had the feeling he was showing her that he was self-sufficient. She no longer felt he was trying to get rid of her, only letting her know that he wasn’t a toddler. He could stand on his own without falling down.
JAKE FROWNED WHEN Cal’s name and image appeared on his ringing cell phone. Obviously, his only brother wanted to check up on him.
“I’m fine, Cal,” Jake said drily, instead of the standard greeting. Cal called each week, always asking about his health. As a structural engineer, Cal was working on a building project in Colorado. Jake had the suspicion that he took the job to force Jake to change from the recluse he’d become.
“Good morning to you too,” Cal replied. “How’s Lauren? Have you fired her yet?”
“She doesn’t work for me. So, as she’s reminded me several times, I have no right to fire her.”
“I’m sure you tried,” Cal laughed.
Jake didn’t respond.
“Have you thought of talking to her?”
“Talking to her?” His voice level rose slightly. “She seems to come with batteries that are on perpetual charge mode. I can’t get a word in and I’ve tried.” The truth was he did talk to Lauren. If he didn’t, she’d force him to answer questions all day.
Cal chuckled. Jake could see the humor, but willed himself to keep his face straight.
“Other than that, how are you doing?”
“I already answered that,” Jake said.
“What about the pain in your arm? Is it any better?”
Jake didn’t want to admit that he had pain, but Lauren had helped with that.
“She’s good at massages,” Jake said.
“Massages?”
Jake heard the question in his brother’s voice. “My arm, Cal. She massages my arm. Before you left, I told you what she’d done in the restaurant. She’s been doing it here too.”
“Well, that alone is reason to let her stay. I know how much pain you were in. Is it less now?”
“Yes,” he said, not explaining the sharp decrease he’d experienced in his arm since Lauren put her magic fingers on him.
Caleb didn’t say anything for a minute. Jake could hear a muffled sound in the background.
“Sorry, Jake, I have to go now. I’ll call you again next week.”
“You don’t have to keep checking up on me,” Jake told him.
“Sure I do. We’re brothers and one day we can talk about something other than your arm. Bye.”
Jake clicked the end button. He remembered when his conversations with Cal had nothing to do with his arm. The two talked about sports, medicine, their jobs and the places in the world where Cal worked. Cal was always cautious, the planner. Being an engineer suited him, but the brothers had always been close. Jake was the daring one. Cal was more reserved, but they loved each other. They’d had the usual sibling rivalry, but Cal always supported Jake in his choices. Never did he think their conversations would be reduced to Jake’s medical needs.
At least now they had Lauren to focus on. He thought about her and how she’d helped his arm. She had the ability to make his pain go away temporarily. Cal had joked about Lauren’s massages, as if there was something between them.
Never, Jake thought.
She wasn’t his type and she talked way too much.
“Jake.”
There she was.
WALKING IN THE park was an activity Lauren looked forward to. Sometimes they talked and other times they were quiet, but the companionship between them was most evident here. They crossed the street and passed through the gates on a warm July day.
She’d been wearing a different version of the nostalgic nanny outfit for a week, thanks to Amy. Jake eyed her suspiciously. She was bound to draw attention and she wasn’t sure he was ready for that. It didn’t take long before she was surrounded by children asking who she was pretending to be. Turned out, she was ready for that as she launched into a song and dance, and pretended to pull something magical from her bag. Jake stood to the side, away from her and away from the parents and nannies overseeing the safety of their children.
They recognized that the song she sang was from the remake of the famous musical Mary Poppins, and joined in.
She waved goodbye as she rejoined Jake and the kids ran happily back to their parents.
“You’re really good with kids,” he said.
Lauren couldn’t tell Jake that the real reason why, not unless she wanted today to be the last time they saw each other.
“It’s the dress and the hat.” She glanced up, but all she saw was the brim of the straw hat that went with the costume. “They just want to be loved and happy.”
“You don’t have any problem wearing that costume out in public in July?”
Lauren checked herself. “Are you kidding? This is New York City. Other than kids, nobody notices. They probably think I’m promoting the play.” An updated version was currently on Broadway. “Is it bothering you?”
“I’m a little old to be out with my nanny.”
“Well, if anyone says anything, just point them to me. I’ll find something in my magic bag to make them go away.”
Lauren was really having fun. The costume was for Jake’s benefit, but the kids added a special touch she hadn’t counted on.
She clasped his right arm through the sling and wasn’t surprised when Jake reacted to the contact.
“What are you doing?” he asked, trying to jerk away from her.
“Nothing different. I usually take your arm when we walk.”
“You usually walk on this side.” He pointed to the ground with his left hand.
“It makes no difference,” she said innocently.
Jake’s glare told her she knew it made a difference.
“Jake, you have two arms. So why does it matter which side I walk on? Today, I choose this side.”
To drive her point home, she grasped the arm tighter. Checking that there was no sign of pain, she gripped his biceps.
“I see those exercises are working. This arm is a lot stronger,” she said, deflecting the subject.
He
