Loving Miss Libby (8 page)

“Is Cherise coming over?” Marky asked.

“I don’t know,” Dan replied.  “We’ll see.  Scoot.” 
He crossed the distance to the fence and met Libby’s eyes.  “Was there
something you needed?” he asked.

She gave a tentative smile.  Hearing Cherise’s name
gave her pause, but she shook off the uneasiness for now.  “Uh, well, I found
out this morning that two of the three doctors I work for will be out of the
office for the next several weeks.  I doubt the remaining doctor will be able
to keep me busy at work, and to be honest, I need that income to get by.”  She
swallowed hard and then said in a rush, “If you’re agreeable, I’d like to watch
the kids for you.”

His jaw dropped.  “Oh, Libby, I didn’t mean…”  He
gulped.  “I wasn’t hinting…”  He sighed loudly.  “Wow, I know it probably
sounded as if…  Libby, please, don’t think I was trying to talk you into
babysitting my kids.”

“No, no.  That didn’t even cross my mind.  And I
understand if you’d prefer someone with more experience…”

“Oh, no, Libby, I mean…”  He gave a rueful shake of
his head and took a deep breath.  “I couldn’t ask for anyone better than you to
watch my kids,” he assured her.  “I just want you to know that I wasn’t going
there when you and I were talking before.”

“I know that,” she reassured him again.  “But the
truth is, if my work load is decreased as much as I expect it will be, I’m
going to have time on my hands.”

“But how will you get
any
amount of work done
if you’re watching my kids.”  He flashed a high-voltage smile.  “Libby, you’ve
met them.”

“Yes, and they’re perfectly wonderful children.”

“Uh huh.”

“They are!”

“I know, but all children, perfectly wonderful or
otherwise, are hard work.”

“Which is why you’ll be paying me,” she said,
smiling brightly.

He laughed.  “Wow, I feel as if a load has been
lifted,” he admitted.  “You’ve helped me out more than you can even know. 
Having them with you, right next door to the house…  You have no idea how much
easier it’ll be on me and the kids.”  He paused and eyed her questioningly. 
“Would you prefer to come to my house to watch them, rather than have them with
you?  Because whatever works for you, works for me.”

“Maybe we can go back and forth,” she said.  “What
time do you go to work in the morning?”

He made a worried face.  “Six,” he said wanly.

“That’s not a problem,” she said.  “I get up early
too.  What time do the kids get up?”

“Well, they get up early for school, but my folks
will be around for the next week.  When summer starts officially for the kids
on Monday, that’s when I’ll need you to watch them.  They probably won’t get up
as early come Monday.”

“Then I’ll plan on coming to your house until they
wake up.  I can give them breakfast, and then the kids and I can decide whether
to stay at your place or mine.”

“Sounds good,” he said, smiling widely.  “Libby,
thanks.  If I can return the favor, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Libby’s
alarm clock went off at five a. m.  It was only a half hour earlier than her
customary wake-up time.  It was Monday, her first official day of watching the
children.

She was grateful to Dan for the opportunity to
supplement her income.  As expected, her workload had decreased dramatically—so
much so that she could scarcely keep busy for two to three hours each day.  She
figured she could do her work each evening, after she was done watching the
children.

She hurriedly stepped into the shower, and then got
dressed and ready for the day.  After making a small pot of coffee, she stood
at her kitchen window, sipping the caffeine and staring out into the
neighborhood.  Chirping birds caught her attention, as did the sound of a car
door slamming.

Craning her neck, she managed to get a view of the
source of the noise.  She spied a woman in a car, pulling away from the curb in
front of Dan’s house.

She furrowed her brow, wondering if that was
Cherise—Dan’s former girlfriend.  And if so, what was she doing leaving his
house so early in the morning?  Had she spent the night?  Had the father of two
really allowed a woman to stay over?

It seemed an out-of-character thing for her neighbor
to do, but then, who was she to judge?  He was a grown man. 

She couldn’t help worrying about the kids, however. 
Clearly, they didn’t like Cherise.  It was unusual for children to display such
strong feelings of contempt for an adult.  She wondered if Dan knew how his
kids felt about his former girlfriend.

Former
.

If she was his former girlfriend, what was she doing
leaving his house so early in the morning?

Pushing thoughts of her neighbor’s relationship
status from her mind, she hurried to finish getting ready and left her house. 
It was now quarter of six, and Dan mentioned he needed to be in his patrol car
by six sharp. 

She walked the short distance to his house and
knocked lightly on the front door.  He opened it immediately, smiling broadly
as he indicated she should come inside.  “Right on time,” he said cheerfully. 
“I can’t thank you enough, Libby.”

“It’s not a problem,” she said.  “Do you have any
idea what time the kids may be up?”

“Well, they did sleep in both Saturday and Sunday,
until around eight.  If you’re tired, you might want to crash on the couch. 
They’ll make so much noise coming down the stairs, you’ll wake up immediately.”

She smiled.  “We’ll see.  If we get into a routine
where they do seem to sleep in until eight or so on a regular basis, I’ll
probably just bring my laptop with me and…”

“Is Libby here yet?” Kate yelled down from upstairs.

“Is she, Daddy?” Marky cried, and they heard the
sound of pounding footsteps on the stairs.

“Oh.  Well.”  Dan laughed out loud.  “I guess
they’re eager to see you.”

“Sounds like it,” Libby said with a chuckle.

“I’ll just tell them goodbye and be on my way.” He
strode away and Libby heard the deep timbre of his voice as he spoke to his
children.  “Now, don’t forget to brush your teeth after you’ve eaten breakfast,
and please … please mind Miss Libby.”  He took his voice down a notch, but she
could just make out what he was saying.  “Please don’t scare her away.  If we
lose her, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

She heard the children giggling, but had sensed the
desperation behind her handsome neighbor’s words.  He was in a bind and knew
it.  If he lost her, he really didn’t know what other arrangements he could
make. 

Suddenly, she felt the weight of the responsibility
on her shoulders.  She was now caring for two little lives, and she hadn’t done
much babysitting since her teen years.  Oh, well, she thought, it was for a few
short weeks.  Soon, she would resume her normal life.

After bidding their father goodbye, the kids ran
into the family room, where Libby was waiting for them.  They greeted her
enthusiastically, and she returned their eager greetings, and then listened as
they went on about all the fun things they intended to do with her.

She couldn’t help laughing.  They seemed to have the
agenda planned, from visits to the park to a zoo outing. 

“It’s summer, Miss Libby!” Marky cried.  “Can you
believe it?  I didn’t think summer would ever get here.”

“It’s here,” she agreed, smiling at the little boy. 
“And we’re going to have so much fun.”

***

Libby dropped into the recliner in Dan’s family
room.  Libby had been watching the children for a week and they’d developed a
routine of sorts.  Thankfully, they generally slept in until around eight, which
allowed her to get a couple hours of work done early.  Whatever remained, she
did when she arrived back home each evening.

Today, she and the kids had just gotten back from
the zoo.  They’d spent the better part of the day there, admiring the animals
and strolling the grounds.  They had munched on caramel corn and drank sweet
tea, and generally had a great time.

Marky settled into the chair beside her and yawned. 
“I’m tired,” he told her, smiling.  “We had a great day, Miss Libby.”

“We did,” she agreed.

“We always do.”  He yawned again and his head
drooped against her shoulder.  “Thank you,” he said, slurring his words.

She kissed him on the top of his head.  “You are
very welcome.”

Kate walked into the room.  “Marky needs a nap,” she
said.

Before the little boy could protest, Libby said, “I
do too.”

Marky giggled.  “But I’m hungry.”

“It is getting close to dinner time,” Libby mused,
checking her watch.  “I have to figure out what to cook for dinner.”

“Daddy really appreciates that you cook for us,”
Kate said.  “He said it makes his evenings go smoother.  He said you’re a
‘gem.’”

Libby smiled.  She liked the idea that she could
make Dan’s hectic life a bit less complicated.

“Daddy said you’re a great cook too,” Kate
announced.

“Better than Grandma,” Marky added.

Libby chuckled.  “Well, I doubt that.  But
regardless, let’s not say that to your grandma.  It might hurt her feelings…”

“Doesn’t hurt me a bit,” a woman declared as she
stepped into the kitchen.  “Cooking has never been my forte.” 

Libby glanced up in surprise at the petite,
silver-haired woman, with the wide smile on her face.  She spread her arms in
greeting.

“Grandma!” the kids cried in unison, as they charged
toward her and threw their arms around her.

Libby had been surprised to see the woman step into
the kitchen, unannounced, but rallied.  She figured Dan’s mother probably had a
key.  The older woman kissed both children and then extracted herself from
them.  She crossed the room and extended a hand to Libby.  “I’m Mary,” she
said.  “Dan’s mom.  And it’s true—I’m not much of a cook.”

Libby shook her hand, but didn’t have an opportunity
to speak, since Marky spoke up.

“What are you doing here, Grandma?” he asked,
clearly delighted to see her.  “Did you bring us something?”

“As a matter of fact…”  She passed him the keys to
her car.  “Why don’t you and Kate go see what’s on the backseat.”

“Is it a puppy?” Marky asked eagerly, his eyes
widened with anticipation.  “You know how much I want a puppy!”

“I’m afraid not,” Mary said, making a sad face.  “Your
dad would have my hide if I showed up with a dog.”

“I’ll take a kitten instead,” he said obligingly.

“Honey, you’re allergic to cats,” his grandmother
pointed out.

“Oh.”

Kate grabbed her brother’s hand.  “Come on, Marky,”
she said tiredly, casting both her grandmother and Libby a commiserating glance
before hauling him from the room.

Mary turned to Libby and broke into another broad
grin.  “You don’t look the least bit frazzled,” she observed.

Libby smiled uncertainly.  “Oh, well…  Thank you…?”

Mary laughed.  “Caring for two children, even two as
precious as my grandchildren, is hard work.  Dan’s fortunate you’re available
to help out.” 

“I’m happy to do it,” she said.  “Actually, he’s
helping me out too.  My work hours have been cut and I had some time on my
hands.”

Mary nodded, and smiled at her grandchildren when
they popped into the room.  “Kate, will you and Marky wait for Libby and me in
your play room?  We have some grownup stuff to talk about.”

Kate obediently led Marky out of the kitchen.

“The kids really love you,” Mary observed, giving
Libby an assessing glance.  “My grandchildren are hard nuts to crack.  You must
have the patience of a saint.”

Libby laughed uncertainly.  Sometimes Dan, and now
his mother, spoke about the kids as if they were difficult to manage.  She
found them anything but.  Sure, they behaved liked typical little kids
sometimes, but she’d be worried if they didn’t.  She was thrilled that Kate
seemed a bit more carefree than she usually did. 

“They’re great kids,” Libby said, smiling fondly. 

“They’ll keep you on your toes, that’s for sure,”
Mary agreed, as she dropped into a chair.

“Can I offer you a cup of coffee,” Libby asked.

“That would be great.  I’ve just come from the
doctor’s office and I’m exhausted.”

Libby frowned.  “I understand your husband is having
health issues,” she said, as she filled a mug with coffee.  “I hope everything
works out for you both.”

She nodded.  “I don’t want to alarm Dan, since he
has enough on his own plate, but his father has an aortic aneurysm.  They’ve
done several tests and determined he needs a surgery.”  She gave a sigh and
forced a smile.  “We don’t have time for health issues.  Dan doesn’t have time
for us to have health issues.”