Page 64 of Wounded Cowboy
Kelsey stood watching April and Abby play in the back yard on her second-to-last day as the girls’ nanny.
Despite her excitement about starting a new life in L.A., her last week in Snowberry Springs had been filled with more melancholy than she’d expected.
Last Saturday, Jenna and her other friends in town had taken Kelsey out for goodbye pizza and beer at the Elk’s Head Tavern. They’d exchanged hugs and fervent promises to stay in touch.
On Monday, Nick and Winnie had invited her over for dinner. Nick had hugged her goodbye afterwards, saying,“I’m so proud of you for following your dreams, Kels. We’ll come visit you soon—Kegan’s already campaigning for a Universal Studios trip at Christmas.”
Parting with her childhood friend and his son had been hard. But leaving Spring and his daughters was going to be much harder.
Kelsey’s thoughts wandered to her search for a new nanny to replace her. Knowing how busy Spring was managing the ranch, she’d volunteered because she wanted to do something nice for him as her parting gift.
After searching online through a bunch of listings for nannies who came across either as complete flakes or too inexperienced, she’d found Claudia Harwood, a former teacher who seemed perfect for the job.
“Here goes nothing,” she murmured, dialing the number in Claudia’s ad.
“This is Claudia Harwood,” Claudia answered in a crisp, professional tone.“Who’s this?”
“Hi, Claudia! This is Kelsey Armstrong,” Kelsey replied.“I’ve been nannying in Snowberry Springs for a really nice widower with two little girls, aged six and eight. I’m leaving soon, and I promised my employer I’d try to find someone to replace me. I saw your ad and was wondering whether you were still available?”
“Snowberry Springs?” Claudia asked.“That would be a great location for me. As I mentioned in my ad, I just retired from thirty years of teaching kindergarten. My grown children live in Livingston and I’d love to stay in this area.”
Yay! No one’s hired her yet!Kelsey thought.“That’s great news! I think you might be the best candidate I’ve seen so far for this job.”
“Thank you,” Claudia replied modestly.“I’ve always loved working with children, and I’d be delighted to meet your employer and his daughters.”
“His name is Spring Snowberry, and he’s the ranch manager at the Snowberry Springs Ranch. I’ll let him know you’re available and interested, and he’ll contact you to set up an interview. Will you send him a copy of your resume?” Kelsey asked, then reeled off Spring’s email address.
“Thank you, Kelsey. I look forward to meeting Mr. Snowberry and his children,” Claudia said before they ended the call.
Kelsey couldn’t help but feel optimistic as she opened her texting app.
Found a possible nanny for you. Retired teacher named Claudia. Just spoke with her and she seems interested. Want me to forward her info?
Spring replied almost immediately.Thanks! Yes, would love to interview Claudia.
I gave her your email address. She’s sending her resume. See you at dinner.
Kelsey breathed a sigh of relief as she put her phone back in her pocket. It seemed that she wouldn’t be leaving Spring and his daughters in the lurch after all.
She just hoped that things would work out between Spring and Claudia.
Tomorrow might be her last day at Snowberry Springs Ranch, but she was determined to leave Spring and his family in the best possible hands.
That evening, after Spring returned home from work, Kelsey, Spring, April, and Abby gathered around the dinner table. Laughter and lighthearted conversation filled the air as they enjoyed their meal together. Yet beneath the surface, Kelsey couldn’t help but feel a bittersweet pang in her heart—tomorrow would mark her last day working as Spring’s nanny.
After finishing dinner, the four of them moved to the living room, where they set up a board game on the coffee table. Kelsey watched as Spring playfully teased April and Abby, his stern demeanor melting away for a moment. The girls’ laughter warmed her heart, making her wish she could freeze this moment in time.
As bedtime approached, Kelsey helped Spring read bedtime stories to April and Abby, their eyes growing heavy with sleep. She felt a lump form in her throat as she realized this would be one of the last times she’d tuck them in at night.
“Goodnight, girls,” Kelsey whispered, planting a gentle kiss on each of their foreheads.“Sweet dreams.”
“Night, Ms. Kelsey,” April murmured sleepily, while Abby nodded, too tired to speak.
Once the girls were tucked in, Kelsey joined Spring in the living room.
“Spring,” Kelsey began, her voice soft with emotion,“I just want you to know how much I enjoyed my time here as your nanny. April and Abby have been such a joy to spend time with.”
“Thank you,” he said sincerely.“You’ve gone above and beyond for them. And they’ve grown very fond of you and are really going to miss you.”
