The Nanny Affair

Trouble's Brewing

"Mercy at the undershirts this man has." I commented, lifting another load of clothes into the washing machine. That's all I had felt I had done today. Laundry on top of laundry.

I had cleaned the boys rooms between loads, having them help me learn the ins-and-outs of their rooms. Maverick was apprehensive at first, not wanting me to touch any of his toys where they laid, while August made a game out of the organization, mentioning how he loved the way it felt to pick up and be clean.

We did that back and forth for hours, only breaking to take a walk outside here and there when I couldn't take looking at the inside of the house any longer.

We walked to the shed, through the woods on the one well beaten path that the boys used to go to one of the lower pastures, and then came to circle around one of the porches. It was there we took our lunch, welcoming the warmth of the sunshine.

Though it was summer, I forgot how cool the mountain air in this region stayed. If we weren't walking, I was shivering from the breeze that would take the warmth from my body away.

"Hadley, can we go swimming today?" August asked, peanut butter and jelly sticky on both of his hands.

"Swimming?" I looked around, confused. "I don't see a pool around here, August. Do you guys go to a community one or something? Down the road?" I poured some more lemonade in my cup, adjusting the ball cap on my head to shield my eyes.

"No," he answered, smacking his lips. "We go to the pond." He stated it as if it was the most natural thing on earth. "The pond..." I hesitated. "Where's the pond?"

"Down the hill," he licked the sides of his sandwich. "Daddy says we can only go if we have a grown up. We're not allowed."

"I see," I hummed. "Not today, but I'll ask your dad when he gets home about tomorrow, OK?"

"OK," he answered, saddened. "Can we at least show ya?" He squinted up at me.

Chuckling, I agreed. "Sure, you can take me there."

"Yesssss!" His elbow pumped in the air.

"Eat all of your lunch, though. All of the carrots and apples have to be gone." I lifted a wary brow, noticing how Mav was placing his carrots under his paper towel.

"Aw, man!" He pouted.

"You won't get big strong muscles if you don't eat them," I encouraged. "You wanna be big like your daddy, don't you?"

"No." He sulked, reaching for his small cup.

I laughed. "Hurry up! I've got a mountain of things we need to do." I watched them finish their meals, and helped them clear their places so we could journey to the pond. I wasn't opposed to the idea, being a wilderness child my whole life, but it surprised me that a house this big with land this extensive didn't have a pool befitting the scene.

We trampled some patches of grass as we headed down the incline at the back of the house. There were trees surrounding us on every side, leaves from last fall still thick on the ground. "We're almost there," August chirped, yards a head of Maverick and myself.

Maverick squeezed my hand. "Turtles wive in it!" They were both so incredibly excited as we broke the last turn, shooting us to a shady spot underneath the nestle of trees. The leaves above created the most magical canopy, hovering right above the water's edge on one side, and encompassing the pond's border. It was so neat, and special and private.

"We're Here!!" August screeched, running to the sandy bank. Immediately, he and Mav plucked rocks from the ground, sinking them into the shallow depth.

"All right," I muttered. "This is not half-bad!" I apprised the layout, working in my head the best spot for the blanket I could spread out with a picnic, and where the boys could nap under the trees. "We could totally camp down here. How fun would that be?!" I wondered if Ashley would let me keep them outside. There weren't bobcats around here, or coyotes, that I knew of. We should be fine.

"I'll definitely be asking your dad tonight about coming back here tomorrow. It's supposed to be good weather all week. We should be just fine, if I had to guess." I watched them tumble back and forth, rolling between the grass and the pebbles. It didn't take much imagination to think of Ashley down here with his kids.

In fact, the thought of him shirtless, in the water, being a good father, was enough to make my stomach roll with nerves. The thought of Ashley alone was all it took to completely undo my nerves, and make me feel exposed, anymore.  

"We should probably head back," I commented, noting the position of the sun. "Granny will be wondering where we are." And I needed to think about something else.

I took them back to the house, settled them in their rooms for some quiet time, and made my way to see if Granny was still in the kitchen.

"Wondered where you all had run off to," her lazy drawl slipped off her lips as she sat at the kitchen table, a paper spread before her.

"They took me to the pond," I explained, moving to sit beside her. "It's beautiful down there. Do you think Ashley would let me camp with the boys one night?"

"Doubtful." She piped. "He gets pretty protective over those young'uns." My heart fell as she said the words, silently disappointed that we may not get to go camping.

I picked up a slice of apple that was on the cutting board beside her coffee and paper. Fingering the piece, I studied Granny as she read her paper over her readers. "What're you reading?" I asked, noticing it wasn't a local paper.

"I get a subscription from Nashville delivered. It's one of the ways I keep an eye on certain stock holdings, and any other business events around. Wanna make sure my boys are secure."

I nodded along. "Your boys? I was under the impression it was just Ashley now."

She harrumphed. "Nope, it's Ashley and Lucas. Brothers. Lucas hasn't been that involved, but he sure knows how to withdraw on his accounts." The indignance in her voice almost caused me to laugh, but I thought better of it, considering her mood.

"Does Lucas live near here?" I finally took a bite of the apple piece, amazed at how tart it was.

"Don't eat all of them. I plan on making a pie later on. But to answer your question, no, he does not come around that often. It's a miracle if he shows up for the holidays."

"Hmm." I snuck another slice from her board.

"You sure have a lot of questions." She commented, never lowering her paper.

"I'm sorry. I've always been like that. I don't know when to shut up."

When she said nothing, I pressed. Naturally.

"So, Granny, why don't you live here? Since this was the place your husband had built and everything?"

I watched her shift in her seat, and I wondered if I had asked one question too many.

"Well, since you've brought it up, after he died, I just couldn't live in this place without him. I didn't want to wake up with him not here, I didn't want to be in this big house all by myself. He died right before Ashley and Jessica were married, so it seemed best just to clean myself outta here, and let them move in. I haven't regretted it, much." She took a sip of her coffee. "Anything else?"  There was sarcasm dripping from her words.

"You must live close," I suggested. "Since you're here everyday."

She snorted. "I'm not too far at all. I live just down the hill. I bought a tiny house. It's a simple life." She said the last words with a tone of finality, closing out the conversation.

Checking the clock on the counter, I gasped when I saw the time. "Gosh, it's already four? Where has the time gone today?" I stood to stretch out my body, feeling tired from all the new interactions and routines. "What time do we serve dinner? I want to make sure that I have enough time to make the boys their food. Oh, and will we still eat in here with you all?"

I wasn't sure what these days should look like, considering I was supposed to be solely responsible for the boys meals.

"You'll still eat in here. We eat at 7." Her twang hitched her voice up a notch. "We'll try to coordinate menu's. I've got this week planned out, so we can sit down tomorrow and map out the next one, OK? That way when I go to town, I can get what you'll need."

"Oh, I won't be going with you?" I hadn't really thought about going to the store yet. Moriah and I went we needed to. Sometimes that was multiple times a week.

"No. You'll stay here with the boys, as Mr. Wilder has requested." Her clipped words were accentuated by the way her eyes lifted at me from over her paper.

Laughing out of nervousness, I remarked, "I wasn't aware that I'd be living here all the time. The boys really can't be taken off the farm?" It seemed ludicrous. They were confined here, and I was to be confined with them?

"They don't leave the farm." Granny placed her paper on the table, giving me her full attention. "There are lots of things that won't make sense to you, but it's best to follow the rules, understand? There are reasons, and good ones, too, that Ashley keeps those boys here. He'll tell you eventually, I'm sure. It's not my place, and it will never be my place." She stood as well, arching her back a little as her knees wobbled to carry her forward.

"I've got a mountain of work to do. I best get to it." Her lips were in a thin line, her face contorted into a worrisome frown.

I watched her walk out of the kitchen, and down the hall. Stealing another apple slice, I worked my way back through the house, up the stairs to the boys room. Both of them were tuckered out. August was laying in his bed, watching a small tablet, and Mav was face down in his pillows, soft little snores on his breath. I turned the big TV off in his room, tucking a blanket around him. He was so sweet, and soft, and gentle looking right here. His bright blonde hair was wild, little tufts sticking straight up off of his head.

"You're boys are so beautiful," I whispered, aching in my chest blooming as I thought of their mother. It was unfathomable to me how you could abandon these precious boys...any child. How was she not jealous that other people were raising them, getting to know them as only she should?

I smoothed his hair one last time, feeling the soft of his cheek in my palm, before closing the door gently behind me, letting them rest.

Starting a load of blankets to wash, I decided to wander around the upstairs. With the boys asleep, and an hour to kill, I wanted to see what the view from the third floor porch looked like. I had never seen a house quiet like this, and was fascinated as to how it all worked and operated.

I trudged up the staircase, noticing the creaks and moans caused by my weight on the boards. It smelled a little musty the closer I got to the top, the temperature considerably warmer compared to the last floor. The stairs opened to a landing, with a wide view of the level. There were a few hallways with doors, which I assumed was probably all storage. The main area was set up with toys and games, signs of Mav and August on the carpets.

There was also a little section that was set up to look like a band area. There was a guitar, drum set, bass, and keyboard, looking very unused. I touched the black and white keys of the electric piano, not surprised at the dust that coated my fingertips. The guitar was calling my name. I hadn't played one in such a while... I was worried the skill in my fingers would no longer be there.

I strummed the strings, wincing as they sang their untuned song. I clicked the power button on the piano, and sat to tune the strings. E, A, D...G, B, E... It strummed perfectly. I played a G chord, fighting my fingers into position. I transitioned to C, and then to D, wanting to force the cobwebs from my mind. I wondered if they would mind if I took it to my room with me? I could teach the boys to play this summer.

I stood the guitar back on its stand, completing my survey of the room. The back wall was mostly windows, where you could see the mountains sprawl endlessly in all directions.

It was breathtaking. I slid the door open, working my way around the corners of the house, noticing that you could see different parts of the pasture from up here. There were swings and benches all along the walls, inviting you to sit and set a spell, enjoying God's creation. How could a house so perfectly fit a person? A family? I had only known Ashley for three days now, but everything in this place was like a clue to him, his history, his character. It was easy to imagine him doing things, without actually having been present for them.

I was about to sit, and think a little longer, when something moving down below caught my eye.

It was that truck from the night before. I chided myself for forgetting to tell Ashley about it this morning. What was it doing down in the lower parts of the fields? That didn't make sense. I didn't notice any one of the farmhands driving it at any time. It was by itself, like it was patrolling, rolling through the high grass.

I made a mental to note of the color, determined to tell him tonight if he got home.

Unsettled, I headed back in.

I grabbed the guitar, hoping that I could ask Ashley later, and headed back to my room. I had to tell him tonight!