Page 11 of Nanny for the Firefighter

Mason studies me for a moment, and I hold his stare. This is going to be awkward. No way around that, but if I could just have the money I need to get by, I could always get another job later.

“Okay. I guess it’s better than a total stranger with her. Can you start right away?”

The last bit is a total joke, and I roll my eyes. “Of course.”

“Well, all right then. I guess I’ll see you Monday morning? Nine?”

I nod. “I’ll see you then, Mason.”

THREE

Mason

I pull up to the familiar little building, the parking spots all at an angle with the thin drive for cars to come and go. Mia is waiting for me inside, and I’m a little later than usual.

And I’m late because of a car accident…where Bridget was involved.

Sighing, I turn off the truck, tucking the keys back into my pocket. The radio plays quietly in the background because I can’t stand silence, and I sit there.

My hands are on the steering wheel, gripping, and I stare straight ahead out the dash. I can’t see into the building because of how bright it is outside, but Mia is in there.

Waiting for me.

“Well, you can’t just sit in the damn truck.”

Unbuckling myself, I get out and step around the front of my vehicle to the small sidewalk that leads to the main door of the daycare center.

Another dad comes out, and I let him and his son pass by before heading to the door and punching in the code to enter the building. I do the same on the little pin pad tablet to check Mia out and then walk down the hall to the right to her room.

When I open the door, the kids all shout, “Mia, your dad is here!” and she runs over to me.

I scoop my little princess up into my arms, hugging her tightly against my chest before setting her back down.

“Hey there, kiddo. How was your day?”

She babbles happily at me, saying, “Look! Look! Tree!”

I turn toward the wall off to the left and see the massive tree painting the kids must have worked on. There are little handprints and smears all over the top to make the leaves, and the teacher wrote each kid’s name by their contribution.

Walking over with her in my arms, I point to where I see her name. “Did you do this? Good job, hun!”

She grins, pointing at the green handprints. “Me!”

“She did great. Always so good at sharing. I know I can count on Mia to make sure everyone has a chance at the paint.”

Amy, Mia’s teacher, comes up behind us smiling, and I nod back, squeezing Mia in a playful hug.

“You’re just the best. Aren’t you, kiddo?”

Mia giggles wildly, and I walk over to where all the kids’ little water bottles are lined up and take the Disney Princess one that belongs to Mia.

Turning toward the exit, I hold up Mia near Amy and point. “Can we say thank you to Ms. Amy for helping us all day?”

“Thank you!”

Mia’s pronunciation makes the words sound like “tank woo,” and I smile. “Good job.”

“Happy to help, Mia. And Mason. She’s an angel.” As I walk toward the door, Amy adds, “Did you have any luck with the nanny search?”

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