Page 30 of Nanny For My Brother's Best Friend

“That’s what you want, Miles?”

No. I want to be with her every single night in this bed. It just can’t happen.

“I think it’s best.”

My words convey a conviction I don’t feel. Delilah makes me feel different from any other woman I’ve been with, and I want to know more. She’s just so off limits.

“I think you’re scared and lying to me, but if it’s what you want.”

Delilah pushes herself up, giving me one last look at her gorgeous body before she walks to the door.

“It will just be professional between us. That’s for the best.”

She looks at me as she opens the door, and our eyes lock. Delilah will do this for me, for Lola. I know she understands it deep down, but she might be too wrapped up in the moment.

The door closes, and she’s gone, leaving me in a room that smells like us and the moment we just shared.

“Fuck.” I stand and crack open my window for some fresh air before pacing around my room. Was that the best idea?

Yes. For Lola and Andrew, it has to be done.

It takes a while to fall asleep, since I want so much more with Delilah tonight. I could have gone a few more times with her but I settle for jerking off in the shower instead.

In the late morning, I open the door to voices. I follow them to the kitchen, seeing that the living room is clean as though nothing ever happened.

Delilah is giving Lola a plate with that beautiful smile on her face, and I memorize it.

“Good morning.”

My voice is rough, and I need coffee. I step forward to get some and look away, too pained by Delilah.

My nanny

“Good morning. You played a great game last night.”

Delilah sounds robotic, and I glance at her to see she isn’t looking at me. My daughter calls out for me, and I walk over to pull Lola into my arms.

“Did you see me out there, bug?”

“Daddy skate!”

She wraps her tiny arms around me, and I close my eyes to block everything else out. This is my life. Lola and hockey are my life.

I release her so she can have breakfast, getting my coffee and taking it outside. The sun is shining, and it’s peaceful, with just the sounds of nature around me. I don’t have practice or a game tonight, so maybe I’ll take Lola on a hike to her favorite pond. I fish there sometimes while she wanders around, even wading into the water when she wants to cool off.

It isn’t summer, so that won’t be happening, but it will get us away from this house. I have a feeling things are going to cool down now that I ended things with Delilah.

Delilah agrees easily to my idea but declines when I ask her to join us. She claims to have some errands to run and disappears down the hall as I’m left with Lola. I dress her in hiking clothes, and we head off down the path where she talks about anything and everything.

We talk about the trees and the birds as we have a million times, but I try to focus on the surrounding beauty. When we get to the pond, I remind Lola to stay out of the cold water and she wanders along the shore, picking flowers and talking to the fish.

“This is the life you chose last night. Deal with it.”

I keep my voice low, and I chant my new mantra, but it feels wrong. I love Lola, but can’t I have more than that? The other guys have families and hockey.

They didn’t start things with the wrong woman, more than likely. My situation is so cliché it’s almost laughable.

We’re out there for a couple of hours wandering around, and when Lola has a handful of flowers and yawns a few times, we head back. She tells me she wants to give the flowers to Delilah, making my stomach twist in my body.

---