Page 34 of The Summer Arrangement
Pulling into her driveway, my pulse quickens.
I’ve tried keeping things professional between us, and I truly hope our coming today isn’t a mistake. But there’s no way I could disappoint Milli—or myself for that matter if I’m being honest. Even if I can’t act upon my feelings, I find myself drawn to Elizabeth Lancaster in a way I’ve never experienced.
Fuck, that right there is whyI shouldn’tbe looking forward to seeing her.
She is Milli’s nanny, dipshit.
Milli’s obvious attachment to “her Iz”shouldbe reason enough to keep my distance from Lizzy. I’ve never seen her bond with anyone like this—my family included. I can’t afford to fuck up our arrangement. We agreed to put things on ice for the sake of this job.
But what about when the summer ends?
Geez, man, get it together.
You have no business thinking about Lizzy like this. She’s your daughter’s freaking nanny. Hell, who am I kidding? Seeinghow she interacts with my daughter makes her more intriguing than when I joked around with her at the coffee shop. I look forward to spending time with her any way I can—even if it is with herentire familyat this freaking barbeque.
By the time Milli knocks on the door, my nerves are fried.
Why the hell did I agree with this?
When the door flies open, Jax puts my nerves at ease, “Hey, man! It’s good to see you.” Reaching out to shake my hand, he pulls me in for a man hug and thwacks me on the back before turning his attention to my daughter. “You must be the infamous Milli! I’ve heard so much about you.”
“My Iz here?” Milli asks, looking around his legs into the house.
“She sure is!” Jax beams. “I hope you’ve brought that bike of yours. I need to see for myself how fast you can ride that thing!”
“Is that you, Mills?” a voice I recognize as Ryan’s calls from inside.
That’s all the invitation she needs.
My sprite of a child darts by Jax into the house, clearly making herself at home.
“Apparently, she knows where she’s going.” Jax chuckles. Turning to me, he asks, “Do you need help bringing anything in?”
“Nah, I’m good. But I’d better get her bike, or I’ll never hear the end of it.” I chuckle. “That girl has been on a mission all day. No one had better get in the way of seeing ‘Her Iz.’ She’s had a one-track mind since receiving the invite.
“I sure hope Lizzy knows how much Emilia has taken to her,” I say more to myself than to Jax as I watch her disappear around the corner.
Jax pats me on the arm and says, “Oh, I’m certain the feeling’s mutual. Liz raves about her any chance she gets. Go getthat bike. I hope you brought your appetite.” He thumbs over his shoulder. “They’ve been cooking all day.”
The hairs on the back of my neck tingle, and I know Cameron’s arrived.
I have no idea how I sense it, but the next thing I know, there’s a commotion at the door, and Milli’s bursting into the living room. That girl has two modes—full speed ahead or hyper focused on her task at hand—well, three. She also sleeps.
She’s always on a mission, and at the moment—her sights are set on me.
The second her eyes meet mine, she squeals, “My Iz,” and launches herself into my open arms. Scooping her up into a hug, I spin us in a circle. Her giggle is infectious and before I know it, I’m laughing right along with her.
It’s hard to believe someone I’ve known for such a short time can bring me so much joy.
She clings to me like I’ve seen her do with Cameron after a long day at work. When I stop spinning, her chubby hands cup my face to look me in the eye. “I come for dinner.” She beams. “Daddy says I have ta be good… I miss you.” She throws her arms around my neck, squeezes me tight, and I gladly return her hug.
“I missed you, too, Mills,” I admit. It’s only been a day, but this little girl has wormed her way deep into my heart. I find myself thinking of both her and her father much more often than I should on my days off.
“Is this the infamous Mills?” Finn asks, stepping closer to us.
“Yep! She’s the one I’m lucky enough to spend the summer with.” I beam at my future brother-in-law. I dart my eyes around for Cameron but no such luck.
Milli gasps, drawing my attention to her, then points to one of Finn’s tattoos peeking out from his shirt. “You like to draw?”
