Page 44 of Nanny for the Mercenaries

I settled into the couch and frowned at the screen.

Me: This feels like a test to make sure I don’t blow your cover. How do I know this is really you?

Archer: Here’s something only the real me would know: Jordy and I used to refer to you as Kettlebells. And you nicknamed us Blondie and Brownie.

Me: UGH, no! I told Jordy not to tell you that!

Archer: You should have denied it. Now I’m never going to let you live that down. ;-)

Archer: How was your tour of the city?

Me: So much fun! I was nervous at first, but Mehmet made me feel comfortable. I had Turkish coffee four hours ago, and I’m still jittery from all the caffeine.

Archer: Was Kaylee well behaved?

Me: Mostly! She threw a little temper tantrum when I wouldn’t let her have any of my coffee.

Archer: You should have given her a tiny sip. That would change her mind real quick.

Me: And then have a caffeine-reinforced child to watch during the rest of the tour? No thank you!

Archer didn’t respond for a while, and I wondered if our conversation was over. He was probably busy, after all. But then he finally responded.

Archer: I’m really glad you’re here, Trish. When we put our lives in danger, no matter how small, it makes us miss our daughter even more. It’s soothing knowing I’m going to get to see her again tonight. I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I didn’t want you to come on the trip. I did, I just didn’t know if it was the best thing for Kaylee.

Me: No apology needed. Jordy does seem awfully headstrong.

Archer: That is the truest statement anyone has ever made in history.

Me: Okay, seriously though, why are you texting me? Shouldn’t you be doing… stuff? Sorry, I almost texted more than I should have.

Archer: Good catch. And no, I’m basically sitting on my hands all day. I really ought to bring a book.

Me: You can borrow my Kindle if you want. I have all the Twilight books!

Archer: Oh God, you read that drivel?

Me: Hey! Sometimes a girl just wants to fantasize about a vampire and a werewolf fighting for her love!

Archer: I never understood those stories with love triangle drama.

Me: You’re a guy. I would probably hate them if I were you.

Archer: No, I mean I don’t understand why there’s so much drama about it. If a woman is struggling to choose, then why not date both of them?

Me: LOL, if only that was an option.

Archer: Why isn’t it?

Me: Um, because any woman who does that would be called a slut?

Archer: Polyamory has become quite a bit more popular in recent years. Society isn’t as judgmental as it used to be.

Me: Polyamory just feels like an excuse to sleep around. Or only for people who are afraid of commitment. I doubt anyone has actually done it in real life and been successful.

Archer didn’t respond after that, which gave me a weird vibe. Like I had touched on a nerve somehow. But I couldn’t understand why. Archer didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would get easily offended about Twilight, of all things. So I chalked it up to him suddenly getting preoccupied at whatever job they were doing.

The guys got home that night around seven, just as I was getting dinner out of the oven. Kaylee screamed happily and hugged her three dads in the other room. Each of them poked their heads into the kitchen in passing.

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