Page 67 of The Nanny is Off Limits

“Love you, munchkin.” He looks at me. “Catch you later, Ellie.”

Imanage to leave work at a decent hour so I can be home before Isla goes to sleep, but when I walk through the back door, SJ is at the kitchen table doing his homework and Isla is nowhere in sight. “Where’s your sister?”

“Which one?” he asks, not looking up from his paper.

I glance at him, annoyed. “Isla. Last I checked, Margot isn’t home yet.”

“She’s upstairs with Ellie.” He looks up at me. “You have to try the soup she made for her by the way. Dad, we can’t let Ellie goever.”

Wasn’t planning on it.

“Noted. School was okay today?”

“Fine.” He shrugs. “Had my meeting with the shrink. When can I stop doing that anyway?”

“I’m guessing when your behaviors improve,” I tell him as I slide my jacket off and hang it on the back of one of the chairs.

“They have!”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Don’t you have detention this week?”

He drops his forehead and taps it against the table in three consecutive taps. “This is the worst.”

“I’m sorry, bud. I did my part and stopped you from getting expelled.” I ruffle his sandy brown hair before I make my way upstairs. When I get to Isla’s room, she’s lying in her bed with Ellie sitting next to her reading a story. For the first time, I really see Ellie as not just the nanny but someone my kids are falling in love with by the day.

Ellie must sense my movement because her eyes dart to mine and she gives me a soft smile.

“Daddy!” Isla’s eyes light up and while her voice isn’t as enthusiastic as it usually is, I know she’s still excited to see me. She sits up and raises her arms toward me as I make my way to the other side of her bed and pull her into my arms. She climbs into my lap and tucks her head right under my chin while I squeeze her tight.

“How you feeling, Princess?”

“Mmm, I still don’t feel good.”

“You don’t have a fever though, so that’s good,” Ellie says as she presses the back of her hand to Isla’s forehead followed by her cheek.

“Do you think she needs to stay home tomorrow?” I ask her and she gives me a look that tells me she’s not sure.

“It may not hurt? Especially if she’s still not feeling great? I planned to just see how she felt in the morning.”

“Okay. I was thinking I would work from home tomorrow…” I stroke Isla’s hair and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Whether she’s home or not,” I continue and watch as Ellie’s pupils dilate before she licks her bottom lip. I take it she understands what we’ll be doing if we have the house to ourselves.

A smirk finds my face but it falls instantly when I hear Isla’s voice. “Daddy, we aren’t finished. Shhhh.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I try to move to let them get back to their story but Isla just squeezes me tighter making me believe she wants me to stay.

I can’t help but watch Ellie while she reads, and although I know it’s her job, there’s something about watching her with my sick daughter that does something to me. We’re nearing the end of the story, with Isla teetering on the edge of sleep when Margot walks in the room, and when I look up, she’s staring at us confused like she’s not sure what she’s seeing.

“I heard Isla wasn’t feeling well. Is she okay?”

“She had a fever but she’s much better now,” Ellie tells her and Margot’s lips form a straight line as her eyes dart back and forth between me and Ellie.

“Dad, you’re home early. When’s the last time you beat me home?” she jokes but I can hear the underlying snark in her voice.

“Well, it’s nothing new. Who else has been here when one of you guys has been sick?”I ask her.

She adjusts her backpack that’s hanging off one shoulder. “Right,” she says in a way that makes me think she doesn’t agree with what I said but doesn’t want to get into it. “Feel better, Isla.”

“Night, Margot,” Isla says softly as her eyelids begin to droop.

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