"Have it any way you want it," I said, reaching for my towel and heading for the bathroom to grab my robe. That's not how I felt, but I didn't want to argue.
"I always do."
I headed for the bedroom door. "I'm hitting the sack."
"Perfect timing," Blair snapped. "Go cool off that burning ass. I guess we both taught you a lesson tonight."
I left Blair with her nightly routine and started down the hallway, padding along barefoot as I approached the nursery. I peeked in as Teresa read aloud to the children whose cribs were set close together with hanging mobiles, then hesitated in the doorway, listening. She was reading from a children's book I'd grown up with. The Velveteen Rabbit.
Her voice filled the room with dulcet tones as she acted out the book's characters. I listened and watched while the children's nightlights cast the room in a soft glow.
Moving on, I thought about the lines Teresa read. Does it hurt to be real? And then I thought, 'More than you'll ever know, sister.'
A couple of lousy dreams later, I awoke with a start. The Ambien I'd been using for the last couple of months had lost its kick, and I was wide-eyed at three in the morning with moonlight pouring through my windows. I pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt, then headed for the home theater, thinking I'd find something amusing on one of our many channels. As I passed the nursery, I noticed Teresa was up and had one of the babies on the changing table. As if she'd sensed my presence, she turned and smiled.
"Hello, Sir... Andrew, say hello to your father." The genuine deference in her voice took me by surprise. Where was the sassy young woman who smacked me on my ass just hours before? She had traded the low-cut blouse and chinos she'd worn earlier for a pajama top and terry cloth shorts, exposing a set of rock-hard legs.
"Adam is good enough for me," I said.
"Of course," she replied, tapping her temple with her forefinger. "Old habits; Andrew and I are discussing how one handles a wet diaper."
"I'm afraid I'm useless in the diaper department."
"Oh, it's not so difficult, Adam," Teresa said. "Come in. You'll be an expert in no time."
"I suppose there's no time like the present," I said, stepping through the doorway and wondering more than a little at Teresa's self-possession. She was charming, and something in her manner dissolved my earlier embarrassment. She met my eyes with a steady gaze and a warm smile.
"Teresa," I said, "I'd like to explain what you witnessed between Blair and me. I'm worried you have the wrong impression of us. I want things to work out."
For a moment, she seemed to be contemplating something. "The wrong impression?" she grinned. "There's no need for concern, Adam. I've seen a lot more than people imagine, and I know more than you might think. You'd be surprised what a twenty-two-year-old ranch hand has experienced. Let's start the diaper lesson, and we can talk while we work."
"Fair enough," I said, moving to her side at the changing table. "How does a ranch hand know about diapers?"
"Well..." Teresa lifted her eyebrows dramatically as if doing a Groucho Marx impression. "I've got two older siblings that both have kids. Who do you think they ask to do the babysitting?"
"You're the baby in the family?"
"Loud, proud, and completely unruly." She quipped.
"You don't seem unruly to me. Well, maybe you were a short while ago in Blair's room." I felt my face flush. "Now, you seem very conventional and deliberate."
"You will find I can be what I need to be, Adam. I do what I need to do. Your fiancé pays a lot of money for my services. I try to keep an open mind. Sometimes you have to step outside the job description and provide a little extra. Did you like the extra?"
My face was completely on fire, but I tried to ignore my humiliation. "That was for Blair," I insisted. "But yes. In answer to your question, it was fun in a brutal sort of way."
"Too hard?" she asked. "I can be heavy-handed sometimes. I'm used to wrestling calves to the ground and tying them up." Teresa winked with a sly smirk. This girl was no amateur. For a brief second, I pictured her in jeans and boots, sporting a white Stetson cowgirl hat and roping me naked to a kitchen chair. I imagined the strength in her dainty hands, the power of her thighs.
"I'm fine. I don't think you bruised me too badly."
"Glad to hear it," she sweetly replied. "You've got a cute butt. Speaking of which, are you ready to learn how to change your children?"
The question was off-color.
"First things first," she continued. "No disposable diapers. Too many chemicals, and they're not environmentally neutral."
"You're an environmentalist as well?" I asked.
"I grew up on a horse-breeding ranch, Adam, a modest operation on a small spread. We pay attention to the environment and know a little about animal behavior. Can I speak frankly?"
"I actually prefer it," I said.
"Then let me put it to you this way. Once you've guided an Appaloosa's erect penis into a mare's vagina, a jerkoff session between a man and his fiancé isn't such a big thing."
I was struck silent for a moment. "Yeah, that's what you said in the kitchen, but I think I see your point."
"What I said in the kitchen?" Teresa looked confused.
"Not such a big thing."
Teresa exploded into laughter to the point that it startled Andrew to tears. I felt a bit like crying myself. The girl picked up the baby and cradled him against her ample breast as she tried to maintain her composure.
"Oh my god, Adam. I'm sorry. You caught me off guard there. I didn't intend to belittle you. I mean, the comment was for Blair. I thought it was a role-play. I forgot that I even said that."
"No big deal," I shrugged... "Unfortunately."
Teresa looked into my face. Her expression was a combination of stern inquisition and teenage amusement. "You're not one of those guys caught up on the size of his penis, are you?"
"I guess that I am. It's been brought up before."
"By whom?" Teresa laid Andrew back down, unfastened his diaper pins, and lifted his legs.
"My girlfriend in college told me I was small the day she left me for another guy."
Teresa froze. It was as if she had to process what she had just heard before resuming her task. "That was a bitch thing for her to say. Is that the reason she claimed she was leaving you?"
"I guess it was implied."
"And it's good riddance to her, Adam. You didn't need her. I'm sorry I said what I said. It was insensitive. I got caught up in the moment."
"It's okay, Teresa. I was caught up in the moment too. It is what it is. I can't change it.
"There are procedures that can make you bigger," Teresa mumbled, "but you're fine, Adam. I think you're cute. I worry about you with Blair, though."
"You do? How so?"
"Nothing," she responded. "It's none of my business." Teresa returned her attention to Andrew, unfolding his diaper to clean him up. "It's only pee, this time, but the process is the same when he poops. Start with the baby wipes, always wiping from front to back. Do it gently and follow with warm water on cotton."
"How do I know the right temperature?" I asked.
Teresa dipped a diaper in a basin of water and squeezed it out. She touched the inside of my wrist with the warm material and then moved it to my upper lip. "If it's too hot here and here, it's too hot for baby. Reach into that basket and grab a diaper."
She went about cleaning Andrew, then pushed his legs up and told me to pat him dry. I carried on with my instructions. "Okay," Teresa said, "Cross his ankles, then lift his butt with one hand while sliding the diaper under." Again, I did as I was told. "We'll leave the safety pin session for later."
"I'm curious, Teresa. How does a young lady from a ranch work her way up to an executive nanny service?"
"I'm not working my way up, Adam. I love the ranch. I love horses. My goal is to own my own ranch one day. I want to breed and raise prime stock. Unfortunately, ranch hands don't get paid very much. Even though I'd rather be in the barn or on the saddle, this job is much more lucrative. I'm saving for my future and my dream."
"But how did you get this job? Dee doesn't advertise for positions on social media. She handpicks her girls. At least, that's what Blair tells me."
"Blair is correct," Teresa responded. "Dee is my father's sister."
"Your aunt?"
"That's right. Three years ago, I would have laughed at becoming a nanny. Ultimately, I wasn't left with many choices, and I was thankful to Dee for offering the position."
"How's that?"
"I worked the rodeo circuit since I was sixteen in addition to my job on the ranch. I competed in barrel racing and some calf roping. I was good, Adam. Really good. I made some decent money and a name for myself. The guys called me 'Reese the Wrangler'. I got my share of attention."
"I bet you did."
Teresa glowed warmly. "I met this special guy, a bull rider. We started going out. We moved in together after a while. God, that really pissed off my parents. I guess that's when I cut the cord. I had the life I wanted and wasn't thinking past it. We had a great couple of years together."
"Just a couple? What happened?"
"A lot," Teresa grimaced. "None of it good. I had an accident one night during the competition. My horse stepped on my ankle and crushed it. My boyfriend saw the whole thing. He jumped the fence and carried me out of the stadium. He took me to the hospital. They had to operate... put in a few pins. It was never the same."
Teresa pulled down her ankle sock and showed me the scars. I hadn't noticed her limp until after that moment. Such a stoic girl, so strong and resilient.
"You can't ride anymore?" I asked.