Marriage Material

“I’m almost twenty. I think it’s time for me to move out,” I tell him for the hundredth time.

They think something bad might happen, which is ridiculous. Our town is the safest place on the planet. I’m not even sure what my brother does as sheriff in this town all day besides stalk his little sister.

“Why can’t you wait until you’re married, like when you’re in your thirties?”

I hang up on him and hit the silence button on my phone. I don’t want to hear the same thing over again. I’m going to have to find a way to outsmart them.

“How’s the job search going?” Milly asks as she comes back over and leans on the counter.

“It’s okay. I’ve been picking up random babysitting jobs to hold me over. No one is in the market for a nanny right now.” I shrug.

I’m not worried about it. It’s easy for me to find families in need of part-time help, but a full-time nanny job is what I want. It would be the easiest way to get out from under my brothers, but also I would be doing something I love. I like getting close to families, and I worked with the Jenkins family for two years. But the dad, Sam, got a job offer and they moved a few weeks ago. I miss the kids, but it comes with the territory. People move or kids grow up. I’ve just got to find the right fit. At least that’s what I keep reminding myself. I try not to get attached, but it’s hard when you love the kids as much as I do. But it’s also why I do this for living. God knows I’m not going to be having a family of my own anytime soon with the way my brothers keep me locked up.

Milly leans over and whispers to me. “Are you still on with Franky?”

I nod. Milly and my mother are the only ones who know about him. Franky is the new UPS guy who started working the route after Leo retired a month ago. He doesn’t know how crazy my brothers are, so he asked me out. The first time, I said no because I wasn’t really that interested. But he was persistent, and I finally caved and agreed to a date. I just kept thinking, what’s the worst that could happen?

My dating life has been nonexistent up to this point for two reasons. First, because everyone knows everyone around here, so the dating pool is pretty small. Who wants to sleep with a man that every other woman in this town has been with? Not me. Second, my brothers have every guy here scared of dating me. Some won’t even look at me and cross the street to get away. Maybe this will give me a chance to dip my toe into the dating pool. Maybe I could join a dating app or something. I could try going a town or four over to be extra safe. That would be my only option at this point because I’m sure once my brothers hear about the date with Franky they’ll put an end to it.

Which is actually fine with me. If my brothers can scare you off, then you’re not really that into me. I’d rather have someone who stood their ground because that’s the only way they’ll make it in my family. I just wish my brothers could see that they’re standing in the way of me having a life. I know they think they’re doing the right thing, and it can even be sweet at times. But I have a longing for my own life and a lot of that is because of my family. Everyone is so close and I want that, too. I just don’t want to have to wait another two decades to have the freedom to go after it.

I pull my wallet out of my purse and put some cash down on the counter. I wave goodbye to Milly before I leave and decide it’s time to come up with a new plan. Something has got to change or I might end up really punching all my brothers.

Chapter 2

Anderson

The phone on my desk rings and I ignore it. My secretary Olivia is going over a long list of items I have to either approve or reject for the next quarter billing, and my assistant secretary Georgina has my calendar for the next month mapped out in front of her. Georgina hits a button on her headset to answer the call and then she walks out of the office. It’s ridiculous that it takes two people to manage my day and it doesn’t even include me.

My chest tightens and I think about my last trip to the doctor, where she told me to slow down. I’ve got stress-related anxiety that’s giving me the feeling of having a heart attack, but I don’t know how to stop. I’ve got a company I’ve built from the ground up and people chomping at my heels to buy it out from under me. Selling would be the easiest option. I could kick back and live off the money for a few lifetimes over. But I’m too invested and I don’t know that I want to.