Page 52 of Nanny for the SEALs

I knew Rick and she had been together, and the crazy thing about it was I wasn’t jealous. We’d never shared women; we were ex-SEALs and passionate about joining together. We lived together too. But sharing women felt like we were crossing the line, yet this was exactly what we’d done with Katie.

I sat down after pouring myself a bourbon. My thoughts drifted from thinking about us walking over the Golden Gate Bridge to where we were going to eat and organizing their trip over the next few days. They were only coming for a long weekend, but the things which were on my list needed to be done over a week or maybe two.

Seals, Chinatown, Pacific Heights Views, picnic in the park, visiting the rock, the fantastic bars and restaurants. Too many things, and I had to think about the twins, too. They were around for the four days, and I didn’t want them to be left behind. I could easily ask Aunt Elizabeth to look after them, but this project that I would be starting soon would mean I would be based here for at least one year. I’d told Rick I had an opportunity here, but I figured once he got here, then I would lay it all out in the open.

Maybe the conversation I had with Stan showed how much he’d changed and grown up in the last three weeks. He was a man standing on his own two feet, all his energy was spent no more on hating us, but his focus was on him. He realized he had blamed us for his hurt and pain. Now he was alone, and he had no one to blame.

Fuck!

He even told me he’d started doing yoga and it helped him immensely by allowing him to meditate and focus. He even suggested I give it a try. He said he’ll come home for Thanksgiving. I could have asked him where he was staying, or even at least what town. I didn’t know if he was in L.A. or if he was back home in Oregon. None of it seemed relevant hearing the happiness in his voice. I had to double check a couple of times to make sure it was him. My brother, happily speaking to me, something which hadn’t happened since we were kids. It was nice to hear him talk that way about life. I swirled my drink with a smile on my face, thinking about Stan being happy, the way I’d tried to make him so many times.

I took a swig as my thoughts darted back to Katie. The idea of her being here made me excited, because I’d never been on a date, let alone lived with one. For the first time, I felt the same desperation that Stan had felt when she came to live with us, making her cook and blackmailing her. I could never say or think that what he did was right, but there was something special about her. Something which made me want her around all the time.

It was a flight or a long drive, either way, the distance between L. A. and San Fran didn’t mean it was impossible for us to have a bit of a long-distance relationship, even if it meant sharing her with a brother or two.

Either way, this trip wasn’t only about talking about Stan or my new job, it was about our relationship with Katie. I had a feeling no matter what, Rick would agree—Katie should be part of not just the twins’ lives, but all of ours. We’d bonded more in the last few weeks than we’d done in such a long time. It was down to Katie. The woman who was more than a nanny to the twins and to us.

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