Page 18 of Nanny for the Doctor

“I am! She’s the best!”

“That’s awesome, bud. Let’s go have some fun.”

Henry is a bundle of excited energy as I get him buckled in the car. It’s been a while since we’ve done anything like this, and a pang stings my heart momentarily.

That all too familiar guilt creeps along my spine. I should have been taking Henry to more fun events, but it’s so hard when I’m doing everything by myself.

I shrug it off. Tonight is about relaxing and having a good time, so there’s no use in wallowing.

* * *

“Ha!That’s amazing. You really had to advise a drug dealer?” I laugh as Johnny finishes up his story.

“He’s not a drug dealer. Marijuana is legal here, remember? But yeah, he just opened a dispensary and is looking to invest.”

I take another swig of my beer and sit back in the comfortable patio chair. This is so great.

Just then, Henry and two other kids, the daughter of one of Johnny’s coworkers and the son of one of Stevie’s friends, dash by, playing tag in the backyard.

They’ve cycled through several games at this point, but they are consistently running around at top speed. I’m surprised none of them have smashed into something.

He’s having the time of his life, and I couldn’t be happier. People are mingling and taking in the cool yet comfortable weather, and Johnny has been regaling us all with stories of some of his most interesting clients.

“So, Johnny, how are your folks? It’s been a minute since I’ve seen them.”

Johnny finishes his beer, tossing it into the recycling can set up a few feet away. “They’re great. Living it up. They’ll be spending the next three months in the Cook Islands.”

“Damn, that’s a while.” I stand up to get us more drinks. “What made them choose that spot?”

“Oh, well, they went there for their twentieth wedding anniversary, and now it’s, like, their favorite place. They’ve wanted to go back since then. Hell, I think they’d retire there if it weren’t so expensive.”

“Well, good for them. I’m going to go snag us a few more beers. Be right back.”

I step out from behind the patio table and start for the cooler in the garage. I turn to look over my shoulder to say hi to Stevie, then run right into someone coming out of the garage.

“Oof. Dude! Oh, hi.”

I look down to see Mae holding a beer.

“Oh, hi Mae. Sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

She smiles and shakes her head. “It’s fine. Just watch the beer. You almost made me drop my Guinness, which would have been a crime.”

I laugh, playfully acting like I’m going to bump into her again, but then I notice what she’s wearing.

Mae looks incredible. Her long brown hair is pulled up and off her neck, and subtle makeup draws attention to her deep brown eyes.

And then there’s the dress.

Damn. My thoughts go to a decidedlynotplatonic place as I let my gaze rake over Mae’s body.

She’s always wearing jeans or leggings and a T-shirt when she watches Henry, which cause their own set of problems in my mind. But what she’s wearing today is something else.

Mae’s curves are practically poured into the black dress, which gives off a girlish vibe with its puffy sleeves and billowy skirt. The square neck reveals her ample cleavage, and the cinched waist draws attention to Mae’s slim figure.

I’d managed to avoid thinking about her too much. Work is suitably distracting. At least most of the time.

But after all these years, Mae is still a total knockout.

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