Page 110 of Nanny for the Athletes

Suddenly, I realized what this woman was getting at. She was here to check-in on Claire and make sure she was well taken care of.

“Claire does plenty of playing, but she’sveryfocused on her studies,” I explained. “She’s learning so much!”

“That’s very good to hear,” Kathy said, making some notes on a clipboard that I hadn’t noticed until now. “Claire wasn’t put in school yet because she was deemed to be behind on her studies after being homeschooled in Canada. It’s important that she catch up, so she can enter the second grade later this year.”

“Like I said, she’s learning so much. She’ll definitely be ready to go to school with the other kids.”

“You’ve been assisting with her education?”

“I have, when I can,” I replied. “The materials she was given are very helpful. She’s absorbing it faster than any of us expected.”

“Any of you?” she asked. “Aside from Mr. Landry, her biological father, to whom are you referring?”

“Oh you know, it takes a village,” I said with a chuckle. Was she prying into our situation? “Logan is a wonderful father, but when he’s away, the rest of us help. Me, his sister Emily, her fiancée Leslie.”

At that moment, Claire came running out of the kennel. She grabbed the poop scoop from where it was leaning against the wall and started off into the field.

“Claire, can you come here a minute?” I asked.

“I don’t have time,” she explained impatiently. “I just remembered I forgot to check for poop over inthatcorner. Princess always poops there.”

“I’m sorry,” Kathy said, “but are you doingchoreshere at the kennel?”

“She likes to pretend like she’s helping,” I explained.

“Iamhelping,” Claire insisted. “First I poop scooped theentirefield. Then Ken and I bathed Odin and Freya.”

“Claire, this woman is here to check on you, and see how your studying is going,” I said.

Claire stamped her foot stubbornly. “I don’t havetimeto study. Itold you, I have to scoop the part of the field I missed.”

I laughed this off and turned to Kathy, who was scowling. “She wanted to help out around here today. I can assure you this isn’t normal.”

“That’s not true!” Claire argued. “I help every single day. I’m the best poop scooper.”

“She’s exaggerating,” I told Kathy.

“Is she?” Kathy said while scribbling on her clipboard. “Because it sounds like this girl is treated like an employee of your business.”

“I am!”

“Claire, not now,” I said, beginning to panic. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“You said you wouldn’t know what to do without me,” Claire whined. “You said without my help, you would go out of business!”

Kathy gave me a skeptical look.

“We humor her around here,” I said with another awkward chuckle. “Claire? How about we go inside and take a look at your studies?”

“Fine,” she said, tossing down her scoop. “But let’s make it quick. I don’t have time for this shit.”

I gasped. “Young lady, we don’t talk like that.”

“Sure you do,” she replied. “Uncle Braden says that all the time when Pickles is taking too long to go to the bathroom on a walk.”

Claire walked through the gate and up to the house. I gave Kathy a hopeful smile.

She shook her head softly and continued writing on her clipboard.

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