The Substitute Wife

Chapter 5

Emma

It was still dark when I woke up on Monday morning with an upset stomach—nerves and maybe a little excitement. This was my second night in my new apartment. I was sleeping better than ever, but naturally waking up earlier than normal. Today was my first official day as Sophie’s nanny.

I didn’t have to be at the main house until 7:00 a.m., so I took my time. I wasn’t really a morning person, but I had to admit it was nice to do a little yoga, shower, and make myself an egg without feeling rushed. I even had time to blow-dry my hair and unpack a box.

“You’ve got this, Emma,” I told myself in the mirror as I swiped on a little mascara. “Sophie is just one kid. She’s probably more nervous than you. It’s going to be easy.”

My new commute across the garden was a breeze. How did this Chicago girl get so lucky? No train, no morning traffic—just the city’s bustling noises flirting over the stone wall that surrounded the backyard. I paused when I reached the back door. Do I knock or just walk in? Knocking and waiting for an answer seemed silly, so I settled on a knock and a step inside.

“Good morning!” I called, stepping through the little mudroom into the kitchen. My eyes immediately landed on Jack, who looked unfairly good for 7:00 in the morning. Dressed in a custom navy suit, his dark hair was rumpled, like he’d been running his hands through it a little too much. In fact, he looked a little stressed. You’re here for Sophie, not to ogle your boss, I reminded myself. Sophie was still in her pajamas, sleepily eating cereal at the island.

“Good morning, Emma,” Jack said, his voice warm but distracted. “Coffee?”

“That’d be great, thanks.” I slid onto a stool next to Sophie. “Good morning, Sophie. Ready for today?”

She didn’t say anything. Jack just watched us.

“Hmmm, not a morning person. I get that.” I hopped off the stool. “Let’s see, I’ll get your snack and lunch together while you eat. What’s your favorite? Or should I just pack a dinosaur sandwich?”

That earned me a small grin. “There’s no such thing as a dinosaur sandwich, Emma,” she whispered.

“There’s not?” I raised my eyebrows as high as I could. “News to me! Huh. Well. How about one of my specialties? I like to call it kid bites.”

“What’s that?” she asked as she chewed, curiosity piqued.

Opening the fridge, I started listing off ingredients. “It’s olives, salami, crackers, a little cheese, and…” I checked the fruit drawer. “Raspberries. If we were at home, I’d add some nuts, but I bet school is nut-free.”

Sophie nodded. “That sounds pretty good.”

“You gonna help me out with a lunchbox, Dad?” I asked Jack as he handed me a steaming mug of coffee.

“Sure,” he replied, glancing around the kitchen, clearly trying to remember which box held the lunchbox.

Between the two of us we found her cute pink bento box and I started packing it while Jack and Sophie headed upstairs so she could get dressed. Once everything was ready, I wandered down the hallway to the foyer, looking for her backpack. If I had to bet, Jack had set it out so it would be ready for today. Sure enough, on a bench in the foyer sat a sparkly purple backpack. Raised voices drifted down the stairs.

“I can’t wear that, Daddy!” Sophie whined.

“You liked it when we picked it out last night, Soph.”

Checking my watch, I made more noise than usual as I walked up the stairs. I didn’t want anyone to feel like I was sneaking up on them.

“Hey,” I said brightly, popping my head into Sophie’s room. Jack looked like he was trying not to be frustrated, but he was clearly getting impatient. “Dad, why don’t you head downstairs, and us girls can finish this up?”

His blue eyes pierced mine, and for a moment, I felt my smile waver. Had I overstepped? But the moment passed, and he nodded, leaving without a word. Sophie eyed me with distrust.

“I hate this outfit.”

“First-day-of-school outfits are hard,” I said. “Can I take a look?”

“I guess.”

I quickly looked through her closet, remembering the purple backpack downstairs. Pulling out a striped purple and white dress with daisy pockets, I held it up. “How about this?”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Great! You pick out your pants, and I’ll meet you in the bathroom. If you hurry, I’ll have enough time to braid your hair. Would you like that?”

Her eyes lit up at the word “braid.”

“Yes, please!”

Jack

I didn’t know what magic Emma worked upstairs, but when she and Sophie appeared downstairs fifteen minutes later, my daughter was dressed and smiling.

“Look at the braid Emma did, Daddy!” She twirled proudly.

“That looks awesome, sweetheart. I hope you said thank you.”

Sophie nodded enthusiastically.

The three of us managed to get out the door on time—sparkly backpack, briefcase, and coffee in tow. It was a beautiful Midwest morning, and the walk to school helped calm me calm my own first-day jitters. One of the reasons I chose this school was the three-block walk down our tree-lined street. It was a grounding way to start the day.

Sophie, now bubbling with excitement, wove between me and Emma, chattering about making friends. I glanced over at Emma.

She’s beautiful. The thought floated into my mind before I could stop it. She sipped her coffee from a regular mug, her long hair down with her sunglasses pushed up on her head, smiling and laughing with Sophie. In profile, she looked nothing like my ex.

As we turned the corner, the walking traffic picked up with other parents and kids. I felt Sophie slip her hand into mine, and I gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Emma

The school came into view—University School, another classic red-brick building covered in ivy. It felt very old money. I noticed the other parents around us. More specifically, I noticed other women checking out Jack. With his good looks and muscled over-six-foot frame, he definitely drew attention. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me. He wasn’t mine.

Sophie hesitated at the front steps. Jack and I crouched down at the same time, nearly bumping heads.

“Oh,” I started to apologize and stand, but Jack grabbed my arm, keeping me down with them.

“You’re brave and smart, and you’re going to have a great day,” Jack said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“You’ve got this, Sophie. I’ll be right here when school’s out.” I gave her an encouraging smile. She looked between us, nodded, then gave each of us a quick hug before running up the steps with the other kids. I felt honored to be included in her goodbye.

“Ah, Dr. and Mrs. Greene!” came a voice behind us.

“Oh, I’m not—” I started, turning around before Jack cut me off.

“Hello, Dr. Rodriguez,” he said, shaking the woman’s hand.

“We’re so excited to have Sophie here this morning,” she said. “And I’m so glad to see you here, Mrs. Greene. I see you took our conversation to heart, Dr. Greene.”

Before I could correct her, she moved on. Jack steered me back onto the sidewalk, dropping his hand from its spot on my lower back once we were clear of the crowd. We’re quiet for a moment as we walk back down the block.

“You did really well this morning. Sophie doesn’t usually warm up to new people that fast.”

“She’s a great kid.” Do I bring up what just happened about being mistaken for Mrs. Greene? Will he? But Jack doesn’t say anything else.

When we reach the corner, he stops. “I’m headed this way.” He motioned over his shoulder.

“Oh, right. I was planning to do some unpacking for you and Sophie today. Assuming you’re okay with that.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay.” I repeat back, feeling lame.

“Have a good day, Emma,” he said before turning and walking away.