Until when? Kendra thought. Until someone new came along, perhaps. She was fully aware how fast Tyler could move from one relationship to another and she certainly did not consider herself anything special to make it last.
Instead of answering, Kendra simply gave him a tight smile that did not quite reach her eyes. In an effort to change the topic, she asked something that’d been on her mind for quite some time. “Any news on the custody case?”
“Yeah. Pete called several days ago and told me the preliminary hearing is set for the end of August. That should give us time to study the case and make sure all the bases are covered.” Tyler shared. Kendra could see the mere mention of the custody case made him tense.
She reached out across the table and touched his cheek. “You’re going to do just fine, you know? Sophie is so lucky to have you. Just let me know if Pete needs me to stand as witness, or provide a statement,” Kendra gave him a wobbly smile.
In response, Tyler held her hand and brought it to his mouth for a kiss. The gesture was so simple yet so profound. The way he was looking at her, one would think he was in love with the woman in front of him. Kendra broke off the eye contract and drew back. She gave herself a mental shake. Tyler might feel some affection for her for now, but she knew better than to read more into it.
Since they have been intimate, Tyler had observed how Kendra seemed to distance herself every time he showed affection outside the bedroom and was baffled by it. From the way she talked and acted, it’s as if she had no intention of pursuing a full-blown relationship with him. Everything was temporary.
“Isn’t that what you always wanted?” his inner voice goaded. He had been with women in the past who, despite their claims of not wanting more than just a brief affair, often ended up wanting, if not demanding more. With Kendra, it’s the complete opposite. She seemed to expect very little from him, which was totally unnerving him.
He knew it had something to do with his reputation. While he could easily tell her the talks about his prowess with women were all blown out of proportion, Kendra had been there to witness firsthand how he had flitted from one relationship to another.
For the first time, he wished he could wipe the slate clean and start anew. But sadly, if there was one woman he would be least likely to impress, it would be Kendra. He scowled as he continued to brood.
“What’s with that face? You’re scaring Sophie.” Kendra teased as she nodded towards Sophie who was watching her Uncle intently. The little imp was trying to copy his expression, her brows wrinkled as she tried to frown and pursed her cupid lips into a petulant bow. The two adults burst out laughing as they watched her innocent antics. She gave them a cheeky, toothy grin then proceeded to play with her mashed carrots and peas.
“You, little lady, are a mess,” Kendra declared as she took out some bits of food that managed to land in Sophie’s hair. “Finish up, then we’ll have a bath.”
“Ba-babaaath!” Sophie echoed, her eyebrows wriggling in agreement. She always looked forward to playing with her toys in the bathtub.
“You two go ahead and enjoy your babaaath time. I’ll take care of the dishes,” Tyler offered, pinching Sophie’s pudgy cheeks smeared with mashed carrots.
Since the first day she moved in, Kendra had observed how the two of them have worked seamlessly together. Despite his wealth, Tyler had never expected anyone to wait on him. Maybe it’s because he had worked his way to the top, she surmised. But ever since she had known him, he had never flashed his status or accomplishments to anyone, which Kendra thinks says a lot about it.
To the rest of their circle of friends, Tyler was Tim’s older brother and the much-publicized rake in Silver Bow County and hailed as one of the prime catches in all of Montana. “And he’s mine,” Kendra breathe the words softly she watched Sophie splash and play in the tub.
“Yes, he’s yours, but for how long?” the pessimist in her jeered.
A knock interrupted her thoughts. Tyler’s head appeared, “I forgot to tell you, I have scheduled the interview with the nanny here tomorrow morning. I hope it’s a good time.” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, sure.” Kendra smiled reassuringly. So Sophie will have a new nanny. This will free up Tyler’s time and probably give him more time to get back into the social scene. Kendra assumes his routine right now may have bored him to tears.
And if she did decide to stay with Tyler even after the one month period, she highly doubted she would fit in his world, his real world—not this, this domesticated life.
With a heavy heart, she realized getting into bed with Tyler had complicated things more than she’d ever bargained for. Her sense of self-preservation told her to pull away. While it was highly doubtful she would walk away with her heart in one piece, she can do so with her pride intact.
The last thing she wanted was to linger here when she was no longer needed. Unknowingly, she had turned out to be one of the bimbos Tyler paraded in the past and she was stupid enough to lose her heart in the process.
* * * *
The nanny that Tyler’s secretary recommended turned out to be the most qualified for the job. Martha was a fifty-something woman who previously worked as a long-time nanny of the two children of the ambassador of Peru back in Canada. As luck would have it, the family has decided to relocate to another country and Martha opted to stay behind. She claimed she’s too old to adjust to the weather and customs of another country. Besides, her only daughter and grandchildren lived in Montana, which was the reason why she had decided to move back in Silver Bow County after several years.
She seemed to be a natural with children and had gotten on quite well with Sophie during their brief interaction.
“Well, what do you think?” Tyler asked her as he bounced Sophie on his lap.
“I love her! I think she’s perfect for Sophie.” Kendra gave him a genuine smile. They were sitting side by side on the living room couch. While they were busy discussing the nanny’s employment, Sophie was also busy trying to climb up her Uncle’s chest. The little one clearly demanded the attention back on her.
“I’ll have HR process her employment after the background checks have been completed.” Tyler said. Sophie squeezed his cheeks with both hands and pulled him closer, effectively cutting off their conversation.
Kendra could not help but chuckle at the little girl’s antic. Now that she had successfully gotten her Uncle Tyler’s full attention, the tiny imp babbled, “Kissh, kisshh” as she puckered her lips for a kiss.
Tyler let out a belly laugh, totally enamored by his beautiful niece. He then proceeded to give Sophie a resounding smack on the lips and hugged her close.
“Aaaawww... what about me, Sophie? Don’t I get a kiss, too?” Kendra asked affectionately as she mimicked Sophie by also puckering her lips.
Sophie let out a belly laugh, totally enjoying the attention she was getting from the two adults. “Da-da-da...kissh!” The little poked her Uncle Tyler’s chest with her forefinger and pointed to Kendra’s lips. She expectantly looked on as she waited for Tyler to do her bidding.
Kendra was taken aback by the sudden turn of events but decided to play along. She turned to Tyler, closed her eyes and formed an exaggerated pucker, which earned her laughter from the two. She knew she must have looked silly but didn’t open her eyes.
For a couple of seconds, Tyler simply looked at her intently, as if memorizing her face. Kendra never failed to fascinate him. Unlike other women he can easily read like a book, she seems to continue to baffle him with her unique mix of shyness and candor. But with her, he didn’t have to worry about ulterior motives and underhanded schemes, which was quite refreshing.
He leaned down and gave her the softest kiss. At the soft touch of his lips, her eyes flew open and they stared at each other for several seconds. It was not by any means a passionate kiss, but there was a tender quality to it. It was as if he truly cared for her.
The magical moment was interrupted by Sophie’s enthusiastic clapping. Kendra
shyly drew away and laughed at Sophie’s animated face as she watched them share a kiss. Drawing the baby close, she kissed her on the forehead and felt a burst of love and possessiveness. She didn’t have a child of her own but she knew that she loved Sophie as much as she would love her own.
For what seemed like hours, Kendra and Sophie spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the living room while Tyler watched and tried to get some work done. Every once in a while, Kendra would catch him looking at her intently and every single time she would be the one to break the eye contact.
They had made love every single night but instead of the passion waning, it seemed to intensify as they learned to pleasure each other. Tyler had patiently taught Kendra to be more open and tell him what she likes, in the same way that he showered her with praises at her eagerness to please him. After a couple of nights, it was difficult to distinguish who was teaching whom.
Tyler had never felt this in sync with a woman in his life. In the past, it had been purely physical gratification on both sides, which was fine and dandy. With Kendra, it was as if he shared a strong, unbreakable connection. He seemed to be more attuned and aware of her more than ever. The realization was both exhilarating and unsettling at the same time.
Chapter Thirteen
Soon, Monday came, which marked the first day of Kendra’s last week as a stay-in pediatric nurse for Sophie. The mood inside the house turned somber, like there was an ominous cloud looming. While Kendra could easily choose to stay in Tyler’s house, they haven’t really talked about it.
Martha also reported that same Monday. Most of the day was spent orienting her to Sophie’s needs and routines. As much as possible, Kendra wanted to maintain the routine that they had established over the past weeks. The poor baby had been through enough with the loss of her parents, Kendra was keen on creating a stable, nurturing environment for her.
She also gave Martha a background on Sophie’s parents, copies of the child’s medical records as well as emergency numbers to call just in case the need arose.
“I hope you’ll stay here and keep little Sophie and me company, Miss Kendra.” Martha said kindly. Early on, the two had struck a good rapport.
“Don’t worry, I’ll try to pop in and visit as often as I can. The hospital where I am working is just a couple of blocks away,” Kendra said brightly. In fact, a bit too brightly. Curiously, the older woman watched her for a few moments.
Around four in the afternoon, Tyler called and asked Kendra to dress up. He wanted to take she and Sophie out for dinner. In the weeks that she had stayed in his home, this was the first time that the invitation sounded like a date. Never mind the fact that Sophie would be there, too. Kendra welcomed the breather.
Informing Martha of the plans, she instructed the nanny to have Sophie ready by six in the evening. She personally picked out Sophie’s dress, a pink dress with a tutu skirt with matching elastic headband. Sophie looked like a little ballerina in her ensemble. Like a proud parent, she wanted to show off the little girl to the rest of the world.
Kendra took time to prepare. She picked a long blue maxi dress with a nautical appeal to it. It featured a sleeveless top that wonderfully hugged her curves before the material softly flared at the hips. The dress beautifully showed off her svelte figure. She chose a simple pair of wedges, which provided more stable support for carrying a baby.
She was blow drying her hair when Tyler arrived around five thirty in the afternoon looking a bit tired. He called out that he will just take a shower before they head out. With extra minutes on her hands, she gave more attention to her makeup. She wasn’t always a big fan of putting on makeup, other than some lipstick and mascara. But for this instance, she wanted to look particularly beautiful. This might just be the first and last date with Tyler, she thought.
When she stepped out of the living room, Tyler and Sophie were already waiting for her. From her doorstep, she felt a sudden urge to bolt and close the door behind her. Her insecurities surfaced. The last thing she wanted was to make Tyler think she was trying too hard to look pretty. She knew she couldn’t compete with Bianca or the other women he had dated in the past. People were bound to talk and raise some eyebrows, she was sure of it.
It’s just dinner, dammit! Not marriage.
Just as she was about to scurry back to the comforts of her bedroom, Tyler turned to her direction. Their eyes held and she saw the look of appreciation darken his eyes. It was just the boost of confidence she needed.
“Wow. You look...stunning,” Tyler said huskily as he walked towards her with Sophie in his arms.
“I...uhmm…thank you. It’s just a little makeup, that’s all,” she stammered.
“Sweetheart, we both know your glow has nothing to do with makeup. Give your man some credit, will you?” Tyler grinned wolfishly.
She felt herself turn red. She spied Martha watching them from a distance, smiling fondly. In an effort to act nonchalant, she rolled her eyes and turned towards the door. “C’mon Chadwick. I’m famished. Unfortunately, flattery will not pacify my grumbling stomach.”
Sensing that they were about to go out, Sophie blabbered exuberantly as if trying to express her excitement. The little girl looked adorable in her frilly outfit. Tyler turned and gave Martha a wink, which elicited a giggle from the old woman.
“Bye, Martha.” Kendra called out with a smile. Tyler always had a way with women, no matter what age. And it seems Martha is far from immune of his boyish charm.
* * * *
Tyler opened the car door for her before he went to get Sophie out of her car seat in the back. Tyler made a mental note to look up a more family-friendly vehicle. While his black Porsche proved to be a perfect accessory for any bachelor, it was definitely not built with a baby in mind.
Earlier that day, Tyler had asked Sally to make a reservation for two at a local family restaurant called Henrico’s. A favorite among locals, it’s the perfect go to place to simply hang loose and enjoy casual dinners with family and friends. It also happened to be one of the places they used to hang out with Tim and Melissa.
“I know you love it here.” Tyler turned to her with a lopsided grin. His hand found its way to the small of her back.
Kendra gave him a warm smile in return. Despite his larger than life reputation of a town rake, she often found herself caught off guard by his thoughtfulness. Sure, they had known each other for years now, but definitely not on this level.
There were a number of familiar faces in the restaurant. Apparently, Tyler frequented the place and a few people called out to greet him. Kendra also noticed a few inquiring glances thrown her way, which only made her more self-conscious. Despite the discomfort, she plastered a polite smile on.
Sophie, on the other hand seemed to preen at all the attention she was getting. Silver Bow is a small county, which makes it highly likely for people to know almost everyone else’s business and that included the unfortunate accident that left the little girl orphaned.
Amid the business foot traffic, the waiter guided them to a quiet corner. They requested a high chair for Sophie. Martha had already fed her before they left so they just ordered some mashed potatoes for her. When Tyler offered her the menu, she simply picked out cream dory in tartar sauce and pumpkin juice while Tyler ordered the house specialty, rib eye steak.
“Whew, I felt like it’s been ages since I last dined out.” Tyler chuckled.
“I know, right? I used to meet up with Mel here,” Kendra reminisced fondly.
“Yeah. I remember. And oh, I remember that time when you showed up with what’s his name again?” Tyler teased. He was referring to that time when she brought along Michael to meet the gang.
“Michael.” Kendra grinned through gritted teeth. She didn’t like to talk about her ex, not because she wasn’t over him but because she didn’t want to be reminded of the wasted years that she fooled herself into believing the guy was the ideal one for her.
“What happened between the two of you anyway
?” Tyler asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
Kendra shrugged, trying to hide her irritation. Tyler continued to look at her expectantly, waiting for her to spill the beans. Apparently, he had no intention of dropping the subject. Taking her sweet time, she turned to Sophie and fed her a small portion of mashed potato.
“Well, if you really must know... We just woke up one day and decided we were not meant for each other. We were no longer happy, you know. I’m not even sure if I was ever really happy with him. He was sort of a convenient choice...” Kendra frowned when she voiced her realization.
“Well, remind me to thank him if we bump into him anytime soon. You’re too good for him anyway.” Tyler said matter-of-factly.
Kendra laughed at his remark not because she found it funny but he always seemed to effortlessly make her feel good about herself. She realized she liked that in a man. It was quite refreshing actually. The men she had been with in the past were either too full of themselves or did not have a clue how to properly compliment a woman. Tyler, on the other hand, seemed to be acing that department.
“Haha! You don’t have to patronize me, Tyler,” Kendra said dryly.
Sophie mimicked her laugh, which brought a fresh round of laughter. The little one wiggled her eyebrows impishly, something that she has been doing a lot lately. She looked pleased with herself.
Just then someone from behind her cleared their throat ceremoniously, a sound that clearly demanded attention. Before she turned around to see who it was, Kendra saw Tyler’s jaw tighten and his smile disappear, which could only mean it was an unwelcome intrusion.
Despite his misgivings, Tyler stood up and made the introductions. “Ken, I’d like you to meet Beatrice Cavendish, Melissa’s aunt. This is Kendra Simmons,” Tyler introduced simply. The slight inflection in his voice made her realize this was the aunt that had filed for custody of little Sophie, which explained the thick blanket of animosity between the two.
Gathering her scattered wits, Kendra turned and offered a warm, welcoming smile and her hand. “Oh, hello Mrs. Cavendish! You’re Mel’s aunt. I heard so many good things about you from Melissa, ma’am. Please, join us.”
Accidental Parents Page 8