Page 22 of 7+Us Makes Nine

“Things are going well,” I said. “The kids did well with the transition, and they’ve only asked a handful of times about their prior nanny. Which is good. It means we both did a great job transitioning them properly.”

“That’s really good. Is that little Michaela opening up to you at all? She’s a real serious one.”

“Actually, she took to me before the boys did.”

“What?” Emma asked.

“That seems to be the reaction everyone gives me on it. But yeah. She was wary for a few days, but so were the boys. Then, things were fine. Though she’s struggling with nightmares, but I’m working on that.”

“It’s common with three-year olds. My kids are going through it now. Have you tried the monster spray?”

“That was Gertrude’s idea, too,” I said with a smile.

“The former nanny?”

“Yep. She gave me a lot of great advice, too. I can see why she was so beloved with them.”

“Jace working you like a dog with those kids?”

“Not really. I mean, during the day it’s just Michaela and I. I think she could use a few more months at home before trying a daycare scenario. This is my first weekend with them and you see the kind of freedom I’ve got. When I woke up, Jace was already cooking for the kids.”

“Hence why you get to have breakfast with me now,” Emma said with a grin. “Maybe we can make it a regular thing.”

“I do have a question though.”

“Shoot.”

“So, I was hired for the job. Not a problem. The interview was a little… personal?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“He wanted to know things like why I didn’t like technology and why I was fired from Lawrence Day. He even asked me a little bit about my parents.”

“Well, the parents thing is odd. But the other things aren’t too odd, considering he’s your employer. I know Jace well enough to know technology really isn’t a part of his world, either. So that could’ve been a question into how your lifestyles lined up before he asked you to be a live-in. Why? Is something wrong? Has something happened?”

“I mean, beyond the interview, we really haven’t talked much,” I said.

“Jace keeps to himself. It’s normal.”

“But he asked me to the theater with him the night before I started.”

“Oh.”

“Oh… what?” I asked.

“Like, did he give you a ticket in case you wanted to go to the show?”

“No, Emma. He took me. As in, I got into a dress, he offered me his arm, and he took me.”

“Oh shit. You two went out on a date.”

“So that’s what happened. A date,” I said.

“Did you not know you were on a date?” she asked with a giggle.

“I sort of got that impression when he took my hand during the show.”

“He did not. Catherine, Jace hasn’t expressed any sort of interest in women since his divorce two years ago.”

---