Page 4 of Harvest of Love
“Thanks. Well, the thing is I need a nanny. I’ve been interviewing, but so far I’ve come up empty handed. “The truth is, I’ve seen you interact with kids before. At the town fair, with Ruin’s twins… you’re a natural.
I blink, caught off guard. “Are you asking me to be Tommy’s nanny?”
“Yes.” His answer was simple. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think my son would be in the best hands.”
Yeah, the whole infuriating package.
I still catch myself replaying that first day, wondering if that’s when everything really started. But memories don’t pay the bills, and life keeps moving. Now, it’s Tuesday morning, and I’m pulling up to Manny’s house around nine. On school days, I’d be here at seven sharp, but today I let myself sleep in. Of course I knew he wouldn't be here this week—he shares his calendar with me, so I always know where he is.
Manny splits his time between Serene Lookout—a rehab facility perched on the mountain—and a couple of shifts each week at the Asheville hospital. Because of course he does. Manny Gutierrez isn’t just hot; he’s a great doctor, a dad, and a man with a heart as big as the Appalachians.
Sigh.
If he only looked at me the way I look at him. But men like him don’t waste time on women like me. What would he ever see in me? I’m just a small-town girl hustling to keep my yoga studio from going under. Summer keeps me afloat—goat yoga in the Serene Lookout barn pays enough to make ends meet through winter—but the rest of the year, it’s a grind. Taking care of Tommy covers rent and utilities, which is a big help.
As much as I love my family, the last thing I want is to go back to Pine Knoll and admit I’m a broke thirty-year-old yoga instructor. Dad would hand me a blank check, no questions asked. He has always said how his children are his greatest accomplishment—and I love him for that—but I need to prove something to myself.
That’s why I accepted the nanny position. If I keep working hard, there’s no way I’m going to fail. Besides, taking care of Tommy is no hardship. He’s such a smart, kind, and grounded kid. I genuinely love spending time with him.
When I step into the house, it’s eerily quiet. My mind immediately wanders to Tommy. He’s the life of this place, always filling it with noise and laughter. Without him, the silence feels heavy.
I make my way toward the kitchen, pausing in the family room to peel off my jacket and scarf. A quick scan tells me where to start—Tommy’s Legos are everywhere, an entire city sprawling between the coffee table and the rug.
I crouch down and carefully sort the blocks, separating the pieces before rearranging his little creations and tucking the extras back into their container. The last thing I want is to step on one—or worse, vacuum them up.
I glance at the hockey gear scattered throughout the mudroom and smile. Tommy practices hockey twice a week, and one of the biggest perks of moving to Azalea Creek was joining Xander González’s hockey school. Tommy is probably Xander’s biggest fan—well, besides Rain. The fact that he gets to learn how to play the sport from his idol is priceless.
I bend to pick up his pads, and the sharp whiff of BO nearly knocks me out. “Ugh, how can a ten-year-old smell this bad?” I gag, holding the gear at arm’s length.
I hurry to the laundry room, toss everything into the washer, and let it soak. No one’s dying in this house on my watch—not from funky fumes. I know I’m overreacting, but if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s foul smells.
Back in the family room, I fold the blankets, fluff the pillows, and make sure everything looks picture-perfect.
As I head toward the kitchen, my eyes land on a framed photo of Manny and Tommy at the fall festival. A smile spreads across my lips, and last Friday’s memory rises sharp and bittersweet.
Tommy had clung to me, his little face crumpling.“Are you sure you can't sleep here with me?”Puppy-dog eyes, the kind that always undo me. I had to take a steadying breath to keep the tears at bay.
It’s incredible how close I’ve gotten to the angel since they moved here last August.
Luckily, I didn’t have time to lie to his cute face because Manny came through the door.“Now, Tommy,”he said in that gentle, unbending tone.“Let’s not overstep on Daisy’s boundaries.”He pulled his son close. “Remember, she spends most of her days with you. I’m sure she needs a break and has things to do on her own.”
It had been on the tip of my tongue to correct him. To say there was nothing else I’d rather do than spend time with them. But Manny’s the dad. He sets the rules.
“But Papi, it’s so much more fun when she’s around,”Tommy argued, his voice wobbling. I had to turn away, blinking fast as tears slipped free.
“Wait a minute,”Manny teased.“Are you implying that I’m no fun?”He tickled Tommy until the boy collapsed in a fit of giggles.
I laughed too, wiping my cheeks, finally able to breathe. How could I ever claim I had something better to do than this?
“Okay, okay. Please stop, Papi. Please,”Tommy squealed between fits of laughter.
When the chaos settled, he added hopefully,“Maybe we could ask her to have dinner with us? She doesn’t have to spend the night.”
My heart clenched. I wanted to say yes right there, but when I looked at Manny, I hesitated. What if he didn’t want me hanging around?
“That’s something we’ll have to ask her,”Manny said, his brown gaze trained on me.
A bolt of electricity raced down my spine, pooling hot and heavy in my core.
