Page 2 of Learn Your Lesson

I was particularly aware of how close I stood to Chloe.

The modest skirt and t-shirt she wore did absolutely nothing to hide her curves, and I was as irritated as I was surprised by the fact that I noticed those curves at all. I cataloged the way her ample breasts stretched that damn rainbow on her chest, how her hips made that polka dot skirt flare, how soft her arms and legs were…

I thought that side of me was dead. I hadn’t so much as cast a woman a second look since my wife passed, other than to take care of my needs when I had to.

But the awareness buzzing beneath my skin proved my theory wrong.

Because I wasveryattuned to my daughter’s teacher at the moment.

“What happened?” I grumbled more forcefully than I meant to.

“Hi, Daddy,” Ava said, not bothering to take her eyes off the rink.

I softened, just a bit, leaning in to sweep her hair off her face and kiss her cheek. “Hey, Pumpkin.”

Chloe lowered her voice a little, all while keeping a close eye on Ava to make sure she didn’t fall off the bench she was standing on.

“I tried calling,” she explained, her eyes sympathetic. “No one came to pick Ava up. We tried the number you left us for Ava’s new nanny, and when that failed, we tried your cell, and then the emergency contact you have on file. When we didn’t get an answer, I took it upon myself since I had your permission on file. I tried your home address first, but no one was there. So…”

“You came here,” I finished, pinching the bridge of my nose on a sigh. The emergency contact I’d put down was my uncle — the closest thing I’d ever had to a father, since mine had been a shell of himself after my mother passed. But my uncle was a lineman, a dangerous electrician job that fulfilled his thrill-seeking nature, and he was on the road more than he was home anymore.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, and when I looked at her, she was biting her lower lip as ifshe’ddone something wrong. She was also wringing her hands together, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear only to untuck it again, and shifting side to side.

I’d never seen someone wear their anxiety like that — especially when they were doing someone a favor, not being a burden in any way.

I blew out a breath. “Not your fault I seem to have a knack for finding the worst nannies in the world.”

“It’s okay, Daddy. We are doing our best.”

Again, Ava didn’t take her eyes off the rink when she said those words. When I messed up, which was often, those were the exact words I used. Now, she was echoing them back to me, and Chloe smiled, glancing at my daughter before her eyes found me again.

I couldn’t even find it in me to be pissed off — mostly because, at this point, I was justtired.I’d tried everything, from personal recommendations from my teammates’ wives to working with a recruiter.

So far, every nanny I’d hired had either been unprofessional, under qualified, or unavailable for the hours I needed them.

I’d dealt with everything from older women who couldn’t keep up with Ava’s energy to younger women who pretended to be a nanny only to attempt to shoot their shot with me when Ava was asleep.

Why was this so goddamn difficult?

If Jenny were here, she’d know what to do.

Then again, if Jenny were alive, we wouldn’t need a nanny in the first place.

My chest tightened the way it always did when I thought about my late wife, the mixture of complicated emotions all too familiar.

“It’smewho should be sorry, and I am,” I finally said to Chloe, ruffling my kid’s hair before I looked at her teacher again. “Thank you for bringing her here.”

“Of course.”

Chloe’s eyes flicked between mine, those impossibly wide brown irises watching me with uncertainty.

“I can watch her,” she offered suddenly, her voice louder than it had been. The offer seemed to surprise her as much as it did me, because she nervously grabbed her elbow with the opposite hand. “I mean, it seems like you’re a little tied up. Unless you want to call her nanny?”

“Oh, I want to call herexnanny many things,” I grumbled.

Chloe smiled. “I’m happy to take her to my place, or to yours — whichever you’d prefer.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Really? I’m sure you have plans.”