“It’s a little slow. Max, right?” Quinn said, and hoped he wasn’t offended that she called him by the name she’d heard. She took it as a good sign he wasn’t telling her to get lost.

  “Yes, Max Hamilton. Quinn…?”

  “Baker,” she said, holding her hand out for his. “I’m sorry to be so forward, but like I said, I heard your conversation.”

  “So tell me why you think you can do this job?”

  “I’m a line cook at another restaurant. I’m confident that I can fulfill that part of the job description, and I’ll gladly give you references.”

  “I expect them. These are my children, after all. What else?” he asked.

  “I raised my younger brothers and sister for years. I started doing it when I was around twelve.”

  “Twelve?” he asked, not looking convinced.

  She opted for honesty. “My mother wasn’t around much and there was no other adult in the picture. It was me or no one.”

  “What were their ages?” He seemed more curious than skeptical.

  “Seven, six, and two at the time.”

  She didn’t often tell people that information. Not many were privy to her background and she’d prefer to keep it that way, but she wouldn’t lie either.

  He winced, and something like sympathy crossed his face, but he didn’t ask anything else along those lines.

  “What about cleaning?”

  “I’m a neat person. I have to be to be a cook. Well, I’ll amend that, not all cooks are neat, but I am. There are codes to follow and health regulations. All my references will also gladly attest to my cleanliness at work. I do whatever needs to be done. If they need me to clean the kitchen top to bottom, I will. If they need someone to scrub toilets, I’ll do that too.”

  She wasn’t afraid of hard work. If it got her some extra hours and a little bit more money to put away, her pride could handle it.

  Besides, her pride had suffered plenty in her life. At this point, there was nothing wrong with an honest day’s work.

  “I need someone to live at the house. Not just come in the mornings and leave at night. I could be called out in the middle of the night and I won’t have time to wait for someone to show up.”

  “What do you do?” It seemed the right time to ask.

  “I’m a plastic surgeon.”

  She wanted to ask how many emergency facelifts were done in the middle of the night, but didn’t. Plastic surgery was as foreign to her as living on Mars. It didn’t even warrant a minute of time in her life.

  “It’s not a problem to live there.”

  Actually it was perfect, but she didn’t want to sound desperate. Her lease was up at the end of this month and she didn’t want to renew it, but didn’t have enough money put aside to find a better place either.

  “Do you have a clean driver’s license?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Good. I have an extra car at the house. The kids need to be transported around, so I provide the transportation.”

  “Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say at that point. This didn’t seem to be happening. She had to be dreaming. It was almost too good to be true. A place to live and a car. She wouldn’t have to worry about her next auto bill either. Or the new tires that she needed before the first snowfall.

  “You would have to meet my kids first. They have to decide if they like you and want you. I won’t make any decision without their input. Or Jennifer’s, either. I value her opinion too much.”

  “I’d expect no less than that from a parent.” Not that she’d ever seen much of that side of parenting.

  Oh my God, this actually sounded like it might work out. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “You’d need to clear a background check. The same check that all my employees have to clear for my practice.”

  And there the heavy metal-studded shoe clanged loudly onto the floor. She’d have to admit her record might have marks on it. She wasn’t sure, she’d been a juvenile and wasn’t positive how it all worked. She would have needed money to consult with a lawyer to find out. Extra money and Quinn were like the symphony and skateboarding. They just didn’t coexist.

  “I should be honest with you. I don’t know what my record will say.”

  He lifted his eyebrow at her, then he crossed his arms. “That’s not negotiable. Even more so since you just admitted that.”

  “I know. I get that. I completely do. I’ll be honest with you. I told you I was taking care of my siblings at age twelve. I ended up in foster care. We all did and I did some things I’m not proud of. Things I had to do to survive, but I don’t know if they will show up on my record.”

  “What kind of things?” he asked, and this wasn’t looking good for her right now. But she’d come this far. Again, pride be damned.

  “There wasn’t always enough funds for food or other items. At times I had to steal what was needed, and I was caught.”

  She felt her face heat up. She was still embarrassed to this day.

  That stupid day she was stressed because the baby wasn’t feeling good and the boys were starving. She wasn’t on her game and still blamed herself for being so sloppy.

  “Explain the other items. Like drugs?” he asked.

  He was sitting across from her calmly asking the question, but that didn’t change the way he was making her feel. She hadn’t noticed until this moment how much bigger he was than her. After all, he’d been sitting down, and she hadn’t paid attention to him when he first walked in.

  Now she noticed how wide his shoulders were, and how large his hands were. It didn’t matter he seemed on the slim side, there was still an aura of strength and authority behind him.

  “No,” she rushed to say. She cleared her throat and wanted to put her head down, but maintained eye contact and said as directly as she could. “Personal hygiene products. Soap, toothpaste…other things that public assistance won’t cover.”

  She wasn’t sure she could get any more mortified than she was. It was bad enough telling a complete stranger about her horrific childhood and her criminal record. Telling him the things she stole, well, that kind of made it worse. Thankfully, he seemed to understand.

  “Okay. Well, I appreciate you being honest with me. I’ll think about it and let you know. Obviously I just found out about my situation, so I’m sure I’ll have other applicants.”

  She saw the hammer coming down to nail the coffin shut. She couldn’t let that happen.

  “Just give me a chance. A trial run. Three months,” she said quickly. “The first month can be with Jennifer while she watches over and trains me. Then one month on my own. The third month is because if it doesn’t work out, I might have a hard time finding another place to live. I’ll need time.”

  He hesitated and she could almost see him flipping the hammer over and pulling a nail out. Almost…

  “I won’t let you down,” she continued. “I’ll take whatever background check you need. Fingerprinting, peeing in a cup, blood work. You name it. I’m being honest with you. I really don’t know what will show up. All I ever did was steal what we needed to survive and that was over a decade ago. I ended up in juvy for a short period of time, but I kept my nose clean. I really did.”

  “I’ll tell you what. Give me your number and I’ll talk to Jennifer tonight.”

  She pulled her pad out and wrote down her name and number, then continued on writing.

  “I’m going to put down three references and their phone numbers for you, too. All restaurants in Lake Placid. Please feel free to call them. Two of them I’m working at right now. The third was just a short period of time for some extra cash, but I had trouble balancing all three jobs. I guarantee you will get nothing but glowing references, and I can get you more if you want.”

  He reached across for the piece of paper she slid in front of him. Then she decided not to overstay her welcome. “Thank you. All I ask for is a chance. I’ll let you finish your breakfast in peace.”

  She walked away and held her breath, praying to a God that had never listened to her before.

  Diplomatic

  “What do you think, Jennifer?” Another week had passed, and Max was no closer to finding a replacement.

  “You don’t know anything at all about her other than what she told you in the restaurant?”

  “No.” Was he crazy to even consider this? It was his kids, after all.

  But then, once he thought about it some more, he realized at this point anyone was going to be a stranger. At least Quinn seemed honest. How many people would admit to stealing personal hygiene products as a kid?

  “Did you call any of her references?” she asked him.

  “Not yet. I was hoping you could do that today?” he asked sheepishly. She snorted, but he ignored her like he always did when she made that noise. “If they pan out, it takes about a week for the background check to clear. That would give her about two weeks to meet you and the kids and get a feel for things. With you around, depending on your thoughts, we could start earlier.”

  “You’re seriously considering this?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

  “Do you have a better idea? Have you gotten any leads?”

  She was the one putting him in this bind; how dare she be judgmental.

  “No. Nothing. I could tell the two people who showed some interest were just looking for a quick buck on easy street. I didn’t need to even check their references since they weren’t qualified anyway.”

  “So what choice do I have since you’re leaving me with so many options?”

  “Don’t put this on my shoulders,” Jennifer said. “I gave you plenty of warning and you chose to ignore it.”

  “Can you blame me for hoping that you’d continue to stay?”

  “I guess not. Anyway, I’ll make a few calls today and see what I can find out,” she said, relenting. He knew she had their best interests in mind. She always did.

  “Thank you,” he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

  He was going to miss her. She was like an older sister to him. A much older sister. One that didn’t like to date and preferred to spend her time home with the kids. She’d been perfect for the kids when he hired her, and he didn’t know how he lucked out.

  “Don’t thank me yet. You might still end up with no options when I get off the phone.”

  “I hope not. If it all pans out, let me know and we’ll set up a time for her to come out here and meet everyone.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I am,” he said. He had to be. He didn’t have much choice in the matter now. “What about you? What are you going to do when you get back to the city?”

  “I’ve got a job,” she said, and ducked her head to busy herself with the dishes.

  He wanted to scream. A part of him still hoped he could convince her to stay, but that last window of opportunity just slammed shut on his fingers. “Where?”

  No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hide the red creeping up her face. “The Russos.”

  “Justin and Carolyn!”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. I know it’s probably a shock, but I reached out to them last month.”

  Max opened his mouth and then shut it. He was going to accuse Carolyn of trying to steal Jennifer again. She’d done it before years ago, then again when his life went down the drain and the last thing he needed was to lose his nanny too. He wouldn’t have put it past her to try a third time. “Why, Jennifer?”

  “Because you know I want to go back home. They told me to call them when I was ready.”

  “So they did contact you while you were here?” He knew it!

  “The first month, yes. Over a year ago, so don’t get mad at them. I told them I was committed to stay for one year, so they reminded me to contact them when I moved back.”

  He dropped his head down. He shouldn’t be mad, but he was. Carolyn had been Mia’s best friend. Just another betrayal. Then again, everyone from his group of friends back then was only around for face value. He could at least be thankful that Carolyn cut off ties with Mia, last he’d heard.

  No one stuck around when things got nasty. He had no one to blame but himself for those months prior to the move. Not that he wasn’t justified, because he was, but he could have handled things better.

  “I’m sorry if you feel I went behind your back,” Jennifer said.

  That’s exactly how he felt, only he didn’t say it. He knew deep down this wasn’t Jennifer’s fault. It was a combination of his fault and Mia’s—mostly Mia’s—and his marriage that’d ended up being a joke.

  “I understand. You had to do what was best for you.”

  “I hope you’ll still let the kids have some type of contact with me. I’ll always love them like my own. This isn’t easy for me, either.”

  “Of course I’ll let them. They wouldn’t tolerate me telling them no.”

  He’d never be that vindictive. Ever. Jennifer was pretty much the only mother the kids ever had.

  “Max, this is so hard. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to leave the kids, but I have to do what is best for me too. They’re getting older, and they don’t really need me as much. You know that.”

  He did know, but it didn’t change anything about his situation. He knew he was being whiny, but he couldn’t help it. He’d finally felt he was getting his life back on track. The right track.

  Not to mention the kids were happy. They were both making friends, participating in school, and getting back to their old selves…for the most part.

  He worried what this change would do to them now. Would they withdraw back to the way they were over a year ago? Or would they accept a new person? And why the hell wasn’t there some type of a manual on parenting situations like this?

  ***

  “Please turn right in one quarter of a mile.”

  Quinn looked at her phone that she’d propped by the shifter, trying to read the map that the voice just gave her instructions on. She had no idea where the heck she was right now.

  She’d lived in Lake Placid for over a year and had been to the lake before, but not this part of it. Not so far out in the woods. She hoped her car didn’t break down. There were bears and wolves in those woods, right?

  You’d think she would be thrilled right now, and she was. But she was seriously worried about the noise her car was making and the fact she had no clue where she was.

  One full week had gone by with no word from Max. She’d pretty much written the job off, and then suddenly she got a call from Jennifer this morning asking if she was available to come out and meet the kids today.

  There was no hesitation in her answer, none at all. “Definitely. What time?”

  “Whatever works for you. We’ll be here all day.”

  “How does two sound?” That still gave her time to go home, shower, change, and drive there. She was on her break at the restaurant when the call came in; otherwise it would have gone to voicemail.

  “Sounds good. Here’s the address.”

  So here she was driving on a road that didn’t have a lot of houses on it. It looked more like a really long driveway, but she knew that wasn’t the case because she’d just passed an actual driveway to a house placed back so far she couldn’t see it. All she saw was a mailbox by the street. She bet the owners drove to the mailbox in fear of animals, too. That thought didn’t help ease her any when her car started to rattle louder.

  Please make a good impression. Please make a good impression. She couldn’t lose this job. It meant way too much to her.

  She didn’t even care about the pay. The more she thought about this job, the more she realized the pay didn’t mean a lot. Not if she was living in their house and didn’t have to use her own car. Her living expenses would be minimal. She’d actually be able to put money away for once in her life.

  It seemed like anytime she was able to put even the smallest amount of money away, someone was calling or knocking on her door looking for payment. Nothing good ever lasted in her life.

  A little further down the road she saw two driveways, one on the right and one on the left. “Turn left. Destination ahead.”

  Doing what the electronic voice told her, she slowed down and made the turn, then drove a short distance. There in front of her was a house too stunning to be the one she might be living in.

  It was huge. No, massive. That was a better word for it. All modern and contemporary. It looked to be brand new, too. Of course she was only guessing. She only knew it wasn’t anything like the little run-down apartment she lived in where the water leaked in the tub and the lights flickered if she walked too heavily.

  Pulling to a stop, she inhaled deeply, shut the car off in the half circle, and made her way to the front door. She didn’t even have time to ring the doorbell before it was opened by the older woman from the restaurant last week.

  “Hi. Quinn, right?”

  “Yes. You’re Jennifer, I’m assuming.”

  “I am. Please come in.” Jennifer gestured with her hand and shut the large door behind her. “You didn’t have any problem finding us, I see. This house is a little bit out of the way.”

  “No problem.” Quinn held her phone up. “Modern technology is a wonderful thing.”

  “The kids will love you for that. I can barely send a text message on my phone, let alone use it as a map.”

  Quinn looked at the older woman, unsure of her age, but still slightly surprised by her comment. “Not everyone is comfortable using their phone for more than talking.”

  “That’s nice of you to say. Diplomatic too. We’ll just go with what the kids tell me: ‘you’re old, Jennifer.’”

  What was she supposed to say to that? “Kids say the darnedest things.”

  “Again, very diplomatic. Better watch it, or the kids might run all over you.”

  Did that mean she got the job? She wanted to ask, but didn’t dare.

  “The house is beautiful.” She wasn’t sure what to say right now, but the silence was killing her.

  “Why don’t you follow me to the kitchen? The kids are in the game room in the basement. I’ll call them up after we chat.”