8. Rory

8

Rory

“ Y ou know, I haven’t had any s’mores in a long time,” Rory casually said after dinner.

“Me, either,” Cat yelled.

Drake just jumped up and down and clapped his hands.

“That’s exactly what they need. Pure sugar a couple of hours before bed,” Savvy said, although the laugh took the bite out of her sarcastic remark.

“Just think, the sugar crash will help them sleep,” Colby said.

“You hush up. You just want some s’mores, too,” Amy told her husband.

“I wouldn’t turn one down if it was offered to me.” He grinned.

Rosa and Amy carried a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, chocolate bars, and water to the fire pit out back. Rory lit the fire, and he and Colby helped the kids toast their marshmallows so they could make s’mores.

Cat gave her first one to Savvy. “This is for you,” she said. “I love you.”

Savvy grinned and wrapped her arms around the little girl. “I love you, too. Thank you.”

Drake came over with his s’more and said, “I love you, too. You can have mine.”

“I love you, too. Thank you. I hope I can eat two,” Savvy said.

“Daddy can help you if he wants to,” Cat suggested.

Rory looked at her and grinned.

Once everyone had their fill of chocolates, he sat next to her on the makeshift log bench that he and Colby had built. Instantly, her scent wafted around him. It was like a drug that made him want to reach over, pull her to him, and kiss her.

Their arms brushed against each other, sending a bolt of electricity exploding inside of him. He discretely adjusted his pants because they were starting to get a little tight. The twilight faded, and the night sky loomed above them. The kids started to yawn, even though they did their best to hide it.

“Time for bed, kiddoes,” Savvy announced.

“Can we stay up a little longer?” Drake asked.

“Sorry, Charlie. Young people need at least eight hours of sleep, and you still have to take a shower,” she said.

“My name is Drake, not Charlie,” he said indignantly.

“My bad.” Savvy laughed.

“Colby, can you take care of the fire once you guys are done hanging out here? I’m going to help Savvy get the kids into the shower and to bed.”

“Sure thing,” Colby said.

He read with the kids and put them to bed. Savvy tucked them in and gave them a kiss goodnight.

There was an awkwardness as they stood outside of the playroom.

“Well, goodnight,” she said. She turned and quickly walked back to her room. He wondered at her reaction. Was it because she was tired or repulsed by him? Or did she by some chance feel the same thing that he did and it made her uncomfortable?

He went to his room and turned on The Marine to give himself some noise to fall asleep to.

The next morning, he tried to focus on the cases he had coming up soon in court, but his thoughts kept returning to Savvy. She had haunted him the night before. In his dreams, she had come to him, naked. Savvy pressed herself against him, touching him and tasting him. He almost felt like a teenager when he woke up with a hard-on from hell.

Electricity exploded inside of him every time they got near each other. A heat built inside of him. He hadn’t felt anything close to it since he and Eva first got together. The feelings he had when he got near Savvy were even more intense. They almost felt like a complete family when they made their trip to Santa Fe.

Even if he could get over the fact that she was his nanny, there was still that little niggle in the back of his mind that warned him that she was hiding something from him. Grabbing his phone, he called his brother.

“Hey, what’s up?” Sebastian asked.

“Why does something have to be up?”

“Because you’re calling me during the day. You only do that when something is going on.”

“I was just wondering if you’ve picked up any information about Savvy?” Rory asked.

“Not yet. As far as anyone can tell, she led a normal life. She went to work at a bar where everyone loved her. When she wasn’t at the bar, she was at home or with Beth and Taryn. Everything she told you about Gabe checked out. As far as I can tell, she isn’t hiding anything.”

“What about her family?”

“She doesn’t seem to have any. Her mother is still alive, but from what I can tell, they are estranged. I don’t know why. No one seems to know why. What’s up?”

“Savvy is great. The kids love her. My gut just keeps telling me she’s hiding something from me.”

“So far, she’s on the up and up. I’ll have my guy in Wyoming keep snooping around. He doesn’t have another job right now. Your gut is always right.”

“Thanks, Bro. I have to get to court.”

Rory was pleased a couple hours later when he managed to work out a plea deal for a woman who had been caught shoplifting food. She had a son who had type-1 diabetes and didn’t have enough money to get food for the special diet he needed. She pled guilty and got community service she could do at her kids’ school, and it wouldn’t go on her record.

He called Amy. “Can you come to the courthouse and meet a client of mine? I want you to take her to the grocery store and get her at least a couple weeks of groceries and then take her home.”

While they waited, he told her about the food bank and that it was open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. “They’ll get you specialty items for your son if they don’t happen to have any on hand. The people who operate the place are amazing folks.”

Amy pulled up and he said, “Amy, this is Sheryl. Sheryl, my friend, Amy. Make sure and get the kids anything they need for school, too, since that will be starting soon.”

Sonia, the DA, walked out of the courthouse and saw what was going on. She put her hand on his arm and smiled.

“You are such a great guy. I knew you would help her pro bono. That’s why I told them to call you.”

“I figured that was your doing, Sonia. Aren’t you supposed to be putting people in jail, not getting them out? I know you are the one who posted the bond.”

“I wouldn’t even have pressed charges, but the owner of the grocery store insisted,” she said. “Are you busy tonight? I would love to take you out for drinks for our win-win celebration.”

“Thanks, but I have to get home to the kids,” he said.

She nodded and said, “I understand. You’re a terrific father. Maybe lunch sometime.”

“Sounds good,” he replied, although he knew that he would never take her up on that offer.

A couple of weeks ago, he might have jumped at the chance. Sonia was a gorgeous woman with flashing brown eyes, a light tan complexion, and thick black hair that made a man’s fingers itch to touch. She had a beautiful smile, and she was a good human being. However, since Savvy jumped into his life, he didn’t have the urge to go out with anyone else.

He was done for the afternoon, so he headed home. The kids and Savvy were out back, playing tag in the sprinklers. She was wearing a T-shirt over a bikini top and shorts. The wet fabric clung to her, and he sucked in a huge breath of air.

“Daddy, come play with us,” Cat yelled.

“I’ve still got my suit on,” he called back.

She and Drake looked at each other and they ran over to him, grabbing onto him. They were completely soaked. Savvy gasped and she had a look of horror on her face, and she winced as though she was afraid that he was going to yell at her for not keeping control of the kids.

“I’m so sorry. I had no idea they were going to do that,” she exclaimed.

He simply laughed, took off his jacket, and tackled the kids under the sprinkler. They ganged up on him. He fell to the ground, pretending that they had managed to get him down in one of their wrestler moves.

Finally, he declared that they were the winner. Savvy handed them towels and dry clothes. She walked behind a bush and quickly dried off and put on dry clothes.

Rory knew that she was shocked the first time she had seen him naked, but there was no help for it now. He undressed and grabbed the towels that Drake and Cat had used to dry off.

Savvy’s eyes were glued to him. Her eyes were wide. He walked into the house, holding his wet suit. Rory smiled because he felt Savvy watching him.

At least I seem to have the same effect on her that she has on me.

“Amy, do you think that there is any way of salvaging this suit? It is dripping wet.”

She looked doubtfully at the bundle of wet clothes, wrinkled her nose, and said, “I’ll see what the dry cleaner can do.”

“I hope they can, but if not, the memories are worth it. The kids and I had a blast. I’m pretty sure Savvy did, too.”

She blushed and looked away.

Amy looked at Savvy and then back at Rory, amused. “You’d better go put some clothes on before she faints. Shifters are used to seeing naked people, but I don’t think it’s as common for the mundane folk.”

Savvy made a weird coughing sound, and Rory wondered if she was going to pass out.

He smirked as he headed upstairs. He had never undressed in front of the other mundane nannies. However, it seemed so much like Savvy was one of them, he hadn’t thought about it until after. He did like the effect it had on her, though.

The kids were cleaned up and ready for dinner by the time he showered and dressed. They enjoyed dinner and then the seven of them played a very loud and boisterous game of charades. He loved the laughter. The six of them always had fun as a family, but it seemed extra special with Savvy there.

Colby, Drake, and Rory beat the women, and they danced around, making whooping noises as the victors. The women laughed. Then, Savvy took the kids upstairs, read to them, and put them to bed. He went upstairs and tucked them in.

“I love you, Daddy,” Cat said.

“I love you, too, baby girl.”

“You’re the bestest daddy ever,” Drake solemnly declared.

“Thank you. You’re the bestest son in the world.”

He was feeling a little restless and went for a short run. Then, he wandered around the house when he got back. Rory saw the light on in the library and figured that Savvy was in there.

She was staring at the mystery section of the bookshelves.

“What do you like to read?” he asked.

Savvy screamed, twirled around, and threw the book in her hand across the room.

“You’ve got to stop doing that. That is like the fourth or fifth time you have scared the daylights out of me. You’re going to have to explain to the kids why you killed their favorite nanny.”

“You’re awfully jumpy,” he said.

“You’re awfully sneaky,” she replied.

He picked up the book and said, “You’re pretty lethal with this. Some people throw Chinese stars. You can take out an entire gang with a book.”

“It’s my secret talent. Wonder Woman has the Lasso of Truth, I have books. I hope I didn’t hurt it.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” he said, handing it back to her. “So, what do you like to read?”

“Almost anything, except for Westerns, spy novels, and political thrillers,” she said. “I really love mysteries, mythology, and some of the classics, especially the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Lord Tennyson. I love poetry. At one time, I had The Lady of Shalott memorized. I love Langston Hughes, especially Dreams Deferred. Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost are great. My favorite, though, is Maya Angelou. Her poem, Still I Rise speaks to me. What about you.”

“All you’ve listed, as you can see from my library,” he said. “You know my favorite has to be John Grisham, though.”

“Isn’t that a little cliché?” she asked, laughing.

“Nope,” he said, looking into her eyes. “You know, you are amazing. You are smart, and funny, and the kids absolutely adore you. I’ve come to think of you as more of a friend than my employee. Do you have any flaws?”

“Oh, trust me, I have plenty. They aren’t anything I would put on a resume or tell my boss, though.”

“Like I said, I think of you as more than just my employee and nanny.”

She smiled up at him and something inside of him exploded. He groaned and pulled her close to him, pressing his lips to hers.