How To Wife Your Nanny A Billionaire Single Dad Romantic Comedy- Melinda Minx Page 0,13
do all that.”
“I think it’s fun,” Naomi said.
I got queasy just thinking about being on a tiny little fishing boat. It was in no way my idea of a good time.
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s stick to toy fishing. I’m good with that.”
A bunch of kids were in the Kid’s Corner, but they started to shuffle over with their parents toward the other end of the kids’ section of the library, the place where Lacey did Reading Hour.
“Miss Lacey Larsen has a surprise for you,” I said.
“A surprise? Really?”
“Yep,” I said.
She balled her little fists up, shook them, and closed her eyes. “I’m so happy and excited, Daddy!”
This little girl could melt my fucking heart without even trying. I was like ice cream, and she was my summer sun. All I could do was smile, but it hurt a little bit too. She really liked Lacey, and even if my whole ridiculous nanny plan with Lacey didn’t work, I more and more felt like Silas was right. Maybe he was right about what Naomi needed, and maybe even about what I needed.
Naomi ran straight for Lacey. I didn’t bother trying to keep up with her. She almost tackled the poor woman, and when I was about halfway to her, Lacey was already opening the first book for her. Naomi jumped up and down when she saw Lacey’s little Gobblegurt doodle. Naomi ran back to me and grabbed my leg. “Miss Lacey Larsen drew me a new Gobblegurt. A new one, Daddy!”
“Wow,” I said. “What a great surprise. Did you thank her?”
“Thank you!” Naomi shouted.
Some fat kid shushed Naomi, and I gave him a look that shut him up almost immediately. Then his mom gave me a look, so I glared even harder at her, and she pulled her kid away.
No one shushed my little girl when she was over the moon.
Lacey was smiling too. Man, what I wouldn’t give for her to smile at me like that. She had big dimples in her cheeks, and even her eyes looked happy. Naomi got just as excited at each new drawing as the first. She even made Lacey read out each little message, even though they were almost exactly the same as each other.
Naomi sat down on the floor when Reading Hour started, and she kept her big pile of prized Lacey Larsen books right in front of her, her arms wrapped protectively around them.
Lacey smiled at the kids. “Good morning, everyone!”
“Good morning, Miss Lacey!”
“What do we want to start with—”
“Animal song!” Several kids shouted.
Lacey shot me a brief look. I didn’t get the impression she was trying to look at me so that I’d see her, but more to see if I was looking at her. She looked embarrassed.
She hated my guts, but she was afraid to wear a pig mask in front of me?
I smiled at her though. I had a plan for this.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s choose our animals.”
She reached into her bag to get her masks. She was short one, because I still had the pig mask she’d given me last week. I’d tied the torn elastic band back together, and the thing was in my jacket pocket.
Once every kid had their mask on, she went through the animals. I sat patiently and waited through the cow. The chicken. The dog and the cat.
When she grabbed her pig mask though, I stood up. “Wait.”
Everyone looked up at me. The kids looked confused, and the parents looked annoyed. Lacey looked at me with both of those emotions.
“I should be the pig this time,” I said.
“Noah,” she muttered. “I was just…”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pig mask. I put it right over my face and pulled the elastic band back over my hair.
“Look! Look!” Naomi shouted, “My daddy is a piggy!”
“That’s right,” I said. “Oink oink!”
I looked down at the kids. They didn’t laugh. They just looked up at me like I was some boring old rich guy.
Lacey crossed her arms. “You can’t just say ‘oink oink,’ you have to really sound like a pig.”
Damnit. This was my apology, wasn’t it? She was going to make me really go in on this, but if that made her at least partially forgive me, then fuck, it was worth it.
The mom whose fat little kid had shushed Naomi grinned at me. I scowled back at her, but the mask probably covered my expression anyway.