As Leo Nelson entered his house, the silence surprised him. He stepped onto the tile floor leading from the back hall to the kitchen and felt his feet slip out from under him.

"Whoa! What?" He regained control and bent over to touch the floor. Soap. Why was there soap on his floor? He could think of one reason and frowned.

The empty kitchen had no sign of dinner cooking. He hired a nanny whose job was to keep his two kids safe after school and put a meal on the table. In the year since he moved to Massachusetts, he had actually hired eight nannies. His daughter Riley hadn't liked a single one.

"Hello." He called, but silence responded.

Had he seen the nanny's car? Maybe they went out. He rounded the corner to the stairs just as his phone rang. The caregiver agency.

"Mr. Nelson. We've had a call. Corrine has quit your employ as had Diane and Paloma and..."

"I know their names." Although he wasn't sure he did. He had reached the top of the stairs. Riley's door was closed. He opened it without knocking. His two children were inside huddled together. "She left my children alone."

The voice said, "She's injured."

Jesus, how liable would he be? "How injured?" He glared at his daughter.

"A bruised tailbone and sore back. We'll send along any medical bills."

"Along with a replacement."

The stern voice said, "No. We are severing our relationship."

"What? What am I supposed to do?" He pleaded. There was no response, the woman had clicked off. He stared at his eleven-year-old daughter, Riley. Why was she so stubborn? He knew why. Stubborn, independent, adventurous, careless. He frowned. "What did you do to Paloma?"

Six-year-old Cody said, "Corrine."

He brushed his mistake aside. "Riley?"

"Nothing. We played outside, and she freaked when we had mud on our shoes. She made me wash the floor."

"Did she watch you wash it?"

Riley shook her head. How could he be mad at her when it wasn't her fault? She didn't know how to clean the floor. The jury would lean toward guilty the other seven times, but the worst was when they got lost at the mall. The mall security and the police were involved. Leo's gut told him they hid from the nanny.

He sighed. "We have no nanny, no dinner, and I almost fell coming into the kitchen. We have work to do. Meet me downstairs in two minutes."

He changed out of his suit. He had a great day at work. His lunch with the dragon lady, Kendall went well. She was an editor for Roche-Sumner Publishing. As a literary agent for Dwyer Mitchell, he did a lot of business with the publishing house. The relationship between the two privately owned businesses was practically incestuous. His co-worker and close friend Zach was best friends with James Sumner. He was also the nephew of Kurt Dwyer who owned their agency.

What was he going to do? He had no nanny and had to work? One of his projects would require some trips to Los Angeles if everything worked out. He hated having to take the kids. He moved across the country to escape the situation. Plus, they would miss school. He wasn't even sure he could get them into the after-school program. Eleven was too young to be left alone, especially Riley. With her poor judgement, she may need a nanny at sixteen.

He entered the kitchen to find both kids waiting. Cody looked up at him with big innocent eyes. "Dad, I'm hungry."

Leo sighed. "We need to rinse this floor. What soap did you use?"

Riley pointed to the liquid dish soap. Leo groaned. Out of his element, he wet rags to scrub with, but they only created bubbles. He went to the garage and brought in the wet vac. He poured water on the floor and made Riley vacuum it up. Eventually, the bubbles disappeared.

He sighed wearily. "Let's find food."

Riley said, "Dad, I need a poster board for tomorrow."

Shit. He knew he forgot something over the weekend. "We'll go out then, but this is not a treat. You don't deserve one for tracking in mud. You both know better." He hated his stern voice; he used it much too often. "Get your coats on. Hopefully, when we come home, I won't break my back."

At thirty-six, he felt his tendons getting tighter. He didn't have time to stretch and exercise. Gone were his rock climbing days. He still hiked but only on easy trails with his kids.

A quick stop at the local Walgreens for the poster board before he drove to the diner. It was a dive in a Boston neighborhood close to their suburban home. Feeling torn, he said, "No milkshakes."

Both kids groaned from the backseat. The small place was busy for seven o'clock on a Monday night. He moved toward three empty seats at the counter. As they sat, he said, "No spinning."

He positioned himself in the middle and looked at the menu. It never changed, but he wasn't sure what he was in the mood to eat. "Cody, what do you want?"

"Chicken." The boy pointed to the chicken tenders on the paper kids' menu and drawing page.

Riley said, "I want a hamburger."

Leo nodded. "Me too."

He ordered for himself and Cody, but encouraged Riley to order for herself. He turned when Riley spoke. "Those are for kids."

A woman sat beside them with a pen in her hand. She was completing the word search on a children's menu. Before he could intervene, she replied. "I know, but I was bored eating alone. I like word searches." She reached into a worn bag and pulled out a paperback book of the activity with tattered corners.

Riley smiled. "I do too."

"You can help me." The woman smiled.

She dressed in drab colors and wore her hair in a bun. She wasn't old, but she dressed like she was sixty. Leo thought of his colleague, Lilli, also Zach's girlfriend. She would never dress like the woman next to them.

In front of her was the newspaper with a completed word search. Leo wondered how long she had been sitting at the counter. A server came by and asked if she wanted more coffee. She smiled at the frowning worker. "Just some water, please."

Riley said, "Did you eat?"

She smiled. "I had grilled cheese. Here we'll look for elephant together."

Her hands looked dry and chapped. He wondered what caused them to be so red. When she moved her newspaper aside to put the book closer to Riley, he saw the general help section with a few jobs circled, most were for cleaning positions.

Leo cleared his throat. "Do you know how to get dish soap off the floor?"

She looked at him confused. "Dish soap."

Riley took over and explained in more detail than Leo had been aware of the story of the muddy floor straight to the nanny quitting.

The woman's eyes grew large. "And she left you alone?"

Riley didn't like nannies but took to strangers. She fell for Zach the day she met him, and Lilli after one lunch together. She was on her way to making a new best friend.

"I've never had a situation like yours, but I think your plan may work. You may need to repeat it and walk gingerly."

Their food arrived, and Riley continued to talk to her. She asked, "Where is your mother?"

Leo cringed as Riley said, "She's sleeping."

When he put his credit card down on his check, the woman began to go through her change purse. She took out a few ones and started counting quarters. Leo reached over Riley and took her check. "Allow me."

She blushed and looked younger. "You shouldn't."

He smiled. "Are you looking for a job? Because we need a new nanny."

She stammered. "I'm a cleaner."

Leo said, "I could use a house cleaner too. Do you cook?"

She nodded. "I don't have references."

She was too meek to have a criminal past. Riley looked at her. "Would you?"

Leo said, "She has hated every nanny we have had. If she likes you, I'm already ahead. Do you drive?" It was a stupid question everyone drove.

She nodded. "I don't have a car. I don't think it would work out." She looked at Riley. "Sorry."

Riley said, "Please."

She had to live nearby. "A trial run. We could work it out. Let's see. We could pick you up in the morning and then go to the train station, before you take them to school. Then at the end of the day, I could call when I leave Boston, so you can meet me and I'll drop you home again."

She looked down. "I don't have a phone."

Riley's eyes bulged. "Everyone has a phone. Except me, because my Dad is mean."

The woman said, "That's not true. I can see he loves you."

Leo hated to beg. "A trial run. I can call the house phone, and if it works, I will buy you a phone."

She looked hesitant. "I do need a job."

"Great. We can drive you home." Awkwardly, he said, "I don't know your name?"

"Isla."

"Leo and you know Riley and this quiet guy is Cody."

He signed the credit slip and put his card back in his wallet. Together they walked outside.

Isla stopped. "I live nearby..."

"I need to know where to pick you up."

"Here is fine." She stood firmly on the pavement with her backpack over her shoulder. She didn't look like a student.

He felt uneasy but not enough to back out. Finding someone Riley liked was impossible. "We'll pick you up at seven-thirty."

She nodded. "Good night."

Leo felt hesitant about leaving a woman alone at night. He was raised a certain way, but the situation was unique since she had arrived at the diner on her own.

Before Riley climbed into the car, she said, "Bye, Isla."

Once he pulled away, Leo said, "You had better be nice to her."

"I will. Right, Cody?"

"Yup." Leo frowned. Cody was never the problem.

A/N I guarentee a lot of speculation. I'm not going to give anything away. So don't ask. As the summary explains, they both have secrets.

If you like please vote 🌟