Live-In Position (13 page)

“I-I…Oh, Collin…” A tall woman wrapped her arms around Dr. Bishop’s neck. He stood rigid.

Allison appeared and skidded to a stop halfway to the door.

“What is she doing here?” she screamed.

Before an answer was provided, Ilene, Connor, Larissa, Max, and Jonathan stepped out of the living room to see about the commotion, forming a circle of statues around Allison.

Victoria emerged from the bathroom. “All done,” she announced.

Each statue came back to life, their heads rotating toward Victoria. The woman at the door zeroed in on her and only then did I realize who was at the door – Grace.
She’s back. Just as he’d hoped she’d be.

Victoria peeked around my body and saw the woman in the doorway.

“Who’s that?” she asked, confused.

“I...uh…we should…” I stammered.

“She doesn’t even remember me, Collin!” Grace gave him a pointed glared.

“You left us, remember?” Collin spat and slammed his fist on the door.

Victoria flinched, burying herself into my leg.

“You left!” he yelled. Fury and rage took over his features. “And you want to know why she doesn’t remember you? Grace, she was two when you abandoned her,
us
!” He began fisting his hair.

Victoria began backing away with a horrified expression. “No!” she cried and ran up the stairs.

“Collin,” Larissa hissed, motioning towards Victoria.

I chased after her, but she slammed her door shut when I was only halfway up the stairs.

“Victoria, sweetheart, please open the door. Please?” Twisting the knob did no good.

“It’s my fault,” she sobbed from just the other side of the door.

“Nothing is your fault. Please open the door.” The lock clicked, and I slowly pushed the door open.

She sobbed as she climbed on to her bed. Connor and Larissa barreled in behind me as I knelt down in front of Victoria.

“Hey…”

“It’s my fault,” she sobbed again.

The tingling hum over my body alerted Dr. Bishop’s approach before he actually got there. His eyes danced between Victoria and me. He clearly didn’t know what to say.

Allison remained downstairs yelling at Grace about ruining Christmas and the party. Then she changed her tactic and attacked her for barging in on Victoria.

“Can someone shut the damn door?” I snapped.

The door closed, but I didn’t look to see who’d complied.

“Victoria…”

“It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”

“Honey, nothing is your fault.” Connor pushed past Collin, who was still on the sidelines of his daughter’s emotional breakdown. The push snapped him from his silence.

“You didn’t bring her here, Victoria.” Collin tried to comfort her, but his tone was still edged in anger.

“It’s my fault she’s here!” Large tears poured over her cheeks.

“What? It can’t be –”

“I asked Santa for a mommy, but I didn’t mean
her
!” she cried out and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Sweetheart, Santa didn’t bring your mother here. None of this is your doing.” I pulled back from her and lifted her chin with my finger.

“Yes, it is! I told Santa I wanted a mommy, but I forgot to tell him that I wanted
you
. He sent her instead,” she bawled and threw her arms back around my neck, gripping tightly.

My eyes widened, and I couldn’t bring myself to look around the room to figure out who gasped. All I could do was rub soothing circles on her back.

C
hapter
E
ight

VICTORIA HAD BEEN so exhausted she was still sleeping when I woke the next morning. After tucking her in with the rag doll Carla and my father gave her, I grabbed my shoes and tiptoed out of the room. Quietly shutting the door behind me, I found Dr. Bishop standing there. I jumped.

“I apologize.” He furrowed his brow. “I need to speak with you.”

“Dr. Bishop, I realize I may have become too close with Victoria, but I never ever intentionally gave her the impression I was…that I would be…perhaps I
should
detach myself from her for longer periods of time. Still, I assure you I did not –”

He put his hand up. “I’m not going to fire you.”

I closed my gaping mouth quickly and bit my lip, still nervous.

“I need to know if she’s okay.”

“She’s sad, but she’s well...you can see for yourself –” I gestured toward the door.

“I, uh, I’ll take your word for it.” He tensed up. “Grace will probably request to see her and me, and I need you to let me know if Victoria is troubled with that.”

“So, you’re going to agree to let her –?”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but I just want to be prepared.” He looked like he’d aged overnight.

Grace truly affected him more than anyone. After an uncomfortable silence, he mumbled “thank you” and walked away. I went to my room to shower and change into fresh clothes. Once I was dressed, I walked into my living room, towel drying my hair, and found Victoria on my couch.

“Hey, you,” I hurried toward her, no longer caring about my wet hair. “Did you sleep okay?”

She shrugged. “Is she still here?”

“No, well, I don’t think so. Would that be so terrible?” I put my arm around her.

She shrugged again. “I don’t know her. What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Oh, sweetheart.” I pulled her into a tight hug. “There’s no way she won’t love you.” I kissed the top of her head and then realized, perhaps, I was encouraging her fantasy of me being her mother. Mentally, I debated with myself and then thought…“Screw it!” and continued rocking her on my lap.

“Let’s head down for some breakfast, okay?”

She nodded and silently followed me downstairs.

Breakfast remained quiet. We spent the day relaxing and playing board games. I figured small moments together would be better than any large to-do. We were playing ‘Go Fish’ in the kitchen when someone entered the house.

“Collin, you can’t honestly be agreeing to see her?” Allison’s nagging voice caused me to stiffen.

“Allison…” he hissed in a warning tone. “She’s Victoria’s mother, for god’s sake.”

“That bitch left her and you years ago. She is selfish trash. You knew the low class whore you were getting when you picked her up at that raunchy bar. I don’t know what you ever saw in that–”

“Allison,” Collin’s voice was raised and irritated.

“Hey…”

Victoria’s head snapped up with wide teary eyes.

“Why don’t we finish this upstairs?”

She nodded.

“I’ll get the cards, you head up.”

I watched her hop up and hurry toward the back stairs. I was shoving the cards in their case when Allison’s heels click-clacked against the tile floor. My back was to her. I clenched my eyes shut, taking a deep breath. He didn’t have to speak for me to also feel his presence in the room.

“Oh, and perhaps you should do something about Sophia and her
inappropriate
relationship with Victoria,” she spat.

Slowly releasing a breath, I walked away from the kitchen. Victoria’s quick intake of breath and small sob gave way she was there before she ran past me and back into the kitchen.

“No, Aunt Allison! No, Daddy, no! You can’t take Sophia away from me! Please, please don’t listen to Aunt Allison. She’s wrong!” Victoria screeched and flung herself at Collin’s leg. I hurried to her and pulled her away. His eyes were wide and panicked at her display.

“Oh dear god, Collin, look at her overly emotional behavior. What has this…nanny…” her tone dripped with disgust, “done to her?”

I glowered at Allison and pulled Victoria into my arms.

“Victoria, I’m not firing Sophia, and Allison, I will meet with Grace if I wish to do so.” His tone was as sharp as the splintering edge of frozen glass.

Victoria relaxed into my arms. I carried her away from the kitchen.

“You can’t leave me. I love you,” she mumbled into my neck where her face was buried.

“Shh…calm down. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

She nodded.

When we got to her room, I decided we needed to talk. We sat next to each other on her bed.

“Did you bring the cards?” She wiped her wet cheeks.

“Yes, but I want to talk to you about something first, okay?” She nodded hesitantly, like a child preparing to be punished. “Hey,” I pulled her chin up. “You aren’t in any trouble, alright? I just want to talk, clear some things up.”

I took a deep breath. “Victoria, you realize I’m your nanny right?”

“Of course.” She perked up.

“I’m not your mother.” It almost hurt to say those words, given how much I had grown to love her.

Her face fell. “I know, but –”

“Sweetheart,” I took both of her hands in mine, “I’m not your mommy and will never be your mommy.”

Tears collected in the corners of her eyes.

“Don’t cry. I love you very much and think of you as my own daughter, but you need to understand that even if it isn’t your mommy who comes back now, it will probably be another woman sometime. Do you understand?”

“You mean, my daddy might marry someone else?” I nodded. “But…why can’t he just marry you?”

I literally choked on my own saliva.
She was asking me to sign my soul over to that man?

“Well…your daddy is my boss. We won’t get married. I’m here to help take care of you. I know it’s confusing. Heck, I’m starting to confuse myself,” I sighed. “Listen, I’m not trying to be mean or say I don’t love and care for you deeply, because I do, but I’m not your mommy and I won’t ever be your mommy.” Her tears were coming back. I lifted her chin. “I get to be the cool nanny you play with all the time.” I winked.

She giggled and threw her arms around my neck.

“I love you, Sophia.”

“I love you too, Victoria.” I returned her hug. “Now, we need to get back to me kicking your butt in ‘Go Fish’.”

She sat back on her bed. As I dealt the cards, I wondered what kind of hand Fate was dealing Victoria by returning Grace into her life.

ELLA, WILLIAM, AND Amber stayed just passed midnight to ring in the New Year. After the sparkling juice had been drunk and the confetti tossed, they took their sleeping children back to their homes. Once Victoria fell asleep on the couch at twelve thirty, I took her to bed and began cleaning up popcorn, chips, and cups still lying around the room.

While cleaning up the kitchen, the front door opened and closed. Whispers floated into the kitchen. The clock above the stove announced it was two thirty. Quickly, I finished cleaning and made my way to the doorway, stopping short at the sight in front of me.

Dr. Bishop was pressed against the foyer wall, and Grace was on her knees in front of him. They were struggling between each other.

Eww…eww…

“Grace, control yourself.” Irritation laced his words.

“Oh come on, baby, your little guy wants to play. I can feel that he does.” She ran her palm over him, and not even Satan could hold back his moan of pleasure.

Did she just call him little? Ha ha ha.

I shook off my initial shock and my internal musings, quickly climbing the stairs two at a time. I’d never been happier for carpeted steps in my life.

“Grace, you need to stop…” That was the last thing Dr. Bishop said before a moan escaped his lips.

Covering my ears until I entered my room, I closed the door on the scene I’d escaped. I hurried to my bedroom and shut that door too. I wanted so much to be able to pour acid into my eyes and ears but had to settle for a hot shower and Q-Tips instead.

After New Year’s, I guessed Grace would become an ever-present figure in the Bishop household. The thought ate away at me as I tried to identify the feelings keeping me awake. Nervous, was the first I identified, but when I came up with jealousy, I couldn’t understand why.

I’d been completely correct in my assumption. Mid-January was the reintroduction of Victoria to her mother, and by the end of January, Grace was living in the house and working on mending their relationship.

Victoria had been nervous when I was dressing her to go to dinner with her mother and father. Dr. Bishop, thankfully, did not require my presence. I wanted to be there for Victoria, but New Year’s was still too fresh in my mind, as was the odd feeling of jealousy.

From what I could tell when they arrived home from dinner, it had gone well. Grace came back to the house with Dr. Bishop, and Victoria was smiling. Once they were through the door, she tackled me in the kitchen. I had to grip the counter to keep us from hitting the floor. Dr. Bishop and Grace disappeared upstairs.

Grace had been making attempts to get close to Victoria again. Taking her to the hair salon, shopping, playing a game of cards on her bed, and attending every school parent event became Grace’s responsibility rather than mine. I was happy she was interested in working to get back into Victoria’s life. I mean, she was her mother, and she made a mistake.

Everyone deserves a second chance, right?

Three days after their family dinner, Grace informed me that the Alpha Omega Alpha, Honor Medical Society, was honoring Dr. Bishop. I had no clue what that was. Apparently he’d been a member since his residency, and they were honoring his contributions to the medical field.

“It’s in three weeks, and you’ll be required to attend since Victoria will be accompanying us. In fact, the whole family will be there,” she boasted. “They may even take photos of us all.” Her eyes gleamed.

“Okay, so should I prepare her attire or will –?”

“Of course,
I
will pick out her dress. I need to be sure she’s fashionable.” She looked me up and down. “In fact, I’ll pick something up for you as well.”

“You don’t have to do that.” The protest left my mouth without thinking first.

“I’m sure you need something to wear, and I’ll be going out today so it’s really no bother.” Her tone was too sweet, and I didn’t like the glint in her eye.

Over the next two weeks, when Victoria didn’t have school or lessons, Grace arranged tea parties, shopping trips, manicures and pedicures, mother-daughter spa visits, and more bonding activities. I enjoyed watching them interact as their bond strengthened, but I was also sad. My time with Victoria was greatly reduced. There was also something else bothering me – Victoria. She seemed happy, but it didn’t seem natural. I tried multiple times to talk to her about it, but she never said anything. I was forced to shrug it off as my own longing to have her all to myself.