Page 35 of Harts & Hurts

The three of us were leaving the main house and walking back over to the guesthouse on Tuesday evening. On my days off, I kept Melrose with me so Anistyn could go over to the main house and be on her boss lady professional house stager thing.

On this particular day, she called me to come over there because she wanted me to see the progress. I was actually floored by all they’d gotten done in about eight weeks. The kitchen and all five of the bathrooms had been updated, with all plumbing issues addressed, and all the appliances replaced. The light fixtures had all been replaced as well. They were currently working on getting the house painted. Once that was done, the floors would be refinished, and we could move in. By Anistyn’s estimation, we were looking at the main house being ready in less than a month.

“You did your thing,” I told her as we walked side by side, with me bouncing Melrose in my arms.

“I’m so excited,” she practically gushed. Her smile was so wide that it made me smile. I liked seeing her excitement. “This is the largest job I’ve ever taken on, and it’s so close to completion.”

“It is. I think we should celebrate.”

“Celebrate?”

“Yeah. I think you should go in the house, change into something sexy, and let me take you out.”

She stopped walking. “Take me out? Like to eat?”

“Like on a date.”

She caught up to me. “A date? Is Melrose going with us on this date?”

“Nah. I have somebody coming over to watch her.”

“Who?” We were at the front door of the guesthouse.

“You’ll approve. I promise.” I unlocked the door and let her walk in while I followed behind her, mesmerized by the sway of her ass. When I was able to wrench my gaze from her ass to her face, I could see the unspoken question in her eyes. “It’s nobody from the Hart family bloodline.”

“But I trust them?”

“You trust them.”

“And what’s the attire for this date?”

“Just do a little bit more than you would usually do on a regular day. There’s walking involved, but there’s also dinner.”

She chuckled. “That does not help at all.”

I chuckled too. “You look good in anything you wear, Ani. Wear something that makes you feel like you put that shit on, and can’t no other woman out here touch you.”

“Okay.”

About an hour later, Anistyn entered the kitchen, where I stood feeding Melrose a late afternoon snack of mashed bananas. “Damn, shorty!” I said with appreciation, my mouth curving into a wide smile at the sight of her in fitted cream-colored cropped jeans, an olive-green tank top that had her breasts sitting up like ripe melons, and a stylish, caramel-colored cardigan.

She grinned at me. “I take it this works.”

“That definitely works.” I barely got the words out before the doorbell chimed. “Right on time.”

She walked over to answer it. I let her go to it because I knew she was dying to see who I had set up to babysit Melrose. “Gretta.” Her voice was loud with the surprise she felt at seeing our former newborn care nurse.

Gretta gave her a hug before stepping into the house. “Hey, Anistyn.”

“How in the world did he get you to agree to do this?”

Gretta approached Melrose’s high chair and cooed at her. “Well, he called and asked if there was a nanny I could recommend for a couple of hours tonight. When he confirmed that the nanny was for my sweetie here,”—she lightly caressed Melrose’s cheek—“I offered to watch her.” She looked Anistyn up and down. “Look at you, girl. You clean up nice.”

Anistyn blushed. “Thank you.” She looked around. “I guess I don’t really have to give you any instructions. You know the house . . . and our girl.”

“I do.” Gretta nodded her head. “I know her schedule. I’ll have Melrose fed and down at the appropriate times. Go out and have fun. Be young.”

Anistyn chuckled nervously.