It Was Always You

Chapter Eleven

Weeks fly by so fast that suddenly it became a month since she first moved in to be the new nanny of the little girl she had come to love so much already. As the time passed, her feelings for Evan only grew bigger and stronger. Every morning she made it her mission and habit to make sure he had a fresh hot coffee and something to eat before leaving for work. She made his lunch as well along with Shasta's.

There were times he would come home early to spend time with the both of them while other times it couldn't be helped that he had to stay late for work. There was once or twice he had to go out of town leaving the two of them together when before Shasta would have to either go to her Aunt Selena's or Aunt Mila's house. It was nice that she could stay in the comfort of her own home during those times.

And they spent nearly every moment together, her and the little girl. On the nights that Evan wasn't home Shasta stayed with her in the mother house instead. They would do all kinds of activities. Baking cookies, painting, gardening, watching television, having tea parties. They always did something together. She even made it a habit to read her a bedtime story.

Everything was going great, and the pay was more than she could have asked for. Being able to pay for all her mother's bills and still having plenty left over she couldn't have asked for anything better honestly. On her days off she would visit her mother and tell her all about her new job and the family she was taking care of.

"You like him don't you?" Her mother asked one afternoon when she came to visit.

"What? Like who?" She played it off as she went around the small apartment tidying up and dusting things off.

"Don't play dumb with me, Isabel. I can tell the difference in your tone when you talk about him compared to his daughter." A slight worry entered in her voice. "It makes me worry."

Isabel sighs as she comes to sit next to her. "It's nothing to worry about mama. Nothing between us is going to happen. It's strictly business."

"Exactly. You need to remember that. This is the best job you've ever had and if you sleep with him you'll ruin all that."

She groans at her mother as she gets back and continues on what she was doing. "I'm not that stupid mom. I won't jeopardize my position. We can't afford to lose this job anyways." She mumbles that last part, pounding the couch pillow as if releasing it from its collected dust that was nonexistent.

"Good. If I need to remind you on every visit then I will. Lust and love can be a powerful thing and blindside us. The risk is too great right now."

Staring down at the couch Isabel felt her heart weight down inside her as she hated knowing that what her mother said was right. But she couldn't help the growing feelings, no matter how hard she tried.

***

"I think I'm falling for my daughter's nanny." Evan blurted out suddenly.

Jared slows the stroller he was pushing and looks to him. "That's a bad idea." He deadpans.

Groaning in dismay Evan flaps his hands in the air. "I know! But it can't be helped. I blame your sister for this."

"Selena? What does she have to do with you falling for someone you shouldn't?"

They were walking through the park as Shasta ran up ahead to the playground that was just a couple of feet away from them. Mila was out with Selena doing last minute things for the wedding that was in a week's time. The excitement at the Cooper house was such chaos that Jared was glad to be away from it when he could.

"She hired her." He mumbles with a grim look on his face.

Jared laughs. "Like you're not happy that she did."

"It's not funny, Jared. She's under my employ. I can't have thoughts about her in that way. Especially after what happened with her last employer. I would be no different than him if I made a move."

Slowing the stroller down he leans over to flip the cover to discover Cale was still fast asleep. Putting it back he faces his best friend since the third grade. "Didn't you say he was married though, and she didn't find him appealing at all."

"Yeah, but it still doesn't make a difference." He pouts as he watches his daughter make a new friend on the slide and enjoying themselves.

"Do you have an idea on how she might feel about you?"

He thought for a moment, thinking about all their conversations and interactions in the past couple of weeks. "Honestly, most times I feel like she feels the same way. But I think this job is holding us both back."

"Evan, I'm going to be completely blunt here." Jared's tone became serious as he pushes the stroller to an empty park bench in front of the playground.

Once they sat he faces him head on. "You deserve to be happy; you know that don't you? What you did in the past, with Kristan...don't let something like that define who you are. You made a mistake, a great one since you got that little girl out of it, but it was just a stupid mistake, and you were just a teenager at that. You shouldn't allow it to punish you."

Evan sighs feeling the guilt weigh on him. "Yeah, but that mistake cost me a lifetime of headaches and drama with Kristan. What right do I have to ask a woman to help me face her every single day? She's too much at times Jared."

"Don't let Kristan win, Evan. That's what she wants. She can't have me, and she doesn't want you, yet she wants to make your life miserable because you had Shasta with her. She's a bitter, miserable, hateful young woman that's throwing a tantrum."

He thought for a moment, thinking on his words and the outcome of his future. Would Isabel even want to go through anything like that? Was she willing to stay with the two of them even though it meant constant harassment from the birth mother? Shasta absolutely adored Isabel, who in return adore his little girl. The way she took care of her was just like any mother should take care of their child.

"Mila's been over there quite a few times to get to know her you know."

Evan smiles at that. "Isabel's told me."

"She really likes her and thinks she'll be good for you, for both of you. She told me the way she looks and takes care of Shasta...she needs someone like that in her life, you both do."

Placing his hand on his shoulder he squeezes gently. "Test the waters Evan. I have a feeling that Isabel isn't going to run away this time."