“You bought me these sable-hair brushes?” I’m flabbergasted. “These are expensive. Insanely expensive.” My mind reels.
He shrugs.
I run my fingers over tubes of watercolors and oil paints of every shade and pigment. I feel almost dizzy with joy from the rainbow of hues. I’m itching to get them on my palette. To get them on a canvas. Speaking of which, there are canvases of every size stacked underneath one of the floor-to-ceiling windows in this room. A large, sturdy easel sits in the middle of the space.
Just like for Belle, he seems to have bought out the art shop. Though, this time, it was a professional, high-end art store. I know how much these supplies cost because everything is of the finest quality, from the best brands. In addition to the brushes and tubes of paints, there are the finest charcoals and drawing pencils, an exquisite travel case for watercolors, and pastels that make me want to weep for their prettiness. All the things I’ve coveted for years but never dreamed of having because I’ve been working with a schoolteacher budget.
“This is way too much, Ronan. I really can’t accept all this. You need to return it.”
“Can’t,” he grunts. “It was on sale.”
I snort. “Yeah, right.”
Belle threads her hand in mine and tugs at me. “Poppy.”
I look down at her. “Yes, little one?”
“Don’t argue. When someone does something nice for you, you should just say thank you.”
And I’m caught. The little minx is throwing my own words back at me. I’d said that to her a few days ago when she’d forgotten to thank a store worker.
Ronan seems to be fighting a smile. “Yes, Poppy. Don’t argue. Just say thank you,” he teases.
I blow out a breath so hard that some of my curls go flying. “Thank you. Again.” I finally acquiesce. “It’s all way, way, way too much.” I can’t help adding, “But thank you.”
And that smile he’s been fighting unfurls into a devastating full grin. It’s unicorn rare. It’s pink-diamond-on-a-unicorn rare. It’s pink-diamond-on-a-unicorn-riding-a-blue-whale rare.
It leaves me a mess of want and longing.
And this is when I know. It doesn’t matter that I’m just the nanny, that he’s so far out of my league, he’s on another planet—Planet Hollywood. Or that we only have a few weeks left.
I’m all in.
I’m all in for Belle, who captured my heart.
And I’m all in for Ronan.
Our time together several nights ago shattered me, but it’s his sweetness beneath the stoicism that does me in. I want to hoard every moment we have.
My sister advised me to be open to change. And for this man and his daughter, I am, even if it’s temporary. I know now that change can be beautiful because it brought Belle and Ronan into my life, and I wouldn’t trade this time for anything, not even to be safe from the pain that will inevitably come.
CHAPTER21
12 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS
Poppy
I’ve been backtwo days, and he hasn’t tried to kiss me again. It’s for the best, I tell myself. He’s being responsible, a good father and employer.
But I fall asleep dreaming of his roaming hands and the way he moved against me. Oh God, the way he moved. It was the hottest experience of my life, and I’m not even embarrassed about it, because it was that good.
To heck with being responsible—I really need him to kiss me again.
Hope springs eternal and all that, so I tell myself that maybe tonight will be the night. When I got dressed for ice-skating, I put on my tightest jeans and my favorite red sweater. Though I fear the reindeer antlers I’m sporting won’t help make the kissing happen.
But the first ice skate of the season requires extra accessorizing. Belle agrees.
“When will Daddy be here?” She asks for the ten millionth time, clutching onto her “skate helper” penguin as she shuffles around the outdoor rink with me. Fairy lights blink down on us, making everything just a little more magical, as twinkle lights always do.
