Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“Don’t even think about it.” Kira glares as if she can hear my thoughts.
“What?” I say innocently.
“You know what.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but that’s cute.” I nod toward her now-covered-up suit. “You have doughnuts and flamingos on your bathing suit.”
“Violet wanted matching suits.”
“Addie got one too!” Violet exclaims, lifting my daughter’s cover-up to show me her matching bathing suit. “See? We all got one!”
I glance from Addie to Kira, and something in me shifts. She’s struggling to make ends meet, and she was living out of her car. Yet when I paid her for the first time, she didn’t just buy Violet and herself bathing suits. She also bought one for my daughter. She never asked me for the money or even mentioned it. She did it so Addie wouldn’t feel left out even though she’s only a year old and she probably wouldn’t care.
But Kira cared. The way a mom is supposed to care. The way I wanted my mom and Addie’s mom to care.
But Kira isn’t her mom.
She’s her nanny.
I look at Addie, completely comfortable in Kira’s arms, and wonder if maybe I made a mistake. She’s young and vulnerable, and she’s already getting attached. What happens in few months if Kira decides she doesn’t want to continue to work for me? Or if she does and signs the nine-month contract, what happens once it ends? She’ll have more than enough money to move out on her own, and Violet will be in school. The chances of her wanting to stay here and work for me are slim.
She’ll leave.
Just like my mom left.
Just like Nora left.
And Addie and I will be left heartbroken.
“I hope that’s okay,” Kira says slowly, as if she can sense me mentally freaking out. “I probably should’ve asked first.”
Ignoring the fact that I included myself when I thought about being left heartbroken, I shake my head. “No, that’s okay,” I choke out. “I appreciate you including her.”
I take Addie from Kira and set her in her high chair. With Kira here now, our routine has changed, and even though it’s a lot calmer, I kind of miss Addie’s and my crazy mornings.
“You sure?” Kira asks.
“Yeah.”
I feel her eyes on me, but I refuse to look at her, afraid she’ll see what I’m trying to hide—I’m falling for a woman I have no business falling for.
“So, what’s on the agenda today?” I ask, keeping myself busy by making Addie a cup of milk while Kira makes the girls breakfast.
“I wanted to go to the water park, but Mommy said no,” Violet whines.
I glance at Kira, confused. I gave her my card and told her she could do whatever she wanted with the girls and that money was no object.
“Why can’t you go?” I ask.
Kira’s facing away from me, but her back stiffens. “As I told Violet, we’ll go another time. Today, we’re going to the pool.”
“You said that last time,” Violet argues.
“Violet,” Kira says, using what I’m assuming is her mom voice because I’ve never heard her tone that serious before. “If you don’t want to go to the pool, then you can sit out.” She raises a single brow, making it clear that what she said is final.
Violet pouts, but doesn’t argue.
While Kira finishes cutting up fruit for the girls, I think about the past couple of weeks that she’s been here, wondering if I’ve made her feel like she can’t go places with the girls. I gave her my card and thought I was clear that I was okay with her taking them wherever they wanted. It’s the summer, and they should be out, having fun, yet now that I think about it, they haven’t left once. Not unless I’ve gone with them.
“Hey, Kira,” I say. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Um …” She glances at the girls, who are eating their jelly toast and fruit, and I could be wrong, but I think she’s trying to come up with a reason to say no, but she can’t find one.
“Now, please,” I insist.
She sighs and gets up, following me into the living room. We’re close enough that we can see the girls eating, but far enough away that when I speak softly, they can’t hear.
“Is there a reason you haven’t left the house?”
Kira diverts her gaze, and I know immediately that something is up.
“Talk to me, please,” I tell her, tipping her chin so she’ll look at me.
“I can’t drive anywhere,” she whispers.
“What?” That doesn’t make any sense. I’ve seen her drive.
“I was parked in the parking garage to hide my vehicle,” she admits, “because it doesn’t belong to me.”
“What?” I repeat, rearing back in shock. “Did you steal it?” I hiss.
“No.” She shakes her head. “Well”—she swallows thickly—“kind of.”
Fuck. I knew there was more to her story, but have I been aiding in car theft?