The Nanny (Family Secrets Book 1) Read online

  THE NANNY

  Family Secrets (Book 1)

  Jessica Lewis

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, companies, organizations, places, events, locales, and incidents are either used in a fictitious manner or are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual companies or organizations, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  © 2020 Jessica Lewis

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted under the copyright law.

  Description

  Kevin

  I need someone to help me with Tyler, a six-year-old boy, who was brought to my doorstep. I was told that I was his father and that he needed to be taken care of. I don’t know the first thing about being a father. I don’t know anything at all. When my brother, Jonathan, suggests Shelly, our sister, Jenny’s best friend, as a caregiver for Tyler, I begin to think that maybe she could also be my companion. However, will she run if she discovers even a little of the truth about my family? That’s a chance I’m going to have to take.

  There’s no way that I can keep quiet – I must warn her about my father.

  Shelly

  Jenny and I are best friends, however I’ve never met her parents, and I’ve only met one of her brothers, Jonathan. After all these years, I’m finally going meet Kevin Adams, and possibly work for him. But, why am I only setting foot inside their family’s home for the first time, now. The story behind Tyler is a mystery, too. Maybe if I can at least get him to like me, he might open up. I’ve been told he’s a quiet child, but that’s alright – I’ve dealt with quiet kids before. I’m eager to have the dinner interview that Kevin has set up, and while Jenny is more than happy about this opportunity, there’s a mystery surrounding her parents? Why are they in the house and what’s their little secret?

  Everyone has skeletons in their closets – even little ones.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Kevin: My New Life

  Chapter 2: Shelly: A Big Change

  Chapter 3: Kevin: Dinner Appointment

  Chapter 4: Shelly: Accepting the Job

  Chapter 5: Kevin: Alone

  Chapter 6: Shelly: My First Day

  Chapter 7: Kevin: My Desire

  Chapter 8: Shelly: Someone’s Watching

  Chapter 9: Kevin: My Father

  Chapter 10: Shelly: A Late Night Talk

  Chapter 11: Kevin: Staying Alert

  Reader Feedback

  Newsletter

  Sneak Peak: Calls Can Be Threatening

  Chapter 1

  Kevin: My New Life

  I ’m looking for someone to take care of me; someone who is willing to put up with not only me but also the son that I claim as my own. However, a lot of burdens come with my home and the life that I live. So, I guess what I’m looking for is someone who wants to be my son’s nanny and my lover as well.

  “You know there’s this girl. . . ” My brother is sitting at the dining table while we are served breakfast.

  I’m not really listening to him. This ‘son thing’ is all new to me. I look over at the six-year-old in question. There’s no denying that he’s mine – his blond hair and blue eyes – every feature screams me. He hasn’t said much to me yet. I guess I don’t know what to say to a six-year-old child that was just dropped off on my doorstep.

  Six years ago, I had a fling. A one-night stand, and now I realize that I desperately need help. I need someone

  who knows how to take care of children. I certainly don’t know the first thing about it.

  “Yeah?” I nod my head at my brother. “Who?”

  As I stare into Jonathan’s, eyes, I notice again that his light-blue eyes and sandy brown hair are so like our father.

  Our father . . . now that’s a different story.

  “Yeah, her name is Shelly. She’s Jenny’s best friend. She’s young and sweet.” His eyes are challenging me.

  “Impossible, then. You know Jenny just as well as I do. She’s not going to let her best friend work for me. She’s won’t even let her into this house, knowing damned well that our family is just a little messed up.” I roll my eyes and sigh heavily.

  Jenny is our sister; well . . . our adopted sister, but I’d never seen her as anything other than my sister. All the things that have happened in our lives have made us as close as if we were born brother and sister. Now, my parents have decided that I won’t be able to handle my son, Tyler, on my own and have announced that they’re going to stay awhile I feel the need of Jenny’s closeness even more; but, I don’t know about having her friend help me out.

  “Jenny doesn’t have any say in it, and Shelly’s looking for a job. She would have to stay here though.” Jonathan is trying to make a point and he’s right in ways I don’t want to think about.

  “I don’t want conflict,” is all I say in reply. “She’ll have her own room, if she does work here. It will get Mom and Dad off my back, for sure.” I think about the pros and cons.

  “Great, should I call her up?” Jonathan asks me.

  “What does she look like?” I grin at him I can’t believe that I’m doing this.

  “Is that all that you’re thinking about?” Jonathan laughs at me and I watch as Tyler finishes his cereal.

  I have to say that he doesn’t need much direction, I don’t have to potty-train him, and I don’t have to tell him to eat; but I wasn’t told much about his mother either. Hell, all I know is her name – Alicia. That’s it. I don’t know why he was sent to me.

  I have so many questions but I’m not going to ask a child. He doesn’t look as if he would know anyways.

  “I like the fact that you think of yourself.” Jonathan tells me, taking out his phone and flipping through something on it.

  He walks over to me and shows me a photograph of a girl I assume is Shelly.

  Brown hair, brown eyes, a gorgeous smile, and a great figure, but I can’t take my eyes off her smile. I feel Jonathan watching me.

  “Yes?” He asks.

  “Yes,” I confirm.

  “Great, I’ll set up an appointment for the two of you to meet and then you can go from there. That’s the only time I’ll be the middle-man,” he points out to me.

  “What about Jenny?” I rub the back of my neck, something I’ve always done when I’m not completely sure about something.

  “I don’t seriously think she’ll have a problem with it. She wants her friend to get a job, and she wants her friend to have a safe place to go. Not that Jenny’s place isn’t safe – but, it is helping her friend. She’s not going to have a problem with it. Trust me.” Jonathan puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of; trusting you.” I laugh at him and see a small smile appear on Tyler’s face.

  It makes his blue eyes shine.

  “You know that you can talk right?” I speak to the child directly, now. “I don’t know what kind of living environment you were in before, but you’re allowed to talk here.” I give him a small smile and our eyes meet for a split second before his smile fades.

  Which makes me wonder what he’s been through . . . ?

  I stare at him for a few more seconds, wanting to ask him. I want to ask him about his mother, about what kind of home life he had, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

  “I hear she’s great with kids too,” I hear Jonathan say before he
leaves the dining room to set things in motion.

  As much as I love my brother, I’m glad that he doesn’t live with me. I also don’t know why I got stuck with our parents.

  Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest. Maybe it’s because I’m the one who’s forgiven all that my father’s done.

  “Is there anything else that you would like, Mr. Adams?” my kitchen maid asks me.

  “No Darla. Thank you.” I smile at her, as she takes Tyler’s bowl away and my small plate that still has a piece of food on it.

  Darla looks at me. Her black hair is turning gray. She’s worked for me ever since I was able to get my own place.

  I wish that she would just call me Kevin, like everyone else does, but she refuses to.

  “I wasn’t as hungry as I thought I was.” I look down at the table.

  She’s the only one that worries about whether I eat or not; the only one that I can go to and trust to ask advice, because she’ll give it to me straight.

  “Tonight, I’d like to have a proper sit-down meal. We’ve a guest coming for dinner,” I tell her, knowing that when Jonathan sets his mind to something, it happens.

  “I’ll let Chef Cory know.” She nods her head, and takes our dishes into the kitchen to be washed.

  Chapter 2

  Shelly: A Big Change

  I can’t believe this is happening, right now. Jonathan Adams, of all people, wants me to work for a man that I don’t know. The kid sounds cute. In fact, when Jonathan explains about Kevin’s son, it sounds as if he needs a little fun in his life.

  “He’s my brother. If you work for him, he’ll treat you like gold. He’ll treat you better than my parents treated us.” Jenny laughs.

  “I don’t find this is funny at all. I’ve never even met him. I’ve actively tried to stay away from your family after the horror stories you told me. I don’t know if I want to do this.” I feel my face growing hot and I repeatedly run my fingers through my hair.

  “Come on, you’ll be helping him out in a big way. What’s more, you’ll have a stable job, if you don’t like it, just sit him down, and tell him that you’re leaving, after you’ve saved up enough money. It’s not as if he’s going to bite you,” Jonathan states.

  Looking at him, I don’t see a smile on his face. I know that he’s being serious. There isn’t even a twinkle in his eye. I don’t know what to say to that.

  “Come on,” Jenny tells me, gripping onto my hand, and shaking my arm playfully, until I laugh. I finally give in to them.

  “And he thought that you were going to freak out.” Jonathan looks at Jenny.

  “No. It works out for both and I would like the chance to know a little bit about my nephew. He seems odd.” Jenny lets go of my hand and the smile slowly fades from her face.

  “If anyone can get him to open up it will be you.” Jonathan looks my way and nods his head.

  “Guys, I’m not some miracle worker. What do you know about this kid?” I ask them, hoping that I can find out something to get me started. Anything.

  “I don’t know. He was brought to Kevin’s house, a few weeks ago. Kevin took a paternity test, of course, to make sure that the boy was his child, but anyone can see that he is. He’s not much of a talker, in fact, he hardly speaks. He doesn’t sit there playing with the toys that Kevin got him, either. I know that he has manners, and I know that he knows how to talk.” Jonathan shakes his head, at a loss for words.

  “I don’t even remember Alicia. No one knows what happened there. I’m not saying she’s a bad mother, but where is she? What could have happened that was so bad that Tyler had to be dropped off at Kevin’s place? And why is my brother just finding out about him now? Why didn’t Alicia try to contact him, before?” Jenny asks, just as clueless as the rest of us.

  “You’re good with kids,” Jonathan tells me.

  “I know that I am. I’ve worked at daycare centers and with children all my life. I just don’t want to make any promises about Tyler, and I certainly don’t want to feel as if I’m only working for Mr. Adams to gather information about his child,” I tell them firmly.

  “Call him Kevin. He’s going to ask you to do that. He doesn’t like being called Mr. Adams. It reminds him too much of his father.” Jenny gives me a tip.

  I don’t want to start on the wrong foot, so I’m not going to call him by his first name unless he tells me to.

  “When does he want this to happen?” I ask, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

  “Tonight. He’s expecting you for dinner. I guess around six.” Jonathan looks at the clock and I notice it’s already four o’clock.

  “Nothing like short notice! I don’t even know what to wear,” I groan, rolling my eyes.

  “Something nice. That’s all. He’s not much for clothing.” Jenny laughs and I feel my heart pounding hard in my chest.

  My face grows hot.

  “I’m only kidding,” Jenny tells me. She’s trying to assure me he’s not that type of man – letting me know that I have nothing to worry about.

  “Come on, I’ll find you something to wear.” She gets off the couch and heads upstairs to her room, while Jonathan opens up his phone, calling Kevin I assume, to let him know that the appointment is set.

  The only reason I’m doing this is for Jenny. Well, I guess it’s a little bit for myself, to be honest. It might even be a little bit for this kid.

  He needs someone that he can trust, someone that he can confide in. If he’s not talking to anyone it means that he feels he can’t trust anyone, even though he only six years old.

  Thinking about Tyler – a little boy that I don’t even know – breaks my heart.

  I know a little bit about what I’m about to get into. I like to try to save people. Maybe this time I can.

  “Come on, hop in the shower and I’ll pick out something nice,” Jenny rushes me, pushing me towards the bathroom.

  “Don’t make me look like a dork,” I growl at her.

  “I won’t,” Jenny laughs back at me.

  “Right,” I laugh too, as I turn on the shower.

  “I’m not going to dress you like a virgin, either,” she teases me.

  “But I am. I don’t want to pretend to be something that I’m not,” I almost shriek at her.

  She’s the only one who knows that at the age of twenty-five I’ve never, ever had sex. She’s the only one that I’ve ever confided in. It’s not that I’m ashamed of it, but I don’t need everyone knowing either. I just think that I should wait until I find the right person and I have to admit that it’s the reason why I’m also single.

  No man wants to wait to get it on. It’s all about sex these days.

  Chapter 3

  Kevin: Dinner Appointment

  E verything is set, so I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I assure myself that everything is going to run smoothly. Better still, my mother and father are out of town for the night.

  “Come on, now. You know that everything is going to be good. Don’t do this,” Darla tells me, looking at the food that has been set on the table.

  My favorite meal, a big bowl of spaghetti, is sitting in the middle of the table. It’s time to find out if it’s Tyler’s favorite meal, too. There are bottles of wine set out, and some sparkling cider for Tyler, so that he can feel as if he’s a part of this.

  “We’re a team tonight,” I tell him, smiling at him. I notice he’s wearing the suit that I put out for him.

  He managed to get into the shower all on his own – I don’t know how he set the water without asking for help. He’s even parted his hair.

  For such a little boy, he seems to know how to do a lot of things on his own, which makes me wonder if he had do a lot of things on his own in his previous life.

  I’ve made sure that our suits match, so that Shelly realizes that Tyler and I are a team. We go together. She is not only taking on Tyler but me as well.

  The doorbell rings and I want to jump up and get it.

  “Let Gary
get it, that’s his job,” Darla tells me, putting a hand on my arm. Her calm voice makes me relax a little.

  When Shelly walks into the room, I stand up and walk towards her with my hand extended, as I would do at any dinner meeting.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Adams.” Shelly’s voice is low, and she gives me a small smile as if she’s just as nervous as I am.

  “Please, call me Kevin. I’m sure that Jonathan has told you to do that.” I grin at her, letting go of her hand and watching her pull out a chair at the table.

  “Yes, he did say that. I just didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot.” She blushes, looking over at Tyler who can’t seem to take his eyes off her.

  “Yes, well, please do. In fact, you’ll be starting off on the wrong foot if you call me Mr. Adams one more time.” I laugh, letting her know that I’m joking with her.

  “What do you hope to achieve with this meeting?” she asks, and I’m shocked at her bluntness. That she wants to talk strictly about what her duties will be.

  “I’d like to talk more over dinner.” I clear my throat, and Darla pours wine into the glass that’s beside Shelly.

  “I don’t like spaghetti. Not that I’m ungrateful, it’s just that I can’t eat it,” Shelly states, looking at the big bowl in the middle of the table. I feel a little embarrassed that I didn’t ask her what she liked to eat.

  “By all means, please go ahead and eat.” Shelly nods her head, and gives Tyler a smile.

  I watch his reaction. He smiles back at her and I wonder if it’s a polite smile or if he really likes having her here.

  “I’m sure that my brother told you about Tyler, at least a little bit.” I clear my throat, serving Tyler and then myself.

  “Yes.” She nods her head.

  “I want you to tend to Tyler, not that he needs a lot of tending to. I won’t always be here. I have to work just as much as anyone else does.” I point out to her.