“I think you should do it, Ry.”
She whirled on her feet; surprised that Keenan would encourage her.
“I mean it. Tommy is going back to school next week. During school hours, you can work for Dunc, if you’d like? And maybe even a few evenings during the week? I know we’d miss you like crazy, but I think you should do it, Ry.”
“I don’t know, Keen. You’ve hired me full time and I don’t want to keep you in a bind when you’re working late. It doesn’t feel right to—”
“Can you give us a sec, Dunc?”
Duncan nodded and said, “I’ll leave you to it. I just want to say one last thing, Ry; you were born to teach your craft. It would be an honor to have you on our team at Duncan’s Dojo.”
She instantly had the urge to follow him and take over his class when the waif-like women huddled together the moment Duncan walked up to them.
Keenan broke her thoughts when he said, “You know I want you living with us, right?”
She furrowed her brows and said, “Yeah. That’s part of our arrangement.”
He rolled his eyes and smiled. “I mean as my girlfriend. Not as Tommy’s nanny. But as a part of us three with you, me and Tommy.”
Her heart stopped a beat. She took a step backwards and rested her bum against the ropes.
“What about taking things slow?”
“I know. But think about it. We’re already living together. It would make no sense for you to move out and for me to find another nanny.”
She narrowed her eyes and said, “Don’t you dare.”
He laughed and took her face in between his palms. “Never. It’s you. I only want you.”
“Good.” She grumbled.
He leaned back and dropped his hands to her waist. “How about this; you’ll live with us and only help with Tommy as my girlfriend and not as my nanny. You’ll work for Duncan and when one of us can’t pick up Tommy, we’ll ask my mom.”
“But I want to take care of Tommy. I don’t want to miss out on anything from him. I would love picking him up from school and talk about his day. And reading stories at night is my favorite time of the day.”
Keenan stared at her for what felt like hours before he squeezed her waist and softly said, “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you. But I’m not letting you go, Ry.”
“Good. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Although I’d like to work for Duncan, you and Tommy come first.”
This big guy standing in front of her swallowed back his emotions. It was tearing her up inside to think about all the hurt he and Tommy had been through. She added, “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be there for you.”
Keenan swiped at the corner of his eye and put a smile on his face when Tommy emerged from the locker room with Ronan hot on his heels.
“Are you ready for our session?”
When he took a moment too long to respond, she fisted her hips. “Don’t tell me you forgot to go for a round with me?”
“I’ve tired him out, Ry. He’s just scared you’re going to whoop his ass.”
Keenan huffed a breath at Ronan’s words. She smirked at Keenan while answering his cousin, “Didn’t need you to tire him so I can whoop his ass, Ro.”
Although she knew trash talk came with the sport, it took her a lot of getting used to. It brought back memories of her bullies. Only with family and friends, when she’d felt safe enough, she would join in on the ribbing. Never at an actual fight with strangers though.
Not like Paula the Plower who’d said during their cage fight, “I’m going to tear your ugly red braid from your head and whip your ass with it.”
She saw him coming from a mile away and smiled when Keenan came at her. She danced in place before she avoided his second dive at her waist. He had a smart fighter’s instinct—she would give him that. The moment he could turn this into a ground fight, it would be game over for her.
Her grin couldn’t be contained when she connected her glove to his jaw.