The Beast's Nanny (The Nannies)

He stared at her.

Playing in the snow was something he’d never done, but what he often saw other kids do, even now. He never allowed himself the luxury of play. Grace made it hard for him to want to deny her.

“Ten minutes,” he said. “If I don’t laugh, then you both come in.”

James jumped up and down.

“I’ll be right back.” Grace disappeared from his office, leaving him with James, who still glowed with happiness.

He needed to fix Christmas so his nephew had some presents. His sister would have made sure her son loved this time of year. She always told him that her son would love Christmas.

“How are you, son?” he asked.

“I’m good. Grace and I baked more cookies.”

“You’re spoiling my men.”

James giggled. He didn’t get a chance to ask more as Grace returned with a large jacket. “Come on. Stand up.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” She rushed to his side. Rather than wait for him, she pulled him to his feet and made him stand as she helped him into a large, ugly jacket, and then continued to wrap a scarf around his neck, tug a hat on his head, and even put gloves on his hands. “There. You’re going to be warm and cozy.” She hugged him and pulled him down for a hug and a kiss.

He wondered if she even realized what she was doing. He didn’t point it out and followed her outside with James.

Caleb hated that just the action of putting on a coat nearly made him smile.

James and Grace dived in, going to their knees and starting to mound up a ball of snow.

Grace laughed as they both kept adding more snow. James joined her and the two were utterly infectious.

Time was ticking and he was freezing his balls off.

“You really are a stick in the mud,” Grace said, taking his hand. “It’s going to involve you actually doing something. Come on. You’re going to love it.”

He joined in, going to his knees and ruining his expensive, hand-sewn Italian suit. It was just typical.

Grace wouldn’t be discouraged, and before too long, he realized, against his will, that he was having a lot of fun. They built a snowman and halfway through, Grace started to sing a Christmas song, really badly and out of tune.

James kept on laughing. Grace rushed to James and tried to pick him up, but her shoulder stopped her.

Seeing a woman in need, he went to his nephew, lifted him, and began to play airplanes with Grace following. If anyone could see him now, his reputation would be ruined, but he didn’t stop. Not once.

James begged to be put down and as he did, they all began to make planes. Ten minutes had long since passed and Grace, well, she’d done it. She made him forget who he was for a short time.

When the first snowball hit, he looked toward the culprit and found Grace laughing. The next one came from James. Bending down, he gathered up some snow and threw it toward Grace. She screamed, turned on her heel, and tried to make her escape, but she didn’t get far. His snowball hit her on the ass. James burst out laughing, and all of a sudden, they were having to hide from each other as they threw snowballs across the yard. Caleb couldn’t recall ever having so much fun.

The laughter surrounded him and at that moment, he also felt a sharp hit of pain as this was what his sister had wanted him to do, but he’d refused. She’d always been trying to get him to have a little fun, to love life. To take a moment from his work to embrace what they finally had.

He didn’t allow the pain to stop his fun, but after nearly three hours out in the cold, it was time to head on in.

Grace gave him James to change out of his wet clothes while she got some hot chocolate together.

“Uncle Caleb?” James asked as he changed out of his wet clothes.

He’d already found him some warm ones to change into. “Yes, champ?”

“Do you think Mommy is happy?” he asked.

Caleb stopped. “I think she would be happy if you were. Are you happy?”

James kept his mouth closed but nodded.

He laughed. “Then I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about. I want you to be happy.”

“Can … can Grace be my new mommy? Mommy would like her and I think she’d like for me to … have her?”

Caleb swallowed past the lump in his throat. Having kids was such a bad idea. James wasn’t like a lot of three-year-old boys. His sister had made sure he was aware of how different James was at such a young age.

Rubbing the boy’s head, he nodded. “I’m going to try and keep Grace for as long as she’ll stay.” Or for as long as she didn’t betray him.