Page 10 of Mind Pucked

“So, what made you decide to travel to London to be an au pair? And how do I know you plan on staying in the States now?” I ask. I know my tone is harsh, but if she scares easily, she’s not going to be a good fit. I want a nanny that can handle anything and everything that could come up. I’m not taking any chances with Hayden.

She sits up straight, her perky little breasts sticking out and making me have to cross my legs to the side. I’m glad I’m not wearing sweatpants.

Her nose wrinkles up as she moves, accentuating the freckles all over her face, adding to that youthful look of hers. But she talks like she’s a sophisticated adult. “Well, I actually went through something really tough. My parents had these friends who travel a lot for work, and they were leaving the country. They have twins. Very young. They just couldn’t imagine trying to settle into the new place without the help. It was a good thing for me, a great job and a great experience…getting to see the world at my age. But it was also time for me to grieve, and process what I was going through.”

I narrow my eyes at her. Is this girl for real? It’s like she has the perfect answers. Did she prepare in the mirror or something?

“So, you don’t plan on leaving the country again anytime soon?”

She shakes her head, her wavy brown hair moving with it. “Absolutely not. I’m back for the long haul and looking forward to getting my life back together again. I feel like I’ve had a lot of time to think and heal. It was a great experience. But I definitely prefer being home.” She grins, and I have to clear my throat.

“I have to say, your resume is impressive. Very impressive. I would think you’d want more than just a nanny job.”

She purses her lips at me. For a moment, I think she might challenge me on the fact that I didn’t actually ask a question.

But then she takes a deep breath and places her hands on her knees. “I think that’s fair. Of course, I want to work in my field, but I have a couple of choices ahead of me about what I could do. And either way, it’s a long road to get there. I need to be able to pay the bills, of course. Plus, I love working with kids. I don’t really care in what capacity at the moment. There’s plenty of time to further my career. I’m only in my twenties, after all.” She shrugs.

I nod, glad to have at least some idea of how old she is. College graduate, over a year abroad, she’s probably twenty-three to twenty-five.

“There’s something you should know. My daughter—she’s only four, but she’s been through a lot in her life. I don’t know how much Quinn has told you but?—”

She stops me, and I try to contain my anger at her interrupting me. The thing is, she does seem professional, just with a strong personality. Exactly the kind of personality I would normally want protecting my daughter.

So, I need to chill. If she can stand up to me, then she can stand up to anyone.

“I’m aware of the tragedy your daughter has faced. And I’m so sorry to hear about it. However, if you take a look at my resume, you’ll see that I did major in educational psychology. It’s not like I’m some kind of therapist, but I do feel fully prepared to handle her ups and downs and any mood swings. And I understand grief. I won’t get offended if she’s not overly affectionate.”

I lean forward, my elbows on my thighs. I don’t want to like her. She’s too pretty—the kind of pretty that could get me in trouble. But she’s being professional. This is exactly what I need, and Quinn’s brought it to me. I technically have no real reason not to hire her. And this is about Hayden, not me.

I have to trust in my own willpower. It’s only been two years—two years and a couple weeks, to be exact—since the loss of my wife. It’s not the time for me to get involved in anything, especially when Hayden clearly hasn’t healed.

“Part of the job means bringing Hayden to events. Hockey games, parties, and sometimes even other professional events. You’ll have to maintain a level of professionalism. I’ve had trouble with that in the past. Would you give me any trouble with that?”

She squints one eye, as if she’s trying to figure out what I mean by being unprofessional. It’s one of the cutest faces I’ve ever seen. Shit. This is a problem.

“Well, as you can see, I did go abroad by myself following college, and I was an au pair. I’m happy to give you the phone number for a direct reference. I went to a private college. You don’t really get through those without a level of professionalism. And I would be totally fine going to events. I love hockey, and I’m very serious about caring for children. There would be no issue.”

I can’t help but grin. I believe what she says. Amelia really is the perfect fit. Every question I continue to ask her, even right down to questions about boyfriends and what she would do if one of the players hits on her, she simply points back to her qualifications and her professionalism in her work and school.There isn’t a single hint that there would ever be an issue. In fact, she seems offended by the idea.

On paper, Amelia is the best thing for Hayden. How can I possibly turn that down?

I can’t. It’s that simple. Of course I’m going to hire her. But I need to make it appear real.

I stand up and hold out my hand to shake hers. “Thank you for this, Amelia. It’s been very eye-opening. I have a couple more interviews to do, but I’m very interested. Can I contact you using the number on the resume?”

She leans over, almost too close, and I can smell lavender and vanilla on her. She places her finger on the number at the top of the page. “Silly me. This was my number while I was in London. I have a new one now, but you should already have that from when you called me to set up the interview. You still have it?” she asks, biting her bottom lip.

It’s like she’s being sensual and doesn’t even know it.

“Yes, I have it.” I back away from her, half sprinting toward the door to open it and get her out of here. Luckily, we won’t be alone in such close quarters most of the time. She’ll just be caring for Hayden.

“I’ll give you a call, then.”

She meets me at the door and blinks as if in a daze. I feel a bit bad for the way I’m treating her, but I just can’t have her here screwing with my mind right now.

“Thanks. I hope you have a nice day.”

She walks out the door but then peeks her head back inside for a moment. She finds Hayden with her eyes and makes a point to say goodbye to her too. “You have a good day too, Hayden.”

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