Country Comfort || Faith Haywood

Crazy

Nighttime was just insane. Thunderstorm is clicking and I'm here doing homework. Of course, we'd all spend one day to do that. Unfortunately I was behind for a week due to writing songs. Daddy has no clue but all he wants is me to get my grades up like they were. It was only three assignments I missed. I sat on the couch, my pencil and notebook in my hand and lap. My textbook was on the end table. I finished two assignments and now I'm doing my last one. Thank Lord! Suddenly, the doorbell ringed. Who would be coming over during a storm? "I'll get it!" Tuck called, rushing downstairs. He stopped and looked at me. "Faith?" He said. I didn't look up from my notebook. "Yes?" I said in an uninterested tone. He fake smiled. "Would you like to get the door?" He asked sarcastically. I looked up and returned the gesture. "Why? You're almost there." I sassed. We stuck tongues at each other before he opened the door. In came a woman in her 30s, short-brown curly hair and pink lipstick. She was soaking wet from the storm. Poor thing, she must've been searching for shelters. "Hey y'all! Come meet our new nanny!" Tuck yelled. That made me close my notebook and get off the couch. "New nanny?!" I panicked. He didn't answer back. "I'm Tuck, and you are?" He introduced. The lady sighed. "Not a nanny. Look, my truck died, my phone died. I just need to use your phone—Tuck cut her off as Dylan and Brody came downstairs with Chloe. "Y'all, get down here!" He called. I groaned and crossed my arms. "Tuck..." I trailed off. "Everybody, this is our new nanny." Tuck introduced. She nodded in disagreement. "I'm not a nanny." She said. "Exactly!" I agreed. He smiled. "New nanny, that's Brody, Dylan and Chloe. That's Faith." He continued. They smiled and waved politely. I smiled sheepishly. She waved. "Hey y'all, is your mama or daddy around? I'm having a breakdown! My truck, and emotional." She said, frowning. "Actually, our mama died two years ago." Tuck mentioned. Tears were threatening to escape but I strongly held them. She sighed sadly. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She said. He smiled warmly. "Thank you." He said. "And thanks for showing, nanny..." Brody trailed off confusedly. She sighed. "No, Bailey. Just Bailey. I just need to use your phone, call a mechanic, get back home wherever that is." She said. Bailey huh? That name sounds cool. Most of our old nannies had names like Susie or Molly. Boring. Chloe smiled cutely. "You forgot where you live? Did you check the tag on your backpack?" She asked, pointing at her backpack. Bailey bent to her height and patted her shoulder. "Oh honey, I wish it were that simple. Never date a musician." She said, depressing at the last part. I nodded in agreement. Everyone take notes on dating musicians from Hollywood magazines. Thunder noise clicked, making me and Dylan jump a little. It also caused the power outage. Chloe wrapped herself around Bailey's leg fearfully. She smiled and rubbed her back. "Oh honey it's ok, it's ok. I just need to use a phone. Cell phone, home phone, Xylophone." She recalled while dragging Chloe on her leg. She saw our kitchen phone and lit up. "Oh! Is that a phone?" She asked. I huffed. "It doesn't matter. The storm knocked out all the phone service." I told her. Unfortunately, my phone service too. Bailey frowned. "Of course it did. Why do you hate me?" She whined. She still carefully dragged Chloe to the left side of the room. Brody smiled shockingly. "Look how great she is with children!" He beamed. Tuck smirked. "She's straight up Mary Poppins, bro. I think nanny number ten is a winner." He added. I fake laughed. "And you two are straight up Bieber and little Bieber." I joked. They scoffed, fixing their hairs perfectly. Dylan hid a chuckle. I smiled. Bailey looked at us in shock. "Ten nannies? What is wrong with y'all?" She asked. As she spoke, my little sister Cassidy skipped downstairs. "Her and her. They got some anger issues." Tuck said, referring to me and Cassidy. Since our mama's passing, I've gone through a couple of therapy sessions for two years. It makes me upset how people think they could tell me how to feel. Especially about losing my mother. She was the only person who understood me and Cassidy mostly. Nowadays, nobody bothers to bring up mama in the house anymore. Cassidy raised an eyebrow at Bailey. "Are you kidding me? We're not hiring her just cause you fools think she's hot." She said. I covered my mouth to giggle. Bailey smiled slightly. "You 'fools' think I'm hot?" She asked. "Smokin! So hot!" Tuck and Brody agreed, smiling. Bailey smiled with her hands on her heart. "That means so much to me. You can't imagine what I've been through and for y'all to think- she was cut off by Cassidy. "Resume, Ma'am." She said firmly. She looked at her confusedly. "I...I don't have a resume." She said. "Because you think you can just stroll through life on your good looks?" Cassidy said. Tuck scoffed. "Easy for Faith." He joked. I growled and crossed my arms. "Hush up, Tucky." I sassed.
Dylan chuckled. Brody smirked. "Faith 1, Tuck 0." He added. Chloe giggled quietly. Bailey ignored our little fight and spoke. "No, because I'm not equipped to do anything." She said while sobbing slightly. Dylan hummed in response. "Tell you what, we'll make double of whatever you were making at your last job, unless of course we find out you were fired in which case we'll have to cut your salary in half and strip your bonuses until you prove yourself. It's called playing hard ball people." He said proudly. Bailey sat beside me while staring at him strangely. Out of all my brothers, Dylan is practically the brainiac. He knows a lot about managing and money. The thunder noise crashed again, making Chloe jump off the chair. She smiled sweetly. "Sweetie, you mind sitting next to me and Faith? I'm a little scared of thunder." She said. "Well I guess if you're scared." She said, hopping into her arms. I smiled and caressed her cute pigtails. The door opened, revealing Daddy carrying bags with his girlfriend. Summer. Ugh. I've always hated her since Daddy started dating her months ago. She is nothing like my mom. She is too girly, perky and dresses like Marilyn Monroe's sister. I inhaled a deep breath before closing my textbook with my homework inside. Bailey seemed freaked out a little. "Lord help me, another brother?" She asked. Daddy scoffed. "Ha! You flatter me. I'm actually the daddy of all these." He told her. Summer smiled widely. "And I'm the daddy's girlfriend of all these!" She repeated happily. I rolled my eyes annoyingly. "Somebody gouge my eyes." I muttered. Chloe slightly poked my eye with her finger. I flinched in pain. "Ow! What'd you do that for?" I asked. "You said you want someone to gouge your eyes. There you go." She said, smiling. Cassidy chuckled. I rubbed my eye and crossed my leg over the other. Daddy took off his hat. "Well, you are early for your interview and I like that." He spoke impressively. "Oh actually, Mr—He cut her off. "Beau." He answered. Bailey nodded. "Mr. Beau—He cut her off. "No Beau's my first name." He corrected. "Beau Beau?" She asked confusedly. "Just Beau." He told her. Talk about awkwardness. Summer walked in front of him and chuckled. "Just...just my Beau." She spoke. Cassidy raised both eyebrows. I huffed disgustedly. "And my eyes are burned." I whispered in her ear. She nodded in agreement. "And who might you be?" Summer asked. "Oh, I'm Bailey. I'm—I cut her off. "Our new nanny! Bailey, Summer. Summer, Bailey." I introduced while fake smiling. She fake smiled. The boys left the kitchen as Dylan rushed downstairs. "All right, let's go Daddy. We can't be late. See ya after school, nanny." Tuck told him. My brain clicked. My homework! I gathered my textbook and placed my notebook inside. Summer laughed awkwardly. "Whoa, hold on there Tuck. Your daddy hasn't even checked her references yet." She added. I shrugged. "She seem alright to me." I said. "Same here." Tuck agreed. Daddy shrugged. "She thinks I look like their brother. You're hired." He said. Bailey sighed sheepishly. Cassidy sighed. "Why are we wasting time? She's young, she's pretty, she's great with kids—Bailey cut her off. "I'm not a nanny!" She spoke out loud. Dylan scoffed. "That would greatly reduce your salary." He said in a serious tone. I rolled my eyes and rubbed Chloe's pigtail. "Bailey, if you're not a nanny, what exactly you doin' in our house?" Daddy asked. She took a deep breath. "Well, it all started last night when me and my boyfriend Boone were singing at Tootsies. Our band's been playing that club forever, but last night Mr. Sam Gold from Sam Gold records were coming in to see us. He's one of the biggest producers in country music. If he likes you, it can change your whole life. And not to toot our own horns but we crushed it." She explained almost quickly.