by Nan Dixon
“But I take care of the kids at Cheryl and Nathan’s apartment.”
And she didn’t know how much longer she would be in Savannah. She swallowed. Mother hadn’t made any headway with Father. In her last conversation with dear old Dad, he’d maligned her job. As expected he’d insisted caring for children was not worthy of a Smythe.
“It’s impossible to find short-term care. She’s really sweet. She won’t be any trouble. And she and Josh go to the same school.”
Courtney rubbed her forehead and found those darn ridges forming. “I...I don’t know.”
“What if I talk to Cheryl? See if she’s okay with Daria joining you and the kids?” The woman took her hand. “I’m desperate.”
“Three or four weeks?” It might be fun. And good for Josh and Issy. “If Cheryl doesn’t have a problem, I’ll do it.”
“You’re a life saver. My sister doesn’t expect to deliver until around Labor Day.”
Courtney could handle another child for a few weeks, especially since Josh and Daria were in school. She might have to limit their adventure days with a third child. They’d need to walk everywhere. “If Cheryl is okay with it, sure.”
“Thank you.” Maggie gave her a hug. “I’m going to find Cheryl right now.”
It was possible that Cheryl would say no, although Courtney didn’t think that would happen. She ran back to her room and grabbed her idea notebook. How could she keep three kids occupied?
Forsyth Park was usually fun. They’d gone to the playground once, but they could go again. Maybe even take a picnic. They could tour the gardens and identify flowers. Maybe Bess could come along. Or they could do the same here in Bess’s gardens.
She noted other ideas; painting in the courtyard, making playdough. Play instruments? That might disturb Abby’s guests.
She could do this. She could handle three kids. Maybe.
Courtney headed to Fitzgerald House to grab a cup of coffee. Her body must be adjusting to the heat. It didn’t bother her to drink hot beverages when the air was as hot as the liquid in her cup. Even her hair was starting to frizz...a bit. She hadn’t been able to waste money on her normal hair products.
In the kitchen, Abby, Cheryl and Maggie were huddled around the table. Issy played in the sitting area.
“Hey, Issy,” Courtney whispered.
Issy gave her a sunshine-filled smile. “Hi.”
“Perfect,” Abby called to Courtney. “We’re discussing where the day care should go. Come join us.”
Courtney’s mouth dropped open. “Day care?”
“Maggie asked me about you watching Daria in the apartment,” Cheryl said.
“And opening a day care on the property evolved from there.” Abby tapped her pen on her ever-present to-do list. “This is a great idea. Nathan’s checking out the empty space on the first floor of the carriage house. I hope it will work.”
“Wait, you’re opening a day care?” Courtney headed to the table, her hands clenched into fists.
Josh and Issy were her responsibility, and Abby was taking over their care? If she lost this job, she would never get back to Boston. Back to her life.
“No.” Abby waved her over to the group that was stealing her job. “You’re opening a day care.”
Courtney’s heart thumped double-time. “I’m opening a day care?”
Cheryl and Maggie grinned, nodding their heads like they were bobblehead dolls.
“It’s a great idea,” Cheryl said. “So many of the staff have kids. They have trouble with the B and B’s odd hours. You’ve been really flexible with Josh and Issy.”
“But...” She sank into a chair across from Abby. “I don’t know anything about running a—a day care.”
The kitchen door opened and Nathan joined the group. “I think it will work. The day care can use the north door. We’ll build a couple of bathrooms and you can get three good-sized rooms back there along with a small reception area, an office and storage. Luckily, we poured all the floors when we started on your restaurant.”
Courtney’s head spun so hard, she was worried it would fly off. “I don’t know anything about running a day care,” she repeated.
“I built some in Atlanta,” Nathan said. “We’ll pull up the regs. You’ll need to get licensed.”
“Dolley texted. She’ll help with that.” Abby made a note on her list. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of this earlier.”
“But...” Courtney stopped, not knowing what to say. Regulations? Kids? Offices? She wouldn’t be here that long. And what did licensing entail?
Everyone talked around her, over her, making plans.
Issy climbed on her lap and patted her cheek.
Kaden pushed open the swinging door and stopped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just checking for any requests.”
Abby waved him in. “You’re not interrupting.”
Kaden nodded to Courtney but dodged her gaze. Had they really kissed three days ago?
Why hadn’t he called? Was she a terrible kisser? Courtney jerked her head in his direction. No way would she show she was upset with being in the same room with him. Better to ignore the best kiss of her life and the man who was responsible. She straightened her spine and gave Issy a tight hug.
“Do you have a lot going on right now, Kaden?” Nathan asked.
“Not too much.”
“My crews are stretched thin,” Nathan said. “Maybe Kaden can help pull the day care together?”
“Great idea.” Abby nodded. Everyone nodded. Courtney shook her head. Kaden frowned.
Abby explained, “We’re putting a day care in the carriage house.”
“You’re starting a day care?” Kaden took the chair next to Courtney, his shoulder bumping hers. He shifted his arm across the back of her chair.
She scooted her bottom to the front of the chair so they didn’t touch. She cleared her throat. “I’m—”
“It will be for Fitzgerald House employees,” Abby interrupted, “to start.”
“Courtney’s been so flexible with the odd hours I work,” Cheryl added.
“That’s perfect,” Kaden agreed with more enthusiasm than seemed reasonable.
“Why?” Courtney asked him. What was a day care to Kaden?
“Umm, that way you don’t have to take the kids very far. You’ll have...everything you need right here at the B and B.”
“We can make the food here or in the restaurant once we open,” Abby said. “The cleaning crew can be responsible for the day care, too.” Everyone tossed out ideas. Everyone but Courtney.
Dolley pushed through the swinging door. “I got your message and contacted our attorney. She’s pulling the regs and promised to get back to me this afternoon.”
Courtney swallowed. Her head wasn’t spinning anymore. It had been tossed into the gale of a massive New England nor’easter. Why did everyone assume she was on board? Shouldn’t someone ask what she wanted? Did she want to do this?
Kaden leaned in and whispered, “Are you okay?”
“No.” Her stomach churned. This was not her life’s dream.
But being with Josh and Issy was the happiest she’d been in years. If she didn’t take this on, someone else would be taking care of them.
She sighed. Apparently, she was opening a day care center.
* * *
KADEN STARED AT the text that Roger had just sent.
Salvez used credit card at Savannah airport car rental—2 days ago
Shit. Why had it taken so long to get the intel? His hammer clattered to the floor of the day care.
After two days, Salvez and Bole could be anywhere. At least there hadn’t been any facial recognition alerts. Maybe Bole wasn’t even with Salvez.
He wanted to lock up Cour
tney and the kids and not let them out until Bole was in custody. But that wasn’t going to happen. Courtney wasn’t talking to him. He’d screwed up by not calling her after the kiss, but he’d been at the Claxton scene until three in the morning. Best thing he could do was help finish the day care. Then Courtney and the kids would be in one spot. He hammered a little faster.
Josh stuck his head in through the door. “Wow!”
“You shouldn’t be in here.” Kaden didn’t need any distractions, and this was a work zone. With his record, someone would get hurt.
“Miss Abby sent us over.” Josh bounded into the room with a basket. “We brought lunch.”
“Fine.” He hadn’t worried about meals in a while. “Just stay on that side of the room.”
Issy came into the room with cups. Courtney brought up the rear, not looking at him.
“Be careful,” he warned.
All the progress he’d made going fishing with Courtney and the kids and they were back to coolness because he couldn’t keep his head. He should have called Courtney the next morning, but how could he have explained that he’d been at a meth house? Roger’s ex-wife had been on the scene. She’d grilled him on encroaching on her territory. He’d only been partially honest when he’d told her he was in Savannah for his grandfather’s recovery.
At some point he had to deal with the elephant in the room. If he and Courtney didn’t get back to something more normal, he might have trouble staying close enough to the kids to catch Heather. That wasn’t an option. Granddad was getting better. His cover for hanging around the B and B was going to disappear soon.
“Where’s Daddy?” Issy whispered.
“Picking up supplies,” Kaden said.
In the two days since the day care idea had surfaced, they’d gone through the regs with the lawyer, figured out the layout with an architect and roughed in rooms. The plumber was coming tomorrow for the bathrooms, handwashing station and small kitchen.
“Look at this.” Courtney turned around. “I can’t believe the space is coming together so fast.”
Neither could Kaden. When the Fitzgeralds and Foresters made up their minds, they charged ahead. “They know all the right people to make things happen.”
If he hadn’t been watching Courtney’s face, he wouldn’t have seen her slight grimace. Why? Knowing what was going on behind that gorgeous face didn’t affect the job he had to do, but he was...curious.
Josh skipped over to the wall Kaden was securing and wove between the studs.
“Don’t,” he called.
Josh grabbed an unsecured stud. The framing Kaden had just swung into place wobbled.
“Watch out!” Courtney leaped toward Josh and yanked him out of the path.
Kaden grabbed the frame and caught it before it crashed to the floor.
Issy screamed, then crumpled into a ball, whimpering.
“Everyone freeze!” His jaw clenched hard enough to grind his teeth to dust.
This is why he couldn’t be around kids. Someone always got hurt. He lowered the framing to the floor.
Courtney ignored his order. She hurried to Issy and pulled her into a hug. Josh slunk closer to Courtney and his sister.
“It’s dangerous in here. Let’s eat in the courtyard.” Courtney held out her hand for Josh. She scowled at Kaden.
He wasn’t the bad guy here. “Once I get this hammered in place.”
Because nailing the studs together would give him time to settle and a chance to work off his tension. He pounded as Courtney and the kids headed outside. When there were no more loose studs, he anchored the wall in place. No more excuses not to join Courtney and the kids.
He dusted off his clothes. Should he head to his apartment to clean up?
What was he thinking? This wasn’t a date.
Wait. Maybe he should ask Courtney out. It would deal with the elephant in the room and ensure he could stay close to Issy.
Courtney and the kids sat at the closest courtyard table. Sandwiches and watermelon slices filled paper plates.
“Here.” Courtney handed him some sort of wipe and he cleaned his hands.
“Thanks.”
She had the kids on each side of her. He took the chair opposite and picked up a sandwich. Turkey. Tasty.
“What did you guys do today?” he asked.
“We picked out instruments. I chose the drums,” Josh said. “Issy wanted the triangles and chimes. Miss Courtney found other stuff.”
Issy’s smile crept across her face. Good, maybe the accident hadn’t traumatized her.
“So you’ll have music classes?” he asked Courtney.
She tugged the meat out of her sandwich and took a bite of just turkey. “It’s good for children to learn rhythm and hear music. And dance.”
“But drums?” he asked. “Won’t they be—”
“Cool,” Courtney insisted.
Loud.
“They won’t come until...” Josh looked up at Courtney.
“Two weeks,” she added.
How strange that the woman he’d thought was beautiful—but useless—had morphed into this calm caretaker. She no longer wore haute couture around the B and B, but appropriate shorts and tops. He pushed away the memory of trailing his lips along the soft skin behind her ear. “What else do you have planned?”
“I’m working on a schedule.” Courtney picked at her sandwich.
“Papa’s putting together play equipment.” Josh bounced so hard, his chair scraped the stone. “We get to help.”
“To be licensed, the children have to be outside for at least one and a half hours a day. I have to keep lesson plans on site.” Courtney took a deep breath that pulled her top snug against her breasts. “There’s a lot of rules.”
“The attorney told you all this?”
She flinched. “I did the research. It’s my responsibility, after all.”
“Of course.” Again, he’d misjudged her.
He wanted to know her better and that wasn’t a euphemism for getting her in the sack. But how did you ask out a woman who was justifiably mad at you and who always had two curious children shadowing her steps?
Josh kept up a running dialogue of all the plans they were making. Issy would nod or hum. And Courtney added tidbits when she could get a word in. Kaden didn’t try.
After lunch, Issy and Josh headed over to the fountain. He and Courtney packed up the leftovers. “How many kids are lined up?” he asked.
“Right now, five. But because the schedules vary, I’ll only have all five on Fridays.”
“So you’ll have Saturday and Sunday off?”
She shook her head. “Sunday and Monday, assuming I find an assistant. But that schedule won’t start for two weeks.”
He tucked the last of the garbage into the basket and moved around the table to whisper in her ear. “Then I think we should celebrate your last Saturdays off. Want to do something?”
She closed the lid on the picnic hamper. “But I won’t have Josh and Issy.”
He set his hand on her shoulder and let it slide down her back, enjoying her little shiver. “I didn’t mean the kids and you. I meant you. And me.”
She blinked and her deep blue eyes flashed. “I thought...”
He squeezed her waist. “You thought?”
“I...” She shook her head and curls tumbled around her shoulders.
He wanted to crush her hair in his hand and yank her mouth to his. But the kids were staring.
She shuffled back and his hand slipped away from her warmth. “I thought you’d decided to ignore what had happened.”
“Not possible to ignore that kind of attraction. I’m sorry I didn’t call that night. I had to...run errands and didn’t get back until late.” He stroked a finger down her so
ft cheek. “Saturday?”
Her breath came out in small puffs, making him grin. “That would be lovely.”
Mission accomplished. Now where could he take someone like Courtney, who was used to everything being the best?
* * *
“WHERE DO YOU and Cheryl like to eat?” Kaden asked Nathan as they framed in another wall.
“You mean like a date?” Nathan bolted the frame to the floor and stepped away.
“Yeah.”
Nathan grinned. “Cheryl’s as talented as Abby in the kitchen, so I like home. But if you want a little bit of fancy, go to The Old Pinke House. If you want a little fun, head to Kevin Barry’s pub, most nights they have music. Plus, it’s a nice walk along the river. If you’re into seafood try Chive. It’s walking distance from here.”
“Great.” Pinke House. Barry’s. Chive. He’d check out their reviews. “Thanks.”
“Who’s the lucky lady?” Nathan asked.
Kaden pulled up the next framed wall they were placing. Would telling Nathan who he was taking out affect her job or his? “Someone I met.”
“Well, have fun.” Nathan nodded. “How’s Nigel?”
“Good. They’re talking about him transitioning back home.” Granddad would need to get to his PT appointments once he was out of the rehab center. Right now, it was easier to monitor both his grandfather and Issy from Savannah. Tybee would be problematic.
Nathan wedged his end of the frame into place. “How much longer can you stay here?”
“I’m fine for now.” If something didn’t happen soon, he might have to return to Atlanta, but he didn’t want to leave Savannah. Leave his granddad. Leave the B and B.
Strange. He’d spent his adult life searching out and destroying criminals. Now he’d been lulled away from what was important by the Fitzgeralds’ haven of hospitality.
He slammed a nail in place a little harder than necessary. Time to get his priorities straight. Hanging around Fitzgerald House wouldn’t stop the flood of drugs ruining peoples’ lives.
“Have you heard anything more about where Heather might be?”
“She used a credit card near Hilton Head, but Salvez used one at the Savannah airport two days ago.”