Page 8 of Crossed Up

I get to work making breakfast for the both of us while my energetic little boy hops around the kitchen pretending he’s an actual dinosaur, if the screeches and arm flaps are anything to go by. “Alright, wild one. Go sit down at the table, please. Food’s on.”

One thing I’m grateful for is that, overall, he’s a fantastic kid. I won’t say easy because I don’t think kids are ever truly easy, but for the most part, he’s great at listening and doesn’t pitch a fit over too many things.

Just as I move to sit at the table the doorbell rings, which has me on edge. It’s eight a.m. on a Saturday, and everybody close enough to know our address would text first. Checking the doorbell camera, all I see is a head of ridiculously long brown hair tucked into a pink baseball cap.

Suspicion worms its way through me, tensing my shoulders as I pull open the tall front door to what looks to be a young girl standing with her back to the door. I clear my throat loudly, and she whips around with a hand on her chest, a startled expression on her face.

Holy shit.

“Oh! I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t wake you. Wren said it would be alright to come over early and meet y’all, but she also said she cleared it with you… Maybe I misunderstood? I can come back another time! I don’t want to impose.” Her soft voice is in direct opposition to the frantic movements of her hands, and I want to reassure her, but I’m too stunned to speak.

The woman standing in front of me is shockingly pretty, with long, dark brown hair hanging thick and straight down past her waist and wide, mossy green eyes. Taking a closer look at her face, I see a prominent pink scar across the bridge of her nose, making me wonder how it got there.

She clears her throat quietly, spooking me and making me realize I’ve been ogling her like a creep while she stands on my front porch. “Sorry.” My words are a gruff rumble. “Who are you?”

Her cheeks flush a pretty pink color that almost matches her hat, and I force myself to hold back a chuckle. Sure, she’s all kinds of adorable, but she’s still a strange woman on my porch. “Oh, um… I’m Lyla Taylor? Wren said you were expecting me?” Her name isn’t ringing a bell, so I keep my face blank and lift my eyebrows for her to explain.

Lyla’s eyebrows furrow in response, and a flash of irritation crosses her face before her eyes widen minutely, and she settles her expression into something… passive. I don’t know why, but the quick change has me more on edge than I already was.

“Wren said you needed a live-in nanny for your son and that she mentioned setting up a time for us to meet…”

All at once a lightbulb goes off in my mind, and I feel like an ass. “Dagummit, I’m sorry. I completely forgot she had set this up for today.” Offering her a chagrined smile, I turn to the open door and hold out a hand to welcome her in.

“My mama would tan my hide if she knew I answered the door like that. Crew and I are just eating breakfast if you want to join us. I made chocolate chip pancakes.” I shake my head in embarrassment. “Sorry again. Crew is my son.”

If she thinks I’m an idiot with all the rambling I’m doing, she doesn’t show it. Instead, the woman, Lyla, I remind myself, offers me a stunning smile and cautiously skirts past me, avoiding all physical contact as she does. “Chocolate chip pancakes are actually my favorite food, so I’d love to join you and meet Crew if it’s not too much trouble.”

I shake my head at her and lead her to the kitchen after locking up. “It’s no trouble at all. I always make too much because I never know how hungry he’ll be on any given day. He’ll be six in just a few weeks and is growin’ like a weed.”

Her laugh is light and melodious, reminding me of a Disney movie Crew made me watch with him last week where the fairy voices sounded like bells or something. Honestly between the pink hat, the hair, and the fact that she’s at least a foot shorter than me, she kind of reminds me of a Disney character.

Focusing on her laugh distracts me from the way my palms slick with sweat and my heart races. I know we’ve gone through plenty of nannies, but never one that came recommended from one of my best friends or one whose looks made my breath catch the way hers do. My mind knows she’s off limits in so many ways, but my body doesn’t seem to be getting the memo.

Not to mention, if she doesn’t work out as Crew’s nanny, I’m completely screwed this season. I can’t find another travel nanny on such short notice, which means I would have to trust someone I barely know to watch Crew for days on end while I’m out of the state and can’t get to him in minutes if I need to. And I can’t keep burdening my friend’s parents just because I’m not able to get my shit together enough to find regular childcare.

“Daddy, can I eat now?” Crew shouts, making me chuckle.

“Yeah, kiddo. We’re gonna have a new friend eat with us, too, okay?”

His squeals turn my chuckle into a full-blown laugh, but a glance to my right shows me my latest potential employee isn’t laughing. Her shoulders are hunched up by her ears, and her eyes are wide and unblinking, pupils dilating further by the second.

My heartbeat skips for a whole new reason, and I take the smallest step closer to check on her, but she flinches back. That minuscule movement seems to bring her back to the present, even as it sends my thoughts spiraling back to a time when I flinched like that at sudden contact.

Lyla offers me a brittle smile that doesn’t reach her eyes as she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “Sorry about that. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

I don’t believe her, but I figure if she’s going to be Crew’s new nanny, we’ll be spending a lot of time together soon, so I’ll have plenty of time to figure out why this little lady seems so skittish.

4

LYLA

Nearly having a panic attack in front of your scary, really good-looking potential employer because their kid yelled and startled you. Great first impression, Ly.

Laughing nervously, I quickly move through the stunning foyer into what looks to be an adorable sun-soaked breakfast nook just off the massive kitchen. A round, stained-white table sits in front of a corner bench the same sage color as the island.

Beautiful cream-colored cushions have been placed on all the seats, and large arched windows take up the entire wall above the bench, letting in the early morning sunshine. Bouncing in one of the seats is a darling little boy with a full head of wavy, white-blond hair that matches his father’s.

Crew’s grin is toothy, and his face is covered in chocolate, pulling a surprised giggle out of me. I cover my mouth and glance behind me to Aidan, worried about how he’ll react to the noise, but he just has that same pensive look on his face as when he opened the door. Deciding to channel my focus on the reason I’m here, I walk straight up to the boy and crouch just a bit so I’m at his eye level.

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