Page 46 of Exposed

“The only actual girlfriend I’ve had. I’ve dated around since then, but nothing legit.”

Getting to know Matt the last few days, I half expected her to come knocking on the door asking to reunite with him. I’d been wondering how he was single, because he seems like such an authentic, fun guy.

“It was raining.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. His hands trace circles on Simon’s back. Matt’s innocent gesture with his son looks like it’s what’s keeping him calm and present while he tells me about Grace. “We were out with Hope, her sister. Our car spun out on a dangerous stretch of the I-95 Express Toll. A car slammed into Hope and Grace’s side. Hope was injured but conscious. She was pinned to her seat by a piece of metal in her leg. I called 9-1-1 right away.”

Matt stops again, and tears roll down his cheeks. His chest rises and falls with jerky breaths, and Simon flails around on Matt’s torso.

“I’m moving a lot, huh, buddy,” Matt soothes his son and lifts his head to kiss Simon’s hair. He sits up and pushes his back against the couch, resting Simon on his chest with his forearm under his pajama covered bum.

“Hope was screaming for her sister, but we couldn’t get Grace to wake up. I was afraid to move Grace, but she wasn’t breathing. I couldn’t let her die. I gently laid her down on the backseat and Hope, who’s a nurse, talked me through CPR.”

Matt is such a formidable looking man, but he’s letting himself be vulnerable with me. Scooting closer to him, I rest my hand in his hair and slowly massage.

“The paramedics used the defibrillator on her severaltimes and did CPR, but nothing brought her back. I continued CPR on Grace while they got Hope out of the car and secured in the ambulance. I told Grace to hold on, and that the doctors at the hospital would help her. I was freezing. It was like the sky had a whole ocean of water to pour on us. I’ve never been that cold.”

He shivers as if reliving the moment, then continues. “Hope was conscious while Grace was unresponsive. They couldn’t technically declare Grace dead, but they told me they believed she was. I rode in the ambulance with Hope, and the doctors immediately took her into surgery to fix her injured hip. I went back to Grace then. An ER doctor declared her dead, but I refused to believe it. When they gave me time to say goodbye to her, I climbed onto the hospital bed to hold her lifeless body. I told her over and over again that she couldn’t leave me. I’d never been with anyone but her, and I thought I’d never find love again.”

“I can’t imagine, Matt,” I say softly.

“That’s why I went nuts about my parents’ accident.”

“You didn’t gothatnuts, and it makes sense. I’m sorry you lost her.”

“I can’t let them keep driving here everyday to watch Simon. I need a nanny.”

This is where he tells me I need to leave. I start to pull my hand back from massaging his head, but he gently grips my hand and interlocks his fingers with mine.

“The lab called today with the paternity results. Simon is 100% my kid. I’m not surprised, but it makes this more real.”

“I bet,” I nod.

“He’s totally dependent on me, and being his parent is ahuge responsibility. I want to give him the best. I’m not asking you to leave, Pep. I’m asking you to stay and be Simon’s nanny, because you’re the best one for the job,” he announces as he turns to look in my eyes. His blue eyes plead with mine, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“You want me to be Simon’s nanny?” I ask incredulously. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough. I watched you catering at three different weddings. You’re caring, and you’re a fighter.”

“That’s not stalkerish,” I joke.

“I can’t help that you were working the same weddings I was,” he chuckles and playfully pushes my calf, then an alarm goes off on his phone. “Time to feed Simon. Come with me.”

We walk into the kitchen, and I hold Simon while Matt makes his bottle.

“I’m usually hyper focused on work, but from the first minute I saw you, I thought about you even while I was working. Every time you served a little girl, you’d give her a curtsy before you walked away,” he shares.

He noticed me do that? “I called them princess. Every little girl should feel like one,” I murmur.

He gives me a soft smile. “You’re right, they should. Every time you served a little boy, you’d bow, then give him a little salute.”

“Cheesing it up with the little kids is my favorite part of the job.”

It certainly isn’t getting hit on by the guys. Serving them food and drinks makes some of them think they’ll serve your pussy to them on a platter. I’d rather hit them over the side of the head with the tray I’m holding. Somepervert tries to cop a feel at every catering event I work, and it’s getting old.

“You said you don’t like catering. Be Simon’s nanny. I need someone I’m comfortable with, and you’re it.”

Being Simon’s nanny would be loads better than catering, but I couldn’t ask Matt to pay me. Not when I’m already staying here for free. I need money.

“I need to have a job so I can pay you rent.”

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