Page 56 of Worst Nanny Ever (Babes of Brewing #2)
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
TRAVIS
Lilah being Lilah, she texts me just as I’m leaving The Missing Beat for Big Catch.
I need to talk to you right away.
We can get everything settled this afternoon.
Good.
I bristle a little that she still hasn’t asked to see Ollie again. It’s like she’s punishing him for not running to her with open arms.
Give me an hour.
I’d prefer to meet now.
I’m busy now. I’ll see you in an hour. We can meet here. [Drops pin for Tea of Fortune] Ollie’s there with Dottie.
Oh, good. I was hoping to see her.
And our son?
Of course. That goes without saying.
It doesn’t, but I don’t want to get into a long, drawn-out passive-aggressive argument with Lilah. I have some “Blue River” to play for my girl.
When I get to Big Catch, I laugh at the printed sign on the door—CLOSED FOR A STAFF EVENT—and beneath it, written in one of the crayons they hand out with the kids’ menu?—
Welcome, Mrs. Applebaum!
I try the door and find it open. I don’t have to look very hard for Eugene, because he’s the only person sitting in the dining room, looking nervous as all get out in a button-up shirt, a blazer with elbow patches, and what I’m presuming are Hannah-selected horn-rimmed glasses.
I glance around to search for Hannah, but there’s no sign of her, so I head over to the man of the hour.
“Hey, Eugene,” I say as I get closer. “Looking sharp.”
“Good gracious, young man. You finally got a haircut.”
I laugh. “Yeah, It was about time. Where are Hannah and Liam?”
“Over here,” Hannah calls out in a whisper-shout that’s more of a shout than a whisper. I glance over and find a fake lighthouse, surrounded by decorative rocks.
“They’re hiding behind the lighthouse,” Eugene confirms. “They thought it might be more romantic if the music filtered out from behind it.”
I scan the bar for other staff. “You got anyone here to grab Mrs. Applebaum a drink, some food?”
“Liam offered to give us a tasting after you play the song.” He sighs heavily.
“This is probably a terrible idea, though. I haven’t romanced a woman in years.
The last time I went on a date, the woman tried to sneak out through the back door.
They stopped her because they thought she was trying to dine and dash. ”
“That’s exactly what she was trying to do.” I glance at the lighthouse, smiling, and look back at him. “If the chemistry isn’t there, you can’t fake it. But when you meet the right woman, it’s not hard at all. It sounds like you’ve had that feeling about Mrs. Applebaum for a while now.
“I think we can call her Moira off school grounds,” he says.
“Moira,” I say, nodding. “A beautiful name for a?—”
Frankly, I still haven’t had a single pleasant interaction with the woman, so I’m going to have to take Hannah’s word for it.
“—warm, loving woman. It sounds to me you’ve already made a good impression on her, Eugene. Just be yourself. Be open to possibilities.”
He gives me a severe nod. “I think my first impression of you was wrong, son. You’re not a long-haired hooligan.”
I open my mouth, realize I don’t have much to say to that, and give him a nod. “Thank you. I’m going to go hide behind the lighthouse now.”
A few seconds later, I start to round the corner, and I’m pulled the rest of the way by a small, surprisingly strong hand. Hannah pushes me up against the lighthouse and kisses me. Which would have been way hotter if her brother weren’t crouching next to us.
“Jesus, Hannah,” he mutters under his breath as I pull away to grin at her.
“That’s a hell of a welcome,” I say, hugging her close before I let her go.
“You sounded like a greeting card when you were talking to him,” she whispers. “It was so heartfelt I nearly started crying again. ”
Liam grunts and rolls his eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”
He hands me my guitar case. He’s already got his out. The plan is to start with a performance of “Blue River,” and then Liam will use his phone to put on a playlist over the sound system.
“I talked to Rob about you,” I tell him as I pull my guitar out.
“Yeah?”
“We’re grateful you’re willing to stand in. Can you practice over the weekend?”
“Probably. Unless Hannah tells us we have to follow this old guy around and sing to his date,” he whispers gruffly. “Let me see your fist?”
I flex it, then show it to him, flinching a little at the pain that radiates through it.
“I’ll have to teach you how to throw a punch,” he says with a grunt.
“I’m hoping I won’t have to put that knowledge to much use.”
“Maybe not, but it’s something a man should know.”
“How about blocking a punch?” I ask. “Can you teach me that in case you decide to beat me up some day?”
He grins at me. “If I decide to do that, my friend, all the angels in heaven couldn’t save you.”
Hannah stamps her foot. “Come on, guys,” she whisper-hisses. “Stop this posturing nonsense right now. She’s going to be here any minute.”
Speaking of…
“Hey,” I say, grabbing her hand. “I have to leave soon to meet Lilah at Tea of Fortune. She says she’s ready to talk.”
She raises her eyebrows. “But you still came here?”
“I wasn’t about to let you down. I know how much this means to you. Besides, if she’s serious about having a real conversation, I want to have it, but it can’t just be on her terms.”
She squeezes my hand. “Thank you.”
The front door creaks open, signaling a new arrival, and all three of us freeze like deer caught in the headlights. Hannah peeks around the lighthouse and then starts doing a little dance on her feet, her eyes full of excitement.
“Eugene?” I hear Mrs. Applebaum say with wonder. (Sorry, Eugene, I don’t have it in me to call her Moira.) “Is that you?”
“It is,” he says. “You look breathtaking.”
Hannah turns to us urgently, holding her hands in a heart shape over her face and pulsating them.
I grin at her, because she should be proud of her work.
There’s a sound of a chair being pulled out, and then Eugene says, “I realize this invitation probably seems like it came out of the blue, but I’ve…
admired you for years, Moira. Of course, I never would have said anything about it while you were married.
I shouldn’t have said anything while we were working together.
I’ve been beating myself up about it for years.
But the truth is, I’ve always thought very highly of you. ”
Liam gives me an amused look, because I said the exact same thing to him about Hannah a week ago, in this very room.
“And I’ve always thought very highly of you ,” she says.
“I didn’t say no because I wasn’t interested.
I have tremendous respect for you, Eugene.
You’re a man who believes in attention to detail.
Why, the hedgehog you gave me was immaculate.
Much better than the one Mr. Roberts gave me. It’s too bad it was broken, but?—”
“Broken?” Eugene asks, his tone piqued.
Hannah gives us an urgent nod, her eyes wide, and Liam and I break into our rendition of “Blue River.”
There’s a gasp, followed by the sound of a chair being pushed back, and just before Hannah starts singing, I hear Eugene say, “Would you do me the honor of dancing with me, Moira?”
“Oh, Eugene,” she says, and it sounds like a good oh, Eugene .
Then Hannah starts singing, still crouched behind the lighthouse with us, and her voice is so pure and deep and soulful, it makes it impossible to think about anything else.
All I can do is play alongside her, completely in her thrall, and think about the things I’d like to do with her later.
Which is uncomfortable with her brother wedged right next to me, but I can’t control my thoughts.
Finally, the song ends, and Hannah peeks out from behind the lighthouse. Her eyes widen with shocked delight, and she gestures for us to come closer.
We do, and wow, I didn’t know he had it in him. Eugene and Mrs. Applebaum are making out like teenagers.
Hannah looks like she’s going to explode into one of her happy dances, Liam looks uncomfortable as hell, and I mouth to them, Can we go?
“What about their drinks?” Liam whispers.
“They’re busy,” I respond.
Hannah nods adamantly and adds, “Having secret sex in Big Catch is like a rite of passage for new employees.”
Liam makes a sound of disgust, and then the three of us tiptoe out from our hiding spot, moving along the side of the dining room. I could swear Eugene gives us a thumbs-up as we sneak past him and out into the crisp, cool air.
I hadn’t planned on bringing Hannah to the tea shop, let alone Hannah and Liam, but I’m glad they’re with me.
My nerves are humming now that the conversation is getting closer.
Because I know Lilah’s not just going to give in.
If she offers me what I want, it’ll be because she thinks I have something she wants.
Something tells me it won’t be a small ask.
When we get to Tea of Fortune, we’re a few minutes early, so I’m surprised to see Lilah’s already here, seated a few tables from the entrance, with Dottie and Ollie.
Liam glances at me. “How about I take Ollie for a walk?”
I nod. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
Ollie jumps up when he sees us, then runs toward us and wraps his arms around me.
“Mom said I can keep living here,” he tells me.
I glance at Lilah as Ollie moves on to Hannah, giving her a bear hug. Lilah smiles sweetly, and I’m struck with the certainty that she does want something—something specific. If it’s money, fine. I’ll pay. It’s my father’s money anyway, mostly, and I never asked for it in the first place.
“I’ll go with Liam and Ollie,” Hannah says, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.
I meet her gaze, shaking my head. “Stay.”
“You’ve got this.”
“I know I do. But I want you to stay. This concerns you too, or at least I’d like for it to.”
She nods several times, then waves at Ollie and Liam as they head for the door.
Hannah and I approach the table together, hand in hand. Lilah looks annoyed by that, but fuck Lilah.