My mom gave me a smile and copied my earlier pose with her hand on her chin. We really were cut from similar cloth, even though my pattern was different from hers. “That makes me incredibly happy to hear.” The but was loud and clear even if she didn’t say it. “I have a feeling the reason you aren’t looking for someone is because you’ve been waiting for someone instead.”
I couldn’t tell her she was wrong, and even if I did, the heat that rushed into my face would give me away in an instant. I turned my attention to cleaning the kitchen and refused to meet her knowing gaze.
How annoying was it that she still had my number, even after we’d spent so much time separated from one another? I guess moms were gonna mom regardless of whether their kids were nearby or not.
“How about I go find you a pair of shoes you can wear home.”
I told her I would appreciate it, and I grinned after her as she stepped out of the big kitchen. I knew she knew, without me saying the word, that I appreciated so much more than the offer of footwear.
I’d been back in Denver for several months, but today I finally felt like I was home.
Hyde
“I REALLY DON’T need to be supervised. I raised six siblings on my own when I was just a kid myself. I probably know more about babies than you do. I definitely know more than she does.” The young man pointed a finger at the youngest Archer, who was leaning against the back of the bright yellow couch while I tried to introduce her to the guy whom she would be keeping an eye on.
The young man faced off against Daire, but the bland expression on her exquisite face never changed. Daire didn’t look like Remy. She was taller, blonder, and had missed the blue that always seemed to find its way into the Archers’ eyes. There was nothing really soft or fluffy about Daire. Her personality and humor were sharper and more pointed than Remy’s, and she was much better at hiding her emotions.
It was clear the newcomer was trying to get a rise out of her and felt offended that he was going to have a shadow in the form of a pretty teenage girl for at least a month. If it had been Remy who was being treated like a hindrance, the neighbors would be able to hear her outrage. She was not quiet or subtle in any way. Daire, on the other hand, seethed silently and didn’t so much as flinch in the face of the stranger’s ire.
When my Uncle Benny brought the guy over yesterday, it was on the tip of my tongue to turn him away. He didn’t look like a guy who would be good with kids. He looked like the kind of guy who brawled in back alleys and robbed liquor stores for fun. He was taller than me, and more muscular as well. The entire front of his throat was tattooed, as well as the back of both hands; there was an interesting scar that slashed across his chin and lower lip, giving him a permanent frown. And even though he had a headful of slightly wavy red hair, he threw off vibes that were similar to my uncle’s, making it clear this was not a man anyone wanted to mess with, regardless of how young he appeared. Originally, I thought he would be in his mid-twenties, so I was taken aback when he mentioned he was only twenty-one. He had very dark eyes, and a demeanor which indicated he had lived a lot more life in those twenty-one years than most kids his age.
“Listen, Campbell.” I wasn’t sure if it was his first or last name, but it was the only one he gave when he introduced himself. I thought it was odd, but since my uncle didn’t question it or act like having one name was strange, I didn’t either. “If my Uncle Benny says you’re the best option for my daughter, I believe him. But I don’t know you. I know her.” I pointed at Daire less aggressively than he had. “I watched her grow up. I used to babysit her. So, while my uncle has full trust in you, I have full trust in Daire. Plus, it’s not forever. Just until we find the best routine for Hollyn once I go back to work. Daire being here while I’m away for a few weeks is non-negotiable.”
It would suck if the young man got offended over my choice to use Daire as a safety net and quit as a result. I didn’t have much of a backup plan since I was already reluctant to leave Hollyn with a stranger. I knew there was no one else who was going to come already recommended by someone I had total faith in, and there wasn’t going to be another candidate who looked like he could take on any type of predator with his bare hands and win. Not to mention this kid came with outstanding references. The family he worked for before me sent along nothing but praise. The woman was some type of big shot lawyer with political ambitions, and the husband… He seemed to have the same kind of foggy employment history as Uncle Benny. Regardless, they also sent along messages from their two teenage children who did nothing but sing Campbell’s praises. He had practically raised them both from when they were very young. It was obvious they thought of him as family and wanted him to do well while he was with me. It was like siblings cheering on their older brother, which I appreciated, and it put my mind slightly at ease, but Campbell was still a stranger. So, Daire was part of the deal, and if he walked away over it, there was nothing I could do about it.
Campbell shoved a tattooed hand through his coppery hair and continued to glare at Daire. The look made me want to squirm, but she stayed perfectly still and didn’t even blink. It was easy to tell she’d changed quite a bit after the accident that nearly killed her brother.
“Fine. I promised my previous employers I would try to make it work here for at least six months. They really wanted me to leave my hometown and get away from the influence of my father. They did a lot for my siblings and me through the years, so I don’t want to let them down.” He blew out an aggravated breath and finally stopped glaring at Daire, switching his unreadable gaze to me. “It’s your first kid. I understand why you’re anxious. It’s fine if you want to have her watch me and report back to you, but I’m only here to take care of an infant. The teenager is on her own.”
Finally, he managed to get under Daire’s skin. She visibly bristled and narrowed her green eyes. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”
Remy told me Daire had been struggling a lot because she was the reason Ry was on the side of the road when the accident happened. She’d gotten a flat tire and called her brother to rescue her, but it all went horribly wrong. As a result, Daire was hellbent on proving that she didn’t need anyone anymore. A little bit like her cousin, she was pushing her problematic thoughts to the extreme and letting those same ideas convince her of things that simply weren’t true.
I held up my hand and ordered, “All right, time to call a truce. You don’t have to get along with one another, but you need to be able to work together for the foreseeable future.” I focused on Daire because she knew me well enough to know by my sharp tone that I was at my limit. “All I care about is Hollyn’s well-being, not you two being friends. Two pairs of hands and eyes are better than one while she’s so young. Am I clear?”
Daire gave a jerky nod, and the newcomer lifted his scarred chin in acknowledgment.
I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Let me show you around the house.” When he showed up with Uncle Benny last night, it was late, and he looked exhausted. Beyond a basic introduction and showing him to the basement that would be exclusively his while he stayed with me, I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to him or get him familiar with the nursery. “Daire, watch the baby for me, okay?”