“I’m sure they miss you, too,” I told her, taking Freddy’s leash. “But I promise everything will be fine. Just go and get a massage, whatever you want, and we’ll see you back at dinner time. How’s that sound?”
She rolled her shoulders. “I guess a massage sounds pretty good.” Her smile began to return.
“Oh, they do a great job. I’ll call them right now to tell them you’re on your way and to give you the works.”
She put her arms around my neck, pulling me close. “I love you,” she said.
“Oh, Bailey, I love you, too.”
She dropped down to give Freddy a farewell nuzzle and stood up, tugging me in for another kiss. We’d never get anything done if this was how things were going to be, but it seemed like the best use of time at the moment. I lightly smacked her behind, as I nudged her toward my office building and didn’t take my eyes off her until she rounded the corner and was out of sight.
It felt like I had a ball in my hands. I could hold it tight and keep it to myself or set it rolling and see where it went. I wasn’t sure which was the right call as far as Ava and Harrison were concerned, but I knew I didn’t want to sneak around with Bailey, either. I finally pushed through the heavy glass doors and headed up to get the kids, wondering what I was going to do.
Chapter 24 - Bailey
I was a mix of emotions, mostly wonderful, but the tiny little bad ones were the loudest. Will loved me, that much I knew in my heart. I knew he was an honest, good man, and couldn’t hide his feelings. And speaking of my heart, it was bursting with love for him. I knew we’d have to hide it for a while, ease the kids into it. Thinking of the kids nearly made me sink into the sidewalk with nerves. They liked me fine now that I was their nanny. Would they accept me as anything more?
“Oh, Bailey, you’re getting way ahead of yourself,” I said aloud.
That was the great thing about living in New York City. No one looked twice when you had to tell yourself some hard facts. I was going to enjoy whatever Will and I had and not overthink things. But how I yearned to be more to those kids that I had come to adore.
As I came up on the Crenshaw building, it hit me all at once that this was Will’s office. His own building. I knew he was rich, but I never dreamed it was owning-a-building-in-Manhattan rich. The private plane, the massive apartment, the cars and drivers, none of that really made it sink in until I saw his name plastered onto a skyscraper in the middle of one of the most expensive cities in the world. Was I way over my head? I looked down at my yoga pants and t-shirt, classic nanny gear, but was it good enough if I became Will’s girlfriend?
I kept my head down as I made my way up to the floor the spa was on and pretty soon they had all my troubles swept away. After a massage, a full body scrub, a facial, manicure and pedicure, and Brazilian wax, I was pretty much a glowing, mindlessly relaxed blob when I walked out of there in the late afternoon. They’d even styled my hair so it fell across my forehead and mostly covered the stitches. I didn’t think I looked alarming, but I knew the kids had active imaginations and would probably think the worst. I shivered, realizing what had happened to me was actually pretty awful. Will’s consideration and kindness almost made me forget.
I resolved that I would forget and put it completely behind me. There might even come a day when I could feel a bit of gratitude towards Rick, because if I hadn’t followed him to New York, I never would have met Will. The man I loved so much I found myself power walking toward the subway so I could get home faster.
As soon as I opened the apartment door, Ava came barreling down the hall in one of her princess dresses, with Harrison hot on her heels wearing a tuxedo that was a little too short in the arms for him. My heart swelled at how cute they were, and I knelt down and held my arms out, feeling tears sting my eyes when they crowded in to hug me. Ava pushed my hair aside and scowled at my stitches.
“Does your booboo hurt?” she asked in her fierce voice.
“No, it doesn’t hurt very much,” I promised her.
She placed a delicate kiss on the side of my head. “Well, now it’s all better.”
I hugged her so tightly that she finally squirmed away, snapping her fingers for Freddy. He came scrambling down the hall wearing a bow attached to his collar and followed us as the kids dragged me toward the dining room. There were two place settings, with rows of unlit candles waiting on the mantel, and a beautiful vase of flowers in the center of the table. They burst into hysterical giggles and the cook rushed in to shoo them away.
“This was supposed to be a secret,” she hissed at them. They ran out and she looked at me apologetically. “Sorry about that, but you might want to go get dressed for dinner.” There was a definite twinkle in her eye, as she turned to go back to the kitchen.
I was bursting with excitement for this adorable, not-so-secret dinner Will tried to plan for me. I hurried to my room, not sure what to wear. I had one outfit that was suitable for interviews, and the sundresses I’d bought for the Mexico trip, but nothing at all that would be good enough for the romantic evening he’d set up. I wished I had time to get something new, but decided Will didn’t care. He saw me looking basic every day of the week and still loved me.
In my room, Ava sat on my bed, her fluffy princess dress gathered up around her knees while she swung her legs. She waved her hand dramatically across my bed and I sucked in a breath to see my very own princess dress waiting for me. It was a simple long column of the softest satin in deep midnight blue, my favorite color. I laughed as I remembered Will asking me all sorts of silly questions that morning.
“Do you like it?” Ava asked.
“I love it. It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.”
Ava rolled her eyes at that since it didn’t have any glitter or bows; she probably found it rather dull. She hopped off the bed and pulled a shoebox out from underneath it, opening it to reveal a pair of glittering, strappy sandals. The high heels were encrusted with jewels.
“I picked these out for you,” Ava said, looking at me expectantly.
Now I couldn’t stop the well of tears from rising. “You did?” I asked, stunned.
She nodded. “We got to skip activities and hung out with Daddy all day to get you—” she clamped her mouth shut. “This stuff.”
“It’s okay, Ava,” I said. “I’m sure the dress and the shoes aren’t meant to be a secret since I have to wear them, right?”
She nodded slowly, then danced around while I put everything on. My hair was already perfect from the spa’s salon, but I put on a little bit of makeup, letting Ava use a dab of my lipstick. When I was ready, we stood in front of my full-length mirror together, Ava mimicking the way I smoothed my gown and twisted to the side to check my shoes. I honestly didn’t know what to do with so much happiness, so I hugged her tightly again.