Page 52 of Single Dad's Hot Nanny

“Doingwhat?” Dad asked, lifted an eyebrow. “Last I heard, you were still job hunting.”

I mentally rolled my eyes at the subtle insult. “I have a job now,” I said proudly.

“And you’ve held onto it for four months?”

My molars clamped together at the shock in his tone. Granted, I had a history of flitting between jobs, but would it kill him to be proud of me forsomething?

“She has,” Jonathan said brightly. “And she’s doing great, aren’t you, sis?” He winked at me. “Did you see the car she came in?”

I gave him a pointed look, trying to tell him that he was helpingtoomuch.

Dad’s sharp, dark brown eyes cut into me. “I did. You can afford a car like that after four months?” His gaze shifted to Jonathan. “I thought you said she was looking into waitressing.”

The disapproval was heavy in his tone, as if waitressing wasn’t a good, honest job.

“She was, but she changed lanes. She’s actually?—”

“Ahem.”I cut my brother off, and he winced and mouthedsorry. As annoying and overbearing as Jonathan was, he got protective of me around Dad. He knew what our father’s constant disapproval did to me. I gave him a grateful look. He was a good big brother. He said he was proud of me for going out of my comfort zone to try my hand at being a nanny, and he was thrilled I’d held on to the job.

“I’m a nanny,” I announced proudly. Unfortunately, as I looked at my parents, I was disappointed by their unimpressed expressions. “You know, one has to be responsible to be a nanny,” I added.

Jonathan, bless his heart, nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “Mia is doing really good.”

His approval did nothing to help sway Mom and Dad.

“Is that what you plan to do with your life?” Dad asked. “Be a nanny?”

My heart dropped. I was so tired of the what-do-you-plan-to-do-with-your-life bit, as if I wasn’t already doing something with it. “Well, no… I haven’t really…”

“What about college? You’ve yet to enroll in any.”

“You should go to college, Mia,” Mom interjected. “Look at your brother. He’s so successful…”

As my heart plummeted some more, I tuned her out because I’d been hearing the “look at your brother” speech since I was freaking born. It was hard to live in my brother’s shadow… I suspected I’d remain hidden behind him for the rest of my life.

“Mom, that’s enough,” Jonathan said.

“No, it isn’t,” she insisted. “You’ve made something of your life because you decided what you wanted to do and you went to school for it. It can’t be that hard for Mia to do the same.”

“Iammaking something of my life,” I grumbled. “I’m in a great job right now. I work for an affluent man, and his daughteris just lovely. I’m getting paid really well… more than some people with degrees.”

“Enough to afford that car parked in the driveway in a few months?” Dad inquired with raised eyebrows.

My face burned with embarrassment. It was like he wanted to accuse me of stealing the fucking car! Taking a deep breath to rein in my temper, I calmly explained, “Actually, it's not mine. It’s my boss’s.”

“He allows you to drive his car?” Mom asked. “And just how well is a nanny paid?”

“Yes,” I bit out. “He trusts me, and the car is really for driving his little girl around. I get paid a little more because of some extra duties like?—”

“Extra duties?”Mom clutched her literal pearls. “What else are you doing for this man, honey? I hope you’re not sl?—”

“Mom,”Jonathan scolded.

I gasped. “I am not sleeping with my boss if that’s what you’re implying.”Well, I’m not sleeping with him anymore… although I really want to…“That all came out wrong. I’m a live-in nanny now, and I do a lot of extra hours because my boss is super busy and sometimes I travel with them…”

I stopped my rambling because things had already been shot to hell. I didn’t manage to impress my folks at all. They still saw me as their loser daughter. Shoving down my tears, I stayed quiet, listened, and gave a few dutiful “Yes sirs” as Dad went on his usual rant about my lack of direction and what I should be doing at my age.

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