Willow nods her head up and down, then asks if she can have the Band-Aid with the purple butterflies too.
Chelsea laughs. “Why not? You’ve earned it for your troubles. Doctor Chelsea’s orders.”
Willow joins her with a soft giggle.
“Hopefully you don’t bill us like most doctor’s offices.” Declan checks the time on his wristwatch. “Well, Chelsea, it’s been a pleasure having you. We’ll reach out if we’d like to move forward.”
Chelsea beams, slowly rising to her feet. “I’m really grateful for the chance to meet you and your little one. Thanks for making me feel so welcome. Hope to hear from you soon.”
I’m focused on patching up Willow while Declan escorts Chelsea to the door. He returns only a moment later, running ahand through his auburn hair and releasing a deep breath before he drops back down to the sofa.
“So?” he asks. “What’s the verdict, love? Is she a contender or are we back to square one?”
I carefully apply the pink-and-gold-starred Band-Aid to Willow’s elbow and give a shrug. “Honestly? Not sure. Wasn’t she a little too… perfect?”
He chuckles throatily. “Perfect? For our maid slash nanny? Is there such a thing?”
“You know what I mean. She was a little over prepared, don’t you think?”
“The second page of references was overkill,” he admits. “But who else was there?”
No one.
Absolutely no one.
I sigh, placing a motherly kiss on Willow’s arm. “All better?”
She nods and says softly, “Yes, Mommy.”
“You promise to be more careful?”
She nods again, then pauses a second before asking, “Will Chelsea be coming back?”
I glance at Declan from over my shoulder. He cocks a brow at me.
I know the look. It says ‘See, I told you so.’
He’s made his opinion clear. Willow seems to have too, without even realizing it.
I’m outnumbered, and though I’ve tried nitpicking for reasons to veto their votes, none of them hold up.
Chelsea Hughes is the clear and obvious pick for the job.
“Yes, Lo,” I answer finally. “She’ll be coming back.”
Chapter 4
Chelsea
From:[email protected]
Subject:Welcome to the Keating Family—Nanny Position Confirmation
Hi Chelsea,
We’re pleased to offer you the nanny position with our family! After meeting you and seeing how well you interacted with Willow, we both felt confident you were the right fit.