Page 30 of This Heart
Shock.
“Kim?”
“Liam! Oh my gosh! It’s so good to see you!”
Kim made her way over and hugged me. It took me a few moments to awkwardly hug her back.
When no one said anything, Aurora cleared her throat. “I take it you two know one another?”
Snapping out of my shock, I let out a nervous laugh. “Yes, um, Harper, Aurora, this is Kim Thompson, we, um…we…ah…”
“We dated in high school,” Kim stated with a laugh.
“High school?” Harper asked. “I’m so sorry, Kim, I don’t remember you at all.”
Kim laughed. “I didn’t live in Moose Village. I’m from Lake Placid, and Liam and I met through friends and dated for a few years.”
“Wow,” Aurora said with a laugh. “What a small world. And you are a nanny now?”
Kim pulled her eyes off me to look at Aurora. Her smile slipped for some reason when she saw Aurora, but then she recovered. “Yes. I’ve been nannying since I got out of college.”
“You never married?” I asked.
She gave me a soft smile. “No. I think I always regretted lettingthe oneget away.”
I could see Harper and Aurora exchange a look from the corner of my eye.
Motioning for her to sit, I said, “Please, have a seat. I’m so sorry…your name wasn’t on the list.”
Kim sat on the sofa and set her bag next to her. “I was a last-minute addition.”
“You didn’t recognize Liam’s name?” Aurora asked.
Without looking at Aurora, Kim adjusted her purse to be just right on the floor as she said, “They called and gave me the address last night.”
She glanced around the room and let out a nervous laugh. “Is this like a throuple thing?”
Aurora let out a cough as Harper laughed.
“A throuple?” I asked, confused.
“Yeah,” Kim stated as she pointed to Harper and Aurora. “You’re in a relationship with two women. It’s the three of you. A throuple. I mean, no judgment from me at all.”
I was positive my eyes went as wide as saucers. “No! God, no. Harper and Aurora are good friends of mine. My wife, Hope, passed away last February from cancer, and my friends have been there for me and my daughter, Winnie.”
A look of pity crossed Kim’s face. That was one reason I hated telling people about Hope. They would give me that look of pity.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Kim quickly said. “I’m also sorry for the misunderstanding.”
Aurora laughed. “No worries. So it sounds like you’ve been a nanny for a while now. Are you currently working for anyone?”
With a quizzical look in Aurora’s direction, Kim replied, “No, I’m not. The family I worked for the last ten years moved to Italy. They offered for me to come along, but their daughter is getting older, and honestly, they no longer need a nanny at this point. Plus, I wasn’t willing to leave the country. My parents are in Lake Placid, and I enjoy the area.”
I nodded. “Well, let me tell you a bit about the position. First thing you need to know is that my daughter is two-and-a-half. Not twelve as the information packet mentions.”
Kim smiled. “That’s even better! Longevity in the job.”
Harper chuckled.
