Hot for the Nanny

Chapter Six: Welcome Home

"Well, this is it." Ryan opens the door to my new bedroom and I follow him inside. When I see the space in front of me, for one of the first times in my life, I'm speechless.

When I applied for a job that offered a place to live, I wasn't expecting much. I resigned myself to the fact that I'd be living in a cramped, musty basement room in someone's house without so much as a window.

Ryan's place is the opposite. The room is spacious and clean, with carpet so soft and white that it feels like I'm walking on clouds. En suite bathroom, towering windows, and a balcony that overlooks the nearby park. Compared to some places that I've stayed in the last few months while traveling, this is like the Taj Mahal.

I'm already envisioning how I can decorate the space. It'll fit a king size bed easily, and I can put a dresser over on the far wall underneath pictures I took over in Italy. If I position everything just right, I can put a recliner over in the corner by the windows for the most magical little reading nook. Staying here for free almost feels like robbery.

"I'm sorry there isn't much in the furniture department." He grimaces. "I didn't have time to do a lot of shopping before Hallie came, so I moved most of it into her room."

"It's perfect." I set my bags down in the corner of the room and open the balcony door for a little fresh air. For the first time in the last few weeks, I feel like I can breathe. Job? Check. Place to live? Check. Everything seems to be falling into place and now I can keep my dad out of it. If I have to deal with an annoying firefighter regardless, at least Ryan is easy to look at.

With Hallie hooked on a movie in the living room, we have plenty of time to go over all the specifics. He's only on for twenty-four hours tonight, but there's still a lot to cover. Ryan rounds out the tour by showing me Hallie's room, his room, and the laundry room. He's even set up a make-shift playroom for Hallie in the loft, complete with all the toys and books a child could dream of.

"What's over there?" I ask, pointing to a room just off the kitchen that Ryan hasn't mentioned.

Something about my question makes him uneasy, and he darts his eyes away. "It's just a storage room. I have a lot of Hallie's mom's stuff in there, so it's probably best to just leave it locked for now." He tries to hide the dejection on his face, but just the mention of her stings him. When he changes the subject, I let it go, not wanting to run salt in the wound. Yesterday, I might have taken any opportunity to disarm Ryan, but now that I know what these two have been through, seeing him squirm isn't quite as satisfying. "Down by the lobby, there is a pool and workout area that you're welcome to use, too."

Now that I've got the full view, I feel even more guilty staying here for free.

"You're sure you don't want me to pay some kind of rent?" We make our way into the kitchen and Ryan pours us both a cup of coffee.