Page 40 of Nanny for the Doctor

“I heard. I just got off the phone with Reed. What the hell happened?”

I sigh, switching the phone to the other ear as I scroll. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just need to focus on finding a new position, not on how rude Reed was.”

“Mae, what did—”

But then I hear shuffling, and Stevie’s voice replaces Johnny’s.

“Hey, hon. Sorry about the job. But I know just how to take your mind off it. Throw on some old clothes and I’ll swing by. Okay?”

That’s definitely not what I was expecting, and I look down at the clothes I fell asleep in last night.

“I’m not busy. Why not?”

“Great. See you in fifteen.”

Sure enough, Stevie is over to my place in about fifteen minutes, which gives me just enough time to put on a worn out pair of leggings and a paint-stained T-shirt before brushing my teeth.

“Hey, girl. You ready to give me a hand? Nothing like a little physical labor to clear your head.”

I laugh, slipping on some old sneakers. “Sure. Can we stop for coffee on the way? I’m going to need caffeine if I’m going to be any help.”

“Of course! Let’s go.”

After a quick stop for some java to go, Stevie drives me to a house she’s staging across town and lets us in with her key. The enormous new home still smells like paint and cleaning supplies.

“Ew. It smells terrible in here.”

“Ah, you get used to it. I also light candles before the open house. Okay—” Stevie claps her hands as she surveys the room “—there’s some furniture all shoved into the living room, and we need to move it into the proper place.”

“Alright, can do.”

The house is clearly going to cost a fortune. There are tall ceilings that put ten-footers to shame and a massive chandelier in the entry hall.

A staircase just past the front door spirals up to the second and third floors, and the open space it creates is lit with an impressive array of windows.

White is still the only paint color on the walls, which I absolutely hate, but there’s also tons of gorgeous natural wood trim and accents that warm the house up.

After asking Stevie about it, I learn it’s a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home with a finished basement and expansive backyard, which I sneak a glance at through the glass patio door.

The place is stunning and exactly the type of home I want to live in if I ever manage to get my shit together. Being jobless, yet again, blares through my mind like a siren, and I frown.

When Stevie finds me in the kitchen looking out the back door, I quickly school my expression into a smile.

“Let’s start with the living room and dining room, and we’ll see what kind of time we have after that.”

Stevie gestures down the hall, a cheery grin lighting up her face.

I nod and follow her into the living room, where all the furniture to stage has been stored.

We carry the heavy-ass dining table to the other room after laying out a beautiful rug that reminds me of a mosaic, then haul in all eight of the chairs.

Stevie even has me set the table, using a lovely set of white dishes from a box in the corner, along with matching silverware. Adding a bouquet of fake flowers and hanging a few paintings completes the look.

“So, now that you’ve had a moment to clear your head, whatdidhappen? I’m not Johnny, so you can trust me to believe you.”

I sarcastically chuckle, straightening the fork of a nearby place setting.

“I tried to talk to Reed about Henry. About how much he works and how it’s affecting his son. He was less than receptive.”

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