Page 88 of Nanny for the Bodyguard
“I'm just nervous, Easton. He's coming after me. He'scalledme. It's impossible to ignore those things. And even here in thispark, I feel exposed. He could be lurking around some corner, for all I know.”
“Hey,” he grabs my chin, “everything is going to be okay. You and Jade are safe with me. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”
I give him a smile. I believe him; I do. I just know that there are some things that even devotion can't stop.
I take his hand and hold it in mind. This is getting a little bit too heavy for me, and it seems that a change of subject is in order.
“How areyoudoing? I know that I haven't checked in with you very much, and you've been dealing with a lot, too.”
Easton chuckles, rolling his eyes again, and then they wind their way over towards Jade as she plays on the swings, laughing happily and making instant best friends with the other kids who are there.
“I'm worried about Jade. I'malwaysworried about Jade. I'm worried that I'm not cut out to raise her just like my mother implied. I wonder if she would be better off with them sometimes.”
“Hey, you have been doing incredible, and you've been thrust into the deep end so quickly. It's not like you knew this was going to happen. Jade entered your life during one of the lowest moments of hers, and you have been caring for her absolutely wonderfully. You've done so much good for her in the past few weeks.”
Easton seems to relax, and when he smiles at me, I can see just how much my words have affected him.
“Thanks, Haze. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”
Without thinking about it, I reach up to his cheek and smooth my thumb across his skin. “I think I do, actually. And it's true. All of it.
“Thank you for being here,” Easton tells me, looking into my eyes with his soul cracking open as big as mine is right now.
I smile back at him, feeling a little bit choked up, my eyes burning at the corners. “And thank you for everything you've done for me. I really don't know how I'm supposed to repay you for protecting me against an escaped convict.”
He chuckles but then pulls me close to him, pressing a kiss to my forehead. His touch lingers there, and I feel the warmth sinking into my bones.
“I would do all this over again in a heartbeat. Finding you in that coffee shop, Jade spilling ice cream all over you. It was perfect.”
We haven’t put labels on this. We haven’t said anything about itnotbeing casual. But right now, basking in the warmth of Easton that even outweighs the sun, I know it’s more than that.
I just know.
TWENTY-NINE
Easton
“Yes, of course, I can make sure that somebody is with you. It might need to rotate depending on what days you're looking for and how many, but someone will certainly be there.”
I’m pacing in front of my desk, and as soon as I realize it, I sit back down in my office chair.
"It's tough when you have somebody on your back like this, and I know that your ex has been a big problem, so we'll make sure that he doesn't bother you anymore.”
The woman on the other end of the line sighs, and I can hear it through my phone, clear as day.
She's been through a lot and is one of my latest clients. I know that she's desperately seeking some help for this situation with her ex-boyfriend, Todd.
“Okay, I can handle that. Someone will be here. Willyoube here? I've heard the most, um, good reviews about you personally.”
I feel tense. In any other situation, I would say yes. I would see that the client wants me there, and I would make sure that I was available to be there for her each night and make sure that this Todd asshole gets thrown in jail where he belongs.
But this isn't any other situation.
Not only do I have Jade to worry about now, but I also have Hazel. I can't leave either of them alone with Neil on the loose like this. I have to rely on my staff.
It doesn't feel right. I'm usually the person who always takes the most responsibility for these things, and I suck at asking for help, but that's what I have to do right now.
“Unfortunately, I have other clients that need me very badly here in Red Lodge, but I will make sure that the best of the best is there to help you every night. You can even hire every day if you need to. We can also be flexible regarding the payment situation. We can arrange a payment plan. Our goal is to ensure that our clients understand we're there for them. I can assure you that we'll do everything possible.”
