Pining For You (Jasper Falls 4)

“No.” Her eyes still glistened where big, fat tears had fallen. “He doesn’t know how.”

She supposed that might be true. She didn’t know if her brothers knew how to braid. “Well, don’t you want to show him how pretty your hair can be?”

“No!”

She had hardly pulled, but some delicate hairs at her neck had been snagged and the fear of pain seemed more powerful than the actual act. She suspected Mr. Buchanan had done his fair share of untangling her hair and men weren’t always the gentlest touch.

“I’ll have to tell your dad to pick up some detangler.”

“What’s that?” Addison sniffled.

“You know what, we can probably make our own.”

In the kitchen, Skylar found a jar. She brought it to the upstairs bathroom and poured a dollop of conditioner on the bottom and then diluted it with some water. It didn’t work as well as a squirt bottle, but it did the trick.

Dipping a comb into the liquid, she gently worked through Addison’s tangles. Soon, the strands tapered down her narrow back in loosely coiled order.

Skylar carefully worked the hair into a thin French braid and tied a ribbon on the tip then set it over her shoulder. “Take a look.”

Addison peeked in the mirror and tilted her head. “I guess it’s nice.”

“You guess?”

Her smile grew the longer she admired her reflection. “Can we show Daddy?”

“Tonight, when he comes home. And, if you sleep with your hair in a braid, it won’t be so knotty each morning.”

Addison’s closet was full of beautiful clothing, several items still pinned with retail tags. “You have so many new outfits.”

“They don’t fit.” She pointed to the majority of dresses slung to the back of the closet. “These are too small.”

“You mean big?”

“No, small.”

Skylar frowned and checked a few tags. Sure enough, they were toddler sized. “How come you never wore these?”

“Daddy works too much. He’s always busy. And my other nannies didn’t want to ruin them.” She pointed to the large dresser. “Play clothes are in there.”

Skylar flipped through the hangers. “Oh, honey, life’s too short. You have to wear the dress, eat the cake, and take the risk.”

“Huh?”

Pulling a red corduroy dress from a plush hanger, she grabbed an adorable pair of fur boots off the floor. “You’ve just been upgraded to the most fashionable four-year-old in all of Jasper Falls.”

Bonding over clothing proved a bonding ritual between females of all ages, and Addison was no exception. The child—a girl after Skylar’s own heart—loved being a little extra. Once they were buttoned up in their peacoats, with all the wooly winter trimmings, they were ready to go.

Skylar opened the front door and let out a yelp at the woman standing on the other side. “Oh, you scared me.”

“Hi, Erin!”

“Hey, peanut.” The woman looked Skylar square in the eye. “We briefly met the other day. I’m Erin, Rhett’s right hand.”

So, this was the Erin. “Nice to meet you. I’m Skylar.”

She stepped into the house and Skylar backtracked, shutting the front door to keep the cold out. She’d been dying to get out of the house and they were bundled to go, but Erin had information and supplies she needed.

“We can go in a few minutes, Addison. Keep your coat on, but you can go play with your toys.”

Erin studied them with a tight-lipped smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You two are going out? The roads are getting snowy.”

“Oh, well, we were just running to the farmer’s market to get some produce. Technically, we could walk.”

“Actually, Rhett suggested grocery shopping. The pantry’s usually picked over by midweek and he wanted it fully stocked. He’s very particular and gets moody if he has to scavenge. You know how men can be. He also wanted dinner ready when he gets home. After all, that’s what he’s paying you for.”

Technically, he was paying her to take care of his daughter, but he’d mentioned light cooking and cleaning. Skylar just assumed he meant she’d be performing those acts for Addison.

Erin spoke of Skylar’s salary as if it somehow offended her. Did she know how much he was paying her? Did she think it was too much?

Being that it was a substantial pay increase from what she was used to, Skylar felt immediately uncomfortable and over-valued. Pressure to prove she was worth every penny he’d offered made her eager to meet every expectation.

“Can you recommend some meals he likes?”

“Skylar, I wanna go…” Addison tugged at her coat.

Erin glanced down at her. “Honey, why don’t you go grab a Coke from the fridge.”

“Oh—” Before Skylar could object, Addison bolted into the kitchen. “Please tell me that’s for you.”

“Let me give you a little advice, from one friend to another.”

“Okay.”

“Mr. Buchanan is under a lot of stress and he really can’t be bothered with distractions right now. He’s generously compensating you for your services to avoid any unforeseeable complications. We have two events this month, and the holidays are always a little more hectic than other months. He wants to get through Christmas and start the New Year off on the right foot. I suggest staying out of his way, keeping Addison happy and occupied. Don’t ask too many questions.”