Nanny Next Door (19 page)

Whatever the reason, he was back at her door an hour later. This time carrying April. And this time he didn’t ask if they could talk, or wait for her to step aside. He simply waltzed right in.

And for a second she just stood there, unsure of what to do. He was obviously having trouble with the whole breaking-up concept.

He walked through the kitchen and disappeared into the living room. She was about to follow him, when he returned carrying the ExerSaucer. He set it by the kitchen table and put April in it. “Talking may now commence,” he said.

Who said she wanted to talk? Hadn’t she already said that she was done talking?

“Should I start?” he asked, almost…cheerfully.

There was something very different about him. He wasn’t the repentant, remorseful man he’d been an hour ago. The one who didn’t have a clue what he wanted or why. Only that he wanted
something.
This guy
knew,
and it was making her uneasy. He’d blown it. He didn’t deserve a second chance.

Sydney turned her back to him, leaning on the counter and looking out the window. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Is this what you did to Jeff? You froze him out? Is that what your mom did to you?”

She spun around.

He shrugged. “Hey, if you get to play the family dysfunction card, so do I.”

She hated that he was right. That was exactly what her mother used to do. When she couldn’t cope, she shut down. And yes, Sydney had probably done the same thing to Jeff. But her mother had an excuse. She was clinically depressed.

Sydney was fairly well-balanced, all things considered.

Daniel took a step toward her and she took one back, colliding with the edge of the counter. And she had that peculiar feeling again, like the first time he’d been in her kitchen. He was too…big. He was gobbling up all the air in the room.

“This isn’t going to work, Daniel. I can’t be with someone who freaks out every time things get a little stressful.”

“And I can’t be with someone who shuts down every time I freak out.”

Uh, hadn’t he just proved her point?

“And right now you’re thinking that I just proved your point.”

She blinked.

He took another step toward her. “But you’re wrong.” He paused, and when she didn’t speak he said, “This is the part when you ask me
why.
”

Okay, she would play along. “Why?”

“Because we’re supposed to be together.”

He took yet another step toward her, too close now.
Way
too close. She couldn’t think straight.

“Ask me why,” he said.

Like an obedient child, she asked, “Why?”

He propped his hands on the edge of the counter on either side of her, leaning in. “Because I love you. Because I want to marry you, have babies with you and spend the rest of my life with you.”

Wow.
For weeks she’d wanted to hear those words from him, but she never imagined him saying them with such feeling, with so much naked emotion in his eyes.

He wasn’t telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. He meant every word.

He leaned in farther and kissed her so softly, so sweetly, that she felt herself melt. There was no way she could stay mad at him now. “In case you weren’t sure,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers, “this is the part where you tell me you love me, too.”

“I do. I love you, Daniel.” She closed her eyes and smiled. After keeping it bottled up inside for so long, it felt good to finally say the words. “I’ve wanted to say that for a really long time.”

He pulled back a little so he could look at her, reached up and touched her cheek. “I’m not going to lie to you. The idea of forever still scares me. But the idea of losing you? That
terrifies
me.”

“And April?”

He looked over at the baby, bouncing in her seat, babbling at the toys, and smiled. “She managed to turn my entire life upside down. But I couldn’t love her more if she were my own flesh and blood. She’s my daughter. Although she figured that out a long time before I did.”

Sydney wrapped her arms around him. “I never really believed you would give her up.”

“Deep down I don’t think I did, either. And I’ll bet she’s going to be an
awesome
big sister.”

She smiled against his chest and hugged him tighter.

“I’m really sorry, Sydney, for the way I acted. I seem to have this knack for ruining what should be happy, tender moments.”

“I actually never expected you to be happy about it. I hoped, but I didn’t expect.”

“Are you saying that I exceeded your expectations?”

She laughed. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

He lifted her chin, so he could look at her. “I’m happy now. I’ve been happy ever since you backed into my car and I made you nervous as hell. I knew there was something special about you.”

“I’m happy, too.” In fact, Sydney hadn’t known it was possible to be this happy. She hugged him tight again, unable to let go just yet, and glanced over at the wall beside the door. That ridiculous hole was still there. She’d gotten so used to it, she barely noticed anymore. But she was glad it was there. It had become a symbol, a reminder that not so long ago her life had reached an all-time low, and here she was now, the happiest she’d ever been.

Funny how that worked. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

NANNY NEXT DOOR

Copyright © 2011 by Michelle Celmer

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