Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Nope, I’m good. Okay, what are some things you’re looking for in a nanny, first of all?”
I sat down and thought about it. “Someone reliable. Caring. Experienced. I think someone younger, not that I don’t trust anyone older. Or I don’t know, maybe I do want someone older. Someone experienced with children.”
“They need to keep up with Winnie, so young makes sense, and someone, maybe not too old, needs to be able to keep up with a two-year-old.”
“Am I missing anything?”
She read over the shortlist. “Dependability.”
“Yes!” I said, pointing to her.
“Genuine love for children with references that back that up. Strong communication skills. They must be able to adapt to different situations, such as when you need to arrive early or will be late, so they may have to stay overnight on occasion. I think a degree in early childhood education would be a plus, but not necessary.”
She looked up from where she was writing down everything she was saying. “You get off pretty late, Liam. Won’t they have to stay the night anyway? Maybe you should think it over, about the live-in part.”
I shook my head. “Hope wouldn’t like that.”
Aurora stared at me momentarily before saying, “Liam, Hope isn’t here. You have to do what will work for you and Winnie. Do you honestly think someone will want to wake up at one in the morning and head home after you get home from work?”
Frowning, I shook my head. “No, that would be silly.”
I dropped my head back and cursed. “Fuck. I wish I had a normal nine-to-five job.”
“Unless you want to sell The Muddle Moose, you’re going to have to adjust your schedule so that you get off earlier. You have reliable managers, don’t you?”
“I do. I wouldn’t have been able to take so much time off if it hadn’t been for them and your brother Nathan. But you mentioned selling.”
Her head jerked up from what she was writing down. “I was kidding, Liam.”
Setting my glass down, I stood. “Sell The Muddled Moose.”
“Did you hear me? I was kidding.”
My mind started to spin as I paced the back porch.
“Liam?”
I stopped and faced Aurora. “Did I ever tell you what I went to school for?”
She shook her head.
“I was in marketing. I ran advertisements for major corporations. I was the one who came up with marketing plans.”
Her face crinkled up. “Sounds boring.”
I laughed. “It was boring.”
Aurora set the notebook down and leaned forward. “Hope told me that The Muddled Moose had been your dream for years. Don’t give that up because you don’t think you have a typical nine-to-five job. Liam, we can make this work. Just sit down, drink your wine, and let’s brainstorm.”
“You’re right. You’re right,” I said as I lowered myself back onto the outdoor sofa and grabbed my wine.
“What time do you need to get to The Muddled Moose each day?”
“Well, we open at five for our first dinner reservations, so I usually try to get there around three. That gives me ample time to prepare the bar and restaurant, ensure we have the necessary supplies, and address any pre-opening tasks or concerns that the other managers or staff may have. Since we close before the bar, the night crew cleans the restaurant and kitchen, so that isn’t an issue. I do like to have a short staff meeting before we open, just to make sure we’re all on the same page, no concerns, things like that.”
“Okay,” she said, picking up the notebook once again. “You need to be at The Muddled Moose by three each day. Do you ever take days off?”
“I never did until Winnie came along. I used to take Tuesdays and Thursdays off. It’s important I’m there on the weekends, since it is our busiest time.”
She nodded and kept writing. “Okay. So you want to stick to those two days? Have you ever thought about taking Sunday off?”
I shrugged. “I could. If it means spending more time with Winnie.”
“Let’s put that down on the side for more consideration. The good thing is your nanny wouldn’t have to be here all day, since you leave probably around two thirty to get to The Muddled Moose. She would have a good chunk of her day to do what she wanted. Let’s talk about what time you would get home.”
I thought about it. “If things were going well, I could leave earlier than I have in the past. Maybe between eleven and midnight, most likely eleven.”
Aurora looked up in thought. “So, she would be leaving to head home around eleven thirty, but she wouldn’t have to be back to work until two the next day. That gives you time to address anything with her about Winnie.”
“Correct.”
Smiling, she jotted notes down. “I think that would work, especially if we found someone younger. The only thing is, their weekends would be entirely taken up and they wouldn’t be able to make plans.”