Page 21 of One Touch

“You know, this reminds me an awful lot of a conversation we had about me and Cole. Plus, aren’t you all unromantic now, too? You can be dead fish together.” She winked. “Dead fish in love.”

“Ugh, I just need to focus on my own life right now, not pull anyone else into this messy vortex I’ve made for myself.”

Elara smiled kindly. “You’re right, I’ll drop it. In fact, I think you’re right. It’ll be good for you to have a break from relationships. You need to spend some time being happy by yourself. You’re amazing, Lily, and I think Vlad might have made you forget that a bit.” She pushed another cupcake into my hand. “Ethan is also struggling a little, anyway. Maybe it would be a bad time for him.”

“Struggling?” I took a bite of the cupcake. This one was vanilla-strawberry, and like food of the gods.

“He needs childcare. He’s looking for a live-in nanny for Ava so he can be on call to train at night. But it’s difficult because . . .”

A sudden wave of attraction coursed through me at the thought of Ethan in uniform, all rippling muscles and heroism. I pictured him rushing into a burning building, soot streaked across his chiseled jaw as he carried someone to safety. . . .

Elara was still talking, oblivious to my dirty mind. “. . . And of course, I’ll need to rearrange my schedule at the bakery, but I think between me, Cole, and Ida, we should be able to make it work.”

I forced myself to nod along, trying to look like I’d been paying attention. “That’s great, El. I’m sure Ethan appreciates your help.”

“He’d better,” she said with a grin. “I’m sacrificing precious sleep for this. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is growing a tiny human?”

“I have no idea.”

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind, so blindingly obvious I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner. I almost spat out my cupcake, but thankfully, I managed to swallow it gracefully. “Elara, I’ve got it!”

She blinked at me, confused. “Got what? The cake recipe? I keep telling you, it’s a family secret.”

I waved my hand impatiently. “No, not the cake. I know how I can pay Ethan back for the damage to his car.”

Elara leaned forward, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Do tell.”

Sure, I didn’t have any experience being a nanny. And yes, the last time Ethan had seen me, I’d been destroying a wedding dress and screaming. But I was sure I could convince him I was a normal responsible human being.

How hard could looking after an eight-year-old be?

Maybe spending time with Ethan’s kid would keep my mind off his rugged looks and those moments I couldn’t stop replaying in my head. After all, nannies didn’t fall for their kids’ parents—except in romance novels, which I had come to realize were great big lies. And I was only out for the truth from now on.

Chapter 6

Ethan

Even after more thantwenty years since I graduated, the familiar scent of the elementary school remained unchanged.

As I inhaled that distinctive blend of cafeteria food and craft supplies, a wave of nostalgia hit me. For a moment, I felt like a child once more, summoned to the principal’s office for mischief. But this time, it was my eight-year-old daughter being called in for disruptive behavior.

I looked down at Ava, sitting in the hard plastic chair beside me, her legs swinging as she stared at the floor. Her black bob fell across her face, hiding her expression.

I squeezed her hand. “You okay, hon?”

“I guess.”

“We’ll be fine,” I reassured her. “Probably just a misunderstanding.”

Ava hadn’t ever been called in like this before. I knew she was a bit slow with her work compared to some of the other kids, but she’d never acted out.

The door swung open, and Ms. Vaughn, the principal, gestured for us to enter. “Mr. McCoy, thank you for coming.”

I took Ava’s hand and led her into the room, where Ms. Vaughn had already settled behind her desk, clasping her hands.

I knew Caroline Vaughn pretty well. We had been classmates at this very school. She was always well-behaved—a bit of a teacher’s pet, to be honest.

“Come on, Caroline, you can call me Ethan.”

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