“I really wanted to thank you,” he said. “Not only for helping me find Finn’s toy the other night but for the way youhave cracked the whip on all the subcontractors. The progress has been unbelievable.”
“I can’t take all the credit for that. Bryce had everything in hand and was working hard to move things along. But I will admit, sometimes the subs work faster when the boss lady tells them she won’t hire them for anything else unless they drop everything and get this done.”
She had done that for him? He was both touched and gratified. “Thank you,” he said. “The kids are anxious to move into the house.”
“I’m sure they are. I hope we’re on track to be done in about three more weeks.”
Even faster than he had hoped. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
“How is everything else going?” she asked, picking up her weed pile and carrying it to a nearby wheelbarrow.
“It’s good. The kids have been enjoying their various day camps. We’ve got one more this week, then I’m not sure what we’ll do.” He paused, slanting her a sideways look. “I could use some advice, actually.”
“Oh?”
“I would like to hire someone to be a nanny-slash-housekeeper. Do you know anybody in the area you could recommend?”
She pursed her lips, considering. “Are you looking for a live-in nanny?”
“No. I was hoping for somebody who could mainly help keep the house clean, cook a few meals, pick up the kids, and be with them for a few hours in the afternoon. Maybe three or four hours a day max. Maybe more, if the need arises.”
“When do you want them to start?”
“When the house is done. My publisher wants me to go ona book tour in a few months. My mom could handle the children by herself but it’s a lot to ask. I was hoping I could find somebody before I leave who could help her out.”
“I can’t come up with any names off the top of my head, but I’ll give it some thought. I do have a couple of workers whose wives have talked about doing something outside the home, especially now that their kids are in high school. Let me ask around.”
“Thanks.”
“What did you do for childcare in Los Angeles?”
“We had a housekeeper who started right before Tracy was diagnosed with cancer. Vivian was a rock. We would have been lost without her before and after Tracy died. But she quit about six months ago. Her granddaughter was born with some health challenges, and she wanted to move closer to her daughter in New Mexico to help her out.”
“That must have been rough for the kids, to lose their mom and then someone else they had been close to.”
“Yeah. It didn’t help at all that we also lost everything familiar to a wildfire.”
Her eyes were soft with a compassion he wanted to lean into. “No wonder you picked up and moved, buying a house on a whim.”
“It wasn’t really on a whim. My mom was here.”
“Yes, but you bought the house without even seeing it in person.”
“Not my smartest move,” he agreed. “I think it’s working out, though.”
“You are an eternal optimist, Andrew Morgan.”
He laughed. “I do believe you are the first person in my life who’s ever said that to me. I’m usually a cranky, glass-half-empty kind of guy.”
“I doubt that. You couldn’t write books about conquering evil and saving the world if you weren’t somewhat of an optimist.”
“An optimist who writes like he’s never even met a woman?” he said with a grin.
She groaned. “If there were ever five minutes of my life that I would like to scrub out of the permanent record, it would be those.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t keep teasing you about it.”
She studiously looked down at the weeds she was yanking from the ground. “If you must know, I’m listening to the series on audio again. I am either in a different place in my life—or perhaps knowing you personally changes my perspective—but I’m very much enjoying them.”
