Page 20 of The Accidental Nanny (All Of You #1)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Gemma

I t was coming up to the end of the summer holidays.

I had just spent the last few hours walking around town for new school uniform for Ace and Eden; shopping with two young children is not fun.

They got bored far too easily. While sat in the car they argue with each other.

I needed a break. Alex was so caught up with his work, we hadn’t seen much of him and I hadn’t seen or spoken to Fern in ages, either.

“Hey!” I call at them to stop the bickering.

Neither of them listen. Eden keeps trying to kick Ace, and Ace is throwing popcorn at her. I’m sure that’s two weeks old. Shit, I need to clean the car out more often.

“Will you both stop it,” I shout at them. They freeze, until Eden pokes her tongue out at me, but Ace looks like he’s about to cry.

“Eden.”

I’m hot, tired, hungry, and in need of a coffee.

“Right, I have to go and see someone. Be on your best behaviour, both of you.” Of course, as soon as I said that Eden was her usual self asking too many questions. My answers weren’t good enough. “Let me get a frappe and you will soon see where we are going.”

Pulling onto Fern’s drive, I throw my empty coffee cup on the front passenger seat. I help Eden out of her car seat, Ace has already got himself out.

Picking Eden up, I place her on my hip. Her little finger keeps pressing the buzzer, until a topless Wesley answers, his face bemused at the sight before him. This time, it does nothing for me. I watch as his hand rubs the top of his chest.

“Gemma,” he says, flexing his pecs.

“What’s he doing?” Eden whispers in my ear. She’s trying to be quiet, but it’s clear he can hear her as he stops right away.

“Is Fern here?” I smile at him.

He looks at his watch. “She’s working, but I think she’ll be home soon.”

“We’ll wait in the garden for her.”

Sitting on the sun lounger, I watch Ace and Eden play chase. Wesley comes out with a tray of drinks. Laying them down on the table, he pours me one, then hands it over.

“How’s things?” he asks in a casual manner.

“Good, you?” This was awkward, but we need to chat. “Wesley, I think it’s obvious I had feelings for you for a long time.”

“Yeah,” he agrees.

“But…”

“What?

“You were a bit of a dick.”

He stares in shock at my statement. “How?” he asks.

“Why didn’t you just tell me you weren’t interested?”

“I did, numerous times. You never listened.”

“When?” I question crossing my arms .

He rolls his eyes. “Gemma, look, lets move on. This guy is making you happy.”

“How do you know I’m seeing someone?”

He’s hiding a smirk. “I’ve known you for years, this is the first time you haven’t tried it on.” He gets up, leaving me alone.

It’s not long before Fern is home. I introduce the children to her, and they love her.

She’s running around the garden playing with them, giving me a momentary break.

But there’s a pang of guilt. These are my children, those laughs should be mine.

Getting off the sun lounger, I run over to them.

We are playing tag, until we hear another voice.

“Three girls against one boy, I don’t like those odds.” Wesley smiles, joining in the fun.

Fern makes us a late lunch, whilst Wesley takes the children to the park down the road.

Catching up in a moment of peace, Fern tells me about her new job. I can’t believe she’s working for my Alex; this is so weird. He never said, so maybe he didn’t know. I’ll make sure I mention it tonight.

Fern’s smiling as she puts the plates down for the food. I go over, wrapping my arms around her.

“I love you,” I tell her. She’s my best friend and I don’t think I’ve ever told her that.

The laughter of two little people and an adult fill the house.

“Come on, Ace.” Wesley asks, “Toes for a nose, or a nose for toes? That’s just silly.”

“I want toes for a nose,” Eden shouts loudly.

“Why?” Wesley questions her .

“Then I don’t have to smell daddy’s farts,” She giggles.

We leave just before dinner, I’ve missed several calls from Alex. Pulling up on the drive, I carry a tired Eden in, while Ace brings in the bags. Alex has a massive smile on his face. We follow him to the bottom of the garden where Jill and Charlie are sitting looking at two rabbits jumping around.

“You got them!” Ace screams with delight. Alex had been working hard on the enclosure for the last several weeks.

“They have their forever home, now you just have to select their new names.”

“Thunder.” Eden points to the black and white one.

“That one has to be Lightning,” Ace says, smiling at the white one with a brown splodge on his back. I sneak off back to the house, and I know Alex is following. We are all over each other, missing the fact Jill has come in.

“So, it’s true.” She’s standing in the kitchen with us.

“Mum.”

“You’re getting married?”

“Eden!” I call, she pops her head around the door, giggling.

“You must stop telling people we are getting married,” I tell her.

“She’s done this before?” Alex asks me.

Alex

Everyone was outside except me and my mother.

“Alex, is this wise?” she asks me, loading the dishwasher, while I wash the remaining items by hand.

“Mum…”

“She’s so young, does she know about the… you know.” She doesn’t want to use the word vasectomy .

“No, I’ve not told her.”

“Is this fair to her, and the children? Have you thought about any of this?”

I haven’t stopped thinking about it. That’s the problem. “Mum, please. I don’t need a lecture.”

“I think you do.”

The conversation stops when Gemma comes in. I can feel myself smiling. She grabs a glass, leaning over me as she pours some water into it. She gives me a kiss on the cheek before she heads back outside. Mum follows her, leaving me with my own thoughts.