THE house was huge, It was a paean to elegance. The front lawn was vibrantly green, while the surrounding border supported neatly shaven lilacs and a fountain in the middle.

I looked to the house and was even more captivated.  The dark grey bricks were so flawless they gave the house the appearance of a small castle.

Moving away from my honda, I walked up to the front door.  The door knocker was a gleaming lion with bared teeth.  How appropriate.  He was, after all, a single dad.

Before I could knock, I heard the cry of a child from somewhere at the back of the house, then some sharp unintelligible words from a masculine throat. I knocked, startlingly aware that my nerves were fluttering and my legs felt like jelly. This wasn't my first time working with kids, I was a teacher after all. However, working as a nanny would be a first.

After a few minutes of waiting, I reached for the doorbell instead.  Of course, he wouldn't hear the knocking over all the cries. 

It didn't take long for the door to be opened. I looked down at the little boy who was about seven years of age. "Hi."

He smiled at me, and my heart crunched in my chest. He looked like a little angel with his pale hair and bright blue eyes.

"Hi," he replied.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Parker." He glanced behind me, as if eager to be on his way.

"I'm Crystal-lee. Can you call your dad for me?"

He frowned, "My dad is not here. He's in jail with my mom,"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Oh..hmm, well is there an adult here?"

He nodded, "Uncle Phinneas but he's with the baby."

"Could you go get your uncle for me please?" I asked gently.

He nodded with a smile and ran into the house, leaving the door wide open.

It didn't take long for a man, who I assumed was Uncle Phinneas to come rushing down the hall.

His grey eyes were wide with alarm as he looked at me, panic still gleaming in his eyes.

I said nothing, merely stood drinking in the sight of the infamous Uncle Phinneas. He looked  pinched and tired but was neatly dressed - for the occasion, I mentally concluded.

I had expected a man who was in his middle ages with sallow skin. Instead, his dark hair gleamed richly in the overhead sunshine. He sported a healthy tan and arm muscles that looked as if he wasn't a stranger to hard work.

He was hot...and for just a few seconds, I forgot what I was doing here. It was only when Parker squealed that my brain reengaged.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I have an appointment with you about the nanny position," I answered.

He sighed and shifted his eyes to his nephew then back at me.  "Miss Martin?" He asked awkwardly.

I nodded, "Yes, that's me."

"Do come in -" He stepped aside and I entered the passage. "Welcome to my home."  He closed the door behind me. "In here...." I followed behind him as he walked down the passage then into a large living room that was obviously the heart of the house.

Phinneas stood in the center of the room, which was littered with toys and kids' clothes and had the faint scent of a dirty diaper. Parker was staring up at me with keen interest while two smaller versions of him were wrestling on the floor. He looked at me, once again his soft grey eyes held an appeal. "I need help."

He looked so utterly helpless in the midst of the chaos. "Is there someplace we can sit and chat?" I asked.

"Parker, Ms. Martin, and I will be going to my office. Don't open the door if anyone else comes. Call me first."

Parker nodded at his uncle then smiled at me. "Watch me," he said, then hopped on one foot towards his brothers.

"This way-" I followed him down the hall and that's when I got a true look at the house's beauty.

Wow. The warmth and luxury of his home enveloped me immediately, as did the restrained décor in shades of cream, white, beige, and ivory—the occasional blast of color

provided by vivid works of art hanging on flawless, chalky-white walls.

Everything was spotless, and in its place—but this wasn't just a showpiece, I realized, gazing around, this was a home. A bolt of longing grabbed me when I took in all the personal touches. They were in an imposing square hall tiled in grey marble.

The lofty ceiling was decorated with beautifully restored plasterwork, and the doors were heavy, polished wood.

Somehow with all the chaos going on with the kids, he still managed to keep his part of his home clean. He probably had a housekeeper.

He suddenly stopped and opened the door in front of him. He mentioned me in his office  then moved away from the door, leaving it open; just in case the kids need him.  He gestured for me to have a seat. Then he sat in the chair opposite the table.

"I'm Phinneas Wright, I should have probably mentioned that earlier." he scratched his forehead nervously then continued. "I've had custody of the boys and Ari, the baby for almost two months," he said. "They're very undisciplined and wild, and as you can see, I haven't managed to change things much in the time that I've had them."

I nodded. "I understand. It's normal for children their age to be like that. Especially when their parents aren't around. Parker told me his parents were in jail."

Phinneas flashed me an embarrassed look, "Yes, my brother and his wife were arrested two months ago." He gave no more information pertaining to their arrest. It was obvious he was ashamed of whatever his brother was involved in. "I need help with the children."

"What kind of help do you need from me exactly, Mr. Wright?" I asked.

"Phin, please make it Phin." He smiled, but the gesture didn't quite erase the worry from his eyes. "Isn't it obvious that I need somebody to train the boys and to teach them how to behave?" he chuckled. "As well as watch over them while I'm at work. It's been very hard on me for the past couple of months. It wasn't so hard when they were still in school but it's summer now so you can understand my dilemma. I need someone to look after them for the rest of the holiday. I was told by no the agency that you were only looking for something to do for the summer so it's perfect."

I nodded. Yes, I fully intended to resume my teaching position in September, however, a little extra would do well. I opened my briefcase and pulled out a sheath of papers. "Here are my credentials and references," I said as I held them out toward him.

He waved his hand in the air. "Trust me, I've already checked you out, Ms. Martin. I wasn't about to allow just anyone into my home with the kids." He shot me a level gaze. "You graduated from college with a degree in early childhood education. You're twenty-five years old, live with your sister,  who works as a high school teacher and you're particularly close to her.   Your parents were also teachers but they retired in the Caribbean a few years back."

I raised an eyebrow. "Please, call me Crystal-lee," I said, impressed by the fact that he'd done his homework where I was concerned. "How many other people do you have working for you here ?" I asked. "I need to know who the children interact with on a daily basis, what to expect, and such."

He nodded understandingly. "I have a housekeeper who comes four times a week, she was here earlier today. Other than that, it's pretty much just me. Their old nanny quit, she said the boys had become uncontrollable since their parents were arrested, I agree."

"This would be a live-in position?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, there's a guest bedroom across from the baby's room. You'd have your own private bathroom and of course free access to the rest of the house." He leaned forward in his chair. "Tell me you'll take the job, Crystal-lee. You have no idea how important this is to me."

But I did see how important it was to him. The frantic desperation shone from his eyes, something that looked remarkably like fear. There was more going on here than just his need for a nanny. Maybe it had something to do with the children's parents being in jail.  I was definitely intrigued.

The money that I would make from this job would allow me to pay off a credit card debt that accumulated after my broken engagement.

"Okay," I  heard myself saying. This was the boss I needed to finally put the past behind me. "I'll be the kids' nanny."

"When can you start?" he smiled.

"Tomorrow morning around ten?"

"Perfect," he said with a sigh of relief. He stood and so did I. "Let's introduce you to the kids. The baby is sleeping now so you'll see her tomorrow. Her name is Zoephina, we call her Zoey."

I was far too aware of him just in front of me as we walked back to the front of the house.

"Beautiful name," I whispered to get control over myself.

"Yes, it's interesting." he chuckled. "You met Parker earlier. He's six. The twins are Kaiden and Aiden. They're five. Kaiden is the one with the purple bracelet and Aiden is the one with the blue. I had to tag them so as to not mix them up. They don't like me getting their names wrong. I know it seems like bad parenting but it works for me."

I chuckled. "I'm not judging." Teachers always found a way to identify twins without actually tagging them. It would take a lot of observation, but in the end, no two kids are exactly the same and like the same things.

When we reached the living room, Parker jumped up when he saw me and his little brothers jump up too as if they were expecting us.

I smiled at them, "Hello boys."

Aiden stepped forward, "Are you our new nanny?"

I smiled and nodded in response. "Yes, I am."

Kaiden smiled and ran to me. Wrapping his tiny hands around my legs. I bent down to his level and smiled.  "Hi, Kaiden. I'm Crytsal-lee. But you can call me Chrissy or Lee."

Aiden came closer and wrapped his arms around me in a hug, probably jealous of the attention his brother was getting.

"Hi, Aiden."

Aiden smiled. "Hi, Chrissy-lee."

I chuckled at the nickname.

"It's Crystal-lee, not Chrissy-lee." Parker shouted and joined his brothers. He wrapped his hands around my back.

"Wow. You smell nice." Parker whispered as he cuddled closer.

I laughed. "It's Cocoa Butter."