It wasn’t what she’d planned.
It was so far from how her day was supposed to have gone that it blew her mind.
It was also really happening.
Chapter 2: Trading Favors
Owen hadn’t been expecting Halle to give him an answer so quickly. “Are you sure you don’t mind spending part of your summer caring for two high-energy boys?” He studied her puffy eyelids and the tear stains on her cheeks, hoping it was more than a knee-jerk decision. Though he respected the duress she was under, he needed her heart and mind a hundred percent in the game. The well-being of his sons depended on it.
“Absolutely! I love working with children, and there won’t be a dull moment with yours. I can tell.” She gave a soft, self-deprecating laugh. “Serving as their nanny definitely wasn’t how I pictured my summer, though. You’re right about that.” She twisted her hands nervously in her lap. “My summer just got a lot more interesting. I’m still absorbing it.”
He appreciated her honesty, sensing she was more resilient than her bouncy ponytail, oversized pink sweatshirt, and jean cutoff shorts made her look. Her eyes were what held his attention the longest. They were an arresting shade of blue that reminded him of the lake he’d drivenpast on his way to the chicken farm. It rested smack-dab in the middle of town, stretching as far as the eye could see. Heart Lake was named after it since the aerial view was roughly in the shape of a heart.
“For what it’s worth, we’re in this together.” Though he was the guy who currently held the deed to her farm, he wanted her to see him as an ally. The sadness and despair radiating from her had kicked his protective nature into high gear. He was a decent judge of character—an attribute that served him well as an investigator, and it was telling him he was dealing with a genuinely nice person. Unfortunately, someone had taken sore advantage of her trust.
He honestly entertained little hope that she would recover the proceeds from the sale of her farm, especially if her ex had left the country. Regardless, he would do his best to locate the scoundrel.
“I have no nanny experience,” Halle disclosed in a hesitant voice, “but I have four years of college under my belt and six years of classroom experience. Will that work for you?”
“It will.” Owen might not have extended the job offer to her on the spot if Pastor Joe hadn’t been present to vouch so strongly for her character. It was one thing for a person to possess teaching credentials; it was another thing entirely to provide in-home childcare.
“You might be wondering why I’m not scouting around for summer camps and preschool openings.” He’d only planned to look into such options as a last resort. Since his boys no longer had a mother, he was doing everything he could to give them the richest home life possible. Extra love. Extra attention. Extra nurturing.
“No, I get it.” Halle gave him a wobbly smile. “By goingthe nanny route, you’re essentially choosing the homeschool version of summer camp.”
“Yeah, I guess I am.” He liked her choice of words. They made him sound more like he knew what he was doing as a single parent. Some days he did. Some days he didn’t. “They’ll still need a ride to and from the junior sports complex. I’ve enrolled them in a summer baseball clinic that meets three mornings a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Feel free to drop them off with their coach and grab some free time for yourself.”
“Thanks.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll make sure I schedule my appointments with the elementary school during that time. There’s some in-processing I still need to take care of. Plus, I’d like a tour of my new classroom.”
“If you need more time for that stuff,” he said quickly, “I’m sure I can work something out with my boss.” Like him, she was starting a new job. He wanted to be considerate of that.
She sent him a grateful look. “I appreciate your willingness to be flexible. I imagine we’ll figure things out as we go.”
“Excellent!” Pastor Joe clapped his hands as if to signify their arrangement was a done deal. “It sounds like you guys have a solid plan in place, and my wife and I will only be a phone call away.” He beamed a smile at them and glanced toward the front door, clearly ready to be going. “If you need anything—anything at all—don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can even rustle up a few fellows to help you unload your moving truck.”
“I appreciate the offer, but we’ve got it covered.” Owen stood and shook his hand. To his delight, Halle rose and did the same. Together, they walked Joe Swanson to the door.
“We’ll see you on Sunday, sir.” Owen was raising hisboys in church, which was why he’d reached out to Pastor Swanson before moving to town. They’d discussed everything from Sunday morning children’s programs to Vacation Bible School.
After the minister left, Halle remained by the door and reached for the handle. “All I have are a few suitcases and some plastic bins to unload from my car. I got rid of most of my stuff at the apartment because I wasn’t expecting the house to be so…empty.”
Her words renewed his indignation and outrage on her behalf. “Are you telling me you don’t know what happened to any of the belongings you left here?”
“Unfortunately.” She nodded, blinking rapidly. “But that’s my problem. Not yours.
“Man, Halle!” He ran a hand through his hair, hating that he and his sons were caught in the middle of such an unfortunate situation. Though they hadn’t done anything wrong, he felt morally obligated to do whatever he could to help the distraught woman standing in front of him. “Listen, um, I’m going to do everything I can to help you track down your belongings.”
She fluttered her hands helplessly. “I’m not sure it’s worth your time. I have the most important stuff with me, like family photos. What I left behind here was just stuff, you know? Old furniture, old clocks, porcelain platters shaped like chickens—that sort of thing. Oh, and my mom’s jewelry box. No pricey heirlooms. It was more about the memories.”
The tremor in her voice told him that some of the items in question had been very dear to her heart. “Would you make a list of items for me with descriptions? I’ve always had a knack for tracking things down.” It was how he’d ended up in his line of work. He’d start off by checking theclosest resale shops and consignment stores. Since she was broke, he’d buy back what he could afford and negotiate some sort of payment plan for the rest of it. She could either pay him back later, or he’d find a way to make it part of her nanny compensation. It was yet another item they would need to play by ear.
“Of course.” She scraped up another wobbly smile. “You’re very kind.”
“While you’re making lists,” he grimaced, “I’m going to need all the information you can provide about your ex-fiancé. Everything you can think of. No detail is too small. There’s no telling what information might lead to his whereabouts.” Owen stopped short of promising to claw back the money her ex had stolen from her, but he was going to do his level best to track that down as well.
He glanced out the windowed door at the moving truck. “I’ll give you a hand with your suitcases and bins before I unload the moving truck. I’m hoping to turn it in today.”
“I’ll help.” She didn’t hesitate to make the offer.
