“A few hours?”
“I know.” He at least had the self-awareness to look semi-guilty. “I read all the articles about limiting children’s screen time, but it’s just easier. As a single dad, I’m sort of stretched thin. You’re welcome to adapt her schedule however you see fit. God knows it won’t hurt.”
“I appreciate that. Does Addison have any allergies I need to know about?”
Skylar would typically take this time to inform him that she was CPR certified and offer other credentials to put him at ease, but she was getting the impression that he truly had been desperate for any capable body to help care for his kid.
“No, but she’s never been stung by a bee, so I guess there’s that.” He looked unsure for a moment, a total contradiction to his powerful posture and the sleek part of his hair. “Just call 9-1-1 if anything goes wrong. And I should give you my number as well.”
“That would be good.”
She’d followed him into a cavernous kitchen. It appeared recently renovated, as the appliances were all stainless and state of the art, but the cabinetry looked handcrafted and old world. He gave her a brief tour of the drawers and shelves, pointing out where the silverware was and inviting her to help herself to anything in the pantry.
“Erin will be by to set you up with groceries. I want you to make yourself at home. If there’s anything you need, please add it to the shopping list. I know moving into a new home will be an adjustment, but I don’t want you to feel restricted to your room. Which reminds me, Erin came by early this morning and made up one of the bedrooms for you.”
“Erin?” She recalled the woman, but hadn’t been formally introduced yet. She wasn’t sure what her relationship was to Rhett.
“My PA. You should have her number, too. I’ll send it to you. She can answer any questions you might have—probably better than me. She controls my schedule, handles all my daily tasks, and basically keeps me from losing my mind.”
“Wow.”
He paused. They had circled through the cavernous house and returned to the foot of the winding staircase. “Wow?”
She shrugged. “It must be nice to have someone that attentive all the time.” He must be pretty important to have so much going on that he needed an Erin in his life. Skylar mostly navigated day-to-day living on her own.
He grinned. “Erin’s a real asset.” He didn’t say more, but she suspected there might be something more than a business relationship there.
Following him around was like the scene in Annie when she arrives at Daddy Warbucks’s house. It was an overwhelming orientation and she was certain she’d need things repeated, but he seemed in such a rush to give her a tour, she simply tried to absorb as much as possible.
The second floor had six large bedrooms. “The door on the far end is the master. The middle one is Addison’s. Let me text Erin and see which room she made up for you.”
The bedrooms were all enormous with grand windows and antique furniture. She’d never slept in a large space and worried it might feel like resting in a tomb more than the cozy, cramped bedroom she’d grown up in.
His phone pinged and he frowned. “Huh—I guess she was thinking of privacy. She set you up on the third floor.”
At the end of the hall, opposite the master bedroom, was a narrow door leading to an even narrower staircase that curved at the bottom. She followed him up the slim wooden steps and instantly thought of Flowers in the Attic.
Bare wood floors and a large window gave the room a sense of vacancy. The furniture was simple and dark wood. The bed was a twin with only a quilt folded on top. There was an antique wardrobe cabinet on the far wall and a private bathroom with a claw-foot tub behind the other.
The fireplace in the corner had been painted over with white and no longer appeared functional, but the room seemed warm enough, aside from the draft she felt by the front window. The glass was old and marbled, beautiful but drafty. Nothing some curtains wouldn’t fix.
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of belongings to bring.”
Not really. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”
“Feel free to personalize the space to suit your taste.” He paused and studied her. “I should be the one thanking you. I was fresh out of options and had been running help wanted ads for two weeks trying to find someone to help with Addison. It’s not good for her to be cooped up in an office all day. Kids should be busy running around and playing. I’m grateful you found us.”
She agreed, children needed freedom and supervision to safely explore. “I’m sure we’ll have a great time getting to know each other.”