I don’t know precisely what Flo and Leo are going to get up to, but there’s one thing for sure… this is going to be the worst hour of my life.
My son has the cheesiest grin on his face, and I just know he and Flo have been up to no good. He stands in the stadium tunnel, gazing at the cheerleaders in awe as they finish practice. As Leo’s grown, he’s become more boisterous and talkative, which many nannies find hard to handle, but I never get tired of seeing him flourish, so he always comes running back to me.
However, this time, he doesn’t.
He merely waves at me from across the field as I come in through the back door, his other hand still clutching onto Flo’s.
Confusion envelops my body. He doesn’t know Flo well, but something about her clearly draws him in. He’s captivated, giggling like a maniac as I watch her pouty lips mouth something to him.
I’m unsure why I find myself irritated with it, not because Leo is paying attention to someone else, but because Flo makes it look so easy. Like she’s a natural, minus the fact that she’s now got my kid cursing.
But I suppose it’s nothing he hasn’t heard before.
“She’s not bad, huh?” Mae nudges me as I hover by the back door, her bony elbow jabbing me right in the ribs.
I lift my shoulders in a shrug, the muscles aching from training in the gym with a few of the tryouts. It serves as a reminder that I’m not the young skipper I once was, but at the age of thirty-three, I can’t expect myself to be. The human body can only take so much, especially when a good night’s sleep is a distant memory from before my son was born. “Leo’s easy to please.”
“You and I both know that’s not true, Evan. Nathan and I have babysat the little monster, and he can be a handful.” Winking at me, she shakes her head as she laughs, heading over to the pair with me following a few seconds later.
“What kind of trouble did you get yourself into then?” Crossing my arms over my chest, I do my best to keep mygaze on my son because the attractive woman before me is so close to stealing my attention away.
It’s been years since I’ve spent a night with one, and it shows.
“We did something funny to the signs.” Leo can barely get the words out as he titters into his hands, blowing a humorous raspberry into them before pointing back at the locker rooms where the male and female signs have been switched.
Flo’s lips tilt downwards as she tries to hold in her laughter, but she ultimately fails, scrubbing a hand down her face as she grins. “It was a prank, Leo. You’re not supposed to tell them.”
“Oops, sorry.”
There’s a ghost of a smile that tugs at the corners of my lips at seeing my son so amused, but I push it away before focusing on Flo, offering her a sharp nod. “Thank you for taking care of Leo.”
“No problem. We had fun.”
With the air being so frosty between us, goosebumps pebble on my skin. But they feel different. Not the kind you get when you’re cold or scared, but the kind that crawls up your arms slowly when you feel something stirring inside of you.
I hate the sensation, and I rub at my skin with my calloused palms.
“We should go,little lion.”
My son giggles at my nickname for him. “Do we have to?”
“I’m afraid so. Auntie Gracie will be wanting to come home to a nice hot meal thatyoupromised to help prepare, remember?”
My son’s shoulders droop. He loves my sister, but is clearly having a blast wreaking havoc with Flo.
She taps my son on the shoulder, sending him a smirk before saying, “I’ll show you how to use the puppy dog eyes correctly another time, kid. Daddy will never say no to you again. I’ve got it down, trust me.”
The thought of her using puppy dog eyes on me flashes in my mind, and I quickly swat them away, grounding myself before my body reacts to the thoughts.
That smirk of hers, so natural and knowing, is bugging me, and I swear I can smell her apple shampoo wafting up my nose and adding a hint of sweetness to this otherwise prickly situation.
“Okay.” Leo grins, unaware that there definitely won’t be a next time.
I plan to stay far away from her, as far away as I can get. She’s trouble. I can already tell.
“Thanks for taking care of Leo, Flo. As the coach, it means a lot.” Darrell appears, adjusting the red cap he’s wearing, covering his thinning hair. He slips some cash into her hand, closing her fingers around it so she can’t refuse. I’ll make sure to pay him back later. “If only you’d be around more often. We could use someone like youwhen it comes to a”—Darrell shoots me a glare—“childcare emergency.”
I know what he’s hinting at, and I flash him a look, but subtlety is lost on him.
