Page 65 of Worst Nanny Ever
Olliedidask if he could play them once, but it hadn’t seemed like a big deal, and I’d thought he’d forgotten all about it.
“He said that,” she says tightly. “More than once.”
I consider this, my heart thumping faster and harder in my chest. “Look, I heard you the other night when you said I should teach him, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to do that yet. He’s too young.”
Hannah bristles. “Why wouldn’t you want to teach your son how to do something you love? Something you need?”
She might as well have blown fire in my face.
I lift a hand in a halting motion. “Whoa, Hannah. That’s not your place.”
I’m not surprised when she lashes out. “You asked me to be his nanny. Itismy place to advocate for him, even with you.”
“Sure,” I say, getting worked up too. “But I’m his father. I want that to mean something, dammit.”
She holds my gaze, unflinching. “I think youhave to ask yourself why you won’t give him the part of yourself you love the most, when you give it to other people’s children every weekday afternoon. How do you think that makes him feel?”
Fuck, that’s harsh.
I feel like my head is going to explode.
I’m tempted to walk away so I can cool off, which is my usual way of dealing with anger when my drum kit’s not around, but I’m guessing she’d follow me. Besides, I can’t let this lie.
I don’t like the way she’s looking at me right now, like I’ve disappointed her in some vital way there’s no coming back from.
“Look, Hannah,” I say. “My father didn’t give a shit that I wasn’t interested in his movies or in acting. He and my mom dressed me up in their little outfits and paraded me around and made me practice what to say like I was a trained parrot. It fucked me up. There’s no way I’m going to pressure Ollie into liking the drums. If he wants to learn to play when he’s older, I’ll teach him then. But I won’t influence him to be another Ships Junior.” I gather my thoughts before adding, “And what if…what if he rejects music, the way he has everything else I’ve tried to engage him with? That’s a major part of my life, ofme. I’m worried I’ll be disappointed, the way my father was. I don’t want to take it out on him.”
The look in her eyes changes, some of the anger leeching out. “I’m sorry, Travis. Of course I don’t want you to force him into anything. That’s not what I meant. And I’m guessing you’re nothing like your father.”
She takes a step toward me, accidentally stepping on a floor piano, which squeaks out a note.
Her eyes widen, but I abandon the cart and step onto the key next to hers, and she steps back onto the original key, and suddenly we’re playing “Hot Cross Buns” and laughing.
She smiles at me, her curls sweeping around her cheeks asshe jumps on her final note with both feet. And isn’t it just like Hannah to jump in with both feet?
She makes me want to do it too.
Damn, I want to kiss her again so badly. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything for a long, long time. The need is burning through my veins. Painful and sweet. Inevitable.
She reaches up and grabs the collar of my shirt, pulling me down toward her. Shocking me. Because I’ve been trying to convince myself I made an unwanted advance toward her, but there’s nothing ambivalent about this. Our lips are inches apart, the musical notes are still curling through the air, and I lift my hands to her cheeks, tipping her face up toward mine. I need to taste her again, to have a sip of sin like I took the other night.
Then someone says, “Bless my soul. Itisyou.”
It’s the brunette woman, whom I’d never seen before we entered the store.
“Who areyou?” I ask.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
HANNAH
I almost kissed Travis. Again.
I’d decided I wasn’t going to do that, but it feels like he just opened up his lockbox of secrets and invited me take a peek. Nosy bitch that I am, I want to burrow deeper and learn everything.
And, yeah, I suppose I’ve been obsessing about what happened between us on Wednesday night…
I took that first step toward him without meaning to, but Idefinitelypulled him closer on purpose. I fully intended to ravage him with my mouth, but the brunette woman who’s been following us around put a stop to that.
