Curvy Nanny for the Nerd

9. Brady

Chapter 9

Brady

S aturday morning arrived far too soon, but it was quiet, almost silent, as if I’m being punished for keeping my distance from Toni after that magnificent kiss that has plagued my thoughts and memories for the past few days. That kiss, the one that had sent me straight to the shower to take care of the aching weight in my balls.

I needed to keep my distance, I had to, because Toni worked for me and no matter what Sierra said, it was a recipe for disaster.

It had to be.

Right?

Even though I’d had a few days of distance, thoughts of her still stuck with me. The taste of her, the feel of her under my hands, it was all I thought about. It was becoming damn inconvenient, the way she weighed on my mind, plagued my thoughts like some kind of sorceress who had gripped me in her spell.

“Stop it,” I ordered and sat up in bed, looking around my darkened bedroom to make sure life as I knew it was still the same. Toni wasn’t beside me in bed, her curves weren’t pressed up against me and there was no lingering warmth to say she’d been here, which meant I needed to get my head screwed on straight.

Toni was. Never here, she was just on my mind. But today wasn’t about her, today was about…Layla.

“Shit.” It was the weekend and my plan had been to spend some quality time with my niece. Listening to Toni tell me that Layla felt unwanted had stuck with me, and it was on me—and no one else—to change her perception. That meant I had to get my shit together. Take a shower. Get dressed. Make a plan.

I would do all of that, as soon as I eased my mind of thoughts of Toni, which maybe included rubbing one out to the thought of those magnificent curves under my hand, her pliant kisses and soft moans that kept me hard for hours, days on end. Thirty minutes later I felt mostly human as I emerged from the shower dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, ready to spend a day with a seven year old.

Layla was, of course, in the kitchen with a bowl of granola, yogurt and fresh fruit in front of her. She had her tablet in hand as well. She looked up at me without a hint of emotion.

“Morning, Uncle Brady.”

I didn’t flinch at her subdued greeting, instead I smacked a smile on my face. “Good morning, Niece Layla. How’s it going?”

She looked up at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Um, fine?”

Okay. I wasn’t expecting a complete one-eighty after months of neglect, but I also wasn’t deterred. “Fine is a good start, but I think we can do better than that. What would you like to do today?”

She froze with her spoon halfway between her bowl and her mouth. “Do?” Layla nodded at her tablet with a frown. “Read, and maybe draw while you work. I’ll stay out of your way. Promise.”

At those words I did flinch. Was I really such a tyrant she thought I couldn’t be bothered at all? Yes , my conscience answered quickly. “Not today you won’t. And for the record, you aren’t a bother. Sometimes I just get lost in my work and forget about the world around me because I’ve never had to think about anyone else. But I’m working on it, okay?”

“Sure,” she shrugged.

“Today you and I are going to spend some time together, get to know each other. So I think you need to figure out what you want to do.”

Her blond brows furrowed deep in thought. “Mom always said that Texas has the best barbecue.”

“That’s a fact I can tell you is absolutely true,” I laughed and shook my head. “Our first meal will definitely be good old-fashioned Texas barbecue. Anything else?”

She shook her head. “Toni and I have visited a few museums, but I don’t know what else I want to do.”

I nodded and looked around the kitchen as an idea struck. “Okay, well, do you like sports?”

She looked up at me with a question in her silver blue eyes. “Maybe?”

“All right, then I know what our first stop is going to be.”

Two hours later we sat in box seats at the stadium for the Houston Highlanders. Layla had wide smile on her face as the players skated out onto the ice. “You like hockey Uncle Brady?”

I shrugged. “I know one of the players. We did some work together and have stayed in touch. On and off,” I admitted.

“You must be Brady Winsome.” A pretty woman with big blue eyes and a giant pregnant belly smiled at me and then down at Layla. “I’m Sasha.”

“Alex’s wife,” I said as my memory returned. “Congratulations on the nuptials and the baby.”

“Thanks,” she laughed. “I’m surprised you found your way out for a game. Alex will be pleased.”

I frowned. “He will?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, he loves to show off on the ice. It’s unlikely you’ll beat him on real life ice,” she said, likely referencing the ass whooping I dished out when we were testing the hockey game that bears his face.

I laughed. “Without a doubt,” I said and introduced her to Layla.

“Nice to meet you, Layla. Are you a hockey fan?”

“Don’t know yet,” she answered honestly, but an hour into the game, she was yelling and banging on the windows of the box as she shouted at refs for what she perceived as bad calls. “This is pretty cool, Uncle Brady.” Her smile was better than any praise.

“You’re a born hockey fan,” I told her as the game ended with the Highlanders up by three goals.

“It was fun,” she said with a shrug as we made our way down the tunnel to meet with Alex.

He strolled out of the locker room with a cocky smile and a strong handshake for me. “Brady, man, I’m glad you made it. Finally.” His gaze landed on Layla. “Who is this?”

“I’m Layla,” she answered and extended a hand. “Uncle Brady is my uncle and now my dad. Sort of.”

Alex’s brows raised in question and I nodded my confirmation. “I lost my sister and brother-in-law more than a year ago.”

“Shit man, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“He said shit,” Layla said without much emotion.

Alex roared with laughter. “Maybe we should start an unexpected fathers club.” He shook his head and shook Layla’s hand. “It is great, though, isn’t? These little humans will keep you on your toes.”

I hadn’t thought of it like, that but as we said our goodbyes and made our way to the best barbecue restaurant in Houston it was all I could think about. Toni seemed taken with Layla, and Alex seemed to feel the same about his kids, which led me to believe that I was missing something.

“I hope you’re hungry, Lay.”

“Yep,” she admitted as we walked inside the dimly lit restaurant with a large, dark wooden bar and leather booths lining the walls. “What’s your favorite?”

“I don’t have one. Usually I eat something quick, but I’m always a fan of barbecue chicken. And ribs.”

Her gaze scanned the menu carefully. “How about a sampler? We can share and try everything.”

“That’s a good idea,” I told her. “But I’m really hungry so maybe we should order two?”

“That’s a lot of food, Uncle Brady.”

“True, but we can eat any leftovers for dinner. How does that sound?”

Her smile beamed and she looked just like my sister. “Okay.”

We placed our orders and I allowed myself to relax minute by minute, getting to know my niece as a person rather than just another obligation. She drank her lemonade and I enjoyed a cola, silence danced around us.

“Why won’t you tell Toni who you are?” Her gaze met mine head on and she smiled. “She’s really smart and knows something is up with you.”

My brows furrowed of their own volition at her astute observation. She was right, of course. I was keeping my true identity from Toni, mostly out of habit. When people in general—women specifically—found out who I was, they changed. They were suddenly more polite and solicitous, more forgiving of my bad habits, and so fucking nice it made me want to scream. I hated it, but Toni didn’t do that. Most of the time when she looked at me there was a mix of annoyance and heat in her gaze. She wasn’t impressed by me for the simple act of having money because it seemed like she grew up with a certain amount of wealth.

“I know she does,” I admitted. “But I like that she likes me without knowing who I am.”

“Does she really know you then?”

I barked out a laugh. “You really are too smart for your own good.”

She shrugged, sitting back when our gigantic order arrived. “She likes who she thinks you are, but she’s gonna be mad when she finds out, and she will find out.”

Her words echoed inside of my chest like a warning sign. “You’re so sure she will find out?” She might be a little miffed, but I figured this was where Layla’s naivete took over.

“Mom always said that lies can only live in the dark but sometime soon the sun will rise and expose them.”

Dammit Marnie for raising such an incredible child. “How did you get to be so smart?”

“I read a lot,” she answered with a wide smile. “And Mom and Dad said every moment was a learning opportunity.”

“That sounds a lot like Marnie.” My sister made sure that every experience opened your eyes to something new, whether it was watching a turtle cross the road on its own, or a difficult math problem. “I hope you apply that same maturity when you return to school.”

Layla rolled her eyes. “Uncle Brady.”

“I’m serious. “No matter how big an asshole someone is, you can’t hit them.” No matter how much you want to.

She smiled. “You said asshole.”

I laughed at my misstep and pointed at my smiling niece. “If you say that word at school, I will take away all of your devices for six months. At least.”

Instead of frowning, she giggled and it was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard. “Deal,” she finally answered and struck her hand out for me to shake, which I did with the same vigor I used to close any deal. “I didn’t hit her right away,” she explained. “She kept saying stuff every single day. Mocking me for being new and my new clothes, for reading all the time. I let it slide like Mom always said. And then she made fun of me, saying I was so horrible my parents died to get away from me, and I lost it.”

“Ah, fuck, kiddo.” What kind of trash kid would say such an awful thing. “I’m sorry she was such a little asshole.” I truly was, but this was a learning opportunity. “She deserved that punch, however I’ll deny ever saying that, but,” I sighed because I needed her to understand something she was far too young to have to understand. “But the thing is Layla, you don’t deserve the punishment you’ve been forced to serve. Ya know?”

She nodded and looked away nervously. “So I just have to take it?”

“No, you just have to keep your hands to yourself. The best revenge is to take her down a peg and to do it publicly. It works on pretty much all bullies.”

“You were bullied?”

I nodded, reluctant to go back to that time in my life, but for Layla I had to. “I was. Your mom was my biggest defender, but she left for college and then the real world when I was pretty young. So I had to learn to handle them on my own.” I refused to tell her how I hacked the grades of my bullies to make them attend summer school or worse, ineligible to play homecoming games as payback. “I got successful and now they wall want to be me or work for me, which is pretty sweet revenge.”

She laughed, her barbecue smeared smile wide. “You’re like an evil villain, Uncle Brady.”

It was my turn to laugh at her assessment. “No, just a desperate bullied kid who used my skills to better my life. That’s what I want for you, Lay. It’s what Marnie would have wanted too.”

She nodded and leaned forward with an evil smile on her face. “Maybe I’ll steal her boyfriend or worse, her best friend!”

I froze for a moment before laughter took over. “I want to be terrified of that comment, but the truth is I’m kind of proud.”

Layla preened before she reached for a spare rib, shoving it in her mouth and followed up with a handful of French fries.

“Thank you,” she said around a mouthful of food.

“You’re going to give me premature gray hair, aren’t you?”

Her smile faded into a fake innocence as she shook her head. “Me? No. Never.”