Page 56 of Daddy's Unexpected Gift

I got dressed and ran a towel through my hair. It wasn’t like I was in a financial position to up and quit my job. But if I got another one, the agency couldn’t stop us from seeing each other. If I got another one, would Sterling still be interested in me? Sure, I would still have the same skills, but was the fact that we weren’t supposed to be involved part of his attraction to me?

I didn’t want to think about that, didn’t want to think about all the reasons that could get in the way. I needed to focus on all the ways to make this work. I pulled a notepad from my work tote bag and started to boil water for a cup of tea.

Getting a new job, while an option, wasn’t a good one. The job was fine, and I didn’t want to think of how hard it would be for Hector’s family if I wasn’t working on their case. My job wasn’t so bad, but finding a new job would be horrible. It had taken me over a year to finally land this one. I didn’t want to go back to being a cashier at the craft store.

I liked knowing I was going to have enough in my paycheck to cover rent and have grocery money. If I went back to uncertain hours and an irregular schedule, I’d have to do something desperate, like sell the bag Sterling gave me, just to make sure I had a place to live.

I wasn’t willing to do that. That bag was more than just an overpriced tote bag. He had put thought into the gift. He knew I needed it. I glanced at the flip-flop gorilla sculpture. I wasn’t going to get rid of that, either. So what if the gifts weren’t particularly romantic? They weren’t jewelry, but they had meaning for us, for me.

I started a list. I needed to know schedules, mine, the nanny’s, and when Peggy planned on checking in on Sterling and Georgie. When did Sterling expect to return to his work? He wasn’t going to be on leave forever. How did that impact how we were going to make this work?

Was I expected to just be a glorified nanny? Or did he want actual parenting lessons? Oh, we could take community classes together. The agency couldn’t say boo about that. They wanted me to take professional development courses, and he needed some hands-on parenting training. I added the idea to my list and kept brainstorming.

I had more questions than answers, but each question led me toward ideas and strategies I didn’t have before. My tea got cold, and I kept writing. At some point, my stomach rumbled, and I was hungry for a snack. Pizza sounded good. It was always a late-night favorite.

When I placed the order for delivery on my phone, I noticed it was much later than I had realized. I had been writing and thinking for hours. It hadn’t felt like I had been working that long. I still didn’t have any answers, but I felt like I was closer to a solution than I had been hours earlier.

It wasn’t until after the pizza was delivered and I had a slice of cheesy pepperoni goodness in my mouth that I thought I might have a solution. Cheesy always did help me think. I frantically scribbled out my ideas before they evaded me.

I thought about calling Sterling with my brilliance but remembered the time. He was essentially a single father with an infant. He’d be asleep. And if he wasn’t, he should be. I’d save my good news for the morning. Uh, morning. I still had to go to work in the morning.

Suddenly, all of the adrenaline left over from Sterling’s expert lovemaking and the frenzy to find a solution abandoned me. I was exhausted. I dragged myself to bed and fell into a blissful sleep.

29

STERLING

My phone buzzed. It was earlier than I expected to hear from Cecelia. I thought she would have still been asleep.

“You’re up early,” I grumbled. My voice wasn’t ready to be awake and functional.

“Sorry, I thought you’d be up with Georgie.”

“I am, but she’s almost back asleep.”

“I woke up, and I am so awake, right now.” She sounded entirely too enthusiastic for this time of day.

“You went to bed early,” I commented.

“Hardly. After you left, I was up for hours trying to figure all of this out.”

“Did you go to bed at all?” I asked.

“I did. And I slept really, really well. I think you had something to do with that.”

I was too tired to laugh. I managed a light chuckle. “Happy to be of service.”

“You can service me any time,” she purred.

“Don’t start talking dirty. I’m still under the influence of sleep and am susceptible to your charms.”

“Oh, I have charms?”

“You need to stop flirting with me this early in the morning. There is a child present,” I gently chastised her. “I do like that you called me first thing, but I am curious as to why.”

I could practically hear her blush as she let out a nervous giggle.

“I have a plan that I think will work. I was really afraid we were going to have to wait until Georgie’s custody situation was resolved, but… anyway, I wanted to see what the schedule later today looked like. Do you have an appointment with Peggy? What about the nanny?”

---