Page 6 of Nanny for the Bodyguard

“It smellssoweird in my room!” Jade rolls her eyes, smiling again. “And…and it’s weird going to bed.”

“It’s weird?” Easton asks, sitting down at the table with his concerned stare pinned to Jade. “Why is it weird?”

“You, umm…” She doesn’t continue, and I know it’s hard to open up to someone you’re not close to.

“It’s okay, Jade. I’m sure whatever you need, Uncle Easton will make it happen.”

I eye him, raising my brows so he knows this is the part when he agrees—emphatically.

“Oh! Yes, of course. Whatever you need to feel comfortable, Jade. I just want to help.”

“Well, Mom used to read to me. And there was this song thing that she’d play on the tablet, so it wasn’t so quiet.”

“Oh, umm, sure. I can…I can make that happen.”

Easton looks stressed by the prospect, but Jade is obviously happier. She slurps up her ice cream, which is all over her chin and mouth at this point.

“Awesome.” I put a hand on Jade’s shoulder as I stand up. “You know there’s a playground right across the street. Feel like getting your play on?”

She looks to Easton, her face all scrunched up with worry. “Is that okay?”

“I…”

He probably had stuff to do, but to hell with that. He needs to pay attention to his niece, and yes, I’m very much enjoying the prospect of messing with his day. A bit vengeful of me, true.

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

We walk over to the park, and Jade starts playing as I sit on the bench with Easton. He’s watching her with this nervous expression on his face as if he’s ready to jump up any second and run to her because she tripped.

Oh, buddy. I…dammit.

“So, how’s it been with Jade? You said it’s hard, but is everything okay? You know, manageable?”

I know he’s said a bit about how he feels, but I’m giving Easton the chance to really open up. It’s also an excellent way to keep him from asking about me or how I’ve been.

I’m not ready to open that can of worms.

“I mean, I guess so. It was better when I had a babysitter to come and watch Jade while I worked. I can’t always be there, especially when there’s a client who needs me. It’s a physical job. I can work from home sometimes, but at others, I need to be on the front lines.”

“What happened to your babysitter?” I sip my coffee, putting my arm across the back of the bench as I turn toward him.

“She quit after only a week. And before you say anything, no, it wasn’t my fault. She decided to go backpacking in Europe with her friends for two months. Brittany said she’d pick up the job again when she got back, but that’s still two months without help.”

My chest pinches. I can see how stressed out Easton is. He keeps running his hand through his hair, the short locks at the top of his head standing up more and more after each pass.

It’s a classic move of his, at least from what I remember.

He did it when he first asked me out…and again when he told me about going back to the military.

“I’m just swamped, and I can’t say no to someone who needs my help. A lot of the people in town and those nearby need protection from violent exes. If I’m not there to help them, they could get hurt. I have staff that handles things in other states and shit. We’re a small company, though. I’m still required for jobs and behind-the-scenes shit. It’s…it’s fuckingexhausting.”

“I’m sorry, Easton. That sounds like a lot to deal with.”

He nods, sighing as he leans back against the bench and puts his hands behind his head. His muscles bulge in his t-shirt, and when Jade calls out to him, he looks up with a smile.

I can see how hard he’s trying, and the grin that spreads across Easton’s face as he watches Jade do the monkey bars is stunning.

Despite everything, he does care for that girl. You can see it whenever you look at him.