Page 64 of Nanny for the Bossy Billionaire

“Then why did you agree to this meeting?”

“Because someone close to me advised me to give you a chance to make your case.”

“So you expect me to beg you to let me see my son.”

“Essentially, yes. I am the one with the full custody. So you have to convince me of why it would be in Ethan’s best interests to have you back in his life. Like I said, shared custody is not going to happen. For now, the most you can hope for is supervised visitation.”

“I see you’re the same bastard you’ve always been.”

“Well, you married me. So what does that say about you?”

She smiles. “Fine. I’ll jump through whatever hoops you want me to, if it means I get to see my son again.”

“Good. I like to see that you’re being civilized about this.”

I’m not inside her head, but I would bet everything I own that she just cussed me out every which way in her mind.

“So, what do you want to hear?”

“In the messages you left me, you said you are ready to be Ethan’s mother again because you have changed. That’s very vague. What do you mean exactly that you have changed?”

She takes a deep breath. “It’s no secret that I can’t stand you, Reid, but I do owe you an apology. You were right. I didn’t listen to you and put you in a difficult position where you had to do what was necessary to protect Ethan. I don’t blame you for doing what you did. Actually, I want to thank you for it, because if you hadn’t done all that I wouldn’t have understood the gravity of what I had done. Even after the whole car incident, I didn’t get it. It wasn’t until you freaked out and took Ethan away that I realized what I had done. Losing my son jolted me out of whatever capitalist trance I was in.”

“So what does that mean?”

“I have made a lot of changes in my life. I went to therapy as soon as you left with Ethan. I’ve been going every week for two years. I’ve worked through the issues that brought me to that point. It’s taken a lot of time, but I have done the necessary things to put myself in a healthier headspace. I’ve also taken a step back at work.”

A raise an eyebrow. “Really?”

She smiles. “What I mean is that I have gotten okay with delegating. I don’t feel like I need to do everything by myself anymore. So that won’t be an issue. I also realize how silly I was to refuse help when Ethan was born. I understand now that it really does take a village to raise a child.”

I like what I’m hearing.

She and I don’t have to get along. In fact, I don’t think we ever will. There’s too much water under that bridge. But I think we can be civil and find a co-parenting arrangement that works for both of us. However, there is something else that can bring all of this to an abrupt stop.

“I’m seeing someone else,” I deadpan.

June blinks at my sudden change of topic then smiles. “Reid, we are no longer married. I don’t care whether or not you’re seeing other people.”

“I didn’t tell you that because I thought you would have a problem with me seeing other people. I said it because she is part of Ethan’s life. Do you have a problem with that?”

Her jaw flexes again. “Okay, wow. So this woman knows Ethan… Don’t you think he’s a little too young to be introducing him to your romantic interests?”

“Perhaps, but seeing as she’s in our lives because of him, it was unavoidable.”

Her brow tenses. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“Naomi is Ethan’s nanny.”

Both of June’s eyebrows touch her hairline. “Excuse me? You are dating our son’s nanny? As in the woman who cares for him?”

“That is correct.”

“That is so—” she starts to say, but then interrupts herself. “Wait, how old is she?”

“22,” I say with my head held high. It takes some effort, because for some reason I feel embarrassed admitting that.

“So let me get this straight…” She sits forward in her chair. “You are dating a 22-year-old employee of yours whose job it is to take care of our son?”

---