Page 32 of Nanny for the Don

Willow immediately reaches for the supreme, and I watch, a bit surprised, as she starts putting it away with a vigor I didn’t expect. She’s usually more reserved, but tonight she’s going for it like she hasn’t eaten in days.

She notices me watching, and a flush creeps up her cheeks. “What? I’m hungrier than I thought,” she says, half-apologetic, half-defiant.

I give her a small smile. “No need to explain. Just didn’t realize you had such an appetite.”

The girls are absolutely thrilled she’s here. Lucia’s practically bouncing in her seat, and Giulia keeps sneaking little smiles at Willow. It’s clear they’ve warmed up to her, and the feeling seems mutual.

We settle in, plates in hand, as the movie starts. The room fills with the familiar sound of Disney magic, and I watch them out of the corner of my eye—my girls and Willow, all together. For a moment, everything feels right, like this is how it’s supposed tobe.

We’re about halfway through the movie when the girls start clamoring for ice cream. I pause the movie and let them make their bowls, piling on toppings like there’s no tomorrow. As they’re busy, I turn to Willow. “How was your day?”

She takes a moment, as if considering how much to share. “It was good. Caught up with my cousin,” she says, keeping it vague. She doesn’t mention a name, and there’s a slight hesitation in her voice that I don’t miss.

I can tell there’s something she’s not telling me, something she’s keeping under wraps. Part of me wants to press, to know what’s going on in that head of hers. But I remind myself I don’t have the right to know everything.We’re not in that kind of relationship—at least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Still, the thought crosses my mind—did she meet up with some guy? The idea of her with someone else sends a sharp surge of jealousy through me, but I push it down. Not the time, and definitely not the place.

The girls return with their ice cream masterpieces, and we head back into the den. The movie picks up where we left off, and the room is filled with the sound of laughter and the occasional clink of spoons against bowls.

By the time the credits roll, both Lucia and Giulia are out cold, dozing peacefully against Willow. I watch them for a moment, feeling something deep in my chest tighten, but I shake it off. I scoop up Giulia while Willow gently gathers up Lucia, and we quietly carry them to bed.

Willow and I slip the girls into their pajamas, and as they wake up just a bit, she leans in to chat with them softly.

“Hey, sleepyheads,” Willow says gently, brushing a stray hair from Lucia’s face. “Did you have fun watching the movie?”

Lucia blinks sleepily and nods. “Yeah, it was good. Can we watch it again tomorrow?”

Giulia stirs, rubbing her eyes. “I want to watchMoananext time.”

Willow chuckles softly. “Maybe we can have another movie night soon and watch both. How does that sound?”

The girls’ eyes light up at the idea. “Yay!” they mumble, snuggling into their blankets.

I watch from the doorway, a smile tugging at my lips. When Willow finishes talking, I step over and gently kiss each of the girls on their foreheads.“Good night, my little princesses,” I say. I make sure the monitor is in place, then slip out of the room with Willow.

The night has gone just as smoothly as I’d hoped.

As we head back to the living room, I turn to Willow and ask, “Got any plans for the rest of the evening?”

She gives me a small, playful smile. “Nope, just thinking about a bath and then bed.”

I raise an eyebrow, grinning. “Want some company for that bath? Maybe you could use mine, since you seem so fond of it.”

Willow bites her lower lip, her eyes sparkling with mischief.. “I’d like that.”

The moment we step into the bedroom, my mind is racing with thoughts of what I’m going to do to Willow in that tub. The way she looks at me only adds fuel to the fire. But just as we’re aboutto get started, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

I curse under my breath, holding up a finger to Willow. “I’ve got to take this. Go ahead and get the water going—I’ll meet you in there.”

She gives me a playful wink over her shoulder, pulling off her top as she disappears into the bathroom. The sight of her bare back as she vanishes into the bathroom makes it damn near impossible to focus on anything else.

I pull out my phone, expecting something trivial, but when I see Sal’s name pop up, I know it’s serious. The text is brief:We need to meet tomorrow. Got some info on the hit—might be evidence linking it to a certain family we both know.

A surge of fury rises in me, my fist clenching hard enough to make my knuckles white. The thought of the Rossis, and I know that’s who he means, our longtime adversaries, murdering my father is infuriating.

I fire back a quick reply, telling Sal we’ll meet tomorrow, then toss my phone onto the bed with more force than necessary.I need to deal with this, but not tonight.

Tonight, I have other plans, and nothing’s going to ruin them.

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