I swear the rainclouds part to let the sun perfectly illuminate a smile that makes a shiver coil in my stomach.
“I think I mentioned my schedule before. It’s absolutely crazy,” he purrs. “I barely have time to pick up the little guy from school today. I have to rush back to practice. There’s no way I can get him to soccer on time.”
“Oh?” I ask slowly, sensing a request coming as Jake leans closer so that I can smell his cologne. He’s doing this on purpose, that’s obvious enough, and I'm sure it’s worked on a thousand girls before me.
I know guys his type.
Suddenly, I see him much more clearly. He grins again, the kind that makes my head spin even when I know what game he’s playing.
“I need you in my life, Stacy. Ryan needs you.” He waits for his words to sink in, rendering me powerless. “Can I hire you to take Ryan to practice for me?”
There it is. He’s completely missing the point.
The spell he’s had me under instantly dissolves, replaced by indignation.
“No, Jake. Ryan needs you. Not me, not any other nanny or woman or whatever you’re trying to do here. He needs to know that he has family to depend on, someone who will pick him up and drop him off and help him feel stability—” I cut myself off, abruptly remembering the principal’s warning.
I need to control myself around the school parents, especially ones with such notable reputations as Jake Eckhart.
Hopefully, he won’t go to the principal with what I’ve just said. Instead of carrying on with my tangent, I rearrange my face into something I hope is pleasant and sweeten my jagged tone. He hasn’t spoken yet, his flirtatious grin still curving his handsome mouth. He’s probably never had anyone say no to that gorgeous face of his before.
“Here’s what I can do, Jake. I’ll get you a list of well-vetted nannies who can help you out. These will be professionals who’ve helped a lot of families at St. James.”
Jake groans and shakes his head. “I’ve tried that, believe me. Just about every agency in the state knows about Ryan and me. The nannies just don’t last. They either want me or they don’t want Ryan.”
He digs his hands back into his pockets, his attempt at seducing me into carting Ryan around waning into nothing but gaunt devastation. He clenches his jaw, mind churning, a single vein popping in his temple.
Jake Eckhart is the utter definition of desperation.
Dammit! I'm not as immune to him as I’d like to think.
This look on his face right now melts my heart. I wish I’d been told of Ryan’s struggles before. Maybe I would have been able to do something right from the start instead of scrambling to pick up the pieces now. The blankness on Ryan’s small face makes so much more sense now, as does the half-finished homework and the sleeping in class.
What sort of home life do these two have? Do they have a bond strong enough to get them both through this?
They need massive help if Ryan is going to turn out to be anything but a heartbroken young man with no regard for authority.
I know I'm way overstepping the school’s policy about not dealing with the parents directly. This may be dangerous territory, but a teacher’s got to do what a teacher’s got to do.
I sigh, a sigh that comes straight from my toes and seems to ripple through my whole soul. “Okay…”
Jake’s eyes, suddenly hopeful, lock on me. “Okay?” he repeats.
“I’ll take Ryan to soccer, but only for this week so you can find something more permanent. Got it?”
A grateful grin lights his face as he nods, making his already handsome face even more so. My pulse skyrockets, thrumming between my ears.
Oh no. What have I gotten myself into?
If Jake Eckhart is anything, it’s trouble.
Chapter 5
Jake
Warm sun pierces the gray haze overhead as my cherry red sports car glides over Central Park gravel.
It’s already way past four. Ryan’s soccer practice is in full swing, but I'm sure he understands why I'm a little late. He may only be six, but he’s mature. And besides, that’s the whole reason I had Stacy take him to the field anyway.
For a moment I sit in my car, shooting off a few texts to my teammates and Coach about our practice, and then I climb out of my vehicle and shield sun off my eyes.
The grass is soft and damp as I make my way over to the field where a flock of children mill about munching on orange slices and swallowing big gulps of water. I find Stacy and Ryan soon enough. They’re together, Stacy holding Ryan’s water bottle in her hands as she crouches in front of him. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I can see a faint grin on the kid’s face.
He smiles a lot, but this is the first time in a while I’ve seen him grin wide enough to make the corners of his eyes crinkle.
Stacy stands up and says something else before pointing at the field. When Ryan turns to rush over to where the kids are grouping, she ruffles his hair without a thought. She doesn’t see the beaming look on his face as he’s running back, but I do. She can’t possibly know what her simple affectionate gesture means to Ryan or how much I’ve been dying to see that expression on his tiny face again.
Jenny used to ruffle Ryan’s hair like that. Watching Stacy do it makes my chest feel so tight I can barely pull in a breath. I stop, staring up at the clouds as I try to quell the emotions that are too big to fit inside me.
Not again.
It’s becoming quite clear that Stacy is right. This is the second time I’ve lost it today. Clearly, I’m not coping with my sister’s loss very well. I wish I could say these overwhelming feelings of soul-crushing grief are rare, isolated occurrences, but they’re not. So many things make me think of Jenny—stopping me dead in my tracks.
I often wonder if it’s a sign, if she’s reaching out to us, or if that’s just wishful thinking.
I finally catch my breath and find Ryan on the field again. He’s grinning from ear-to-ear. After Jenny’s death last year, I didn't think it was possible for either of us to smile like that again.
Stacy stands slightly smaller than the other parents she’s near, her curves luscious and her hair falling in a dark chocolate curtain of unruly curls that makes my fingers twitch with the desire to run my hands through those locks.
She’s just my type, as Jenny would say, with that knowing gleam to her eyes. My sister was always quick to point out women she thought I would vibe with. Not any of the Hartbreakers, who are looking for a one-way ticket to fame and fortune, but women who are confident in themselves and who could be a strong partner for me.
To be honest, I mostly waved away the suggestions of my sister, choosing to pursue whatever girl was wearing the tiniest shorts on gameday.
I was looking for a one-night stand, not the one.
But I know things need to change.
“Hey,” I mumble, unusually shy as I take my place beside Stacy.
Stacy jumps and then glances at me with a faint smile.
“Hey, yourself,” she answers.
I stuff my hands in my pockets, not sure what to say to this gorgeous, intimidating woman. It’s mildly ridiculous considering she’s so tiny. The woman is five foot nothing, but her confidence towers over me.