Page 14 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

‘Don’t you have flowers to plant or something?’ Iris shot back.

‘Not right now, no. But thanks for your concern.’

Bex laughed. ‘Uh oh, Kira. I think you hit a nerve.’ She sat up and started folding what was left of Iris’s clothes. Iris had grown up with her cousin as practically a sibling. They’d lived next door to each other, each girl with just their mother. The foursome had done pretty much everything together. And so she had no qualms telling Bex to shut it.

But she was here helping her pack, so Iris decided to be nice.

‘She didn’t hit a nerve. I feel very good about my decision.’

Her friend and her cousin stared at her with matching incredulous expressions on their faces.

‘I do! I told you, I can handle it.’

‘But do you want to?’ Kira’s expression softened. ‘Are you sure you want tonanny?’

Iris fought her urge to shrug and instead rolled back her shoulders in a stance of faux confidence. ‘Yes, I do. I’m telling you, it’s going to be easy. She’s at school most of the day. And I get a free room! Think of all the money I will save. I figure, I do this until she’s out of school for the summer and then I’ll let Archer know he has to make other arrangements. It’s agoodplan.’

It was a good plan. She’d given it a lot of thought. She’d help out Archer and Olive for a few months until they got settled into their new life together, she’d save up some money, and then she’d move on. Like she always did. She’d even help Archer find a replacement for her when the time came.

Even she could handle dealing with one kid for a few months.

How hard could it be? Sure, Olive had a tendency to run off, and yes, she didn’t speak to her father yet, but now Iris knew right where she ran off to and Olive spoke toherso that wouldn’t be a problem.

And besides, plenty of people didn’t love their jobs. This was something she had to do to make ends meet. Just for now. Just to catch up on a few bills, to save first and last month’s rent for a better apartment, to fill the gaps her other jobs left in her bank account.

Iris could get one kid ready for school and pick her up each day. It’s not like she had to be her parent, something Iris had zero interest in, in general. ‘Mom’ was not a job she ever planned on having. But nanny wasn’tmom. She just had to keep Olive alive for a few hours a day.

It would be easy.

That was her new motto, and she was sticking to it.

‘Okay, if you say so. I just want to make sure you’re not making any rash decisions,’ Kira said.

Iris laughed. ‘Are you serious right now?’

Kira’s straight face cracked, a giggle spilling out. ‘I was trying to be!’ She stood from her chair and gave Iris a hug. ‘Just don’t buy any real estate without looking at it.’

‘We don’t all have trust funds, babe.’

Kira grinned. ‘Not anymore. That thing is long gone.’

Iris laughed. ‘Thanks for helping with the packing.’

‘No problem. I do have to go, though. Farm life calls!’

‘Of course it does. See you at yoga tonight?’

‘Wouldn’t miss it!’ Kira called as she made her way down the hall and out of Iris’s apartment.

Iris turned her attention back to her cousin, expecting her to continue finding flaws in her plan, but Bex just put the last shirt in her bag.

‘Be careful with this guy,’ she said as she stood up from the bed.

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means, be careful. You’re in a vulnerable position here, Iris. Don’t let him take advantage of you.’

‘Take advantage of me? Bex…’