Page 11 of Wishing for Love

“You do?” Elsie asked. “What is it?”

“You know my mother has to go back home soon.”

“I know,” Elsie said, her head dropping down, her fingers plucking at her red T-shirt with a big rainbow on it.

“You’re going to miss her,” he said. “I will too. Especially her cooking.”

Elsie giggled. “I like her brownies the best.”

He’d make a note to have his mother make a few pans to freeze. Or maybe there were some in the freezer that he didn’t know about. “Me too.”

“What’s my surprise?” Elsie asked.

“I have a nanny I think you’re going to love.”

Elsie turned to look at him, her big blue eyes wide and wet with tears. The hammering in his chest threatened to knock him unconscious. “You don’t want me to be around anymore.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” he said, reaching his hand over. Maybe it wasn’t the best place to have this conversation and it just showed how out of his element he was with this. “You know I love you and will never leave you or let you go.”

“Mom was never supposed to leave either,” Elsie said, sniffling.

Shit. This was so fucking hard. “I know, honey. I miss her too. But I’m not going anywhere. You know I have to work and this person is just going to bring you to school and back. Be around when I can’t be and it won’t be much. I’ll be home by dinner like I am now most nights.”

“So she’s like a babysitter?” Elsie asked.

“Yes. And she’s going to live in the house. Upstairs over the garage. Remember, I talked about this?”

Elsie nodded her head. “What’s her name?”

“It’s Crystal.”

“Does she shine?” Elsie asked.

“Huh?” he asked.

Elsie was plucking at the crystals on her backpack. “Does she shine like these?”

He caught the grin on his lips. “I think she might,” he said. “I also think the two of you will get along so well. But you’re going to meet her tonight. She’s coming to have dinner with us.”

“What if I don’t like her or she doesn’t like me?” Elsie asked.

“I don’t think that will be an issue, but if it is, then I’ll keep looking for someone that works out for everyone.”

Elsie nodded and there wasn’t much more he could say. The last thing he wanted to do was push her.

He got home and pulled into the garage, Elsie getting out and going through the door. The little girl took her shoes off in the mudroom. Her backpack came off and he grabbed it out of her hand so he could get her lunch bag out and then see if there were any papers in there he had to deal with.

“I don’t want to be a problem,” Elsie said.

“What’s going on?” his mother asked, taking the bag out of his hand and pulling out the lunch box that she’d packed that morning.

“I called Crystal and she’s coming here at five to meet Elsie and have dinner with us.”

“That’s wonderful,” his mother said. “Elsie, Crystal was fun. She’s young and has so much energy. She loves to do arts and crafts.”

“She does?” Elsie asked, her head popping up.

Why didn’t he think to say those things?

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