Sunny's Love

by Anna Kristell

  “I can do that, Chase,” Sunny offered.

  “You can come along, but I try to tuck them in every night that I’m home.”

  They all had fun getting the children settled, giggling and engaging in a pillow fight, before Chase finally told the children it was time to settle in for the night. He listened while they said their prayers and tucked them in, each in their own rooms. Sunny kissed each of them goodnight before she walked into the hallway with Chase.

  “How was your first day, Sunny?”

  “I think I’m going to enjoy this job very much.”

  “I’m glad. Sunny…” He hesitated again, before inviting her to join him in the den for a drink.

  “I’d like that.”

  They walked together to the den where he asked if she’d like wine or a mixed drink.

  “Wine will be fine, thank you.”

  He handed her a glass of white wine and seated himself across from her before he spoke. “I thought we should go over everything about the summer trip. Do you have any questions, Sunny?”

  “None that I can think of at the moment,” she replied as she sipped her wine.

  “Okay, we leave the day after tomorrow. I’ll be at the office much of the time before that, so you’ll be in charge of getting the children and their things ready, although, I’m sure Alma will assist you.”

  “How much should I pack for them?”

  “Alma will know from last year. They have some things at the house in Florida already.”

  “Good, I’ll talk to her about it in the morning.”

  “Are you ready to be gone for an entire summer, Sunny, away from family and friends?”

  “Chase, what are you asking? I’m not sorry I took this job.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that. I just wanted to make sure. I don’t want to get to Florida and halfway through the summer you decide you want to change your mind and come home. Frankly I was a bit worried about my prior nanny and this trip. I didn’t think she could stay away from her boyfriend the whole summer. It may be a blessing I had a valid reason to let her go. I’m just glad Brice and I found you in Dr. Rose’s office that day.”

  “I would never do that, Chase. I made a commitment to you and to those two precious babies upstairs. If things don’t work out, I won’t leave you in the lurch like that. I’ll see it through until you can make other arrangements.”

  “That’s good to hear. And there’s no boyfriend waiting for you at home for me to worry about. I believe you told me you weren’t seeing anyone at the present.”

  “I’m not seeing anyone. Scott, the guy I’d been with for several years, is married now.”

  “I’m sorry, Sunny. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “There isn’t much to say. We met in high school and dated all through college. Everyone, including me, thought we’d someday marry. It didn’t quite happen that way. He met someone else along the way. I was stunned the night he told me he was getting married to someone else.”

  “That must have been painful for you. Have you dated anyone since then?”

  “No, I haven’t. I just wasn’t ready and really hadn’t met anyone I could truly say I was interested in. So you needn’t worry about me taking off in the middle of the summer to chase a boyfriend back home. It isn’t going to happen.”

  Chase replied, “Good to know, Sunny, good to know.” He stood up. “I think we’d better turn in soon. We both have a few busy days ahead of us. Don’t hesitate to ask Alma for help with the packing, Sunny. She adores the children and will do anything for them.”

  He took her wine glass from her, extending a hand to help her up. When his strong, tanned fingers brushed hers she shivered. Hoping he hadn’t noticed, she said, “I’m sure we’ll get everything done in plenty of time.”

  “Let me walk you up, I’m right next door to you.”

  “All right,” she replied in a much calmer voice than she expected. She was far from calm, what with her tummy doing funny little flip-flops every time he looked at her.

  When they had walked up the stairs and were in front of her door, he said simply, “Goodnight, Sunny.” He turned, leaving her in the hallway as he went into his room. He softly closed the door.

  As she went into her bathroom to prepare for bed, she could hear him in the bathroom that adjoined hers. It would be so easy to open that connecting door.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning when Sunny arrived in the dining room, the children were happily eating pancakes. Chase was nowhere to be seen.

  “Hi, Sunny,” Allison said as she looked up from her plate.

  “Alma made her good pancakes for us today,” Brice added, taking a huge bite.

  Alma handed Sunny a large mug of steaming coffee with cream, just the way she liked it. She took a sip and said, “Thank you, Alma. I could have gotten it myself.”

  “Would you come into the kitchen with me for just a few minutes, Sunny?”

  “Sure, “she agreed, following the older woman.

  “Chase left this note for you. I imagine it’s to tell you we need to get the kiddos packed today so you can all leave tomorrow morning. He went into the office to tie up some loose ends.”

  “Thank you, Alma.” Sunny opened the envelope and took out the folded note. She unfolded it slowly and read what he had written.

  Sunny, I just wanted to tell you again how happy I am you are with us. I’ve enclosed some cash for you, in case you need to go into town to purchase anything for you or the kids, before we leave. George will be happy to drive you anyplace you need to go. Please feel free to take a break after the kids are packed and spend a few hours at the mall. Buy something for yourself, the money is for you as well as the kids.

  It will be late when I get home, so feed the kids and put them to bed. I’ll talk to you when I get there.

  Enjoy your day.

  Chase

  She unfolded four crisp, one hundred dollar bills, before folding them back into the envelope. She looked up to see Alma watching her. The kind older woman smiled and said, “He gave you money to shop for the trip, didn’t he? He’s a very thoughtful man.”

  “Yes, he is, but I shopped before I came out here. I’ll see if the kids need anything,” she replied as she took a sip of coffee.

  “Ali might need a new swimsuit. That girl has grown quite a bit in recent months,” Alma informed her, placing a plateful of pancakes in front of Sunny.

  “Okay, I’m going to make a list.” Sunny took a small notepad and pen from a basket on the kitchen bar and began to write.

  With Alma’s help, she was able to compile a list of what needed to be packed and what needed to be bought. She finished her pancakes, drank another cup of coffee and said, “Now we need to get busy. There’s a lot to do before tomorrow, isn’t there?”

  “We’ll have George take the kiddos out for a while. That way, you and I can finish the packing.”

  George readily agreed to keep the children occupied while the two women went upstairs to finish the packing. It didn’t take long with the two of them working together.

  “What was she like, the children’s mama?” Sunny asked as she folded a small shirt.

  “She was a nice person, sweet and kind to everyone. She and Chase sometimes had their difficulties, but what married couple doesn’t? The children adored her. It was very hard for them when she died, but Chase knew he had to take care of those babies. He’s always made sure to schedule his work around them. Sometimes I think that’s been difficult for him. He’s too good a man to spend his life alone. The babies will grow up someday and he’ll be all alone. That’s not good.”

  “He’ll have to do that in his own time, Alma. He worries about the children so much.”

  “Yes, I know he does. I’m hoping something will spark between the two of you this summer,” Alma replied with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Alma, I’m surprised to hear you say that.” Sunny laughed as she hugged the older woman.

  “You�
�re a breath of fresh air in this house, Miss Sunny Drake. What do you say we stop for lunch?”

  “I say that’s a great idea.” The two women walked arm-in-arm down to the kitchen.

  After Sunny put the children down for a nap, with Alma promising to keep a watchful eye on them, she changed her clothes and asked George to drive her to the closest mall. She made her purchases and was back home before either of the children was awake. When they did wake, she took them for a walk and fed them their dinner. She read to them after dinner as their father had done the night before.

  “Time for baths and bed, you two,” Sunny told them.

  “Can’t we wait for Daddy, Sunny?” Ali asked.

  “Your Daddy said it might be late when he got home. You want to get a good night’s sleep before the flight tomorrow afternoon, don’t you? Tomorrow is the day we go on our big trip to the beach.”

  “Oh boy, let’s go, sissy. I want to ride in the plane,” Brice urged his sister to follow Sunny’s orders.

  Ali agreed finally and Sunny whisked them upstairs and into the bath. They were just finishing up and Sunny was listening to their prayers when Chase walked into Ali’s room. He looked at Sunny and smiled. How handsome he is. His green eyes sparkled. And that endearing smile, as before, lit up his whole face.

  “How’s the packing coming along? Anything I can do to help?” he asked.

  “Actually, Alma and I finished. George took the kids out for the day. It went pretty smoothly.”

  “Were you able to squeeze in a trip to the mall?”

  “Yes, I did. Thank you, for thinking we might need last minute things.” She noticed he looked tired and stressed. He was doing a good job of not showing it in front of the kids, though.

  “Good. I’ll get the rest of my things together tonight and we’ll be all set. Are you ready?”

  “I got my things organized yesterday, so yes, I’m ready. I could help you pack if you need for me to.”

  He looked at her for a moment and replied, “No, Sunny, I can do it. After that, I’m going to jump in the shower and hit the sack. It’s been a long day and I have a few things to attend to in the morning before we leave.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “I did. Why don’t you take some time for yourself this evening?”

  “Thanks, I’ll read in my room, if you don’t need anything else. I’ll let you tuck the children in and take care of your packing. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Sunny, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Chapter Four

  The next morning, Sunny awoke to the alarm clock playing her favorite love song. Grinning, she took a hot, steaming shower and dressed for the plane ride to Florida. As she started downstairs to find the children, they’d just finished their breakfast. They were heading up the stairs to get dressed for the trip.

  “Do you guys need help?” Sunny asked. She scooped both of them up in her arms and gave them a good morning kiss.

  “Someone’s in a good mood this morning,” Alma said from the foyer as she witnessed the display of affection.

  “Good morning, Alma. I’m just anxious to get to Florida.” She smiled at the older woman.

  “I can dress myself,” Brice proudly said, as he wiggled out of her arms and headed up the stairs.

  “I’ll help him, Sunny. You can go eat,” Allison said in a very grown up voice.

  “Okay, Ali, thanks. Let me know if you need help.” Sunny and Alma exchanged a grin.

  “They are wonderful, aren’t they? And they’re so well behaved,” Sunny said as she helped herself to coffee in the kitchen.

  “To be as spoiled as they are, yes, they’re great kids.”

  “Alma, you should have told me to set my alarm earlier. I should get the kids up and feed them. That’s probably part of my job.”

  “No, honey, it gives my day a great start to take care of those babies first thing in the morning. If you did everything for them, you’d be exhausted at the end of the day. We all help each other out here.”

  “I’ll miss our little chats for the next two months. Are you and George going to be able to get away while we’re gone?”

  “Yes, we usually take a road trip during the summer. After that, we just spend the rest of the time relaxing. There’s still work to be done here, but not a lot, so it gives us some alone time.”

  “That’s wonderful. Where’s Chase this morning?”

  Alma smiled. “He said something about an errand to attend to at the office. He said he‘d be back in about an hour or so. That man is so busy at the office right now. I’ve talked with Alice and she can’t wait to meet you.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her either.”

  About that time, Chase came in the kitchen door, whistling. He stopped as the two women stared at him.

  “What are you two staring at? Can’t a man whistle the morning he’s about to leave for his summer home at the beach?”

  Sunny was glad to see some of the strain that had shown on his face the night before had disappeared.

  “Did you get your packing done, Chase? It was late when you got in,” Alma asked, handing him a cup of coffee.

  “Yes, Alma, I did. I’m ready for a week of sun and relaxation,” he told his housekeeper cheerily.

  “I’d better go see if the munchkins are dressed yet. It’s hard to tell what they chose to wear.” Sunny got up and headed for the stairs. “Ali wanted to help Brice and I bravely allowed it.”

  “I’ll help you, Sunny.” Chase followed her, as Alma watched, smiling.

  They walked up the steps together. As they reached the top, Allison came bouncing out of Brice’s room.

  “You look very nice, Miss Allison,” Sunny told the little girl.

  “But you haven’t seen Brice. He wants to wear a red shirt with green shorts. I keep telling him it’s not Christmas.” The little girl gave an exasperated sigh and held her arms up in the air in disgust.

  Sunny and Chase both laughed. Chase looked at her and said, “I’ll handle this one. You and Allison go on downstairs.”

  “Okay, good luck, Daddy.” Sunny took Allison by the hand and they headed back downstairs, where George was preparing to take the luggage to the car for them.

  “Let me help you, George,” Sunny said. “Chase is busy trying to convince Brice that he really doesn’t want to wear Christmas colors in June.”

  “Oh, boy, this oughta be good.” George grinned as he started up the steps.

  “Allison, why don’t you go see what Alma is up to and I’ll help George.”

  “Okay, Sunny.” The little girl went skipping into the kitchen as Sunny headed back up the stairs. She went into Allison’s room and grabbed her luggage then walked back downstairs with it.

  “Sunny, what in the world do you think you’re doing?” Chase called to her from the landing.

  ‘You were occupied, so I thought I’d lend George a hand.” She turned around and looked up at him smiling.

  “Brice is under control now, so let me do that. I don’t want you throwing your back out or anything.” He joined her on the stairs and whispered so only she could hear, “We can’t have that now, can we? It might put a crimp in our summer plans with the kids.”

  “Chase, I think I can handle it.” She laughed as she handed the larger bag to him.

  “I’ll take care of it. I’d better get this luggage out there before George comes back in for the next load.” He picked up another smaller bag.

  As if on cue, George came back into the house and was heading up the stairs. Chase went on down the stairs and out to the car while Sunny went in search of Brice.

  The little boy was walking out of his room and thankfully Chase had convinced him to wear khaki shorts with his red shirt and he looked adorable.

  “Who is this handsome little man walking down the hallway?” Sunny asked as she took the little boy’s chubby hand and walked with him. She would have loved to have just hugged and squeezed him. He so needed a mother’s love. Even though he had
the best daddy in the world, and plenty of people to love him, she knew he had to miss his mommy.

  “It’s Brice!” He giggled as he looked up at Sunny. The look he gave her melted her heart.

  “I think I may just have to claim you as my new boyfriend, you’re so handsome,” Sunny teased as he giggled again.

  “You’re too old to be my girlfriend. You need to be my daddy’s girlfriend.”

  At that exact moment, Chase came up the stairs. He looked from Sunny to Brice and said, “What did I just miss here?”

  “Sunny wants to be my girlfriend, but she’s too old. I told her she could be your girlfriend, Daddy.”

  Chase laughed as he scooped the little boy up in his arms. “Out of the mouths of babes,” he said.

  She blushed as Chase set Brice down and went to get another load of luggage. The little boy ran down the stairs, unaware of the impact of his statement. As Chase passed by her, he said softly, “I hope that remark didn’t make you uncomfortable, Sunny.”

  Sunny smiled. “No, it’s okay, Chase. He’s just a little boy. He can’t begin to understand how these things work.” She quickly turned to go downstairs to check on the children. After all, that was her job.

  Both children were in the kitchen with Alma and the three of them were laughing together over a secret. They all got very quiet when Sunny walked in.

  “What’s going on in here?”

  “Not a thing, Sunny.” Alma looked at the children and the three of them shared a secretive smile.

  Sunny thought the whole household must be going mad. She poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down to wait for the luggage to be loaded.

  A short time later, Chase came into the kitchen. “Are we all ready to go? The car’s loaded and George is waiting to drive us to the airport.”

  Sunny grabbed her purse and hugged Alma goodbye after Chase and the children had gone ahead outside.

  “I’ll see you in a few months, have a good vacation with George,” she said.

  “And you work your magic on that man. From what I’ve seen, it won’t take much, Sunny. I expect you two to come back here with some good news at the end of the summer.”