She noticed the lack of decorations in his house. It was only December first, and yes, it was still early for some people to decorate. But it had been a tradition in her family to deck the halls the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
“Would you mind if the kids decorated for the holidays?”
“I can’t remember the last time I even put up a tree,” he said. “I guess the kids will want one since they’ll be with me until the New Year, if that long.”
“Are they going somewhere after that?”
Cullen raked a hand through his hair and looked a little unsettled. “They’re not living with me indefinitely. It just wouldn’t be fair to them. That’s why I only need a nanny for a month. It may not even be that long if the attorney I’m working with is able to find a family willing to take them in. I want to keep them together. After all they’ve been through, it wouldn’t be right to split them up. Of course, if you agree to take the job and the attorney comes through before the end of the month, I’ll pay you through the end of December. That’s only fair.”
Attorney?
“Those poor kids.” The words escaped before Lily could contain them.
Cullen drew in a deep breath and let it out. He seemed to be weighing his words.
Finally he said, “I know it’s not ideal, but I’m not married and sometimes I work eighty hours a week. Kids their age need a family to care for them. As much as I hate the thought of shuffling them around, placing them in a good stable environment with a traditional family will be better for them in the long run. The agency is working hard to keep them together, but we’re racing against a deadline. They have to go back to school after the first of the year. It would be less disruptive for them to start at their new school than to have them start here and transfer somewhere else.”
“They don’t have any family who can take them?”
“If they did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Those poor kids have dealt with so much loss at such a young age. To be all alone, except for each other…”
The back door banged open and a cacophony of voices and running feet put an abrupt end to Lily and Cullen’s conversation.
Cullen’s gaze locked with Lily’s. He seemed to be asking, Are you on board?
She nodded.
He smiled, then called to the kids, who had blown right past them on their way to the kitchen. “Megan, George, Bridget, please come here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
The three of them walked back into the room and stood in front of Lily and Cullen. They cast suspicious, sidelong glances at Lily and then back at each other. Looking more subdued than they had when they were out in the yard, they seemed to be communicating in their own silent language.
Cullen introduced the children. “Please say hello to Ms. Palmer. We’ve been talking about the possibility of her being your nanny while I’m at work.”
“I’m almost eleven years old,” said Megan. “I don’t need a nanny. I can babysit George, Bridge and Hannah. Mom used to let me do it all the time.”
“She did not,” cried George. “Don’t be a liar.”
Megan gave her brother the stink-eye. George clamped his mouth shut and stared at his shoes.
“I’m not lying.” Megan sounded a lot older than a typical ten-year-old. Losing both parents made you grow up fast, Lily knew from experience. “I’m just saying, we don’t need a babysitter.”
“Well, I don’t babysit,” said Lily. “So I think we’re okay. We can just hang out.”
“Hang out?” Megan scoffed.
“Yes,” said Lily. “Don’t you like to hang out?”
Before Megan could answer, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” said George. He sprinted out of the room before anyone could protest. Cullen hadn’t been joking when he’d said the kids were spirited…well, except for Bridget. She hadn’t uttered a single word since they’d met.
“Excuse me,” said Cullen. “I’m expecting someone. I’m sorry about the interruption. Everything seems to happen at once around here. It’s a new way of life.”