Unexpected Romance (2 page)

"Are
you eating supper with us?" The ice in her voice could have
frozen him.

"Corey
said that was included in my rent. Unless it's a problem."

"Do
you have any allergies?"

"No.
What kind of question is that?"

"A
valid one. It's also a habit. I'm a nanny. You do not want to be the
nanny who made peanut butter and jelly for the kid with a deadly
peanut allergy."

"Are
you making peanut butter and jelly?"

"No.
I said it's a habit. God, I wish I smoked still. I could use one
right now." She put a package of meat on the counter and pulled
out a frying pan from a cupboard, giving him another glance at her
ass.

"Why
did you quit?"

"Corey.
It was a condition of him paying for school."

"I
thought you were a nanny. Do you go to school as well?"

"Not
yet." She made a face to show her distaste in the idea. "Maybe
in the fall. I don’t know what I want to do with the rest of my
life. Do you know how big a burden that is? I suppose not. You were
groomed for hockey as a kid.”

“
Not
groomed. And not as a kid. I was extremely clumsy as a kid. Once I
hit the teen years and my body stretched out, I got some attention."

She
was quiet while she dumped the meat into the frying pan and stabbed
at it with a spatula.

"Really,
if you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen."

"It's
fine. Talking about your problems never solves them."

"That's
exactly what it does. Besides, I'm more likely to give you objective
feedback. I don't know you and I have no emotional investment in your
choice."

"I'm
good," she said.

"Suit
yourself." He shrugged and turned away.

"I
grew up shit-ass poor."

He
turned back. She was stabbing at the meat again.

"In
Calgary?"

"Ontario.
An hour outside Toronto. Ma is still there." She put down her
utensil and turned to him. "It was just me and Mom until I was
fifteen and Corey showed up one day, like some fairy godfather of
money. She took what he'd give, but I didn't want to be obligated to
anyone."

"But
here you are, living in his house."

"I
pay rent. I cook and clean and help with the kids."

He
held up his hands. "Okay, I was only getting a feel for your
situation." He moved around the island and took a seat on the
other side at one of the bar stools. "So you started with
nothing but you were saved by your brother. And now you aren't sure
what you should do with all your newfound privilege?”

"You
make it sound as if I'm some spoiled brat. I never felt a calling
toward anything. There's nothing I really enjoy. Nothing I'm
particularly good at or interested in. I barely graduated from high
school."

"So
maybe don't go to school. Lots of people don't and live great lives."

She
put her hand on her hip. "I'll disappoint Corey."

He
understood her reluctance. "As a kid, I would puke before every
game. I was sure that I would disappoint my parents. They sacrificed
a lot for me and my siblings. But me, especially. They drove me
weekends, they paid the fees and for the equipment."

"That's
a nice story," she said, sweetly. "But it's not helping
me."

What
a bitch, he thought. He grinned. He liked that attitude in a woman.
Not as a bed partner. He preferred willing and compliant. But since
that was a no-go, she might be a short-term friend. And no-nonsense
women made really great friends.

"What
if I pick something to study and it turns out to be the wrong thing
and I waste Corey's money and time?"

"I
don't think I can solve this problem in twenty minutes," he
said. Or twenty years.

She
disappeared into the massive walk-in pantry. Shit, Porter was loaded.
He knew people who had smaller bedrooms than that pantry.

She
must have seen his face when she came back out. "You do get used
to the pantry size. Now the size of the house, I'm not used to that."

He
sat back in his chair, while she filled a pot with water and set it
on the stove.

"Okay,
you'll never know if you're making the right decision, because there
is no right decision. You might have to take a leap of faith and
jump."

"I
hate you," she blurted. Her cheeks were flushed red, but he
supposed it could be from cooking. He liked to believe it was from
him.

"I
thought we were becoming friends."

She
stopped in front of him and put her hands on the counter, leaning
toward him. “You said you couldn’t solve my problems in
twenty minutes and yet, you’re right. You’re fucking
right. I need to pick something and jump.”

“
Have
you considered talking to Corey about your fears?”

She
looked down at the counter. “He intimidates me.”

“
He
seems like a really good guy. I think he’d understand if you
talked to him.”

“
Okay,
but now you have to leave.”

He
moved around the island to her side. “Why?”

“
Because
you’re making sense and it’s pissing me off.”

He
grabbed her hand. “You want to go out tomorrow? No, not
tomorrow.” He shook his head. “I can’t remember
what my schedule is.”

She
laughed, while trying to extract her hand. “I thought we were
friends.” Nothing more.

“
Hello,”
a voice said from the doorway.

He
looked over Tonya's shoulder to see an older woman, balancing a
toddler on her hip. “You must be Chris. I’m Nic. And this
is Paige.”

Chris
dropped Tonya's hand. "Nice to meet you Nic. Short for Nicole,
correct?"

"Yes,
that's me. I'd shake your hand, but my hands are full." She
looked amused as she threw, what he believed, a questioning glance at
Tonya. "How are you, Tony? Colton arrived with Tanner?"

"Yep,
all three of them went upstairs to do homework. I haven't heard too
much from upstairs, so I assume they are working diligently. Supper
is about fifteen from being ready."

"Corey
texted me, he should be here in a few minutes. I'm going to take
Paige and change my clothes, and send someone to set the table."

"Just
a sec." Tonya put down the spatula and walked to her
sister-in-law. "I need a hug from my Paige."

The
little girl giggled and held her arms out. Tonya took the girl from
Nic's arms and spun her around in a hug. Then they gave each other a
peck on the lips. Nicole took the child back, smiling at them the
whole time.

Nicole
took one last look between Chris and Tonya.

"Corey
said it would be okay if I ate here?" he asked.

"Yep,
that's how it works," Nicole said over her shoulder.

Chris
raised his eyebrows at Tonya with a grin. She rolled her eyes, but
couldn’t hold back a grin in response.

He
leaned into the counter. "So what does one do for fun around
here?"

Tony
sponged some water on Paige's back.

Before
supper, Chris asked her what people their age, her age, did for fun.

She
had nothing to say. She had a few acquaintances, other nanny's from
the park or playgroups. After two years living in Calgary, she hadn't
met anyone she'd consider a friend. She rarely went out on a Friday
night. She'd gone on one date, a single dad, twelve years her senior
and they didn't connect.

She
was a total and utter socialization failure.

When
Chris asked what she did for fun, she brushed it off, as if she had
been taking time to get to know the family she'd only known a short
time. Blah, blah, blah. Corey wanted to make up for lost time.

In
reality, she was terrible at starting conversations with people. Not
like Chris, who barged in and demanded to hear her problems in life.
She'd wound up telling him an abbreviated version of her life story.
Something compelled her to confide in him. He was easy to talk with
and he was easy on the eyes. Most of all, he saw her, he sought her
out.

What
did it matter? Like most players that came through the house, he'd
play a handful of games, few of which would actually be in the city.
When the team was done with him, they would send him back to the
"farm team", whatever that meant, or he'd get his own
place.

So
there, she didn't care what really sexy Chris Boyd thought about her
lack of socialization. He was probably exactly like all the other
jocks she'd known over the years. A jerk and a waste of her time and
thoughts.

"All
right, Miss Paige. Time to get dried off. Mom has a snack ready for
you downstairs."

"Is
it ice-cream?"

"I
don’t know, sweetheart." Probably not, but saying no would
lead to a tantrum. After today with Bethany Turner teething, she
couldn't deal with any more crying or screaming.

She
helped Paige exit the tub and dressed her in pajamas. She delivered
the little girl to her doting parents and sister, who all kissed her.

Jessa
held out her arms. "Look, I'm ready early tonight."

"Well,
then we should go now, before something happens."

They
were on their way to the door, when Chris popped up from somewhere.
"I thought you said you didn't go anywhere?"

"I
thought you were playing games with Tanner. I'm driving Jessa to
gymnastics. It's not exactly a party."

"Hey,
I love gymnastics,” Jessa said.

"If
I could touch my toes, I'd probably love the sport as well. I drive,
I watch people do things that look cool and I come home.”

"Well,
it's out of the house. So I'm coming. Wait for a second. My coat's in
my room."

Tony
looked at Jessa and gave a groan. "He's seriously going to come
with us to gymnastics?"

"He's
really cute, y'know, for an older guy."

Yeah
right. “He’s no Colton,” Tony muttered.

Jessa
glared at Tony. "You like him. I can tell him for you.”

“
Alright,
no more remarks about your crush.”

“
He
likes you. You should date him.”

Before,
Tony could smack down that idea, Chris returned. "Date who?"
He looked between Jessa and Tony.

"No
one." Tony clenched her teeth, praying Jessa would let it drop.
She grabbed the door handle.

Her
stomach dropped when Jessa said. "You. Tonya needs someone. And
you smile at her. Most people only return her scowl."

Tony
glared at Jessa. She leaned back.
Oh hell, stop Jessa, for the
love of god, please stop
, Tony thought.

Chris
laughed. "She's good people," was all he'd say.

"We
need to go," Tony said. She pushed past Jessa to pull open the
door and exit the house.

Jessa
and Chris chatted the whole way to gymnastics, about a sixteen-minute
drive. Tony stopped in front of the front doors and Jessa got out.

"So
now what? You leave? You don't go watch her?"

"Sometimes
I go watch. I didn't think you'd want to watch." She looked at
him. "Are you some sort of creep I need to warn my brother
about?"

"No,
I never thought that I might be messing up your routine. How long is
class?”

"An
hour and a half."

"I
have an idea."

"Do
you?" She put her foot on the brake and car into gear. "Let's
hear it."

"I'll
buy you a cup of coffee."

"Why?"

"I'm
bored. I just got into town. I haven't even met the team I'm playing
with, and we play in twenty-four hours. I'm a little nervous about
playing tomorrow night."

"You've
played before with the team. Corey said as much at supper."

"Yes,
a few games for the last few seasons. It's always nerve-racking
before a game, I get nervous at home too."

"What
do you usually do?"

"Go
out and get drunk. Dance with a pretty girl."

Fuck
her in the bathroom take her number and never call her again? He
didn't seem like that type of asshole. But she wasn't ignorant of
what some guys did. Her brother was included in the jackasses of the
world before he met Nicole.

"Fine,
you can buy me a beverage and tell me about your difficulties."

"Okay,
that makes me sound like I'm a whiner."

She
looked at him with raised eyebrows. "If the shoe fits." She
pulled onto the street.

"What
about being friends?" He leaned forward to play with the radio.
"I know. Instead, we can talk more about you and your problems."

"Maybe
we should forget coffee and go home."

"Come
on, coffee. Maybe we'll get a little wild and crazy with a muffin."