another doughnut?”
He shakes his head. “No, you haven’t eaten lunch yet.”
With the look that’s on her face, I’m surprised he doesn’t give her a thousand doughnuts. I have a hard time not passing her the one I’m clutching. I stand and give him a look that I’m sure says, “Let her have a doughnut, you monster.”
“Please?” she asks as she tugs on his hand.
“No.”
My heart breaks for her. I don’t mean to, but my mouth starts up before I have a chance to sensor it. “Why don’t you pick one out for later? Then after lunch you can eat it.” I glance at Tobias’s death stare and quickly add. “That is, if it’s okay with your dad.”
All eyes turn to Tobias. His jaw clenches, but then he slowly nods. “All right. Go pick one out.”
“Yes!” Skyler shouts and runs off to pick another treat.
“When are you leaving Willow Shade?” Ellie frowns again, like it’s a personal affront that I’d leave her amazing island.
I stare after Skyler, and my resolve crumbles. I can’t leave. Not yet. There’s so much about her I don’t know. I’ve missed her whole life. How can I leave right now?
I swallow and look up at Tobias. He’s looking for a nanny for my little girl. It would be the perfect way for me to get to know her without revealing who I am. The thought of getting to hold her and read to her makes my eyes prick with tears. That would be heaven.
“I didn’t mean I was leaving today,” I say, gathering up my courage. “I’ll be here for a while. And I’m good with children. Are you really looking for a nanny?”
Tobias openly stares at me now. Time seems to crawl as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up to his scrutiny. “Sorry, the position is filled.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Ellie says.
Heat creeps up my neck. He’s lying. It makes me angry. I know I should leave, but all I can think about is how much I want to get to know my own daughter. I want what was stolen from me. Even though I realize I freely gave her up, I feel the injustice of it all. I did what I had to, for her protection.
“How are the quilts coming along?” Tobias asks Ellie before taking another sip of his coffee.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know how we’ll get them all done in time.”
“In time?” I ask.
“We’ve got to finish ten quilts for the annual Willow Shade Festival in two weeks, but Betty got the flu and Alice’s arthritis has flared up.” She raises her eyebrows. “Maybe you can help, Kiki.”
I blink at her, not knowing what to say. I’ve never quilted anything in my life. When you look up quilter in the dictionary, you find a picture of someone who is the complete opposite of me.
