Page 60 of An Unexpected Match

“Oh?”

She cleared her throat nervously. She couldn’t think when they were so close. Turning, she looked out the window. The girls were still industriously playing in the sandbox, but Arden didn’t see them. Her heart pounded, and she knew embarrassed color stained her cheeks.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “What did you want to talk about?”

He ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. Tossing the sketchpad on the counter, he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m not sure how to begin.”

She blinked in surprise. She never thought she’d hear Brendan sounding the least bit unsure.

Oh dear, was he going to fire her? Had he recognized the pictures for what they were, the fantasy of a woman in love?

She almost laughed. Here she planned to resign on Monday and he was about to fire her today. She should have stuck to her original schedule.

She met his gaze, wishing she’d spoken first.

“You seem to like the girls,” he began.

She nodded. “I love them. They’re adorable. You’ve done a great job raising them. I suspect you’ll continue to do so.”

“As long as I’m around.”

“What do you mean?”

A touch of panic unexpectedly hit her.

“You aren’t sick, are you? You don’t have some life-threatening disease?”

“No. But life’s uncertain. They’ve already lost one parent. I worry about what would happen to them if something happens to me.”

“Well, I’m sure nothing will. And in the unlikely event something did, your parents are a phone call away. And Ella would step in.”

He shook his head.

“My parents are too old to take on two rambunctious little girls. I wouldn’t want Hailey and Avery to have to live with older parents.”

“Ella,” she said, wondering why he was bringing this up.

He shrugged.

“Actually, I thought that it’d be best if something happened to me for the girls to stay in the house, in familiar surroundings. Kept their same routines.”

Arden nodded, wondering where this was leading.

“I want you to be their guardian if anything happens to me. Give them the continuity and love they’ll need.”

She stared, dumbfounded.

“You want me to be the girls’ guardian if something happens to you?” she repeated.

“Money wouldn’t be an issue. I’d see to that. They adore you. You bring a fresh outlook to their lives. One I can see has made a very positive difference. They are happy and enthusiastic about every new experience you bring them.”

“Brendan, you’re probably going to live to be a hundred. You don’t need me to be a guardian.”

This conversation wasn’t going at all like she expected.

It was time to tell him she was leaving.

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