Page 50 of One Night With The Nanny

He waited at the door, scowling when Fin came around the corner. “Why are you here this early?”

“Good morning to you too,” Fin said sweetly. “I heard that your date with Max went really well and that you weren’t getting back in until this morning. I came by in case you were running behind and needed a hand.”

“I’m not running behind,” Reid lied, swinging his hands behind his back so Fin wouldn’t notice the dirt.

Fin leaned to see around Reid and offered him a questioning look. “Serving orchids?” He stepped around Reid, taking off his coat and leaving it on the hook on his way to the kitchen. “What’s the plan?” he asked, rubbing his hands together.

“I was keeping it light today. Penn and Morris are going to Park Slope for brunch with Evelyn and Morris Senior. Dash and Gavin are leaving early because they’re having lunch with Hannah and Swift at noon. Riley’s a maybe and it’ll probably just be him. Milo’s at his cousin’s and Luna has a cold.” Reid followed and went to finish repotting the orchids while Fin checked the fridge.

“You, me, Gavin, Dash, Riley, Penny, and Agnes?” Fin verified from inside the refrigerator. “Walker’s home with the girls. Movie night ran really late but I passed out early,” he said.

“Sounds about right,” Reid replied while positioning the new orchid in its pot and adding a coarse, loose soil mixture around the roots. He let Fin ramble and list options as his mind returned to the Plaza.

There was never a dull or awkward moment after breakfast. They went to Bergdorf’s and Reid lied about losing his luggage and purchased a pale pink cashmere v-neck sweater, brown wool trousers, and tassel loafers. The tassels were a subtle nod to the custom toy in their bedroom back at the Royal Suite.

Instead of having a sour moment to blame it on, or a fatal flaw in Max’s personality, Reid had possibly the best Saturday of his life and he felt like Briarwood Terrace was sinking when he returned for brunch. He was bailing water as fast as he could but Reid was falling more in love with Max every day. Reid was going to drown and everything he’d built would be swept away.

“Hey!” Fin turned off the faucet and pushed a towel at Reid. “Your hands are clean now. Why are you panicking?”

“I’m not panicking. Who said I was panicking?” Reid asked as he dried them.

Fin raised a brow at Reid. “‘I’m not drowning,’ is just the sort of mantra I repeat when I’m having a super day.”

“Did I say that?” Reid planted his hands on his hips and surveyed the cheeses and produce Fin had assembled on the work table, accepting that he must have disassociated for several minutes. “Omelette bar?” he guessed.

“Agnes said you and Max had an amazing weekend. Why are you panicking?”

“I told you, I’m fine,” Reid said on his way to the pantry to hide. “He said he needed help picking gifts for his daughters and I didn’t have anything else better to do.”

“That sounds great. Why are you panicking?” Fin leaned and crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the door.

Reid turned from the shelf and threw up his hands, not sure why he was looking at the beans or why Fin was badgering him. “Wouldn’t you panic? He’s a prince, Fin! I have no interest in dating anyone but the last person I would ever date is a prince.”

“Why? I think it’s awesome and if anyone deserves a prince, it’s you,” Fin said, tipping toward Reid and daring him to argue.

“You’d take that back if you knew how much of a headache that would be. And it’s only half the problem.”

“What’s the other half?” Fin asked suspiciously.

“What do you think?” Reid gestured around them. “I can’t be in another relationship. I know it’s going to sound weird but it feels like I’m cheating when I’m with Max.”

Fin stared at Reid, waiting.

Reid gave his shoulder a shove. “Are you going to say something or move?”

“I’m waiting for you to get to the weird part. We all knew that it was going to be a challenge when you finally got out there and started dating but—”

“I am not dating Max,” Reid objected.

“Okay,” Fin gave him a loaded look. “We all knew it would be a challenge for you to find a decent, rational man who wouldn’t run for his life from all of this,” he said as he circled a finger over his shoulder. “You managed to find one who happens to be a prince and you’re going to blow it because you’re afraid you’ll love him more than Gavin.”

“That’s the weird part,” Reid whispered. “He thinks we’re dating and his daughters think we’re dating and pretty soon, Max is going to expect me to make a decision. He thinks that just because I might have feelings now, that I’ll do what a rational man would do and move out and leave Gavin so I can live happily ever after with a prince.”

“Still sounds pretty rad…” Fin’s lips twisted thoughtfully. “Aside from the part where you’re being overdramatic because I can’t see Max forbidding you from being friends with Gavin.”

“I don’t think he would,” Reid agreed. “But unless he’s going to downsize his entire princely life and live here in my shoebox of a bedroom with me, it isn’t happening,” he said, pointing at his room. “I wouldn’t ask that of Max or expect him to be my third, or fourth, or fifth priority, depending on what’s going on in your world, or Gavin’s, or how the agency’s doing.”

“At some point, big brother, you’ve got to let your little ducklings swim for themselves,” Fin said with a heavy sigh and pulled Reid into a hug.

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