I rang the bell, and while I waited, I snapped a selfie of myself and sent it to my parents. I was beyond happy that the job searched panned out this quickly. I’d spoken to the agency about getting weekly paychecks instead of monthly so they could start paying the bills as soon as possible.
Lexi: First day on the job. Wish me luck.
Mom: You’ll do wonderful, dear. Have a great day.
I bit my lower lip when the front door opened, bracing myself for my hot-as-hell boss to show up, but it was Paisley. She was barefoot again as she ran toward the gate with the key. "Hi, Lexi. Dad said I could open the gate for you."
"Hey, Paisley. Thank you, it’s good to be here."
"I'm so happy you're here. I like you most."
So, he did ask his daughter's opinion after all. Nine was old enough to tell if you completely disliked a person, and I always thought first instincts should not be dismissed. Well, unless that first instinct was to check out a ridiculously hot single dad. Those impulses had to be ignored at all costs. What had gotten into me? It was true, I hadn’t been on a date in almost a year, but still. He was the parent of a child in my care, and I had my golden rule.
Paisley took my hand and lead me inside the house.
"It's so nice outside today," I said. "Did you already decide what you want to do?"
"I want to go on the bike."
"Okay. You have one, then?"
"Yes. It's pink."
"I like pink," I said. Unfortunately, I was far too old to get away with owning a pink bicycle. "Do you also have one for me? If not, I can bring mine tomorrow and keep it here."
Paisley frowned. "I think there are more bikes in the garage. We can check."
"Sure." I braced myself as she led me through the house. I'd been in the living room, but now she took me to the right side of the house into an enormous kitchen with white country-style cabinets and a marble countertop.
In front of the stove, Tate was making waffles. Holy shit! Once again, he was wearing a shirt with his sleeves rolled up.
"Morning, Lexi," he said, and my stomach somersaulted.
He hadn't called me by my first name before, but it made sense now that I was working for him. I didn't know if I should call him Tate or Mr. Maxwell, so I went with the safer option. "Good morning, Mr. Maxwell."
"Call me Tate, please," he said.
He held out the chair closest to him, and I drew in a breath, sitting down.
"I made a lot of waffles," he said. "Did you already have breakfast?"
"Yes, I did, but I'll never say no to waffles."
Paisley laughed, clapping her hands. "Daddy makes them for me twice a week."
Tate shrugged, smiling. "I've tried to make a rule of waffles only once a week, but I fail at enforcing it."
"That's understandable," I said. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I work with kids daily, and even I'm not immune to their charm. They are tiny and lovely and know how to use that as a weapon."
I put maple syrup on my waffle and ate it quickly. Tate stood, drinking coffee and only eating half a waffle. Apparently he wasn't much of a breakfast guy. I suspected he did this to spend time with his daughter, and that impressed me, as well as the fact that he didn't have his phone nearby, so his attention was wholly focused on her.
“Lexi and I are going out bike riding today. She asked if we have one for her.”
He looked up, and my heart skipped a beat when he trained those piercing blue eyes on me. God, he was handsome. I could admire his looks, though, right? As long as I kept in mind that he was off-limits, I couldn’t see why not.
"We do have one that should fit you nicely. We have two adult bikes. One is mine, and one belonged to a previous nanny."
"Great. I’m sure one of them will fit me.”
“I’m also going to leave a credit card for you. Use it to pay for anything you and Paisley need. If you pay out of pocket for anything, give me the receipts, and I’ll reimburse you.”
"Will do," I said.
"Okay, you're both set?” Tate asked as he set his empty cup in the dishwasher. “I'm going to the office."
"Paisley, I'm going to walk your dad out and ask him a few things, okay? I'll be right back," I said.
She nodded, digging into her breakfast.
Tate looked surprised but didn’t say anything. As we both walked out of the kitchen, I could feel the air between us change. It became more charged.
"Tate, do you want me to update you during the day with Paisley's schedule? I can send you pictures.”
"I'd like that. I miss her so much during the day."
Wow. My heart burst at the thoughtful look on his face. And right then I realized it wasn’t just his impossibly good looks that were messing with me. The fact that he was such a dedicated father touched me deeply.
“Okay. Then I’m going to take her out today and keep you posted,” I said, more for myself than for him. “I’ll take a change of clothes for her. I also brought one for myself, and—”
I stopped abruptly, remembering our conversation from last evening. I’d gotten both of us in trouble by talking about my clothes, and I didn’t intend to do it again. Judging by the playful glint in his eyes, he was thinking about it too. I was rambling again.
He was standing only a foot away from me, and I could smell his aftershave.
“Do you have any questions for me?” I asked.
He looked at me intently for a few seconds, making me squirm. Then he shook his head, clearing his throat. “No, that would be all.”
Remember your golden rule, Lexi. Besides, my parents were counting on me. I couldn’t mess up this job. But it was our first morning together. I was sure I wouldn't be as impacted by him as time went by.
I needed time. That was all. I was sure of it.
***
Paisley and I had a lot of fun. She was a great kid. We biked along the Lakefront Trail at a considerable speed. She had a lot of stamina, and we only took a break when we reached Oak Street Beach. I'd brought a blanket with us, so we made a picnic of sorts overlooking the water. I took the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I made out of the backpack and handed one to Paisley.
“How often do you bike ride?" I asked her.
"Oh, in the summers, a lot. My dad sometimes takes me, or the nanny does."
"You've had a lot of them?"
She nodded. "Yes. About two a year, I think. When I'm at school, I only have someone in the afternoon, but summers are different."
I wondered what happened to her mother, but I didn't want to ask. She'd tell me when she was ready, or maybe Tate would. It was important for me to know what to expect so I could handle any situation.
"My uncles also like to take me out," she said after a few mouthfuls of her sandwich.
"How many do you have?" I asked her.
"Five," she said proudly.
"Five. Wow." I couldn't imagine six Maxwell brothers. I was sure all of them were hot, and that was too much for the world to handle.
“I also have two aunties. Dad’s cousins. They all live in Chicago. Sometimes they pick me up at school. I think my teachers like it when my uncles stop by."