Page 86 of An Adventure For Aster

“Aster did mention that to me a few weeks ago.”

“Have you ever thought about being a nanny?” Poppy asked.

Aster frowned. He knew that Poppy and Rose shared a nanny right now for their two kids, but with two more coming, that might be an issue.

“I haven’t thought of it,” Daphne said. “I mean, I could do it. I’ve cared for every age from birth to ten. They’ve got all age groups where I work now and I fill in everywhere they need me. Why?”

He saw Poppy and Rose look at each other. “You started this,” Rose said.

“I did,” Poppy said. “And she’s got a flower name.”

Damn, they were interviewing his sister and Daphne didn’t even know that.

“What am I missing?” Daphne asked.

“As you can tell, my sisters are both due soon,” Lily said. “Poppy has a two-year-old daughter and Rose an eighteen-month-old son. By the time she comes back to work, Colin will be two. They share a nanny who isn’t happy at the prospect of watching four kids.”

“Oh,” Daphne said. “Four is nothing. I’ve normally got a room of six. It’s supposed to be four to one ratio, but that never happens.”

“Perfect,” Poppy said. “So, let’s say you decide you want to move here. Would you be interested in being a nanny for two kids? I think Rose and I are trying to figure it out. Maybe one for each of us. My husband is a woodworker and he’s a great father and spends a lot of time with the kids and even brings them into the workshop, but it’s not easy with one, two might be impossible.”

“You’re interviewing me?” Daphne asked.

Poppy laughed. “My husband would want to meet you. Thomas, Rose’s husband, who is an attorney, would want to do it too. As I said, we aren’t sure what is going on. I think as long as Julie stays on, one of us would take her and the other take you. But we have to figure it out sooner than later. I’m having this kid in another month and Julie will be watching my daughter less since I’ll be home, so she’ll be more with Rose.”

Daphne looked at Aster, who said, “I knew nothing about this. I swear.” But he was damn well going to thank them after.

“I put this together,” Lily said. “Our families mean everything to us. I know we don’t know you well, but we know your brother. We trust him and Zane says he’d trust Aster with his life. So in a matter of speaking, we know you more than we would anyone else we’d interview that we’d just met.”

“I don’t know what to think,” Daphne said. “When would you need someone to start? If I decide to move here, I think I’ll end up having to do it before you’re back to work full time.”

“Not a problem,” Poppy said. “If you’re interested and want to meet our husbands before you leave, we’ll work it out. I know you can stay with Aster and that is fine. But my house is massive. We had a gardener that lived on one end of the property, but he retired at the end of the year. We were sad to see him go but understood. He and his wife are moving south. That house will be vacant. This position would be days, not like you have to live in the house with us. We are home at night. Reese is on the property most times.”

He hadn’t expected that to happen. “I’d have a place to live?”Daphne asked.

“Sure,” Poppy said. “If you want. That is something we could talk about after. I mean even if you decided maybe you like Rose better, you could stay there. But I think you’d like me better. I’m the fun sister.”

“Hey,” Rose said. “You just don’t like that Julie doesn’t laugh at your antics.”

Poppy waved her hand. “I like Julie and all, but yeah, she’s boring. More in line with Rose. Either way, what would be ideal is both nannies being familiar with the kids to switch and cover if need be.”

Aster just sat back and watched his sister field a bunch of questions and then agree to meet Reese and Thomas tomorrow for dinner.

“That was just crazy,” Daphne said to him when they were in his truck. “What was the thing about the flower name?”

“Poppy feels it’s fate to hire anyone with a flower name. I didn’t know anything that they had planned.”

“I believe you,” his sister said. “Should I do it? I mean, I still have to meet their husbands. They might not like me.”

“Don’t worry about Reese and Thomas. They are good guys.”

“I can understand why you said you’re staying here. Why the hell would anyone want to leave when stuff like that happens when you least expect it?”

28

SOMETHING BETTER NOW

“This is so exciting,” Raine said when they walked into their hotel room six weeks later in the Bahamas. “I’ve never been on a vacation before like this. Never a plane either. You’re sure I didn’t break your fingers?” The airplane flight had her so terrified she wouldn’t let go of him.

---