I rolled my eyes at the tabloid rack next to the counter. “Unless he writes for the Enquirer, I’ve probably never heard of him.”
“Well, it just so happens that Mr. Ritter called me this afternoon. He is looking for a full-time nanny for his little girl. And I immediately thought of you.”
The hand holding the piece of chocolate froze at my mouth. “Me? Gail, I don’t know anything about being a nanny. Jesus, I can’t even keep a plant alive. There’s no way I could take care of a toddler.”
“Believe it or not, kids are easier to keep alive than plants,” she said with a smile. “You don’t have to remember to water a kid.”
“No, but you do have to remember to feed them and bathe them and take them outside to pee.” I grinned at her. “I appreciate you thinking of me, but really, I don’t think I’d be a very good nanny.”
She narrowed her dark eyes at me.
“You like kids, don’t you?”
“Well, sure, but…”
“You know how to fill a bowl with cereal and make a grilled cheese sandwich, don’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“You know how to run a tub with water and bathe a small human without drowning them?”
I grinned at her. “Okay, I get the point. But why would he hire me? I mean, surely he can find someone with experience. Doesn’t he have any family or friends who can help him out?”
Her eyes took on a sad glow. She shook her head. “Neither he nor his wife have family nearby, and as far as I know, he doesn’t have many friends.”
“That’s sad,” I said.
Gail lowered her voice, as if she were afraid of being overheard even though we were alone. “His wife was killed in that wreck because she was arguing with her lover and lost control of the car. Her lover was also killed. He was Jackson’s best friend. And she was seven months pregnant.”
“That’s awful,” I said. “How could they do that to him?”
“Who knows why people do the things they do,” she said. “I was there when they brought her into the ER. I helped the doctor take the baby right before she died. I remember seeing Jackson standing in the hallway outside the window with a horrified look on his face. It was just so sad to watch. His whole life changed that day. Thank God the baby lived. It was touch and go for a while, but she’s perfectly healthy now. And she needs someone sweet and wonderful to take care of her, because I don’t think he’s doing a very good job.”
I frowned at her. “What does that mean?”
“It means he’s overwhelmed, sweetie,” Gail said. She reached across the counter and patted my arm. “He’s a single father trying to save his career and raise a baby. And deal with all the demons that were let out of the box when he discovered that his wife and best friend were sleeping together behind his back. He needs help, and so do you.”
I frowned at her. “And what does that mean?”
“That means you need to get the heck out of this place and do something with your life.”
“I am doing something with my life.”
“Doing something and doing something meaningful are two completely different things.”
Gail reached into the pocket of her green scrub shirt and brought out a card. She set the card on the counter and slid it toward me.
“That’s his name and address,” she said, tapping a finger to the card. “He’s expecting you tomorrow at noon for an interview.”
“Interview…tomorrow?”
“He’s looking for someone full time. You would move into his house and he would pay you a salary, along with room and board. You could literally save every penny he pays you and put that toward going back to school.”
“Move into his house? You mean live there?”
“Yes, sweetie. That’s what move in means. And I promise, his house is a world away from that crappy apartment you’re living in.”
I picked up the card and chewed on my bottom lip as I read the words printed there. “I don’t know, Gail…”
She put a finger under my chin and lifted it up so I would look her in the eye. She said, “Do you remember what you said to me the night you came into the ER with a broken jaw, all covered in cuts and bruises?”
“No…”
Her eyes softened. She gave me a small smile. “You asked me to please help you, and I did. Now I’m asking you to pass on that favor. This man needs your help, Amy Lynne. Without it, well, I’m just not sure what he’ll do.”
CHAPTER FOUR: Jackson
I knew Bethany was cheating on me even before the wreck proved it to be true. I had known for a long time. I had no solid proof, but I felt it in my gut. The way you would feel a knife blade stabbing into your flesh and making mincemeat out of your insides.
I could have hired a private detective to follow her around and bring me back tawdry pictures as confirmation of an affair, but I never bothered.
Like I said, I knew she was cheating on me.
I could feel it in my bones like a cancer chewing at my marrow.
And I didn’t do a damn thing to stop it.
I self-medicated with alcohol and just let it eat at me from the inside out.