Page 15 of Nanny for the Doctor

I’m all for well-behaved kids, but his dad is right. He comes across like a full-blown adult, and I don’t think that washischoice.

Henry has been taking care of himself for far too long. He needs some fun in his life.

I sigh as I zip up his bag, all ready to go, and Henry meets me downstairs. I hand the backpack to him, and he slips it on as he walks to the door.

“Ready.”

“I see that. Thanks for being such a big help. Let’s get you to school and you can see your friends.”

At that, Henry lights up more, and I have hope that his days aren’t all doom and gloom.

I have a booster seat from previous nannying gigs in my car, and I get Henry settled. He doesn’t need much help, though.

I clear out the floor a bit more for him before hopping behind the wheel. I did most of the cleaning yesterday but forgot a few things in the back.

“Um, Mae.”

I glance back through the rearview mirror as I pull out of the driveway. “Yes, Henry?”

“Why do you have a bag of bags back here? And these boxes?”

I laugh. “The bags come in handy if I have too much to carry or need an impromptu trash can. And the boxes are from my breakfast. I haven’t had a chance to throw them out yet.”

“Oh.” I can hear the genuine consideration in Henry’s voice. “So then, why do you have, like, three water bottles?”

I roll my eyes, turning onto the main road toward his school. It’s a good thing Reed left directions to the school on the counter, too.

“Well, I forgot I had one in here. You know, in case I get thirsty. I forget a lot, I guess.”

Traffic is busy yet smooth, and Henry quiets, but only for a moment.

“What kind of car is this?”

My head spins. It’s such an odd question for a kid to be asking. “Um, it’s a Toyota Camry. My parents gave it to me when they upgraded.”

“Oh, cool. Dad just swapped out his car. He leases, I guess. It’s way nicer than this. It’s an Escalade.”

I stare down at the steering wheel as I blink, then reach for my water. Is my car really being judged by a seven-year-old?

Jeez, kid. Not all of us have super loaded dads. At least mine spends time with me.

Shaking my head, my heart pinches. That was mean, even if it was just a thought. After all, it’s not his fault Reed works all the time.

Silence finds us then, and I successfully drop Henry off at school. Reaching into my bag for the shopping list Reed left, I decide to get the stuff now so I don’t have to waste more gas.

* * *

Gettingthe load of groceries into the house and finding everything I need for this meal prepping is a pain in the ass. Reed didn’t bother to show me around the kitchen or leave instructions on where all the utensils are, so I spend ten minutes just hunting for a mixing bowl.

The bit of info he did leave explains that I need to make all of Reed’s and Henry’s meals for the week, including cooking dinner for them each night. There is a fine line between being a nanny and a live-in housekeeper.

Reed is walking it damn dangerously.

What’s more, I apparently have to do laundry and pick up a suit from the dry cleaners, too. Thankfully, I’m good at cooking, and these are simple meals for lunches that I can whip up in no time.

I still have to work my ass off to get it all done, but by the time I have to go pick up Henry from school, I’ve accomplished everything on Reed’s ridiculous list.

In the car on the way to the school, I get a message from Johnny asking how the new gig is, and I use the voice-to-text to message back that it’s actually Reed I’m nannying for.

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