Part of the Family

by Cristina Grenier

  Danny seemed to notice him at that moment and called out excitedly, “Daddy! We read about a train!”

  Max watched as Everett Morgan’s face bloomed with love. He smiled at his son, reaching out to take him as the child stretched his arms up to him. The little boy hugged his father, whose arms wrapped around him completely as he returned the affection.

  “So you liked the story, buddy?”

  “Yeah! We go on a train, Daddy?”

  “”Sure, we can. Just not right now. It’s past your bedtime.”

  Ev dropped a sweet kiss on the top of his son’s head and turned to look at Carrie, who had stood up at this point.

  “Thank you so much for babysitting. It wasn’t my intention to leave that task to anyone tonight…”

  Carrie interrupted him with a charming smile. “It’s not a problem, Mr. Morgan. Danny’s such a sweet little boy, I enjoyed it as much as he did.”

  “Well, thank you very much! And you, Max,” he added, turning to his hostess. “I look forward to hearing from you by the end of the week, then.”

  Max nodded, wondering why her cheeks were burning up. It wasn’t as though they had a date or anything like that. But she knew what Carrie would be thinking, and Ev hadn’t exactly helped. Still, she was glad she had a reason to call him again, despite her desire to remain aloof. He was a hard man to resist. She wondered what he would look like when he was hard…

  “Earth to Max! Come in, Max!”

  Carrie’s teasing voice broke into the dirty thought she had just begun to have, and she blushed again.

  “Sorry…what?”

  “I see you’ve made a conquest there, boss! Nice!” Carrie chuckled merrily. “He seems quite taken with you.”

  Max knew the real truth, which was that Everett Morgan was just being kind because he needed her help to find him a nanny. Which reminded her…

  “He’s also very taken with you, Carrie. He told me he wished you didn’t have a job already, or he’d hire you to be Danny’s nanny. You impressed the socks off him.”

  “Danny is easy to get along with,” she said, “and he loves to read and play puzzle games. He’s a real bright kid. Maybe even a genius for his age.”

  “Well, Mr. Morgan needs help finding a nanny. He told me the kind of woman he’s looking for, and…”

  “What if it’s a man, not a woman?”

  “What?” Max stared at Carrie with wide open eyes.

  “I have a friend who needs a job and he’s great with kids. Do you want his information?”

  “Let me talk to Danny’s dad first before we get too excited, okay? He wanted an older person and I assumed he meant a woman. He said nothing about a guy.”

  “Okay, but I’m telling you, Jeff would be perfect for this job.”

  “Tell me about Jeff so I’ll have something to tell him,” Max said. “And while you’re at it, tell me why he doesn’t have a job, because you know for sure he’s going to ask me.”

  “I’ll text you everything later, but right now, I hear a tune calling my name,” Carrie said, “and I promised a guy a dance.”

  “Oh? And who’s this guy?” Max grinned at her.

  “If you come in for a dance, you’ll meet him, too. Come on, you need to loosen up a bit and have some fun. The rest of the year is gonna be a doozy.”

  By the time the dancing ended, Max was exhausted but content. Her first big event with Hope For All had been an unqualified success, and she had weathered the storm of her second meeting with a man she had never expected to meet again after their first ugly encounter. She kicked her shoes off once she got back into her apartment, fondled the cats who came to say hello, and helped herself to another glass of wine. Given the dread with which she had left the condo earlier, she was feeling pretty mellow.

  Her efforts to find a nanny for Everett Morgan’s son would begin in earnest tomorrow, which meant she had to enlist the aid of her event planner, who had promised to send her information on the young man she thought would be best for the job. Carrie knew a lot of people, and Max knew she could trust her to make sensible choices. She sent off Ev’s qualifications for his nanny and when Carrie answered her, she received not only a description of the young man but also his photograph.

  He was a good-looking guy, in his mid-twenties it appeared, with a shock of bright blond hair and an infectious smile. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him, despite the ornate cane he leaned on. It seemed more of an adornment than anything else. He was a student of philosophy, according to Carrie’s notes, was from Southern California, and had been employed until six months ago. She would leave the telling for the reason he was out of work to him, she said. Apparently he preferred to tell it himself.

  Max put it on her calendar to speak to the young man herself, after she asked Ev if he had preferences for gender. Then she finished her wine, took a shower, and went to bed. She was by no means ready to get up when the phone alarm went off at six, but she was a creature of habit, and she knew there was no way to avoid work. The director never took a day off…she was like the postal service, always on duty, except for holidays. But she was too tired still to spend too much time on an outfit, and chose the first thing that came to her hand.

  The bright blue skirt suit brightened her tired features, and made her feel just a little less numb and dull than she had when she woke up. She had just parked in her spot when her phone buzzed. She checked to see who it was, but didn’t recognize the number so she ignored it. It could go to voicemail. Except it didn’t. Instead, the phone rang again, almost insistently. By now she was out of the car. She locked it and answered.

  ”This is Maxine Cousins. How may I help you?”

  “Good morning, Maxine,” Everett Morgan said, startling her. “Were you planning to let my call go to voicemail?”

  Still trying to recover from the shock of having him call her, Max struggled to find a way to answer the question diplomatically. He didn’t give her the time.

  “Don’t worry. I screen my calls as well when I don’t recognize the number. But now you’ll know when you see the number whose it is. I’m sorry to call so early. I imagine you’re on your way to work, if you’re not already there, but I have a bit of an emergency.”

  Max walked toward the parking garage elevator door. “Oh? What’s the emergency?”

  “I have to travel out of state for a couple of nights and had forgotten about it until this morning when my secretary reminded me of the arrangements, which have already been made. I can’t bow out of this trip, but I have no one to watch Danny for me.”

  “Oh dear! That is a problem. But I’m glad you called, as I have to ask you something which you might find rather odd. It’s about the nanny position.”

  When she hesitated, he said, “Shoot! Otherwise I’m going to assume it’s something ominous.”

  “Oh, it’s not at all ominous,” she hastened to reassure him. “It’s just…unusual. I told Carrie about your nanny needs and she suggested someone whom she says needs a job and would be great with Danny.”

  “Okay. And? But? Just tell me.”

  He was beginning to sound impatient, so Max hurried to finish it. “It’s a young man.”

  There was a small silence on the other end of the line, and then he said, “Yes, that is rather unusual. But I’m desperate, and this two-night thing can be considered a kind of alternative job interview. However, I’d like him in my office by noon if that’s possible, and depending on how things pan out, he’ll have to bring things with him for a two-night stay starting this evening. Can you get that information to him for me?”

  “I can do you one better,” she said. “I’ll shoot you a text message with his vitals. There is one more thing you ought to know. He’s been jobless for a while, and apparently there’s a big reason for it that he wishes to tell any future employer himself.”

  “Noted. Send me the info. And thank you. Please don’t stop looking for possible candidates, as this might not pan out. In fact, it may not e
ven work out for this evening, in which case I’m screwed.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Max said. “If things don’t work out with him, I’ll find a way to help you.”

  She didn’t know what she would do, short of babysitting the kid herself, but she felt compelled to help him find the right person to watch out for his son. She didn’t know why, although she assumed it might have something to do with a need that was growing inside her to be around him. She would squelch that, and as soon as she found him a permanent solution to his problem, she could let it go and things would return to normal.

  “Thanks, Maxine. And have a good day!”

  He hung up before she could respond. She imagined he was already at work, and wondered how long he’d been there. And she wondered who was watching Danny while he was there…unless he was working from home? But no. He had said Jeff was to go to his office. Which reminded her…she sent the text message as soon as she sat down at her desk, and then called Carrie to tell her the news.

  “Don’t stop looking for someone,” she told her, “but keep your fingers crossed for your friend.”

  The rest of the day was taken up with making her own short list of possible nannies, finding two and inviting them in to talk to her about a possible job opportunity. Then she turned her attention to the new project that Hope For All was taking on, which was slated to begin in the New Year. Jen had left all the information for her in a file that she had sent in email. Max downloaded and printed it, and then sat at her desk poring over the data. Jen interrupted her for a late lunch, and she went right back to it afterward. By mid-afternoon, she knew who she had to call to continue the conversation, and to begin to plan for the opening.

  She was working on one of the reports that she needed to file for the end of the year review when her cell phone rang. It was Ev.

  “Hi. How did it go?”

  “I was pleasantly surprised,” he said. “Jeff is a very pleasant and intelligent young man. He’s gone to get his things for a two-night stay at my place. We’ll see how he gets along with Danny later.”

  “I’m very glad. At least you won’t have to worry about your son for the next two days.”

  “And it’s thanks to you,” he said. “I appreciate your swift response to my needs.”

  Something about his choice of words struck Max as intentional. Or perhaps it was the way he stressed the last two words. She didn’t like the excited tingles that spread down her arms at the thought of meeting his needs.

  “I’m glad I could help, although to be fair it was Carrie who really helped. She came through in a pinch. I’ll be sure to let her know.”

  He didn’t answer right away, and she thought she heard someone speaking in the background. After a long moment, he came back on the line. “Sorry. My secretary just informed me of some more things I need to do before I leave. I’ll have to go now. But I’ll call you when I get back.”

  “Okay.” Max couldn’t think why he would be calling her, especially if Jeff worked out, but she agreed and hung up. The vibe she was getting from him was disconcerting. On the one hand, she knew he was genuinely grateful for her help in finding someone at such short notice to stay with his son. But there was an undertone of interest that had nothing to do with finding his son a nanny, and everything to do with her being female and him being male. She didn’t want to encourage any such interest between them, but her libido didn’t want her to discourage it, either.

  The next two days flew by, with Max meeting with the two candidates she had for the position as Ev’s nanny. One was iffier than the other, but she promised to call them with details about an interview as soon as she had the information. Then she met with the CFO of Hope For All to review spending for the year and to plan for the new fiscal year. She also met with the CEO, ahead of the board meeting, to discuss her goals for the upcoming year. She had a list of things she wanted to accomplish, including getting the new project off the ground.

  One of her big goals was to renovate the basement spaces in their building so as to relocate the security offices and the lunch room from the first floor. This would leave the space available for a daycare center for the workers’ children. It had come to her attention that in the past year workers had had their hours cut because they could not manage their babysitting needs and the demands of their jobs. Max couldn’t allow that kind of inequity to continue. None of the members of the board were young enough to have small children needing support, and she herself was single and childless. But she knew firsthand how difficult it was for some parents to keep their full-time jobs because there was no one to watch their children. There had to be a way to make it better for all concerned.

  By Friday, she was ready to call it done. The reports just kept coming, and though Jen was a great help to her, there were just some things she had to slog through on her own. She spent most of the day in one meeting after another, and then sat down to check her emails and clear her inbox. Jen poked her head in at four to remind her that it was almost time to go.

  “I’ll lock up, Jen,” she said. “You go ahead, and have a lovely weekend. Hugs to Jake from me.”

  “Don’t forget you’re invited for Sunday dinner next weekend.”

  “I won’t,” Max assured her. “What am I bringing again?”

  Jen rolled her eyes. “I would say a plus one, but you’re a lost cause. Just bring a bottle of wine.”

  Max laughed, not in the least offended. “You know I’d bring someone if there was a someone to bring, right?”

  “And since we both know you’re not looking for that someone, the point is moot.” Jen chuckled as she walked away. “Don’t stay too late.”

  “I won’t,” Max promised. And she didn’t. She was done within half an hour, and was powdering her nose when her cell phone rang. To her amazement, it was Everett Morgan.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Morgan,” she said, trying not to sound as pleased as she felt. “How are you today?”

  “I’d be a whole lot better if you called me by my name, as we agreed, Maxine.”

  “My bad,” she said, making him chuckle. “How may I help you?”

  “I wonder if you have a list of names for me. We had agreed that you would keep looking for someone in the event that Jeff didn’t work out.”

  Max sat up in her chair, concern in her voice as she asked, “What happened?”

  “Oh, no, no, nothing bad happened. He’s perfect for Danny. But he has some health issues that require him to go for therapy three days a week. So I’m going to need a part-timer for the hours when he’s otherwise occupied.”

  “I do have a couple of older women, as you requested,” she said. “I can text you the names.”

  “No, I’d prefer to discuss this over dinner, Maxine,” he said.

  The phone fell out of her hand. Max scrambled to pick it up and when he asked if everything was okay, she blithely lied. “Yes, of course. The phone fell, that’s all.”

  But that was not all. She was reeling in shock at the invitation. Why would this man, whose usual dinner partner was svelte, sexy, and sassy, suddenly want to have dinner with her, who could probably only manage ‘sassy’ on a good day?

  “So, dinner? I can pick you up in an hour.”

  Things were going far faster than Max could think through a reason to refuse. Hadn’t she just had a conversation with Jen about her not having a plus one because she wasn’t looking? What if she could get back into the dating scene with someone who clearly was just being polite? It would be a safe way to see how comfortable she was with it, and if she was ready try and find someone to enjoy spending time with.

  “I’m just leaving work,” she said, deciding there was no harm in one date. “Can you make it two?”

  “No problem. Give me your address, and I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  By the time Max got home, she was second guessing her decision. Everett Morgan was a player. She had no time for players. She was a serious woman in a serious job, and at the end of th
e day she didn’t need a man to be happy and fulfilled. But as she showered, she agonized anyway over what to wear that would send the message that she was just being polite in accepting his invitation to dinner. Then she had only half an hour left before he showed up at her door, so she gave in and picked a pretty red maxi dress, with spaghetti straps and a matching wrap. When her doorbell rang, she had just slipped her feet into the scrappy stiletto-heeled sandals that she had bought to wear with the dress. Her hair was down around her shoulders again, and her makeup was mostly foundation and lip color.

  She hurried to open the door…she didn’t want to keep Ev waiting. She excused her breathlessness on the fact that she rushed to the door, and not on the fact that her heart had sped up at the sound of the bell and was now racing out of control. Opening the door with trembling fingers, she looked into the gray eyes of the man standing at her door and lost her train of thought. He was smiling again, and she blinked and looked away so she could function like a thirty-something adult and not a teenager on her first date with the cute boy in school.

  “Hi,” she said, still breathless. “Come in, please.”

  Ev stepped past her into the hallway and she closed the door, trying to gather her composure around her before she faced him again. When she could speak, she turned to him and said,

  “I’ll just be a moment more.”

  Then she rushed away like the hounds of hell were on her heels, and picked up the pocketbook she had left lying on the bed in her haste to answer the door. She checked her hair again…it was fine. Closing her eyes, she sent up a silent prayer that she would be able to keep her cool this evening.

  Chapter 5: The Dinner Meeting

  Maxine Cousins was ravishing in red. Ev waited impatiently for her to come back from wherever she had run away to, needing to see her again in the sexy dress that hugged her voluptuous frame and invited him to take liberties with his eyes. When she walked back into the room, some of the air left it, replaced by her essence. He inhaled to calm his body, which was taking notice in a major way. He wasn’t about to pop a boner in front of a woman who a week ago had called him an asshole in a store because he had bumped into her accidentally. But he couldn’t deny that he was very interested in her. And his body was all on board with that interest.