The Daddy Box Set

“I’m not in love with her,” I said. “She’s my kid’s nanny.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Of course I’m sure,” I said. I thought back on how I described Jess. I didn’t see anything wrong with complimenting the way she was with Gina. That was Brandon though. He and Amelia were always scheming to get me together with any single female they knew.

While Brandon was away, I’d had a nice break from their obsession with my single status. I knew they meant well, but they were happily in love and married, I was happily in love with my daughter and married to my work. And for Brandon to think that I liked Jess was ludicrous. What was so wrong with being happy with my nanny? Was it because she was younger? I hated that stigma. Sure, Jess was attractive, but there were plenty of attractive women that I employed, and I never expressed any favor towards them.

Sometimes my best friend had blinders on. Or maybe Amelia was talking about me behind my back on how I needed to have a woman in my life. As much as I loved the two of them, I wished they would stop meddling. I was perfectly happy in my life. It wasn’t the typical 2.5 kids and a white picket fence, but I’d had a wife before. And she died. I didn’t need to get married again to have my life fulfilled.

“She’s just the nanny,” I said. “And nothing more.”

“I don’t believe you,” he said with a smirk.

Now he was getting on my nerves. “I’m not sure what else I could say to convince you.”

“Have you been on a date since hiring her?” Brandon asked.

What the hell did that have to do with anything? “I haven’t been on a date since that last woman you tried to hook me up with. Hillary, I think?”

Brandon made a face. “That was Amelia’s choice.”

“Well, I wish you would allow me to make my own choices when it comes to dating.”

Brandon held up his hands in a surrendering motion. “I get it, bro. I’ll stop. But I can’t guarantee you that Amelia will end her search for your next soul mate.”

“I’ll be sure to avoid her from now on then.”

Brandon chuckled. “You can try, but she knows where you live.”

When I got home later that night, Brandon’s comments still weighed on my mind. If he saw something in the way I described Jess, then I’d have to make an effort for no one else to see whatever expression or thought had tipped him off. I wouldn’t want Jess to feel uncomfortable with me and quit after thinking I had feelings for her.

I hated how Brandon got in my head about this.

Inside the house, I heard Jess giving Gina a bath. Tonight was one of my late working nights, but ever since Jess came into our lives, I’d managed to put Gina to bed most nights.

Walking up to the bathroom door, I heard Jess singing the alphabet song to Gina. Gina sang along with her, but I stopped and listened anyway. I closed my eyes and imagined Wendy doing that with Gina. When Wendy was pregnant with Gina, she used to sing to her growing belly all the time.

I shoved the thoughts away and knocked on the door.

The singing immediately stopped as I walked through into the bathroom.

Jess knelt by the tub while Gina held a rubber ducky in her hand and was pretending to make it fly.

“Hey,” Jess said.

“Daddy!” Gina exclaimed.

“I wanted to let you know I was home,” I said. “I’ll let you finish up.”

Jess picked up a towel from behind her. “We’re finished.”

Jess pulled Gina from the tub and dried her off. Gina jumped up and down, and her little teeth were chattering.

“Cold, cold, cold,” she chanted.

“Let’s get you into PJs, okay?” Jess said.

“I want to pick!” Gina said, running from the room, leaving the towel behind.