Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34035 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34035 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Ryan pursed his lips. “I know you. I know how great you are with kids and parents. Don’t you think you should tell this woman to put the kid up for adoption if she’s not getting the hang of it by now?”
Caleb wanted to beat the crap out of his friend, but he wasn’t going to do it. Ryan didn’t know the whole story. He looked over toward the waiter. The sooner he had this dinner with Ryan, the sooner he could return to Annie.
“You’re quiet,” Ryan said. “That is never a good thing.”
“You wanted to have dinner. We’re having dinner.”
“Something is different. I know you. You’ve been blowing me off for six weeks and that is not something you do.” Ryan ran a finger along his lips and then smiled. “Ah, I know what’s going on here. You have a thing for the woman, don’t you?”
“Why don’t we just order and you tell me about your latest disaster date?”
“Caleb, man, you know my wife and I don’t have any disaster dates.” Ryan held his hands up. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“First of all, you and Katherine have nothing but disaster dates, seeing as you have twins who are determined to be in every single photograph and every single memory you guys make.”
Ryan started to laugh.
“So how about we not talk about my love life and instead focus on yours, which is a lot more fun?”
Ryan tutted. “You know the girls are missing you, and my Katherine is as well. It’s been six weeks and you’ve not been around for a Sunday dinner. They want to know what their uncle is doing.”
He wasn’t related to Ryan in any way but he loved him and they were closer than brothers. They were the closest of friends. Ryan had seen him through all the bad shit, and helped him to make The Nanny successful. He owed him a lot. In some ways, he owed Ryan his life.
“Annie is … she’s different. The crap surrounding this kid, I mean, she’s amazing.” He told Ryan everything Annie had told him. He talked about her past with the parents and how she was dealing with Tara.
“Does she hate the kid?” Ryan asked. “A lot of people would have given her up. A whole lot of bad blood.”
“Annie loves her,” Caleb said. “I’m not kidding. She’s so enamored with the little girl.”
“From the sound of it, so are you.”
“I … they’re lovely,” he said. The truth was, he wasn’t needed. Annie knew what she was doing, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave.
He loved waking up in the morning listening to her bad rendition of whatever song was playing on the radio. Annie couldn’t sing but that didn’t stop her. She had no idea he laid in bed and listened. He loved sharing food with her. He certainly loved cooking for her. Then of course there were the late-night hot chocolate drinks and chats, which he also loved. She had a hot chocolate addiction, which he could relate to.
He’d even set an alarm so he’d wake up in time.
Annie wasn’t a great sleeper. She hadn’t been since she was a kid. From what he could figure from the information she had given him, her parents would fight when she was young. That meant she woke up early in the morning, listening to them argue. It had extended into adulthood, and even when Tara didn’t wake up, Annie always did.
“You’re falling for her.”
“Enough. Order already,” Caleb said.
“You were attracted to her in the beginning. You admitted that, and you wanted me to talk you out of taking this job, but this is something else, isn’t it?”
“Can we just order?”
“Caleb!”
“Ryan, drop it.”
“You do know not everyone is like Melissa,” Ryan said.
Caleb lowered his menu. He was tempted to leave, but he didn’t move. Melissa was his ex who had left him in the gutter. Ryan had been the one to fish him out.
“Can we not talk about this?”
“Let’s talk about Annie and Tara then.”
“How about we talk about Katherine and the twins?”
Ryan glared at him. “How about we talk about you, Annie, and Tara coming to dinner this Sunday?”
“Not going to happen, Ryan. She’s a job.”
“Do you even remember that?” Ryan asked. “Come on, man, you’ve got to give people a chance. Annie sounds like a lovely woman. You’re attracted to her, and she has Tara. Why not give it a chance?”
“Because I’m just the nanny,” he said. “She is paying me to do a job and we’re working well together and I’m not going to ruin that. Not now.”
Ryan sat back, folding his hands. “You’ve not made a move.”
“No, that wouldn’t be in the best interest of my company, now, would it?”
“Ugh, you’re a pain in my ass.”
“And I shouldn’t have taken this job.”
“So, you’re still attracted to her.”