I took it. “Maren Calloway. Pleased to meet you.”
Why was he interviewing nannies for his brother’s kid? Where was the brother? Was there a mom in the picture? And why did the house smell like burnt cookies?
“Ignore the mess,” Ethan said as he guided me past the living room. “We’ll do the interview in my office where I can hear myself think.”
I knew I was meant to follow him down the hall, but my feet stopped dead once I took in the sight. There were two more of them. Kids, that is. A boy glued to his Nintendo on the couch, and another girl who teamed up with her sister in a grossly unfair game of tug of war. They grunted and huffed as their opponents—two grown men—gripped the length of knotted dishtowels without budging an inch.
“You call that muscle?” One of the guys said. Younger than Ethan. The tumble of dark curls on his head and playful gleamin his hazel eyes made him look even more so. “Come on, Emma. You gotta give us a challenge.”
The man behind him wasn’t as invested, but proved to be a sturdy anchor all the same. He had the end of the makeshift rope wrapped around one hand, the other stifling a fake, over-emphasized yawn. When Emma grumbled about the split being unfair, he broke into a dimpled smile that was entirely uncalled for.
“You gotta let us win,” Sadie whined. “That’s the rules, Uncle Ace.”
The girls were red in the face, giggling and pulling like their lives depended on it. The rug slipping beneath their feet was obviously Persian, and I recognized the sofa from a home interior magazine I’d paged through at my dentist’s office. That whole ‘Pays handsomely’ note on the ad suddenly made sense. There was no mistaking the smell of money in here, from the high ceilings with tiered crown molding, to the carved marble fireplace and abstract art.
Ethan cleared his throat, and I whipped around to find him motioning toward an open door some way down the hall. I hurried over with a mumbled apology, and slipped into his office.
Much like what I’d seen of the house so far, this room kept with the theme of subtle extravagance. The walls were hunter green, with brass accents that livened it up, and most of the floor space belonged to a stunning rosewood desk. He settled into the leather chair behind it, and motioned for me to take one of the plush seats on the other side.
“Will your brother be joining us?” Neither of the guys in the living room shared Ethan’s face, as he’d put it, and I was curious about how many men were floating around this house.
His easy smile wavered. It would’ve been imperceptible if I hadn’t been so focused on his mouth.
“Not today,” he said, then paused, as if he were choosing his next words carefully. “My nephew and nieces will be staying with me, and I need a nanny who’ll take up the primary care role.”
I picked at the fraying stitches on the strap of my bag. “And by primary care, you mean…?”
“It’s a live-in position,” he said, nodding slowly. I could tell he was making an effort at formality and professionalism but it was clear he’d had a tough day. “September thru January is the busiest season for our company, which means you’ll be breakfast to bedtime.”
“All three of them, all day.” I wondered if he’d even read my resume.
“They usually visit over summer, and it’s two weeks of undivided attention,” he said, a shadow of guilt weighing down his expression. He cared about them. “I don’t want them to feel like I don’t want them around, so I’d like them to tag along for consults and stuff. With you keeping them busy at the right times, of course.”
“Of course.” No level of attractive facial symmetry would’ve softened the blow. All things equal, this was a major step back for me, and the longer I sat here, the harder it was to pretend that didn’t matter.
He shuffled some papers on his desk, which I doubt had anything to do with this interview. “Are you comfortable with that? The long hours, three kids instead of one… I didn’t mention that in the ad, sorry.”
Yeah, he probably should’ve led with full disclosure.
And in the spirit of honesty, I replied, “If you’re asking whether I can manage your nieces and nephew, the answer is yes. It’s notabout comfort. I can’t say this is where I planned to be at this point in my life, so…”
Shit. Maybe that was a little too honest.
His brows shot up in surprise. “And this is… what? Did you lose a bet?”
It was so left-field, my laugh bubbled out before I could hold it back. “With destiny, maybe.”
“What about first aid?” Eyes the color of a looming storm, amusement flashed bright in them.
“My certification is attached,” I replied. “Along with a copy of my degree and other courses I’ve completed in education and childhood development.”
“Look, I know you’re over-qualified for this—” So hehadread my resume. “—but to be honest, you’re the only one who applied, and we could really use the help. Between myself and my business partners, there’s no way we’ll survive wrangling the kids on top of the holiday season.”
I was momentarily stunned. He’d acknowledged that I was more than capable. He had also been straight about the real reason I was here. Somehow it made all of this feel less… soul-crushing. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was the cute kids. But the tight knot of dread at the back of my skull softened just a smidge.
“So, does that make you Tom Selleck?”
“Excuse me?” His eyebrows knit together, and I winced inwardly.
