“Oh, the two of you are on a first name basis now? And I thought him gifting you his cowboy hat was intimate.”
“This isn’t funny. I was practically thrust into his house where he was being interrogated by his mother-in-law.”
I pull open the top drawer of the vanity, needing something to do with my hands. Crest toothpaste and a Spiderman toothbrush stare back at me.
“Sounds intense. What’s her issue?”
I swing the drawer shut, opening the next one.
“Him needing help with his daughter. You should see this poor guy, Jules. He looks so overwhelmed. He couldn’t find candles in his own kitchen.”
A clump of dark hair nests in the bristles of a glittery brush. I thumb the handle. A twinge of…somethinghas me sailing the drawer shut.
“He sounds like me.” She snorts.
I ignore her attempt at an overwhelmed-mom joke and continue rambling. “And so, what do I do, you ask? I saysomething stupid to his mother-in-law about being his nanny, and she?—”
“Wait a minute… you said you were his nanny?” Julia interrupts.
“Yes! Keep up! And shescoffed. Drilled Ev—I mean, Rhett, about hiring some woman who’s never met his daughter. Looked at me like I’d be terrible with children. She doesn’t even know me, Julia!”
Now I’m sounding overly worked up about a job I made up.
“Maybe you should be thanking her. A single dad who loses his music career and moves into his childhood home, all in the span of six weeks? She’s probably saving you from a messy situation.”
“It’s whatever,” I grunt, opening the next drawer and shoving it closed without bothering to snoop. “I have no need to impress this woman. It’s not like I’m going to see her again.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be too sure. You have a new job. She thinks you’re her granddaughter’s nanny. Your paths are bound to cross unless you fess up to the fact that you lied.”
“Very funny.”
“I didn’t say youshould. Now that I think about it, this could be good for you.”
“What?” I freeze.
“Yeah. I think if he took you up on it, you’d make a great nanny. You’re already helping with Henry. What’s one more kid, ya know?”
I lean a palm on the countertop and squint at my reflection. “How much caffeine have you had today?”
“A questionable amount.” She chuckles. “But the point is, wasn’t this what you wanted? My advice in the decision-making department?”
Why the hell did I come up with that ridiculous idea?I can’teven pretend I don’t remember saying it because I was perfectly sober at the time.
“Well, he didn’t offer me the job, so…”
“Some people have a hard time asking for help,” she says.
I pause. That tracks, actually. It’s not that he didn’tthinkto ask for help… The way he jerked that jar from my hands, he clearly didn’twantit.
“I’m not offering. The only thing I’m planning to do at this point is get a cupcake to go.” I let out an exasperated breath.
“You might want to tell him that, not me. But I have to say… I’m kind of liking this fairy godmother thing I’ve got going on. I feel powerful,” Julia gloats.
I hang up on her. I’ve got to get the hell out of here. I turn off the faucet and shove open the bathroom door, where it meets resistance partway.
“You have one speed,” Rhett grunts.
“S-sorry.”
