Chapter Three
I woke up in the morning to the sound of my phone chiming. I remembered that I was going to the main house with Irene. I showered quickly and braided my hair to fall over my shoulder. I dressed in some leggings and a large t-shirt. I wasn’t sure what I should be wearing as a potential future nanny, but the kids that I’d always been around in the past were active and a bit messy at times.
I walked into the living room to the smell of fresh coffee and I heard Irene talking to Sarah. “Morning,” I called out as she looked over with a harried expression.
“Brie. Bless your soul for getting up. I wasn’t sure how well you’d sleep last night, being somewhere new and all. Want some coffee before we head over?”
“Yeah, thanks. I slept well. It’s so peaceful here at night. I looked at the stars for a while.” I smiled as I thought about the man at the pond. He was probably one of the ranch hands, but he was cute. A part of me felt guilty for liking it here. I know that’s what Mom would want, but it seemed like it was too soon.
I accepted the steaming cup of coffee and added some sweet cream before I sipped it. I looked out of the window to see the sun rising from the kitchen and smiled. “You start early, don’t you?”
“Lance has the best ranch hands around, but he likes to be out there with them working. I start breakfast for all of them and Logan. Since you’re considering the nanny position, I’d become a morning person if I were you.” She winked, pulling up her hair into a neat ponytail and I wondered what I was getting myself into.
The three of us walked across the grass to the house. It had a few windows lit up. Irene unlocked a side door and led me inside. She called out good morning and walked into the kitchen. It was a chef’s kitchen, and my eyes widened as I looked around. She flicked a switch and lit it up as a small dark-haired boy ran into the room with a giggle, right into Sarah’s arms. “You little monster,” Sarah teased him. I watched with a smile, assuming this was Logan. He had thick hair that curled at the ends and the biggest brown eyes I’d ever seen. They looked curiously up at Irene and me.
“Logan, this is Brie. She’s my niece and she came here all the way from New York. Say hi, sweetie.” He stared at me silently as I looked down and tried to make him smile.
“Irene, it’s good to see your cheerful face.” A booming voice filled the kitchen, and I looked up to see one of the most gorgeous men that I’d ever laid eyes on. “Hello, there.”
“Lance, this is my niece. Brie, meet Lance,” Irene said as I stared at him. Lance – as in the owner of the ranch? He must be in his late twenties.
“I’m pleased to meet you,” he said, lowering his voice and reaching out his hand. I shook it. “I’m glad you’re here as well. Kathy quit, and I need help right away.”
“The previous nanny,” Irene said in a soft voice as she smiled at me. “That’s fine. Sarah can help her, and she’ll be good before you know it.” I stared at her before looking back at Lance and nodding slowly.
He was tall, a few feet over six foot. His hair was tousled and the same color as Logan’s, but his eyes were a cerulean blue and shimmered in the light. “Good. I want him to be happy while I’m working. We’re short a man and there’s a lot to do before the weather comes.”
“He’ll be great,” I spoke up, smiling brightly at him. “Don’t worry about a thing.”
He took his son out of the room so we could cook for the men. I followed Irene’s instructions as she started pulling pots and pans from below the stove. I grabbed eggs, bacon, sausages, and a loaf of bread. Sarah winked at me and took some bowls from the cupboard.
Irene filled me in on Logan’s schedule as we cooked. I made a mental note of it. ‘Where’s his mother?” I asked softly. Irene’s face fell for a moment.
“She left them when he was just one. I guess she couldn’t handle it. What’s there to handle? Lance is a wonderful man and that baby is the sweetest boy there ever was.” Irene shook her head as she stirred the eggs and added a handful of cheese. She glanced at the door that led to the living room where we heard the sounds of cartoons. “We’ll talk more later.”
Sarah cooked bacon, and I prepared the sausage in between toasting and buttering bread. It was light out when we had the food finished and on a platter. Irene stepped outside. I heard the sound of a bell ringing, and she told me to get Lance and Logan in the living room. Sarah took stacks of plates and placed them at the end of the counter.
I walked into the room to see Lance holding his son close as he talked to him in the light of the television. “Excuse me,” I called out and he looked over at me. “Breakfast is ready.” I smiled and left the room. My aunt was helping the men and laughing with them. I watched her and wondered if there was more to my being here than what met the eye – my role as a nanny and her niece.
I shook my head and joined them. I met the ranch hands over the meal. Lance joined us after a few moments and sat with Logan at the end of the table. I could tell that it was a close-knit group as they joked and talked, filling the room with joy. They reminded me of the artists I knew back in New York when they all got together. I smiled as I looked over the room.
Lance met my gaze for a moment as he sipped his coffee and I flushed slightly before I looked down.