Page 72 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

Those eyes! Iris swallowed the lump that had inexplicably formed in her throat.

‘I am…’

What was she supposed to say? I’m on the staff? Your dad pays me to care about you? None of those things were right. She wasn’t even sure they were true anymore. Not entirely. She did care about this little person.

‘I am. I care about you, too, Olive.’

Olive’s frown tentatively turned up at the corners.

‘But I’m not your mom. And I’m not going to marry your dad.’

The frown was back.

‘But you might.’

‘No, Olive. Definitely not.’ She had to shut this down right now. Sure, she had the hots for Archer, but she had no intention of marrying him or possibly anyone for that matter, and this whole conversation was dredging up way too many memories about the men her mother had dated and the hope that she, little Iris, had each time that maybe this one would stick around.Shewasn’t going to stick around, and she needed Olive to understand that. She wouldn’t get this little girl’s hopes up like hers had been so many times.

‘But my teacher says, never say never!’

Iris pinched the bridge of her nose. Was that fever gone yet? Because this kid needed to go back to school ASAP.

‘Look, Olive. I know you miss your mom, but I can’t be your new mom. I’m sorry.’ There. Just rip off the Band-Aid.

Shit.Tears.

Rip off the Band-Aid?! Kids hated that. Just last week she’d pulled off Olive’s old Band-Aid too quickly and she had screamed and then cried about it until Iris bribed her with a lollipop.

‘Come here.’ She scooped Olive into her arms and made vaguely comforting noises into her hair until they were both a bit calmer. Marry her dad?! Become her new mom?! Yikes. Things had escalated at an alarming rate and Iris was a little afraid that if she stared into Olive’s big eyes for much longer, she might just give in to it all.

And the longer she held Olive in her arms, the more she thought maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Which was crazy.

Iris did not want kids. She did not want to be a nanny. She shouldn’t want to be here cuddling this sticky, sweaty child in her arms and yet, here she was, sticky and sweaty, and not wanting to be anywhere else.

She’d thought Archer was the problem, her undeniable attraction to him, her tender feelings when she caught him looking at Olive, like he was both terrified and delighted by her. But what if the kid was the problem? What if Iris fell in love with Olive?

How would she leave, then?

How would she explain to those big eyes that not only was she never going to be her mom, she also wasn’t going to take care of her every day?

Iris had made some big mistakes. She’d clearly miscalculated this whole thing. And now she was stuck. Literally. Olive was wrapped around her like a slightly damp koala bear.

Iris smiled into her hair.

‘Come on. I bought Popsicles. They’ll help with your scratchy neck.’ She stood up with Olive still clinging to her. ‘What flavor do you want?’

‘I want a blue one.’

‘Blue isn’t a flavor,’ Iris attempted to explain as they walked out to the kitchen.

‘Blue is the best flavor,’ Olive told her as Iris set her down on a stool and grabbed a Popsicle from the freezer. She laughed, despite herself.

‘Okay. Here’s a blue flavored Popsicle. It tastes just like the elusive blue Popsicle plant that grows in the rainforest.’

Olive grinned. ‘Thank you.’ She took a big lick. ‘I love you, Iris,’ she said, still innocently slurping on her Popsicle. Not realizing she was tearing Iris up inside with her words. ‘And I love blue Popsicles,’ she sang, happily swinging her feet below the stool.

‘I’m glad you like them,’ Iris said, swallowing the rest. This was just a job. A job like all the others she’d had and quit. And eventually, she’d quit this one, too.