Hunting Nanny
By Purple Lacey
Ezra Standish couldn’t help the sigh that passed his lips as he closed the cover on the last applicant’s file. It had been a long, disappointing day and no progress had been made in his newest quest. Ezra was starting to wonder what it would take to find the person he was looking for.
After the ordeal he had experienced when his son had been abducted right after his birth, Ezra had settled into a comfortable routine with his infant son, Alexander. He had been granted 3 months of paternity leave and as unbelievable as it seemed, almost a month of that had already passed. He rose each day with a smile on his face and joy in his heart, giving thanks for the tiny miracle that was now the sun his life revolved around. His days were now spent getting to know his son. It amazed him to discover that even at only three and a half weeks Alexander already showed distinct personality traits. Every day brought new things to discover and Ezra looked forward to learning every one.
As much as he enjoyed his time at home with his son, realistically he knew he would have to return to work eventually and arrangements for Alexander’s care had to be made. Not one to wait until the last minute to do a job especially when that job was as important as this one, Ezra set out to find a suitable caregiver for his son. On the surface that sounded like a fairly easy goal to accomplish. In practice, it was beginning to seem next to impossible.
He had signed up with a reputable agency that specialized in providing certified nannies and then sat back as they provided him with a list of applicants…and then another list when the first round of interviews had resulted in no viable candidates…and then another list…and another. In the past weeks he had interviewed countless applicants of every description: young ones, old ones, those with years of experience, those straight out of training and everything in between. Every one had fallen short for one reason or another. None of them seemed to be what he was looking for.
Ezra had received word from the agency just that morning when they had sent him the last list that it would, indeed, be the last list. He had rejected everyone else on their roles and they had no further candidates to offer. After another round of unsuccessful interviews, Ezra was staring at the pile of applicant folder’s feeling discouraged and depressed.
“You’re just bein’ too picky, Ez,” Buck Wilmington told him absently while he made funny faces at the baby in his arms.
The two men were seated in Ezra’s den. Buck had dropped by on his way home from work to visit his friend and new nephew as he was wont to do three or four times a week. He kept Ezra up to date with office happenings and enjoyed the time spent getting to know the newest member of the Team Seven family. More often than not he was accompanied by one or several of their other teammates. Tonight, as luck would have it, all the other guys had plans leaving Buck with Alexander all to himself. A situation he greedily relished.
“You gotta pick one of ‘em. You know that,” Buck told him, shaking his head from side to side and blowing a raspberry while Alex watched his mustached face with silent intensity. “You have to go back to work sometime. You can’t stay with him 24/7 as much as you might want to,”
Ezra sighed and replied, “I am aware of that. It is just…just…,”
The new father ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“They are just not suitable, and I can not leave Alexander with someone who I do not feel is…right,” Ezra shrugged as he failed to find to words to explain his feeling.
“So what’s not right about ‘em?” Buck asked looking up curiously.
Ezra shrugged again.
“Are they untrustworthy? Do you think one of them would harm him in some way? Are they not affectionate enough? Too affectionate?” Buck asked.
“NO! NO! NO! No to all of it,” an agitated Ezra snapped.
Buck drew in a deep breath and then exhaled it slowly as he kept a reined on his own temper.
“So what makes them Not Right, Ezra? You’ve got to figure out what it is. You can’t FIND what you’re looking for if you don’t KNOW what you’re looking for.”
Ezra dropped down into his favorite armchair and scrubbed both hands over his face.
“Have I ever told you how annoying it can be on the rare occasions when you are correct?” Ezra sighed.
Buck chuckled.
“So, think on all the ladies you interviewed today. What did they all lack as far as you were concerned?”
Ezra straightened and reached out for the folders lying on the coffee table. He balanced the stack on his lap and started leafing through them once more.
“This one,” he said as he gazed at the picture inside the folder, “has wonderful references and has a Master’s degree in early childhood development.”
“Sounds like a good choice,” Buck said encouragingly.
Ezra was already shaking his head, “She is so small a light breeze could her blow away.”
“Ahh…okay,” Buck said looking at his friend strangely. “So you want someone heftier? Anybody in there that fits that description?”
“I suppose this one does,” Ezra stated reluctantly, "but she is so slow, almost lumbering.”
“So you want someone that’s not too small, but not too big, and not too slow. Damn, Ez, are you choosing a nanny or a boxer here?” Buck chuckled in amusement.
Ezra glared at him.
Controlling his laughter, Buck looked at his scowling friend and said, “Ez, You’ve obviously got someone you’re unconsciously using for a model of the perfect nanny, so I want you to do something for me. I want you to close your eyes and picture who you see taking care of Alex when you’re not there.”
“Buck!” Ezra stated with exasperation, and had a hard time keeping his eyes from rolling.
“Just humor me, Ez,” Buck urged.
With a put upon sigh Ezra obliged him by closing his eyes.
“See it in your head, Pard,” Buck spoke softly, “You’re not around and someone else is taking care of Alex. Someone is changing his diaper and giving him a bottle. Someone is putting him in his crib. Do you see it, Ez?”
Ezra murmured, “Yes.”
“Quick!” Buck said suddenly, “Who’s holding him?”
“Margery!” Ezra snapped back then his eyes flew open to stare at Buck in amazement.
A very self satisfied Buck settled back deeper into his chair and smirked.
“Am I good or what?” he crowed.
“Margery,” Ezra repeated shaking his head in wonder. “Of course!”
“So who’s Margery?” Buck asked as he shifted Alexander to his shoulder and started patting him gently on the back when the baby started to fuss.
“Margery Bryson was someone I met when I first joined the FBI,” Ezra replied and smiled in remembrance. “She was in her late forties when I met her. That woman was always trying to mother me…and everyone else in the office. She was always bringing in fresh baked cookies and other goodies. Once she even knitted me a sweater for Christmas,” he chuckled fondly. “She was always there offering a shoulder whenever anything happened, or was the first one patting me on the back when I’d done something well. I learned a lot from her before I was transferred to Atlanta.”
“Sounds like a real nice lady,” Buck grinned.
Ezra snorted and said, “Nice? This woman also held black belts in three different kinds of martial arts and qualified as sharpshooter with both the pistol and rifle for 17 straight years in a row. She taught me how to fight mean and fight dirty. Margery was a lot of things, but nice? No, that epithet simply does not fit the woman I knew.”
“And THAT’S the one you see taking care of Alex?” Buck asked in dismay. “Why?”
Ezra went still as the truth dawned on him.
“Because I know she could protect him,” Ezra said on a trembling breath.
“Aww damn, Ez,” Buck muttered, his heart breaking to see the shadow of fear that passed through the emerald eyes before the other man beat it back.
Obviously the trauma of Alexander’s abduction was still affecting the man who had seemed to be dealing with it so well.
“I could trust her to do whatever it took to keep him safe,” Ezra whispered. “That’s what I need from a nanny, Buck.”
Buck tried to sound encouraging as he said, “Well then, at least now we know where to start, don’t we?”
“Thank you, my friend. Once again you have come to my rescue,” Ezra said gratefully.
“All part of the service,” Buck answered with a grin and a tip of an imaginary hat.
Alexander had decided he was not getting the proper attention that was his due and let them know it, at a very high volume. Buck reluctantly handed the child over to his father when Ezra reached for him.
“There now, my love,” Ezra crooned as he drew the baby close and took one of the little fists in to his hand then bent his head down to kiss it softly. “Daddy’s here. No need to cry. Daddy will see to you. Daddy will take care of his little man. Yes, he will.”
Buck couldn’t have kept the fond grin from his face even if he had been aware of it as he watched his highly educated, articulate friend turn to cooing, baby-talking mush before his eyes.
2 weeks later
Buck was whistling cheerfully as he used the key Ezra had given him to let himself into the undercover agent’s home. He stepped inside and closed the door after him. Knowing it was close to Alex’s usual nap time he didn’t call out to let his friend know he was there but headed toward the den to announce himself. He passed the doorway to the kitchen on his way down the hall and had only gotten two steps by it when he suddenly found himself face down on the floor with one of his arms pulled up behind his back in a most uncomfortable way.
“Hey!” he yelled in surprise. “What the…?”
“I would suggest you remain still unless you would like to find your arm in a few dozen pieces,” a calm feminine voice stated behind him.
“Who the HELL are you?” Buck stated angrily and started to push up on his free arm only to stop as the pressure on the captured one increased painfully.
Suddenly Ezra appeared in the hallway in front of Buck’s head.
“Oh No! I’m so sorry, Bucklin,” Ezra’s concerned voice was heard. “I forgot to warn her you had your own key. Please, my dear, let him up and I’ll introduce you.”
Buck felt the hold on his arm released and he quickly sat up, rubbing at his sore shoulder and glaring resentfully at the woman now standing over him with a questioning look on her face.
Ezra reached down and offered his friend a hand up. When Buck was once again on his feet, Ezra smiled apologetically.
“Buck Wilmington meet Alexander’s new nanny,” Ezra said with a smile, “Margery Bryson.”
Buck stared in him in shock for a moment before his head swiveled around to gape at the woman standing there silently.
“THAT”S Margery Bryson?” Buck asked in disbelief.
The woman stared back him unconcernedly. She as around average height; a little on the plump side, but just pleasantly so. Her short grey hair was well coiffed in neat waves than reminded him of his Aunt Bessie. She had an average face, too. It was not pretty but neither was it ugly. It was lined with experience, but also humor. It was the twinkle in the chocolate brown eyes that made the watching man decide he just might learn to like her.
“My, my. Ezra’s taste in friends has certainly improved over the years,” Margery finally broke the silence that had fallen as Buck had made his inspection.
“I’d offer to shake hands with you,” Buck answered with a grin, “But I need it to drive myself to the hospital to fix the other one.”
A flash of concern shot across the woman’s face and she stepped forward to touch his shoulder gently.
“I didn’t really hurt you, did I?” She asked contrite voice. “I’m so sorry, honey! Come on in to the kitchen and let me look at it for you.”
Buck reached up and patted the hand on his shoulder and assured the woman he was only joking.
“So how did you manage to pull this one off, Ezra?” Buck asked man watching them so closely.
Ezra smiled at Margery and replied, “I simply asked.”
The woman laughed and shook her head at the ex-FBI agent. “I made it too easy on you, didn’t I, kid? I should have made you beg.”
Ezra grinned back. “You were going crazy after you took early retirement. You probably would have begged ME.”
Margery looked rueful as she said, “You could be right. I’m just not cut out for soap opera’s and afternoon bridge with the Ladies Club. I need something worthwhile to keep me busy. Looking after that little angel of yours certainly fills the bill.”
She turned to look at Buck again and said confidingly “I love babies! I despair of ever having grandbabies of my own the rate my two sons are going. I just have to take what I can get. I think Alexander will make a wonderful surrogate grandson!”
Buck had to laugh.
“So Ez here pulled you out of retirement?” He asked.
“Rescued me is more like it,” she smiled back.
”A mutual rescue,” Ezra interjected.
”Ez told me he met you when he first started with the FBI,” Buck said conversationally.
Margery chuckled and threw a wickedly amused look at a suddenly uncomfortable Ezra.
“Yep, he was straight out of Quantico, and green as grass. Some of the things he got himself into…” She laughed and shook her head.
Buck sidled up to the woman and slipped a friendly arm around her shoulders.
“Do tell,” he encouraged shamelessly.
”Margery,” Ezra hastened to say, “I did I mention the confidentially clause in your job description to you?”
“Nope, and it’s too late now, kid,” Margery laughed gleefully as she allowed Buck to lead her into the living room.
Ezra groaned.
The End