Page 56 of One Night With The Nanny

“Nothing good! What did you do?”

“Me? Nothing. At least, I don’t think I did anything.”

“You must have.” She made an exploding sound. “Everything seemed so good when we left you two on Wednesday night… I was sure you couldn’t screw it up.”

“I didn’t!” Max insisted. “I told him that I wanted to marry him, but that I could be flexible and patient and could wait until he was ready.”

“Whoa! Why would you do that?” Her hand clapped against her forehead. “No wonder he freaked out.”

“I was being honest and I was communicating. Wasn’t I supposed to?”

“Not with him! It’s way too soon for that!” She made a sympathetic sound as she hugged Max around the middle. “You tried and you put yourself out there and I’m really proud of you.”

“I tried?” Max held her away from him, frowning. “What do you mean I tried and you're proud of me? Why are you saying that like it’s over.”

Mia cringed. “I don’t want to use the words ‘death spiral’ but you should prepare for the worst and try to maintain your dignity.”

“What?” Max shook his head, his stomach sinking and queasy again. “That can’t be it. We just—” he stared at the spot in the pantry where he’d last held Reid, reeling. “How can it be over? It can’t be over.”

“You could talk to Agnes. Maybe she knows what’s going on or if there’s any way to salvage this.”

“Salvage it?”

“Oh! Maybe she has another friend she can hook you up with!” Mia gave him an encouraging look but Max shook his head quickly, immediately hating the idea.

“I don’t want to meet anyone else. Reid is…” He couldn’t tell her all the ways that Reid was perfect because the things that were most perfect were not suitable for her ears.

“He really was the whole package,” she agreed sadly.

Max nodded, his frown deepening. “You have no idea. We really were very…compatible. Particularly in the…private sense.”

“Well! It was good while it lasted, at least!” she threw her arms around him again, groaning.

There was a knock on the front door before they heard Sophia. “Knock knock!”

“We’re back here,” Mia shouted, then rested her head on Max’s chest.

He felt rather miserable about Reid but Max was enjoying the hug and the extra attention. “What’s going on?” Sophia asked, leaning into the kitchen.

“Looks like Dad got dumped.”

“No!” Sophia cried while Max gasped in protest.

“We don’t know that for certain,” he said but Mia shushed Max and patted his back.

“Reid ghosted Dad and sent him a thumbs up this afternoon.”

Sophia hissed as she put an around Max’s shoulders. “There, there,” she whispered. “He’s not the only fish in the sea.”

“That’s what I told him,” Mia said. “But apparently, Reid’s really good in bed too.”

“Oh, that’s rough.” Sophia gave Max’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll get you back out there and find you someone just as hot and smart and sexy,” she promised and Max smiled when the solution came to him.

“I think you’re right and I know just where to look.”

The girls traded confused glances. “You do?” Mia said as his smile spread.

“Where?” Sophia asked.

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