Page 5 of Sheltering Lily

I wanted to ask how long Lily thought she might stay, but I suspected she didn’t know. She had said something about “finding out who she was,” but I didn’t think that was the sort of thing that ran on a set schedule. But then, what did I know? Figuring out my next steps had always been easy for me. I’d always known exactly who I was and what I wanted, ever since I was a teen and Admiral Anderson took me and my brothers into his home. After applying some tough love, the former Navy leader had put us all on paths to success. The biggest hurdle I’d had to face so far was adopting Sofia and adjusting to civilian life, but even then, the path forward had always been clear to me. I knew what needed to happen, and then I made sure it did. Hopefully finding a wife and solidifying my little family unit would go just as smoothly.

“I think she wants to go outside,” Lily said, pointing to where Sofia was watching a bird hop across the stretch of grass. “It’s a nice day, even if it is in January. The joys of living in Georgia, right? But anyway, maybe we should take her out to play.”

“I’ll get her trike and grab a sweatshirt for her,” I agreed. “She likes to ride on the front sidewalk.” Sofia had become a speed demon since getting the tricycle for Christmas. Her little legs pumped hard, but she struggled to keep the trike going in a straight line.

“We’ll meet you there.” Lily went to Sofia and took her hand before going out the door. They took the sidewalk that curved around the house and gave the little apartment a private entrance.

I was pleased with how readily Sofia went with Lily. She was a trusting child, but the connection between her and Lily seemed instant. That was good. I only hoped Sofia would form a similar relationship with my future wife. Whoever she was. I was going to have to set up some dates, I decided, as I went back through the house and into the attached garage.

By the time I rejoined them in front of the house, Sofia and Lily were lying on their backs in the grass watching the clouds roll past.

Lily pointed upward. “I think that one’s a frog,” she said, making Sofia giggle.

“Bunny,” Sofia declared.

“You might be right. How about the one over there?” Lily directed Sofia’s attention to elsewhere in the sky.

“Horsey,” Sofia squealed.

“That’s what I thought.”

Any worry I had about my new nanny disappeared as I watched. Lily understood children, and she was kind. I kept myself from adding “pretty” to the list of attributes that described her. She definitely was pretty—but that shouldn’t matter to me. Instead, I focused on how natural Sofia and Lily looked together, with their long dark hair intermingled on the grass.

I tore my eyes away from them when I noticed a car cruising slowly down the street, as if the driver was looking for an address. He was wearing a baseball cap, but the windows were tinted dark, preventing me from observing any more details. Still, I noted the make and model of the car, just out of habit. I analyzed every situation, a habit left over from my years as a SEAL and one that served me well in my current work. The car turned at the next street and disappeared from sight, but my senses tingled, sending me a warning. I’d learned long ago to trust my internal alarms, but I couldn’t imagine why they’d be pinging after something so ordinary. There wasn’t any reason for me to worry about some random guy who’d gotten lost…was there?

3

LILY

Iadded a layer of newspaper between some framed prints I’d collected over the past few years. My current landlord was obsessive about not putting holes in the walls, so I hadn’t displayed much of my artwork. Since Colin, for all his apparent fastidiousness, had given me permission to decorate my apartment at his house however I liked, I planned to take advantage of that offer and finally put everything on display.

I moved to the next box, which contained my attempts at sculpture. I had little formal training, but I’d been playing around with clay for a while and had a few respectable-looking pieces. If I had some spare time, I’d continue to work on that while being Sofia’s nanny. Maybe even encourage the girl to do some molding. Kids usually loved that stuff. I wasn’t sure if Colin would be okay with me breaking out crafts projects in the middle of his very, very white house—but we could always work in my apartment if necessary.

Then again, we’d honestly be doing Colin a favor if we livened his living space up a little. He clearly needed color in his life, even if he didn’t seem to realize it. Maybe I’d be able to change his mind. I’d like to see him in a place that had character and personality—a space that showed him to be more than just a blank slate. Because he was so much more than that. You only had to see him with his daughter or hear him talk about his family to realize how warm and loving he could be.

And of course, you only have to look at him to see how gorgeous he can be…

I shook the thought aside and focused back on my packing. I was grateful that I could make the basement my own for the time I was there. How long that would be, I couldn’t say, but working for Colin was a good opportunity to save some money and figure out what my next move should be.

A knock sounded on my door, and I glanced at my watch. Precisely ten. That was the time Colin had said he’d arrive. I wasn’t surprised by his punctuality, but I also didn’t take chances. Before opening the door, I checked through the peephole, a bit of tension releasing from my shoulders when I saw that it really was him there, rather than my creepy neighbor. Thank goodness, I’d be away from here soon and would never again have to worry about creepy John Stout.

Colin stood in the hall, his focus directed away from the door. As I swung the door open, I saw what Colin was watching, and then tension came back, twice as strong—sitting in a knot in my stomach. John was just entering the hall, accompanied by another man I didn’t recognize. Damn. I’d hoped to avoid him altogether.

“Come in,” I said as I stepped back, hoping John didn’t see me. Colin didn’t hesitate, and a second later I had the door closed again. He’d noticed my quick action. I felt the urge to explain, to justify my reaction, but I was a little embarrassed to straight out say. “I’m scared of my creepy neighbor,” so I said nothing, other than, “Thanks for helping me move.”

“Happy to,” he said, scanning the boxes scattered on the floor.

I could guess what he was thinking. None of them were labeled, and half were still open, even though I’d known when he was coming. If he’d been the one moving, he’d have probably had every box ready, labeled, and stacked by the door by now. “I’m done with the ones in the kitchen. As it turns out, I don’t own much.” He raised an eyebrow. “Much in the way of housewares,” I clarified. My kitchen was in three boxes, my bathroom in one. Two suitcases were full of clothes. I did have an entire box of shoes, but a woman needed variety. The majority of the boxes were my art supplies and decorative pieces that would make the white canvas of my new apartment homey. The furniture had been mine, but the landlord was interested in renting the place out furnished, so he’d agreed to buy it from me. It was only the personal items that needed to be moved.

“I’ll get the ones in the kitchen,” he volunteered.

As I finished with boxes, he carried the sealed ones to the door, stacking them neatly. More than once, I had to refocus on my task. His long, broad-shouldered frame, clad in a pair of faded Levi’s and a US Navy T-shirt, kept drawing my attention away. He was six feet of hard muscle, making him the sexiest moving man I’d ever seen.

I glanced down at my favorite pink sweatshirt and yoga pants. Both items of clothing had seen better days. My hair was twisted up in a messy bun to control it. Not a flattering look, but attracting him wasn’t my goal. We had a business relationship, nothing more. Still, I found myself needing to make conversation to distract me from watching the flex of his biceps.

“Where’s Sofia?” I asked.

“Zach and Carolyn have her.”

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