When the Wind Chimes - Mary Ting Page 0,36

I reminded myself. But even if he weren’t, and even if I was ready for a relationship, someone like him wouldn’t date someone like me—a temporary nanny who didn’t know what she wanted from life.

Chapter Fifteen — First Day

“You didn’t have to drive me,” I said.

Abby looked over her shoulder to her right and turned the steering wheel. “I want to know where I should pick up your body just in case I don’t hear from you.”

“Seriously? You’re going to go there?”

Abby glared at me. “You’re my baby sister. I care about your safety. Someone has to. I mean, who—”

“Okay, Abby. That’s enough.” I gritted my teeth as I stared out the window at the ocean.

I loved her, but she could be overbearing and in my business. I wanted her to be my friend, not a mother. I’d thought after high school she would lighten up, but her older sister duty never went away. Even our mother had never been this attentive.

“Turn left up there, after that palm tree,” I said quickly. “Right there.”

“There?”

“There.” I pointed. “Skyshore. You’ll see the house.”

Abby slowed the car to turn and then parked on the curb in front of a two-story mansion. “Wow. Very nice. Well, good luck and call me.”

I got out of the car and opened the back door to get my duffel bag. “It’s only two weeks. Besides, I’ll only be spending the night when the parents are away for whatever the reason. You’ll see me soon. Don’t miss me too much. Give Ty my love and kiss him for me.” I blew her a kiss and shut the door.

Abby’s tires on the gravel sounded loud in the quiet of the posh neighborhood. I watched her leave and then knocked on the front door. The longer I waited, the harder the knots formed in my gut. I inhaled a deep breath and released an even a bigger one.

A door opened.

“Miss Summers.” Mona stepped back with a relieved smile.

She must have worried I wasn’t going to show up.

“Come in.” She opened the door wider and took my bag. “Let me put this away for you. I’ll be back with Roselyn. We want her to meet you before the driver takes her to school.”

Mona left, leaving me to stare at the crystal chandelier and the grand Christmas tree. I stiffened when a man jogged across the foyer, unbuttoning his shirt.

He must be Mr. Banks.

“Mona, where’s my dry cleaning?” he hollered by the stairs, his back to me.

I retreated and watched from the doorway. We hadn’t met, and I didn’t know if he knew I was there. I’d wait to be introduced by Mona.

Mr. Banks had his hand on the banister, his shoulder muscles taut and defined. When he peered upward, the sunlight cascaded down on his dark hair from the window high above.

“Mona, where are you?”

My heart somersaulted in my stomach. That voice. I knew that voice. I swallowed hard ... twice. Surely I was wrong. To prove myself wrong, I came out of hiding and strutted toward him.

“Mr. Banks?”

He spun around and his face registered the same shock I felt. More shocking, his unbuttoned shirt gave me a peek-a-boo of his muscular chest.

I sucked in a breath. “Leonardo? Um ... what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? I live here. You’re Kaitlyn Summers? You’re the Miss Summers Mona hired?”

He clearly knew my name. He had said it like he didn’t know?

“Yes,” I said.

“Why?”

What is he implying, exactly? I crossed my arms.

He read my expression well enough to lower his voice. “I didn’t mean that. Mona told me the new nanny’s name, but I didn’t know it was you. I thought it must be a strange coincidence. I didn’t know you were a nanny. You work with your sister. Why would you need this job?”

Leonardo was merely explaining, and there was nothing technically wrong in what he said, but somehow it made me mad. Should I be mad? When it came to that man, everything was confusing.

“Would you like me to leave? I can fire myself.” I certainly wasn’t going to be fired by him.

When he just stared at me, looking perturbed, I walked away. Here I’d thought we’d gotten along just fine at the Movie and Popcorn night. We weren’t on bad terms. We hardly knew each other. But his tone made it clear he wasn’t happy to see me.

To make matters worse, I felt ridiculous for storming out, but I didn’t care if he thought I was rude. Abby