Page 16 of Chase Our Forever

Pippa nods before clapping her hands together. “Okay, I’ll leave the two of you to it.”

She disappears as quickly as she showed up, leaving me and Liv alone in the corner of the cafe.

I clear my throat, now having had enough time to remember the biggest question I wanted to ask her this morning. “Maybe we could start this interview with you telling me why you want to be Clara’s nanny and why you think you’d be the right person for the job.”

9

LIV

Dean’s questionmakes me smile because it’s one I thought a lot about last night. While I never envisioned myself becoming a nanny, I think it’s something I’d be good at.

“As I’m sure you saw, I’ve never had a job in childcare, but I still think I’m more than qualified to do it. Not to divulge too much of my upbringing, but I pretty much raised myself.” That’s an understatement. I absolutely raised myself. If I hadn’t depended on myself to even have my basic needs met, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. “I learned from a very early age how to take care of myself, and I think that’s taught me a lot about how to care for someone else as well.”

Dean nods, his eyes fixed intently on me. He doesn’t take notes or look anywhere butatme. I don’t know if it’s something I like or if I wish he’d look anywhere else, but either way, I keep going, wishing I could get a better read on him. He gives me no clues about what he’s thinking with his stiff posture and narrowed eyes. “I’ve worked many different jobs, but all of them have been in hospitality. I know how to take care of people. I’m a quick learner—I had to be—and I’m always open to constructive criticism.”

He lets my words hang in the air for a moment. A crease appears between his eyebrows as whatever is going through his head shows on his face, and I swallow, anxious that my answers weren’t as good as I thought they were. If he doesn’t like them, then this won’t be a good fit. While I’d rehearsed what I was going to say to him, everything I’ve said is completely honest.

“Ideally, I’d love to find someone for Clara that could be our nanny longer than for a few months. How likely is it that you’ll stay in Sutten for an extended amount of time?”

I sit straighter in my chair as I think about his question. I take a sip of my coffee, using it as an opportunity to gather my thoughts. “Truthfully? Yesterday morning, I didn’t even think I’d stay the night in Sutten. I’m at a place in my life where I could do anything with it, and I’m just trying to figure out what that anything will be. I can’t sit here and promise you that I want to stay here. So far, I do love the town. Everyone has been so incredibly nice. I’m not used to that at all. I’m just not sure where life will lead me. I can promise, however, that if, or I guess when, I decide to leave, I’d give you ample time to find someone to replace me.”

He frowns at my answer, making me unsure if I’ll even be offered the position to begin with.

“That’s if you offer me the position, of course. I wasn’t trying to assume anything,” I hurriedly get out.

“If I knew you were wanting to stay in Sutten longer, I think I’d offer you the job right now. Which I must admit is pretty out of character for me, but Clara loves you, and for some reason, offering you the job feels like the right thing to do. I’m just a little apprehensive to let you into my daughter’s life if you don’t have any intention of staying. She’s lost a lot already, and I’m worried I’m a terrible father if I bring someone else into her life, knowing they won’t be in it long.”

His tone is a little sad, which stabs me right in the heart. He hasn’t told me about his wife’s passing yet, but I can read between the lines of his statement to know what he means. His daughter’s had to go on without a mother, and that’s something she’ll have to live with for the rest of her life. I admire how much it seems he’s trying to do right by his daughter.

I nod in understanding because he has a point. I remember when I was ten, a woman moved in next door to us. Her name was Sherrie, and she always spent time outside on her porch. She seemed lonely, which I later learned was because her husband had been deployed. I was lonely, too, so we quickly struck up an unlikely friendship. She’d make me a lemonade, and we’d sit on her porch together.

When she moved away without any warning, I was crushed. If I got close to Clara, I could never do that to her.

Dean gives me time to think of a response. He just sits there with his permanent scowl, sipping his coffee as I think about the right thing to say to him. I’m not sure if there is an exact right thing. All I can give is honesty. “I only got to spend a little bit of time with her yesterday, but I don’t want to hurt her. If I start as a nanny and my journey with you guys comes to an end, I will make sure she’s fallen even more in love with my replacement before leaving.”

I don’t know why I make the promise. I could end up hating the nanny position and wanting the first excuse out of the job, but something tells me that won’t be the case. Even with Carmen’s warning about Dean this morning, I’m realizing I want this job. Both Dean and his daughter have gone through a lot. Something neither one of them should ever have had to go through.

I feel a purpose at the prospect of becoming a small puzzle piece in their family.

Dean takes another sip of his coffee. I’m learning very quickly that he isn’t afraid of the quiet. He doesn’t needlessly blurt something out to just fill the silence and instead thinks deeply about his words before saying anything.

“This might be a terrible idea.” He sighs, running his hands down his thighs as he adjusts his position in his seat. “But I can’t move past how much Clara already loves you. How about I run through what a typical day looks like, and you can decide if the position is still something you’re interested in?”

“That’s perfect,” I respond, cupping the coffee mug between my hands and blowing on the hot liquid.

“Clara typically wakes up between seven and eight in the morning. Most mornings, I’m still there to say goodbye to her after she wakes up, but sometimes I’ll already be gone, depending on my meetings for the day. Whenever she gets up, you’ll make her breakfast and get her ready for the day. I’ll make sure my assistant gets a schedule printed out with her activities for the month and what her daily routine looks like. She’s got dance some days, and horseback riding on others. I’d love for her to get the chance to do more playdates and just…” He lets out a sad sigh. “I want her to just be a kid. She’s had to tag along with me or my parents a lot recently as I’ve searched for a new nanny. My goal is to get a little more stability in her life. The two of you would be able to choose whatever you wanted to do for the morning, and then you’d feed her some lunch. She still naps about an hour or two. During that time, you can have some time for yourself. I would love the house to stay tidy—I’ll be honest, I’m pretty uptight about keeping the house clean.”

His pause gives me a chance to laugh at his words. “Keep things clean. Got it. Lucky for both of us, I also like things neat and organized.”

I was trying to make a joke and lighten the mood some, but it doesn’t work. His face stays trained in a serious expression. “Thehours might be longer than typical. I fully understand that. I try to be home for dinner with her every night, but some nights, it might just be the two of you, so you might have to cook.”

I nod. “Of course. I happen to love cooking, so that’s no problem. And I’m used to long hours, so there isn’t an issue with that either.”

The only acknowledgment that he heard me was a slight lift of his chin. “Housework isn’t expected, other than tidying up after anything you and Clara do. After dinner, you’re free to do whatever you choose. You’ll be off until the next morning. I will put Clara to bed at night and wake her up in the morning—unless something comes up. But I prefer to always make my schedule work where I see her at night and in the morning, so it shouldn’t be often that I need your help at those times.”

“Sounds good to me.” My heart starts to race a little. He’s talking as if I already have the job. Which makes me excited—hopeful even. Giving me exactly the answer I needed, despite my lack of experience as a nanny and spontaneously agreeing to live somewhere that was only supposed to be a pit stop…I want the job.

I want to stay in Sutten.

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