Page 59 of Unexpected

“Mommy?”

I dropped Sophia’s duffel bag at the foot of the stairs. For one night away, she sure had a lot of stuff.

“Yes, baby.”

“What’s a cougar?”

“You know what a cougar is,” I said. She’d known so many animals by name by the age of two, I wondered why she was asking. “You mean the big cat—wildlife?”

Sophia scrunched up her face. “I don’t think so. Well, at least, I hope not. I heard Mr. Nate telling his girlfriend that he spotted a cougar when he picked me up.”

I stilled, my blood whooshing through my ears. But Sophia continued talking, completely oblivious to my internal freak-out—thank goodness.

“You haven’t seen one out by the pool, right?” She stared out the glass doors to the backyard as if she expected to see a big cat prowling the edge of the pool.

I would’ve laughed if I didn’t feel like I was going to be sick. I was going to kill Nate. But really, could I blame him? I was the one who’d gotten myself into this mess in the first place.

I knew he suspected something between Preston and me. Knew it the moment I felt his shrewd gaze assessing, judging.

Sophia waved, and I spotted Preston smiling at her through the glass doors. He let himself in, closing them behind him. She rushed over to him for a hug, but his eyes were on me as he held her, silently asking if I was okay. I shook my head.

“You’re back,” he said to Sophia. “Did you have fun?”

“Oh my gosh! So much fun.” She held out her newly painted fingernails. “We did mani-pedis, watched a new movie that’s not even in the theaters yet, and got to make s’mores over the fire pit in their backyard.”

Normally, I would’ve enjoyed hearing all about her adventures, but I was trying to hold it together. Nate had a younger girlfriend, sure. But he was a guy. People wouldn’t judge him for their age difference. It was to be expected, something to be boasted about.

“Wow.” Preston grinned, leaning his hip against the counter. “That sounds pretty epic. The graham crackers were gluten free, right?”

I loved that he was so conscious about her diet. Loved that he encouraged her to take charge of her allergies by teaching her to cook. Loved him, even though I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that. But right now, all I could think about was the fact that everyone was judging me for falling for a younger guy.

Okay, not everyone,I thought. Just Nate. Who’d told his girlfriend. Who would tell someone else, and someone else, until everyone in our social circle knew. And when they realized Preston wasn’t just younger, he was the nanny… I clamped my eyes shut, holding a hand to my stomach.

“Duh,” Sophia’s snarky tone cut through my thoughts.

“Sophia,” I chided.

“Sorry. What I meant to say,” she said in a tone I didn’t appreciate, “was, yes, of course, they were.” Where was this attitude coming from? She wasn’t even seven, for crying out loud.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I needed a drink. Several drinks. Something.

“Why don’t you go unpack, and then we can go swimming,” Preston said.

“Yay!” Sophia turned and headed for the stairs, but she paused before she reached the edge of the kitchen. “You haven’t seen any cougars in the backyard, have you?” Her brow was furrowed with concern.

Preston glanced to me for answers, then back at her. “Um, no. I haven’t.”

“Okay. Well, could you check before I come down? Just in case.”

He coughed into his hand to cover a laugh. “Of course.”

She scampered up the stairs, and I slid my hands forward on the counter, resting my forehead against the cool surface. A moment later, I felt Preston’s large hand on my back. He rubbed in a circular motion, leaning down so his mouth was next to my ear.

“Why does Sophia think there’s a cougar lurking in the backyard?”

I lifted my head. “Because Nate told his girlfriend he saw one when he picked Sophia up.”

Preston started laughing, but I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest.