Noelle (Babysitter’s Club 4)

I slept like a log and woke up well rested the following morning. As soon as my eyes opened I recalled in vivid detail the happenings of the night before. It was a bittersweet memory.

Now that I was no longer held so safely in his arms, my mind became plagued with doubts. There was a part of me that questioned my easy acquiescence, while another couldn’t wait to do it again; to see how far he’d go next time.

I didn’t have long to wait. Today was Saturday, it would be his first full day in the house, no work to take him away. After breakfast he informed me that we would be spending it together.

We took the baby out on the boat after ensuring every safety measure known to man. Not only for her, but also for me. I could’ve told him that I knew how to swim, but why interfere when he was going to such lengths?

He’s so sweet, so attentive. I never really got to see this side of him before since he was always busy, and we only got to see each other in the morning for breakfast and then again at dinner.

But today he was all ours, mine and Isabelle’s. Those were his words when he bundled us out of the house. Even the baby seemed overly excited, like she knew this was her day with daddy.

The only dark blemish was Trudy watching us from an upstairs the window as we left. I only knew she was there because I felt her stare, like daggers piercing my flesh. But even that couldn’t put a damper on my day.

It had already been off to a good start even before the outing. I’d come down to breakfast and found him sitting at the table feeding the smiling baby who was in her highchair.

“Good morning!” I was nervous about my reception. Would he act as if nothing happened? Would he think me fast for allowing him to kiss me the way I had?

The hooded look he gave me as I stood there not knowing what to do with myself after that kiss was enough to singe. And then he reached his hand out to me, pulling me down to him for a quick smooch when I reached his side.

The baby clapped and babbled happily making us both laugh and then of course we both had to give her kisses as well. I relaxed after my first cup of coffee while he made us breakfast.

We held hands while we ate and that is why I cannot tell you what was on my plate. I know it was something he made because I watched him do it, and I’m sure it was good because I cleared my plate. But I couldn’t tell you if it was animal, plant, or sawdust.

It didn’t matter, I was too busy being kissed every five-seconds to care one-way or the other. I was amazed once again at how easily I’d fallen into the kissing game.

How natural it felt to be sitting there in that two hundred year old kitchen with him and his daughter like that. Like we’d done it a million times before.

I hadn’t even given much thought to my reasons for being here in the first place. Hadn’t felt any of the sadness that had plagued me back home. I sometimes have to count the days as a reminder that it had only been a week.

Noelle

I didn’t question why that week should feel like I’d already lived a lifetime. Or why with each passing day it felt like I was settling more and more into a routine that I’d had no intentions on getting used to.

All the angst and fears I’d had before coming down the driveway seems a million light years away now. Like they weren’t half as important as I’d made them out to be.

And now, with this new development, all I could think about is where it would lead. More importantly where do I want it to.

My new sense of excitement was stronger than my fear. Instead of feeling the need to protect and shield myself the way I had in the past, he made me feel like just letting go. And for once I didn’t feel the need to micromanage every little thing.

Callan has a very take charge way about him that brooks no argument. Which makes it feel safe to just leave things up to him anyway. And that is how we ended up on a boat in the manmade pond.

He’d made sure the baby and I had enough sunscreen to ward off a flash fire, my head was covered in a hat that he’d found somewhere, and I wore a perpetual smile on my face.

I felt lazy and fulfilled as I laid back, watching his arms bulge with muscles as he rowed. The baby was already dozing off in her safety harness and the day was just all around perfect.