Page 157 of Perfectly Matched: Harbor Falls Romance Collection

Wyn tried to sleep. She should be able to sleep. She was tired. The day had been long and full of activity. She’d been busy the whole damn time. Why couldn’t sleep?

Staring at the ceiling, she blinked once, then twice. Internally, she was genuinely conflicted. She actually loved being with the kids today. Loved it! Who knew? And she was growing quite fond of the little beasts. This was a feat in and of itself. She’d even been thinking that should Rob Black need her after this trip, she’d be happy to take on more work caring for the children—despite the fact that he worked in the industry. She could keep this in perspective, right? She could get past all of that because of how much she had come to enjoy the kids, in just one day.

Then came the call. The call she’d needed and craved for months. The call that could shift her acting career, potentially. Dropped in her lap like a hot potato. Hot! Potato!

What was she to do?

Not sleep. Obviously.

She couldn’t keep this job if she got the part in the play. How would she balance that with Rob Black living right here in Harbor Falls? Even though his casting duties would be finished once the play started, he’d keep up with the play. It was local, for God’s sake. He’d probably even attend. And there she would be, acting.

What would he think?

You’re getting way ahead of yourself Wyn. You’ve only been called back to audition. You don’t have a role yet. Why are you prematurely worried about anything?

Because she was getting attached to the kids.

She actually liked this nanny business.

Closing her eyes, she thought for a moment. Maybe Rob wouldn’t be back yet when she auditioned. He’d said Thursday or Friday, right? He was unsure of his return. Maybe she could get the audition in and he wouldn’t be there.

Is that dishonest, too? So many twisted tales here.

No wonder she couldn’t sleep.

Her cell phone rattled on the night table, startling her. Quickly, she glanced at the digital clock on the dresser. After midnight. Who in the heck…?

She reached for the phone.

Rob?

He texted: I can’t tell you how much it means to me to get these pictures. Thank you.

Her shoulders relaxed a little. He was appreciative of her effort. That made her feel good. Maybe she was good at this nanny thing after all. But didn’t that even further complicate things?

She sighed and dropped the phone to her side. After a moment, she lifted it back up to read the text again, and frowned. Then she typed back: Not to be reading anything into something but sounds like you needed to see them.

She waited a few seconds. Ping! More than you know.

Wyn pursed her lips. Should she…? Bad day?

He replied with, Good and bad. Miss the kids. Miss home.

She blew out a breath and responded. If it helps any, they missed you too. They were good kids and we had fun.

Wyn waited for a few minutes with no response. Hell, had she misstepped? Was she getting too personal?

Then her phone rang. Rob’s name flashed across the dial. She hesitantly swiped to answer the call. “Hello?”

“It does help. Thanks,”

he said, his voice soft and low.

He sounded lonely. Of course, what did lonely sound like, really, and what did she know about it with friends under foot 24/7? She could only assume but why would a man like Rob Black be lonely?

“Helluva day,” he added.

“I’m sorry. And you’re welcome.”

She paused for a moment, and then added.

“I’m glad the pictures helped. Hope it wasn’t overkill.”

“No. Not at all. In fact…”

He expelled what sounded like a breath he’d been holding for a while.

“They were very welcome. Looks like you put in a lot of work.”

“It was a good day.”

She smiled thinking back.

“The kids were exhausted. You know, tired kids are good kids.”

He chuckled, then hesitated a moment.

“I imagine. Thank you for everything.”

“I enjoy them.”

“I’m glad.”

“I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.”

“Wyn, thank you. That means a lot.”

She hesitated.

“You’re welcome.”

Hell, what were they doing here? Small talk? She wasn’t sure what to say or do next, so she did nothing.

“I really appreciate you coming back to help me out. You didn’t have to.”

She swallowed, and then replied softly.

“I’m honestly not sure why I did.”

He said nothing in return. Then she added.

“I think Mia needed me.”

Rob laughed softly.

“Yeah, poor baby girl in the middle of all that rough-and-tumble.”

“It’s not an easy place to be,”

she said.

“I have brothers.”

“Ah. Probably why you are handling things so well. Again, thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

Rob didn’t say anything for what seemed like a small eternity and she didn’t either. Then finally, he said.

“Well, it’s late there. I should let you sleep.”

“Yes,”

she replied.

“It’s after midnight.”

“Crap. I’m sorry. You should have said something.”

“No, it’s fine, Mr. Browning. I know you need to check on your children. Just know that all is well and we will be in touch tomorrow. Goodnight.”

Then Wyn hit the end button on her phone before he could say anything else, wondering if she sounded like a fool ending the call so abruptly.

But she had to. The conversation was beginning to feel too cozy.

****

Rob stared at the phone and watched the face turn dark. Mr. Browning. Yes, she was wise to keep things in perspective and he was a fool to try to find a moment’s comfort in a late night conversation with his nanny after one helluva challenging day.

His nanny. What a concept.

He sat and thought about that a minute. What was it about her, or that whole scenario with the kids back in Harbor Falls, that made him so homesick? He really didn’t know her. In fact, he knew very little about her other than the fact that she was beautiful, and she looked at the kids with big caring eyes, and she spoke to Mia like she was expecting the baby to talk right back, and she handled the boys with ease…. Yet, he left his niece and nephews with her without even so much as a thought.

No, that wasn’t true. He’d thought about it and had fretted and worried over it. Hadn’t he? He hadn’t wanted to leave them but Jack pushed hard, and it was his business, and the obligations to the company had trumped the kids. Suddenly he felt sick to his stomach considering that reality.

But he hadn’t left the kids with just anyone. She was Miss Wyn, after all.

He had checked out all of her references. Besides, she was an elf, and the department store wouldn’t hire anyone who wasn’t fit to work with children to be an elf. Would they?

No they wouldn’t.

Was it the conversation with her that he craved? Or was it simply the cozy scene of kids and family and the warmth of Christmas that was making him homesick? The latter, he was certain. He missed those kids like crazy and here it was, nearly Christmas, and he was gone. Again. And worse, they didn’t have their parents or grandmother right now either.

He was an idiot.

But Miss Wyn had saved the day. The nanny had stepped up and made Christmas happen for the kids without him.

That thought hit him in the pit of his stomach.

This was unlike him. He hadn’t felt homesick since he left home for college and that only lasted about three days—but homesick he was, for kids and family. He’d not had a Christmas like that for years. Why was he craving the very spirit of Christmas now?

Because you aren’t there, stupid. Because in the past six weeks you’ve grown accustomed to being back home. Because while most of your family is off flitting around the world for the holidays, this is the one year you don’t want to be doing so. The pull of home and family was stronger than it had been for years. And his heart—suddenly—wasn’t in his work any longer. His heart, was back in Harbor Falls with an infant baby girl and three crazy boys.

And the nanny?

He pulled up the selfie picture again of the kids and Wyn. He sucked in a breath through his nose and slowly let it out, easing some of the tension in his chest. He studied the happy faces of the kids—and of Wyn. When did she just become Wyn, and not Miss Wyn in his head? He wasn’t certain.

This. What he was looking at in this picture. This was what he wanted.

Home. Hearth. Family.

He stared at the picture until the phone faded to black again. He was glad he’d listened to his gut months ago when Melinda pushed him. What she had wanted, and offered, had been tempting because he knew he was unsettled in his life and was craving something different. Something more. Thank God he’d had the wherewithal to realize it wasn’t her. That would have been a disaster, and it was worth going through all the afterward shit just to get past it all and move on. What he needed, wanted, was simple. He needed some sort of mundane and average continuity in his life that would feed his heart and soul and not necessarily his bank account.

He wanted his own house. His own kids. And a woman beside him. A woman who didn’t want him for what he could give her—a woman who wanted him simply because she loved him.

He was thirty-six years old. It was time.

He swiped his phone back to life again and made a couple of calls.