The Garden
854 Words
Kaelen POV
I stand at my study window and watch the garden below.
The morning light is soft. Golden. It falls on the grass like honey. Birds sing somewhere in the trees. It is peaceful. Quiet.
I hate it.
Peace is a lie. Quiet means someone is hiding something.
But down there, in the middle of my garden, the new nanny sits on a blanket with my son.
Naomi. The woman with honey eyes and a navy dress. The woman who showed up late on her first day. The woman I told she was nothing.
She is reading a book to Alex. Her voice drifts up through the glass. Soft. Warm. She does not read like a robot. She makes different voices for each character. A deep one for the bear. A squeaky one for the mouse.
Alex laughs.
My son laughs.
I have not heard that sound in months. Not since his mother left. Not since Elara packed a bag and broke his heart.
Alex laughs again. He throws his head back. His small body shakes. His wolf, Moon, lies on the blanket beside him.
Naomi looks up at him and smiles. Not a fake smile. Not a polite smile. A real one. Her whole face changes when she smiles. The honey in her eyes glows.
I lean closer to the glass.
She reaches out and tickles Alex's belly. He squeals and squirms. She pulls him into her lap and hugs him. He does not pull away. He leans into her. He trusts her.
He has known her for three days.
I have known her for three days.
And I cannot stop watching her.
Henderson knocks and walks in. He stands beside me at the window. His eyes follow mine.
"She is good with him," he says.
"She is hired help."
"She is more than that, boss. You see it. I see it."
I turn away from the window. "I see nothing."
Henderson does not smile. He never really smiles. But something flickers in his eyes. "If you say so."
I walk to my desk and sit down. Papers wait for me. Deals. Threats. Reports from the warehouse. The Russians are still out there. The man who helped Elara is still out there.
But I cannot focus. My eyes keep drifting to the window.
Naomi has picked Alex up. He wraps his arms around her neck. His head rests on her shoulder. She carries him toward the house.
She walks past my window. She does not see me. But I see her.
Her dark curls fall around her face. Her honey eyes are half closed. She hums a song I do not recognize. Alex's small hand grips her shirt.
She disappears through the back door.
I sit in my chair and stare at the empty garden.
"She has a tattoo," I say.
Henderson raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"On her waist. A crescent moon. I saw it when she bent over in the garden."
"You were watching her bend over?"
I look at him. My face is stone. He raises his hands.
"Just asking, boss."
I lean back. "Run a deeper background check. Everyone has secrets. I want to know hers."
Henderson nods. He pulls out his phone and types a note.
I pick up a pen and pretend to read a contract. The words blur. I see honey eyes instead.
---
An hour later, I walk past the nursery.
The door is half open. I stop.
Naomi is inside. Alex is asleep in his bed, curled around his wolf. She sits on the floor beside him, her back against the wall. Her eyes are closed. Her breathing is slow.
She fell asleep watching him.
I watch her sleep. Her face is soft. Peaceful. She looks younger when she sleeps. Less tired. Less scared.
I notice her hands. They are resting on her stomach. Her fingers are long. Her nails are short, no polish. She has a small scar on her left thumb.
I wonder how she got it.
I wonder why I care.
I step back from the door. I should leave. I should go back to my study. I have work to do. Enemies to crush. Empires to run.
But I do not move.
I stand in the hallway like a fool, watching a nanny sleep.
Henderson's voice comes from behind me. "Boss."
I turn. He holds up his phone.
"The background check came back. There is something you should see."
I take the phone. I read the screen.
My jaw tightens.
Naomi Abbot was not fired from her last three jobs for being "too quiet."
She was fired because she was pregnant.
And she hid it.
I look through the door at her sleeping face. Her hands rest on her stomach.
She is carrying a child.
But whose?
I hand the phone back to Henderson. My voice is low. "Keep watching her. Do not let her out of your sight."
"What are you going to do?"
I look at Naomi one more time. Then I turn and walk away.
"I am going to find out what else she is hiding."
- Writer
