Saved by the Doctor

by Ivy Wonders

  I shook my head. “First interview.”

  Sally decided to ask me a question, “And what makes you think you’re capable of being a governess?”

  “I have a bachelor’s in early childhood development,” I whispered insecurely.

  “Education?” the man asked. “That makes you a viable candidate?”

  Shrugging, I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t a viable candidate. Especially now that I was up against them. Both had lots of experience and the doctor would be foolish not to hire one of them. My bets were on Sally just because she was a woman.

  But then again, what would the mother of this child want? And I had no idea why she wasn’t mentioned as an interviewer. Surely the mother of this child wanted to be involved in picking a suitable nanny for her little girl.

  They might want a man to watch over their child. Maybe they would feel she’d be more protected that way? The guy looks kind of buff. He gave off an air of protection, too.

  A door to the back opened and another woman stood there. “Mrs. Sally Steiner?”

  Sally got up and followed her, leaving Manly Jones and me alone. “How old are you?” he asked me.

  “Twenty-two.” An interview with a competitor before the actual interview. Terrific. “And you?”

  “Forty-three,” he said. “I’ve been doing this type of work since I was ten raising my younger brothers when our mother overdosed on opiates. We avoided getting sent to a children’s home for nearly a year, because I kept things going so well. Nobody knew no one took care of us.”

  I found that hard to believe. “Is that the story you tell?”

  His dark eyes leveled on mine. “Young lady, that is no story. That is the God’s honest truth.”

  “How’d a ten-year-old pay bills?” I asked cocking one brow at him. I knew a liar when I heard one.

  He turned to look out the window. “You would never understand what it was like when I was a kid. Bills? How can one have bills when one has no home?”

  “So, you took care of your younger siblings as you lived on the street?” I still didn’t believe him. “And at ten-years’-old?”

  All he did was nod as he wouldn’t look at me anymore. And that bothered me none at all. What did bother me was thinking that this man might get the job. And him taking care of a little girl didn’t sit right with me.

  Chapter 3

  Alex

  I already had three days of interviews for the au pair position and had yet to find the perfect one for Tabby. This fourth one has to be the last. With only a couple of weeks left until I start work, I wanted someone right away. That way Tabby would have time with me around, to get used to another person taking care of her.

  A fifty-year-old woman walked into the small interview room. Her graying hair in a neat bun, she wore what I’d call typical governess clothing and a stoic expression to match. “Dr. Arlen, I’m Mrs. Steiner.” She extended her hand as I rose.

  Shaking it, I noticed the lack of a smile on her face. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Steiner.” Her resume was impeccable. She’d been the governess for many important families in the Seattle area. But I still wasn’t sure about her. “Please take a seat.”

  She sat across from me, her hands placed neatly in her lap. “I see you have my resume there in front of you. I’d like to point out my years of experience. The last four pages are letters of recommendation from my past employers. All of the children I had the pleasure of helping raise have gone to college. Well, except Elias, but he’s still in high school. He’ll go as well. My purpose is to compel education upon my charges.”

  I had no idea what charges were. “Your charges?”

  She looked at me with dark brown eyes, surrounded by thin lines. “The children I look after, sir.”

  “Okay.” That told me she wasn’t close to the kids she helped raise. “And you like to make sure they seek further education?” That wasn’t such a bad thing.

  “I have.” She pointed at the resume in front of me again. “If you’ll read the first recommendation, I started working with those children when the oldest was only four. The three of them were well versed in the Bible as well as proper behavior.”

  “And how about playing?” That was more important to me than behaving. Tabby wasn’t a bad child in the first place.

  “A time and a place for that are scheduled into each day.” She looked me in the eyes. “I’ve been a nanny for longer than you’ve been a father. I can help take this great burden off your shoulders, Doctor. That way you can do your work. And your wife can as well.”

  “I don’t have one.” And Tabby is not a burden. “I tell you what, Mrs. Steiner, I’ve got your resume and will study it before making my decision. Thank you for coming.”

  She seemed a bit shocked as she sat there. “So, this is it?”

  I nodded and got up to walk her out. “It is.”

  “I never had such a short interview before, sir.” She got up, and I escorted her to the door. “Is there anything else I can answer for you?”

  I had one more question, not that it would matter, but I wanted to know. “And how are you on corporal punishment?”

  “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” she said quickly.

  Thought so.

  “You have a wonderful day, Mrs. Steiner.” I closed the door behind her, not missing the stunned expression she wore.

  Going back to the table, I tossed her resume aside. No one would be laying a hand on my baby girl.

  There was a quick knock at the door and then a tall man opened it and stepped in. I had Manly Jones’ resume pulled out of the file. The receptionist had sorted them in the order they would be interviewed. “Mr. Jones, it’s nice to meet you.” I got up and shook his hand.

  “You, too, Doc,” he said with a smoothness that made him seem down to Earth.

  “Please, take a seat.” I took mine, then looked over his resume. “Seems you’ve watched over quite a few kids in your time, Manly.” How did he get into the babysitting business? “And you came to be an au pair how exactly?”

  “As you can see on my resume, I was hired for my first nanny job by the mayor of Seattle ten years ago.” He looked incredibly proud. “I was a janitor at the courthouse when we met. He liked the way I interacted with his kids. They were with him a lot after his wife left him. So, he gave me my first nanny job. And from there, I stayed in the business as each of my kids grew up.”

  He called them his kids, which is a lot better than them being called charges. “So you’ve got a knack with kids?”

  “I took care of my younger brothers when I was younger, too. It’s a gift,” he said with a smile. “People don’t usually think of men as au pairs, but I can do better with kids than lots of women. I think like one, I suppose. Fun is my number one thing. If my kids are having fun, smiling and laughing, then I’ve done my job.”

  “That’s great.” I liked that attitude. “Kids aren’t meant to just behave and learn.” I’d heard far too much from the other candidates I’d interviewed about teaching kids how to behave and making them learn all the time. None had talked about playing and letting them have fun.

  I looked over his resume to see if he’d taken care of little girls before. “My daughter is three. Do you think you could deal with that?”

  “Sure can,” he said with certainty. “Little Miss Dana was two when I worked for the mayor. She wrapped me around her little finger, that’s for sure.” He sat back, then looked at me with a curious expression. “If you don’t mind me asking, is the mother around?”

  “My wife passed away from cervical cancer a year ago, Manly.” I sighed, then went on, “I won’t lie to you. I wanted to hire a female to take care of Tabby. She needs a female role model in her life.”

  He nodded. “I see.” Then he snapped his fingers. “I’ve got a sister who could come around to be that female influence.”

  I didn’t know if that would be enough. “I don’t know.”

  “Sir, when I worked for the mayor,
his wife had split. Those kids didn’t have no mama.” That proud look came back to his dark eyes. “I got my sister doing things with them, too. And that helped loads. You can count on me, sir. I’ll help your little girl. My sister loves to dote on children.”

  The man seemed genuine, and Tabby would love his playful ways. “I tell you what, Manly, let me do this next interview, and then I’ll make a decision. You’re my top pick right now.”

  He stood up, clapping his hands. “That sounds amazing. You’ve got to interview the last candidate. I have all the confidence in the world you will be giving me a call, Doc.”

  “And why’s that?” I asked as the next person couldn’t be that bad.

  “She’s a kid, Doc. No business helping anyone raise a child, but thinks her college degree will help her take care of someone else’s kid.” He reached out to shake my hand. “So, I’ll be talking to you soon, sir.”

  Laughing, the guy made me feel great. “I’m sure you will.”

  When he left, I heard him laughing his way down the hall, and his laughter made me smile. I liked his outgoing personality and knew he’d make Tabby’s time away from me fun for her.

  He’d left the door slightly ajar, and the next person stepped up to it. I took the last resume out of the file to find very little listed on it. When the door moved, a young woman came in. “Dr. Arlen?”

  “That’s me. Come on in.” I looked at the name on top of the resume. “Kyla Rush.”

  She took a seat without offering to shake my hand, and her eyes were glued to the desk. “I prefer to be called Ky.”

  Socially awkward, I couldn’t help but feel for her as I’d been the same way in my younger years. “Okay, Ky. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Her eyes flashed to mine for only a fraction of a second. “You, too.”

  I put the resume down because the only thing on it was her education in early childhood development. “Do you like children, Ky?”

  She nodded, making the loose bun on top of her head bounce a bit. The bun was thick; her hair was quite long. It was the same color as Jennifer Aniston’s and shined in the light. “I do like them.” Then she looked into my eyes, and I saw the green in her hazel eyes glisten. “I adore them, really. I did some babysitting for my cousins in my teens. It was then I decided to pursue a career revolving around kids.”

  “And what do you like doing with kids, Ky?” Something about the young woman struck me. She hardly wore any makeup. Her skin was creamy and natural. Her lips were a natural pink and her cheeks had a slight rose hue to them. She was a healthy young woman.

  The way her eyes danced told me she truly enjoyed children. “I love playing with them and watching them when they learn something new. I love talking to them and listening to them tell me things. Kids fascinate me. Their brains are developing at such a rapid rate; it defies imagination. One day they can’t speak a word, the next day they’re saying dada or mama. It’s just a great thing to witness. You know what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah.” I couldn’t stop looking into her eyes. So much in them intrigued me! “Do you have any siblings, Ky?”

  “No, sir. I’m an only child.” She looked down again, and I fought a powerful urge to lean forward and take her by the chin to raise her face back up, so I could look into those eyes again.

  She didn’t have an ounce of real experience, and she wasn’t going to be the right nanny for us. But something told me to give her a shot anyway. “Well, Ky, can I be honest with you?”

  Her eyes came back to mine. “Yes, sir.”

  “I’d like my daughter’s nanny to have some experience.” I pushed the last page of Manly’s resume toward her, showing her the many job assignments he’d had. “This is typical of the resumes I’ve seen in the last few days.”

  “I understand, sir.” She squinted as she looked at the paper in front of her. “Um, can I ask you a question?”

  “I suppose so.” I didn’t see the harm in answering something for her.

  She looked at me again. “I noticed how happy the last guy who left here was. Is that because you’ve pretty much gone with hiring him?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.” I saw no reason to lie.

  The way her eyes cut to the side and her chest rose and fell told me that was troubling to her. “Sir, I’ve got a way of reading people. This isn’t my business, but I feel I should tell you this.” She bit her lower lip before saying, “He’s not the person you think he is. Did he tell you his homeless-ten-year-old-taking care of his brothers after his mother overdosed-story?”

  “No.” What is she talking about? “Did he tell you that?”

  She nodded. “He did. And I didn’t believe him. The woman before him knew him. I think he’s been a sitter for a while, but I don’t trust him. You should know that before hiring him. I know you’re not hiring me, but please don’t hire him.”

  What the hell?

  Chapter 4

  Ky

  Two days went by after what I considered to be the worst interview anyone had done in a million years. So when my cell rang with a number I didn’t recognize, I answered it, thinking it was some scam. “What?”

  For a moment, I heard only silence, then a man asked, “Ky?”

  His voice smooth, deep, and incredibly attractive, I knew who it was right away. “Dr. Arlen?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s me.”

  “Oh, sorry about that. I thought you were some scam caller.” My cheeks were heating with embarrassment, and I sat on a crate in the back of the store, pausing from throwing out the trash.

  “I took your advice about the man I was going to hire,” he said.

  Maybe I was wrong about the guy. “And?”

  “And after a background check, I learned he’s using an alias. On top of that, he’s got a police record. He had charges dropped, but only because of this mayor he got to know while working at the courthouse. He had to do mandatory civil service for six months after being convicted of theft.”

  “I’m glad you checked him out,” I said, nodding to myself as I got up to head back inside to get back to work. “So, did you find yourself a sitter?”

  “I think I have,” he said.

  I figured it was the woman, Sally. “She’s got a lot of experience. I hope she works out for you.”

  He seemed puzzled as he asked, “And when did all this experience occur, may I ask?”

  “I don’t know.” I didn’t understand the guy.

  “Ky, I picked you,” he said.

  “What?”

  “I picked you,” he said again. “Would you like to come over to discuss your salary?”

  My head felt light. “Am I dreaming?”

  “No,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll send my driver to pick you up. What’s the address?”

  “I’m at work.” I didn’t know what to do. “Um, damn, I’m not sure what to do here.”

  “Where do you work?” he asked.

  “Judy’s Grocery,” I said as I started heading inside. “You know what? I’m going to tell Judy I’ve got another job and don’t need this one anymore. Right? I should do that, right?”

  “You should.” He laughed, then said, “Text me your address. I’ll give you an hour to get home, and then I’ll send my driver to pick you up and bring you here. We’ve got lots to talk about, and I can’t wait for Tabby to meet you.”

  Suddenly it hit me like a brick. I got the job! “I’ll do that! Thank you!”

  The rest of that hour blurred by as I was beyond excited. And when a Lincoln pulled up in front of my apartment, I nearly passed out. The driver stood at the back door, holding it open for me. “Good afternoon, Miss Rush. I’m Steven, Dr. Arlen’s driver. I understand you are the new governess.”

  “I guess I am.” I got into the backseat, taking in all the luxury. “Wow.”

  “I know.” He shut the door, returned to the driver’s seat, and off we went.

  I had no idea where we were going and texted Carla to let her know. Aft
er several minutes, we arrived in the more affluent part of town, and my jaw dropped just a little. The Lincoln then turned into a set of iron gates, and I texting Carla that I’d arrived at my destination and new home. I put the phone away as I looked around in wonder.

  The mansion loomed ahead of us, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. “Wow.”

  When the car came to a stop, the driver honked the horn, and the front door opened immediately. Another man came out to the car, opening the door for me. “Hello, Miss Rush. I’m Mr. Randolph, Dr. Arlen’s butler. Please come with me.”

  Feeling as if I walked on air, I got out of the car, following the man who looked a lot like of Clark Gable. “I’m Ky.”

  “Okay, Ky,” he said as he led me through one grand room after another. “This way, please. They’re over here in Tabby’s playroom.”

  “I’m going to need a map of this place,” I said in a near-whisper as I’d already lost my way.

  “I’ll make you one.” The man seemed helpful. “We want you to make this place your home.”

  “Oh yeah.” I’d forgotten that I would live in this place now that I was the little girl’s nanny.

  When he opened one of the many doors along a long, wide corridor, I saw the man who interviewed me sitting on the floor as a little blonde-haired girl skipped around him in a circle, singing like a fairy princess. Dr. Arlen’s ice-blue eyes found mine, and he smiled with that smile that had taken my breath away the first time I saw it. “Ky!” He reached out to take his daughter’s hand. “Look, Tabby, this is Ky, your new babysitter.”

  Shyly, the girl ducked her head as she climbed onto her daddy’s lap. I went to them, trying my best to get over my nerves. “Hi, Tabby.”

  Peering at me from under thick, dark lashes, she said not one word. But her father did. “She’s a little shy. But she’ll warm up to you.”

  Taking a deep breath, I tried to get my brain to work. Taking a seat on the floor, too, I sat cross-legged, just like he did. “Your home is beautiful, Dr. Arlen.”

  Another smile curved his chiseled, caramel-colored lips. “It’s your home now, too, Ky. I’ll show you to your suite in a little while, and then Steven will take you back to your place to retrieve your things. You can move in today. If that’s okay.”