“But my b’loon—”
“We can always get you another balloon. There’s only one of you.” Taking her hand in a secure grip, he stood and faced Skylar. “Thank you for returning her.”
The constituents dispersed and the mayor no longer appeared as cool and collected as he had a moment ago. Dragging a hand through his neatly combed hair, he mussed his part, looking very much like he could use a drink.
“It’s really no problem.”
“I’m usually more aware. And Addison is usually at home with her nanny, but she… Well, it’s a long story. Suffice it to say, I’m without childcare at the moment, something about long hours and—never mind. You don’t want to hear the autobiography of a single dad.”
She smiled, having enough relatives to know what a challenge child-rearing could be. “It’s okay. I get it.”
“Do you have kids?”
“Me? No. But I have lots of siblings and little cousins. Last I counted, I believe there were more than twenty.” And that was just on her mom’s side. Eventually, her Marcelli aunts on her dad’s side would get married and have kids, too.
“Twenty?” His green eyes widened. “Siblings?”
“No, cousins. Only five of them are my siblings. But if you count second cousins, it’s more like forty.”
“I assume you’re the oldest.”
“Second, actually. My brother, Frankie, is a year older. We’re Irish twins.”
“Irish twins?” With his straight nose and strong jaw, he looked especially handsome when he frowned, sort of like authority gone cock-eyed.
“Born within a year of each other. It’s a common problem in my family.”
It was a little embarrassing during her teenager years when her mom waddled around pregnant, and Skylar’s friends assumed her parents spent all their free time humping like bunnies. But she supposed it was better than having parents that fought and broke up in divorce. Despite the rampant dysfunction of her family, most of her relatives were insanely in love with their spouses.
“That’s a lot of kids.”
She smiled and shrugged. “I come from two big families.”
“No wonder you’re good with children.”
“I hope so. It’s what I went to school for.”
Sharp interest flashed in his jade eyes. “You’re a teacher?”
“Almost. I just earned my associate’s degree in early childhood.” Technically, finals were still being graded, but she was confident she passed.
“Really? And what are you doing now?”
“Daddy, I gotta tinkle.” Addison tugged at her father’s arm and he started walking.
Being that they were in the midst of a conversation, Skylar walked with them. “Right now, I’m registered to start a class online at Shippensburg and working at my grandfather’s restaurant.”
“In town?”
She pointed down the road to Vincenzo’s. “The pizza shop.”
“You’re a Marcelli?”
She nodded. “And my mom’s a McCullough.”
Oddly, he didn’t seem concerned with the McCullough side of her family, which most people took great interest in, since they made up a good portion of the town’s population.
His frown pinched his brow and his eyes moved as if he were solving a math problem in his head. “Your grandfather ran against me in the election.”
“I remember.”
The mayor didn’t appear apologetic or boastful as he said, “He ran a good campaign.”
“Not as good as you, though.” She gave him a cheeky smile.
“No.” He smirked, his stare lingering on her face as he studied her for a moment.
His attention made her very aware of her appearance and she felt the urge to escape such scrutiny, but also a slight urge to pose under his inspection. “I should probably get—”
“How attached are you to working for him?”
The balloon connected to Addison’s wrist bopped him in the head, scuffing against his neatly styled hair, and he casually swept it away.
It was her turn to frown. “At the restaurant?” She shrugged. “It’s a job.”
“Would you be interested in something more related to your field?”
Her steps slowed. One busy single dad plus one curious under-clothed child equaled negative one nanny. “That depends.” What was he asking?
“On?”
They reached Town Hall and stopped walking. Skylar hesitated. “What exactly are you offering?”
“I could ask you the same.” Addison tugged on his arm and he glanced down but didn’t let go. “I’m desperate. She needs someone to watch over her while I’m at work. What do you need to know to consider the position?”
“The pay and why your last nanny quit.”
Addison broke away from his grip and tugged open the door. Without breaking eye contact, he tracked his daughter’s steps and called over his shoulder, “Go right to my office, Addison.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
The little girl disappeared with her balloon and his aura shifted into something more serious and slightly intimidating. Despite seeming distracted before, now that Skylar had his full focus she understood this man was the resolute sort, single-minded and determined and not used to being told no.
“I can promise the pay will be substantially more than you’re making at a pizza place. And the last nanny left because I work a lot of late hours. I need someone there all the time, not to work but to be available—a governess. It’s a campaign year, so my schedule will only get busier. I don’t want to worry if I’m held up at a fundraiser or running late after a board meeting. I need someone there to look after Addison, prepare meals, enrich her mind, and handle the usual daily responsibilities she requires to be well cared for. And it has to be someone dependable because I can’t afford the time it takes to keep replacing nannies every few weeks.”