Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Brook

My trepidation turned to hope as I pulled into the driveway to interview for the position of nanny to a baby. I absolutely loved children, especially babies. I’d spent a lot of time helping out with both my younger brothers and babysat a lot as a teen. The neighborhood looked nice, but it was a sad reminder that until my life had imploded at the age of eighteen, I’d lived in a similar middle-class area. I took a deep breath and pushed those memories aside.

Before I could ring the bell, an older lady with a kind smile opened the door. “Are you Ms. Arnold?”

“Yes, ma’am. You must be Mrs. Davis. I’m here to interview for the position.”

She motioned for me to enter. “Come on in. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Inside was an older man holding a tiny baby, and large tatted up thirty-something biker wearing a cut. The biker took one look at me and stated, “She’s too young.”

The woman murmured, “Have a seat. I’m Joyce, this is my husband, Hunter, and my son, Drue. And the little sleepy newborn is Ariel.”

“It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Brook Arnold.”

Her husband seemed nice, with his greying hair and pleasant expression. The son was another matter entirely. Though, unlike a lot of bikers I’d seen, he didn’t look rough around the edges. His jeans were clean and looked brand new. His boots were Harley’s, I could tell by the iconic set of wings attached to each side. His dark hair looked freshly cut and he had a short squared off beard that gave his face a masculine appearance. His hazel eyes fixed on me.

His mother cleared her throat. “Well, Brook, since you were kind enough to accept our invitation for an interview, the very least we can do is interview you.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at her and turned my gaze to her son, “I’m older than I look, and while I might not have official qualifications and childcare certificates, I grew up helping take care of my younger brothers, and earned money providing childcare throughout my early teens.”

The man in the leather vest grumbled, “Helping out around the house and babysitting isn’t the same as being a full-time nanny. Being responsible for a newborn twenty-four seven is a huge responsibility.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be responsible for your baby twenty-four, seven. I’m applying for the position of nanny, not substitute parent. If you hired me, I’d only provide care when you were working or unavailable. Children, especially young babies, need stability in their lives, and at such a young age your daughter will need to be around her parents as much as possible during those early bonding months.”

The man’s mouth fell open, and he slowly dropped down into a black leather easy chair. I wasn’t sure if it was the reality check I gave him, or just exhaustion from looking after a newborn. I had to admit he looked equal parts dog-tired and stunned. I had been expecting an older baby and not a newborn, while I would have loved to be able to work as a full-time nanny to such a young baby, for that job you usually needed qualifications that I didn’t have—and I was starting to worry that I’d bitten off more than I could chew.

I glanced around the room, the job advert had been vague as to who I’d be working for, I had assumed it would be a family, but looking around at the black and gray utilitarian furniture and the framed pictures of motorcycles on the walls it didn’t appear that this house had ever seen a woman’s touch.

I turned back to the older lady, who was beaming like I’d just hung the moon. “I brought four letters of reference. I know employers usually require three, but my mother wanted to write one as well.”

She reached out to take the letters from me and said pleasantly, “Well, being a mother myself, I know her reference will be a little biased. But I think it should carry significantly more weight.”

She passed a letter to each of the men, and they read over them before switching them up, so each of them got to read all of them. This family worked like a well-oiled machine. It was impressive in a way and for a brief moment I had another flash of sadness, as I remembered how my family used to be.

Mrs. Davis looked up from reading the last letter. “Your references seem heartfelt and sincere.”

I relaxed a little and smiled. “I really enjoy taking care of children, especially babies. They’re the most honest, uncomplicated creatures God ever put on the face of the Earth. They cry when they’re wet, hungry, in pain, or want human contact. It’s my job as a caregiver to make sure all their basic needs are met immediately.”

“I don’t want my daughter to grow up spoiled,” Drue announced.

“Well, I don’t that it’s possible to spoil a newborn baby, but I’ll bear that in mind.”

His mother cleared her throat the way people sometimes did to cover a laugh. “We might not have been clear in the advert, you mentioned you wouldn’t be looking after the baby twenty-four seven. While we don’t expect that, this position was for a live-in nanny, our son also needs some help around the house, so there may be some light housekeeping duties and cooking the occasional meal.”

I must have gasped, because his mother quickly added, “I know that’s not typical for a nanny position and we probably should have been clear it was live-in. How do you feel about the added responsibilities?”

How did I feel? I was all but ready to do a happy dance. The job sounded like it solved my money and my accommodation problem, combined.

“Cooking is a personal passion for me. I enjoy planning, prepping, and cooking meals in addition to presenting them in an appetizing manner.”

“What about the housework?” Drue asked.

“I don’t mind housekeeping. Maybe I’m a simple woman, but trading working in a fast-paced food establishment where guys were hitting on me, and rude, demanding customers never stopped complaining, for a serene home environment working for one person seems ideal to me.”

“Your resume shows you’ve worked a lot of jobs since leaving school. How did you go from helping out with housework and child-care at home as a teen to having to hustle so hard as a young adult?” Mr. Davis asked.

I stood up. I’d never had a job interview fall apart so quickly in my entire life, once they found out about me, then surely that would be that. Who would want an ex-homeless person with no formal qualifications taking care of their precious baby? “I don’t think this going to work out for either of us.”

“I’m sorry. I was just curious about your circumstance,” The older man said.

I gathered my things together, wondering if I should tell them the truth or leave. I figured I had nothing to lose. I really needed this job, and the pay was good. I took a breath, “I was made homeless at eighteen, it wasn’t through any fault of my own. I had to finish my education early, and I took on any job to pay the bills. That’s why I don’t have any proper qualifications. I’m sorry, I saw the advert and it sounded too good to be true. Maybe it would be better if you went through an agency where they could perform background screenings on potential applicants for you. That might put you more at ease.” I felt the tears burning in my eyes and quickly tried to rub my hand over before anyone saw, but I was too late and Drue noticed.

“Why don’t we all just calm down for a minute,” Drue said.

“Really, I totally understand. Finding a caregiver for your newborn is serious business. I don’t blame you for being particular. I know I’m not qualified, but I do have CPR and first aid certification, and I also have the certification for babies. From working in restaurants, I know about food safety and keeping a hygienic home. While I feel I am more than qualified to look after a newborn, I understand if you feel I’m not suitable.”

The biker looked at me with new eyes. “Well, I like that you’re assertive, feel comfortable speaking your mind, and that you’re so polite about it. I would be willing to hire you for a thirty-day trial period. If it doesn’t work for either of us, no harm, no foul. We terminate the employment by mutual consent, and I’ll make sure you get a good reference.”

I was shocked that he was so decisive, but it was a lot to take in. “I don’t know. Could I have time to think about it?” It sounded like the answer to all my prayers, but what if, after thirty days, I was back to having to find a new job, and somewhere to live?

Drue nodded, but his mother jumped to her feet, took the baby from her husband, and held her out for me to hold. I found myself reaching for her before I even thought about what I was doing. Once I had her in my arms and was looking down into her adorable little face, I realized how tiny and vulnerable she was.

“She’s precious,” I murmured, totally awestruck by the tiny human in my arms.

“I didn’t expect to end up with a daughter. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little jumpy. I’m still getting my head around being a father,” Drue said.

“Where’s her mother?”

“That sounds like a personal question. Tell me what happened to you, and I’ll answer that.”

I sighed. “My mom cheated on her husband, the man I thought was my father. She ended up pregnant with me and lied to him. He found out when I was eighteen and was furious. He immediately disowned me.”

“Fucking hell. What an absolute bastard,” Drue murmured.

When I glanced up into his hazel eyes, I could see anger simmering there. “Your turn.”

He glanced at his mother. “Her mother died during childbirth.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Suddenly, I felt empathy for this grieving man who had lost his wife. “I agree to the thirty-day trial period.”

He nodded, looking a bit relieved. “Great. When can you start?”

“When do you want me to?”

He smiled uncomfortably. “Yesterday?”

I fought back a smile that would have been totally inappropriate during this somber moment. “I can start now if you need me.”

“Absolutely. Let my dad and I take the baby. My mother can show you around the house.”

I handed him the baby and asked, “Do you always delegate all your chores to the women in your life?”

His expression shifted to one of surprise. “I’m your new employer. Aren’t you supposed to be vying for my approval and calling me sir?”

I could tell by his tone of voice that he was joking. I pressed my lips together and turned away so he couldn’t see my reaction. “I wouldn’t be holding my breath for that kind of submission if I were you.”