Page 27 of Big Trouble

She sniffs. “Not someone, but something.”

“What is it? How can I help?”

“You can’t. That’s just it.” She looks up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sniffs again. “My career is dead. I promised I wouldn’t leave here until Clementine started the next year of school. But now I have to break that promise. And I’m just heartbroken.”

My heart pounds and aches like I’m feeling the pain she’s in.

“I have to buy your daughter a duckling. I’m sure you won’t mind. You’re so good about all the other animals. And I mean this is a farm, so adding a duck makes sense, right?”

“Woah there, Killer. Why are you quitting? And why do you need to buy a duckling? Is that code for something?”

She swipes at her cheeks, flicking away her tears. “She really wants ducks. And if you’re going to fire me anyway, at least Clementine will get ducklings out of it. And besides, then you’ll have a reason for firing me that you can tell her. Tell her you did it for the ducks!”

I sit on the bed with her and pull her into my arms. “Darlin’ I don’t know what you’re saying. You’re confusing the hell out of me with all the talk about ducks and quitting and firing. Why the hell would I fire you? Clementine adores you.”

“I adore her too. She is truly the best little girl in the entire universe.”

Pride swells inside my chest, then blooms into pure affection. Affection for this woman who sees my kid and knows her and loves her the way I do. That was my first clue that things with Winnie would be different.

“She adores you too,” I tell her. “You haven’t done anything to cause me to fire you.”

“But I have. I did the unthinkable. The very worst thing a nanny could do,” she says.

“What are you talking about?”

“I violated our contract. I broke the rules. I slept with the boss,” she whispers the last sentence, then pops a hand over her mouth. Her pale green eyes, still watery, stare at me.

“Darlin’ we haven’t slept together. Is this about last night?”

She nods, still keeping her hand over her mouth.

“Last night was all me,” I say.

“I flirted. I goaded you.”

That makes me grin remembering her sassy bravado from the night before. “You did and it was sexy as fuck.”

“But the rules.”

“Fuck the rules,” I say. “I’m the boss here.”

“I don’t think you have the complete picture,” she says.

“Tell me, Killer. Tell me everything.”

“A nanny is never supposed to have feelings for the parents. Feelings of any sort.” She shakes her head, her expression lined with disappointment. “But I didn’t listen. I didn’t guard my heart. Though in hindsight, I’m not sure I could have prevented any of this. Maybe I’m weak.” She shrugs. “I fell in love with the dad.”

For a minute her words confuse me and I think she’s telling me that she’s in love with another man.

“Me?” I ask, feeling all the hope in the world bound up in that single word question.

“Of course you. What other dad would there be?” She winces as she looks into my face. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, Brody. I promise. But I was defenseless to your grumbles and growls. To how you stormed into the bathroom and saved me. The way you are with Clementine, so gentle and loving, but firm when you have to be. There was no way I could resist falling in love with you.”

She’s quiet for a moment and I smile at her.

“So now do you see why I have to quit.”

“No, I don’t. But I am thinking what you really need is a promotion.”