She chuckles. “Yeah, great.”
I scratch the back of my head nervously, knowing I need to convince her to help me until I find one. “About that. Um … until I find a nanny, I …”
Her head tilts to the side, and then it dawns on her. “No, I’ve given you more of my time than your dumbass deserved.”
“Please!” I beg, rubbing a hand over Eli’s back, hoping she stays calm enough for me to have this conversation. “I’m begging. Begging! I can’t do this alone. I have a court date today.” Beforeshe can go off, I continue, “It’s just an initial conference. It’ll take an hour. Are you in court today?”
When she doesn’t answer immediately, I know the answer.
“If you watch her this morning and afternoon, I’ll come home right after court and start looking for a nanny.”
“What’s in it for me?” she asks, seemingly calm for what I’m asking of her.
Her question throws me off-kilter. “Huh?”
She leans forward. “What’s. In. It. For. Me?” she says slower, like I’m a moron.
“I don’t know … the knowledge that you helped out a desperate man in need?”
She shakes her head. “Nope, not good enough. You’re not a man. You’re a man child.”
Fucking hell. She is such a stubborn woman.
“Fine. Shopping spree on me this weekend.”
She pouts her lips. “Hmm. Interesting. What’s the spending limit?”
“I don’t care. Spend all of my money.”
“Wow. You are desperate.” She sits up and puts her coffee cup down. “Okay. Deal. I’ll help you until you get a nanny if you take me shopping this weekend.”
Relief washes over me like a tide—but just as quickly, it ebbs away, leaving uncertainty in its wake. Just because I’ve decided to take care of Eli on my own doesn’t mean I think I’m capable ofit. Doubt floods my mind, making it hard for me to think about what my next step is.
“Deal. And just so we’re clear, we aren’t telling Eva yet.”
“If she comes right out and asks me, I’m not going to lie.”
I groan at how frustrating she is. “Fine. If Eva point-blank asks you if you are helping me take care of my secret child that I just found out about, you can tell her.”
Proving how crazy this woman is, she nods her head in agreement, satisfied with my response.
I look down at Eli, sleeping soundly on my chest, then up at Jessie.
“Just put her down in her bassinet. I’ll go get her if she cries while you’re getting ready.”
Damn, she knows me too well.
By the time I’m ready, I have to check my watch while walking back into the living room to see how long I took. Because, based on what I see you’d think I was gone for hours.
There’s a swing already set up in the corner, and Eli is currently lying down on some blanket thing that has toys dangling over her head.
She’s kicking and waving her arms while making sounds.
Jessie is lying on the ground next to her with a smile on her face. “I know, Eli. Mr. Cat sure is funny, isn’t he?”
“What is that thing?” I ask as I tie my tie, now standing over both of them.
Jessie looks up at me, but instead of answering, her throat bobs as her eyes look at me from head to toe. My jaw clenches because I know exactly what that look means, and I need her to stop giving it to me. Not unless she wants me to drag her into my room and fuck it off her pretty little face.
