Page 6 of Kent's Honor
“Not your mother, butamother.” She let out a long sigh. “Do you have my cell?”
He shook his head, glancing at his watch. He needed to get to work, if he was going to go, though he still held out some hope that he’d be able to weasel his way into a day at home.
With his buttercup.
“Aunt Jackie gave me your number. I’ll text you so that you’ll have mine, and you can text me or call at any time during the day and check in.” She pulled her phone and tapped away with her pretty little fingers. He’d never thought that part of the hand was attractive, or a turn-on, unless they were gripping… Nope, he wasn’t going there. Not when it was his babysitter.
Or with small children around.
He honestly didn’t know how single parents dated. The few times he’d had sex, as in maybe five or six times a year since his daughter had been born, had been when he’d been pulled away on a special assignment, but one-night stands just weren’t his thing.
“There. Just sent it to you.”
His phone buzzed in his back pocket, sending a tingle to places a nanny shouldn’t have any control over. He pulled out his cell and stared at the number flashing in his text messages.
“Here.” She took the phone from his fumbling hands.
He’d never been rendered useless around a woman before. He tried to tell himself he was just off-kilter because this young woman was stubborn. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
She stared at him for a long moment. “Does your daughter have a smartphone?”
He nodded.
“Considering how uptight you are, I’m assuming you track her phone. If not, I can give access to track mine.”
“I don’t know,” he said.
She reached out, curling her soft fingers around his biceps. “We’ll be fine, and if there is a problem, I’ll call you.”
“I’m only working a day shift for a buddy. But if we get dispatched, I won’t be able to answer. Let me give you the number of my buddy’s wife.” He took his phone and quickly sent her the contact information for Tilly Jordan and Maren Knight. “Both have kids. Maren helps run a marina not far from here, so she might be more accessible than Tilly if you can’t reach me.”
“You’ve never left your daughter with your friends’ wives?”
He thought about that for a moment. “A few times, but they aren’t babysitters, they’re moms… yeah. I get where you’re going with that one.” He waggled his finger. “Point taken.”
“Good, now is there anything I need to know? Allergies? Foods you don’t want her to have? Medications? Is there a park nearby that we can walk to?”
He held up his hand. “I wrote a list of things. It’s on the kitchen table. She’s just learning how to use the stove, but she needs supervision, and I’m sure she’ll want to make mac & cheese, especially if Nicky is allowed to eat it.”
“Nicky will eat anything you put in front of him, including a mud pie.”
“I ate a few of those when I was a little boy.” He dug into his pocket and handed her a set of keys. “These are to the house and my car, if you need it, but I’d rather you didn’t take my daughter?—”
“Stop worrying.” She took the key ring, dropping it into her purse. “I don’t have a car seat for Nicky, so we won’t go anywhere if we can’t walk there.” She pointed toward his SUV. “How are you getting to work?”
He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “I’ll show you.” He held out his hand. “But I need the keys to my car to get the garage door opener.”
She retrieved them, setting them in his palm.
He curled his fingers before she had a chance to pull away. The soft skin of her palm sent a shock wave through his body. “Sorry,” he mumbled, releasing her hand. Quickly, he turned, clicking the button and opening his SUV. Reaching inside the driver’s door, he tapped the black object hanging from the visor. The garage door rattled, opening slowly, revealing his dark-blue Harley. The Florida sun hit the gas tank, making it shine bright.
Taking her out never got old.
“Wow,” she said, stepping into the garage, running her fingers over the leather seat. “This is a limited anniversary edition.”
“You know your bikes.”
“I grew up on the back of one. My dad loved his Harley.”
