the same.
Brad stood and then patted me on the back. “I’ll round up the troops and tell them to get ready for dinner.”
We were going to the girls’ favorite Italian restaurant today to celebrate Patty and the little time we had left with her.
I nodded and then forced my attention to Mason as I stood. He was breathing hard, face red, like he always did when he truly believed he was in the right. His heart was in a good place, and no one, not even Brad, could fault him for that.
I walked over and placed my hands on his shoulders. “Just listen,” I said, knowing he was going to list his twenty reasons again on why we should be cautious in hiring Becky. “We could interview hundreds of candidates, and they could all look good on paper, but at the end of the day, they could be horrible people.”
The fierce determination in his eyes softened then, so I continued, “This comes down to one thing—trust. And I trust Patty. Plain and simple.” I squeezed his shoulder. “Patty loves our girls like they are her own. She trusts Becky with her mother’s life and even our girls. Patty has fully vouched for her.”
“But—” He started to argue, stubborn ass that he was.
With a firm shake of my head, I said, “No buts. We’re giving Becky a shot. It’s not a permanent solution, so we have every right to change our minds. But in the meantime, we will be nice to her and allow her to do her job. Okay?” I lifted an eyebrow. “Mason?”
He blew out a breath and nodded, his eyes downturned. “Okay.”
I snaked an arm around his shoulders and ushered him out the door. “Now, let’s get some dinner.”
Becky
“You’re hired,” Charles said.
My eyes widened before my hand flew to my mouth, and I gripped his forearm with both hands. “Thank you!” Then, I flushed red because I had in fact almost jumped on him.
In my defense, he was the one who had relayed the news, and he was the closest person to me at that exact moment. I would have happy-attacked Brad, Mason, or even Patty if they’d told me the news.
I wanted to blame embarrassment for the heat that rushed my body, not the feel of his strong forearm underneath my fingertips. It could have been my imagination, but I swore his cheeks had reddened.
I backed away slowly and took in everyone’s eyes on us—particularly his brothers’ eyes, which were on Charles.
Charles cleared his throat and tipped his chin. “You’re … you’re welcome, Becky,” he stuttered, averting his gaze and motioning to the door. He plucked out his wallet. “You’ll need this. It’s a credit card for the expenditures for the girls. It has a very high credit line, so don’t go disappearing with it.”
I took the card from him and stared at it. I didn’t know if this was a joke or if he was serious because his face was serious.
He turned to Patty then. “Patty, please give Becky the phone we gave you before you go.”
“Will do,” Patty replied, a small smirk playing on her lips.
“We should go now.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and then tugged out his keys. “Um … we have dinner reservations.” He pulled at his collar and then adjusted his shirt.
As everyone filed out, I squeezed Patty’s hand beside me. “Thank you, Patty!” Then, I hugged her because I was beyond excited and relieved.
There was no doubt I would love it here by the stories Patty had told me and the vibe I was getting from the family. This would be a change, no doubt. I was used to caring for adults, but I imagined that the children would bring a different kind of joy.
When Patty patted my back, I whispered, “That was awkward, huh?”
She pulled back, smiling. “Not awkward. Just funny.” Then, she hooked my arm in hers. “And I’m so happy. This puts me at ease. You here, taking care of my girls.”
Thirty minutes later, we pulled in front of a swanky Italian restaurant. Patty and I rode with Charles while the girls rode with their uncles. I knew it was an upscale place, given the amount of cars waiting for valet service, the ambience, and even the patrons standing by to get inside—women in their cute dresses and men in business-casual wear at their sides.
I tugged at my sweater and pulled my ponytail to my side. I wished I’d changed my clothes, but I didn’t