Authors: Casey Clipper
"Yep," Courtney answered.
"Yep?" Derrick tested the word, then frowned.
"Yes," she corrected and rolled her eyes.
"Better."
"God, you're getting bossy," she snipped.
"I am the boss," he reminded her. He pushed her long, beautiful hair off her shoulder so he could watch their daughter.
Courtney growled.
"Did you just growl at me?" he asked stunned.
"Yep."
Unaware he could laugh so joyously, leave it to his wife to bring the feeling out of him. He kissed her hard on the forehead while they continued to watch their daughter eat.
Courtney
Courtney felt herself falling in love with her husband. Their bond continually moved forward. Their witty banter started to flourish like it had before Darren’s death. Their intimate kissing was turning more passionate. The way they held onto each other was more seductive, more like two lovers than two friends. She always got lost in his caress when he ran his hand over her low back. Too often the staff caught Courtney wrapped in Derrick's arms, her hands splayed on his chest, while they quietly discussed something private. Every touch, embrace, lingering kiss drew them closer. Yes, she was definitely falling for her husband.
***
Trent
"She's taking daily walks?" Mr. X asked Trent.
"To lose the baby weight," Trent answered.
They stood outside the Kennywood amusement park, pretending to be patrons waiting for a group of people to join before heading inside.
"Is she alone during those walks?"
"No, she always has someone with her," Trent answered, unsure why Courtney’s walks were important to the man.
"Tell me, does she trust you?"
"She does. Her husband doesn't,” Trent said.
He had noticed Derrick's evil glares directed towards him, or how his boss positioned himself between Courtney and himself. Trent took notice that Jack and Carl never allowed him to be alone with Mrs. Murphy. Also, he was contacted by Jon Spallone, who had warned him that his boss, Derrick Murphy, had been asking questions. He even took Mr. Spallone to lunch. Trent got the impression Jon was bragging more than warning.
Mr. X snorted, disgusted. "He trusts no one. His brother wasn't so obvious about it. This one...he's different."
Trent nodded. "He's dangerous."
Mr. X raised his eyebrows with a silent inquiry.
"One of Derrick's men sold a load of heroin but took the money and didn't pay up. He managed to get busted, was put in jail and while waiting for trial ended up dead in his cell,” Trent explained.
"So, that happens often." Mr. X shrugged.
"Of a heroin overdose?" Trent said.
The man snorted. "Fitting, I guess." A long, pregnant paused passed between them. "I want you to contact me if you happen to find yourself alone with Mrs. Murphy." Mr. X pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number.
Warily Trent took the paper.
"Why do you want to know when she's alone?" Trent hesitantly asked. The request took on a different vibe. One he wasn't comfortable with. He liked Mrs. Murphy and felt loyal towards her.
"
That
is none of your business," Mr. X snapped. He pulled the five thousand dollar payment out of his blazer and tossed it at Trent. "If you call me and do what you're asked, the payout will be ten times what your standard rate."
Without another word, the man turned and stalked away from the amusement park entrance. A horrible, gut feeling told him doing business with Mr. X would be a decision he regretted. But the thought it would take him a full year to earn fifty grand flitted dangerously in his mind. Would it be worth it?
Trent decided to leave that determination for when the time came.
Ryan
Ryan knocked on the Murphy front door before strolling inside. The day before he had received a message from his cousin asking him to stop by around one, though she hadn't explained why. Ryan closed the door behind him and stopped. The living room was filled with women. Well, mostly women. Two men sat off to the side. He focused in on them. Obviously military, the way they scanned and eyed Ryan told him they were more than simple servicemen. He guessed some sort of special forces. They gave each other a respectful silent, short nod. A couple of the girls giggled at his appearance. What the hell was his cousin up to?
Jack appeared in the hallway.
"Ryan," Jack greeted him.
"Where's the Mrs.?" Ryan asked.
Jack jerked his head. "Dining room."
"Thanks."
Ryan found his cousin at the dining room table, a myriad of papers sprawled over the table. Baby Caitlin laid in her carrier beside her mother while Mary handed Courtney a bottle of water.
Courtney looked up frazzled when he entered the room. "I'm so overwhelmed."
He kissed his cousin on the forehead, then plucked up his beautiful second cousin and cradled her in his large arms. He took a seat next to Courtney. "What's going on?"
"Derrick left me in charge of picking a nanny because we couldn't agree. He no longer wants to fight over it. I have no idea what I'm doing," she said.
She tried to hold herself together, but even months after having Caitlin, postpartum emotion still kicked her in the ass.
"Let me help you,” Ryan said understanding. "Do any of them have first aid and CPR training? That should be first. Then, do they have their recent background checks?"
"Four girls have first aid and CPR along with two men. All of their background checks Jack and Carl confirmed," she answered. She pulled those resumes. "They've all been vetted." She waved towards the filled room. "Those are the finalists."
"Okay, let's preview each one and see how the interviews pan out. We'll go from there," Ryan suggested.
Courtney nodded. "Sounds good."
Courtney
After the interviews, Courtney and Ryan narrowed the list down to the two men and two of the women. Everyone else was given walking papers. Her biggest problem? Both women were in the early twenties. Not one single woman over thirty applied for the position.
"I like the two men," she said. "They remind me of you and Sean."
Ryan snorted. "They aren't SEALs."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "So what? They're military and will protect my daughter better than any of those girls."
"A guy as a nanny," Ryan drawled. "What would Derrick think?"
"He'll hate it." She laughed evilly.
"You, my beautiful cousin, are dangerous as hell for your husband." Ryan laughed along with her.
***
Exhausted, Courtney laid in bed waiting for Derrick to make his way upstairs. She couldn't hold her eyes open but refused to fall asleep without her husband underneath her. She never felt safe at night without him holding onto her. About to go lights-out despite her fight, Derrick slipped into the room, undressed and slid into bed. She curled herself around him.
"Tired?" he asked.
"Mmmhmm."
"Did you decide on someone today?" Derrick asked, light stroking her bare arm.
Not that long ago, he had insisted she wear the silk spaghetti strap nighties, short or long, that she had a plethora of in her closet. He said he wanted access to her soft skin while they were in bed together. Specifically, the feel of her bare skin on his bare chest.
"Mmmhmm."
Derrick chuckled. "Are you going to tell me who?"
"No," Courtney whispered. "You'll meet them tomorrow."
"Them?" he asked surprised.
"Two," she said.
He laughed. "You hired two?"
"Couldn't decide between them," she murmured into his chest. "Now, shhhh, tired."
Derrick chuckled, kissed the top of her head, and turned out the light.
"Love you," she whispered.
***
Derrick
Gathered in the kitchen, Derrick, Courtney, Jack, Carl, and Mary watched Court feed Caitlin. They were shooting the breeze when the front doorbell interrupted them.
Courtney jumped up.
"Oooh, that would be Caitlin's new nannies," she cooed to her daughter.
She took off towards the front door, which snared Derrick's attention.
"She's awfully excited," Derrick observed dryly.
His two men remained unusually mute. Something was up. He eyed the two men glance at each other warily. What did his wife do?
Sounds of Courtney talking a mile a minute preceded her into the kitchen. When she rounded the corner, following her were two very large, handsome men. Derrick stiffened.
Don't even tell me that these are the new nannies.
For a fleeting moment he considered wringing his wife's neck.
Both men’s attention went straight to Caitlin.
"There she is," the first guy said, beaming.
"I was in the middle of feeding her a small amount of bananas," Courtney said.
"I'll finish," the man said, scooping up the jar and spoon before she could deny him.
"First, I want you to meet Mr. Murphy, my husband, your boss," Courtney said authoritatively.
Both men straightened into an ingrained military attention.
"Derrick, meet Russ and Jarrett." Courtney motioned to both men.
Russ and Jarrett stepped up and held out their hands. He shot his wife a death glare. Not even Darren had ever treated her to such a murderous look. He watched her take a retreated step back.
Turning his focus back to the two men, he caught Jarrett shrewdly raise an eyebrow to Russ.
"You two think you're good enough to watch after my daughter." A rhetorical question.
"I believe no one but you and your wife are good enough to watch your daughter, Mr. Murphy. All we can do is re-enforce your beliefs and how you want her raised to the best of our ability," Russ answered.
"And look out for her and her safety," Jarrett added.
"And make sure she is happy and loved," Russ continued.
Jarrett nodded in agreement.
"You're military. What branch?" Derrick asked. It enraged him to question them. He cast another side glare at his wife, who had slowly stepped back next to their daughter, putting as much distance between them as possible.