Page 63 of Mr. Wolfe's Nanny

“I want to redefine some things between us when we can talk at home. Maybe take the word casual away.”

“Take it away?” she repeats as if it’s her breath which has been taken away.

I move closer, intending to pull her into my arms and say ‘yes, that’s what I want, do you?’ but I catch Ryder watching us from the shoreline. I can’t spring this on them without some preparation. Assuming Quinn wants our relationship to change, we’d need to talk about how to break it to the children.

I’d never thought I’d bring a woman home for them to meet, let alone possibly preparing them for a stepmother someday.But you wouldn’t be bringing her home to meet them because they already know and love her and she’s already part of their lives.

Before I can verbalize any of that though, my phone starts ringing. It’s Grayson calling.

“Hey, Shrimp. How’s Marilyn?” I answer, grinning. Being ten years younger, hehatedthat nickname with a passion when he was a little kid and Jonathan and I were being insufferable. Hey, he was probably insufferable first.

But Grayson doesn’t call me an asshole or anything in reply. “Theo,” is all he says and his tone, vulnerable and unsure in a way I’ve not heard in years, has the blood freezing in my veins.

“Gray, what is it?” Quinn moves closer. I feel her hand brushing against mine but I can’t focus on that. I can’t breathe until I know.

“It’s Dad, Theo. He had a heart attack early this morning.”

There’s not enough air on this beach. There’s not enough air. “Is he…”

“He’s going into surgery soon. I’m sorry to call you on your trip but Mom and Grandma…”

He pauses and takes a long breath. My mother needs me. My elderly grandmother needs me. My brothers will need me. And when word of this gets out, work will need me, too.

“I’m coming home. I’ll be there in a few hours. Keep me updated, okay?”

“Okay. He’s going to make it, Theo.” He’d be reassuring me if he didn’t add, “He’ll make it, right?”

“He’ll make it,” I promise Grayson, praying I’m right.

32- Quinn

Aweek passes with Mr. Wolfe in the hospital, a dark time for the family.

He’s not an easy man. His wife and sons have all had complicated relationships with him over the years but they love him and they’re trying to get through this with Theo as the oldest taking the lead. He’s been traveling between the hospital and office most of the time. He spends his nights at the company suite closer to downtown where we’d shared our one-night stand ages ago to be closer to both.

The children are worried for their grandfather and miss their dad so it’s up to me to make sure they know, no matter what, they’re safe and loved here at home. “I miss Daddy,” Jill tells me for the umpteenth time tonight.

“I can’t believe we’ve got to go to school tomorrow,” Ryder grumbles.

I hug them both and start settling them into their beds. Winter break is over and the new year has started off on a very worrisome note.

Mr. Wolfe is improving though his retirement date has been bumped up to effective immediately. The business world is worked up in a froth over the sudden departure of Wolfe Media’s CEO a few months after the embezzling scandal. The board members are getting nervous about stocks and profits and such. I only know these things via Theo who calls when he can to check on the children.

“And you. I want to know how you’re doing,” he says quietly over the phone after the children have fallen asleep tonight.

“I’m alright. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. No more issues?”

I’d had a mild panic attack on the plane coming home. The sudden news regarding Mr. Wolfe, the children’s hysterical reactions and then the flight had been a bad combination. Theo had helped me through it but I’d never hated a panic attack more in my life. I felt not only useless but like I was dumping even more problems on a man already dealing with more than enough.

“No more problems,” I tell him. “Marilyn’s sticking by my side.” Her ears perk up at her name and I stroke the Lab’s neck. “She’s the best girl.”

“She is and stop worrying over what happened, Quinn.”

“It makes me feel so helpless.”

“You’re not remotely helpless, sweetheart. Hey, send me a selfie of you two.” I do. “Two of my favorite heartbeats, right there,” he whispers when he gets it.

---