Everwood

*Author's Note: Everwood was a TV series that lasted four seasons. It was set in a fictitious town in Colorado where a world-renown neurosurgeon moved his two children after the death of his wife.

His 18-year old son fell in love with a beautiful 24-year woman who worked as a nanny for his younger sister. There were many other love interests and sub-plots; too many to weave into a short story like this.

*****

"What are you going to do?"

"After tonight? I don't know. I really needed this job. My GI Bill is all used up and I doubt I can get another student loan so close to graduation. My tuition is paid for the rest of the school year, I just can't pay rent or my other bills without a job. I know things are tight at the restaurant, and I know I was the last one hired, but being let go is really hard."

"Tell me about it. Without a degree, you can't get the kind of full-time job you really want so you take whatever crappy, part-time job you can find to make ends meet and hope you don't lose it. And if you do, there are hundreds of other college students or even high-school kids around here looking for work so losing a decent job like that sucks."

"I guess waiting tables is 'decent' for a college town." She sighed then said, "I'm even thinking about working in a nightclub, you know?"

"Well, unlike me, you have the body—and the face for it. I couldn't even get hired waiting tables at strip joint. But you? Yeah, you could probably make a boat load of money dancing topless."

"Maybe," she replied with a chuckle. "But that's a last resort for me. I'm no prude or moralist, but I have no desire to twirl around a pole while a bunch of drunk, horny guys ogle my tits."

"Well, at least you've got the kind of tits guys would pay to see." Her roommate looked down at the tiny bumps where her boobs should be and said, "I guess if there was a place where anorexic-looking girls with thick glasses like me were valued, I could make a fortune."

Both of them laughed, not so much because it was all that funny, but because it was either laugh or cry and neither of them felt like crying.

Shania Lancaster was a 26-year old college senior who'd spent four years in the US Air Force before going to school. When she was discharged she decided not to go home to Lincoln, Nebraska, where she'd grown up, but rather chose to stay in the town of Everwood, Colorado, after her discharge almost four years ago. She'd saved up close to $10,000 while on active duty, and had a fairly new car when she got out. She'd used the GI Bill to pay for her tuition and books, and she'd used the money she'd saved to rent and maintain an apartment not too far from campus.

The timing had been almost perfect as she'd gotten out in August and been able to start school a month later. That money, along with her GI Bill, was now gone, and she depended on part-time jobs to pay her living expenses. Her parents weren't in any position to help out financially, so money had always been tight. If she didn't find another job quickly, she couldn't pay rent, buy groceries, or put gas in her car.

She'd been a medic on while on active duty and had thoroughly enjoyed it. After working so closely with so many professional doctors and nurses, she decided to pursue a degree in nursing herself. She'd worked any and all odd jobs that came her way while working very hard in class. Now she was just under four months from graduating, and the issue of money was once again rearing it's ugly head.

Her GPA was holding steady at 3.42 which wasn't setting any records, but for someone who'd barely passed chemistry in high school many years before, she was proud of her achievements. She just had to power her way through this last semester. Once she had her BS in hand, finding a job would be easy as RNs were always in high demand everywhere in the country. But before she could power through, she had to find a way to pay her bills.

Her parents or more specifically, her father, had named her after the famous country singer Shania Twain, a woman on whom he'd once had an enormous crush.

"That was before I met your mom, of course," he'd quickly added when it came up the one and only time. She'd done the math and knew that didn't add up, but she'd never challenged him on it as her dad was the man who'd instilled in her a strong work ethic and a love of country. She, in turn, loved him dearly, so if he'd had a kind of thing for a celebrity even after marrying her mom, so be it.

Growing up, Shania had been blessed with the same good looks as the popular singer as well as those of her own very attractive parents. She had soft, silky, naturally blonde hair which she wore to her shoulders and which played beautifully off of her emerald-green eyes and perfect, white teeth. Her body was every bit as sexy as her beautiful face and when added to her pleasant, cheerful personality, she was what some called a 'complete package'.

Mainly because of her stunningly good looks, many people were beyond surprised when she announced she was enlisting in the Air Force right after high school graduation. Most people had been very supportive, but more than a few also told her, "But you're so smart and so beautiful! Why would you waste four years of your life on...that?"

She'd politely answered each such query with something along the lines of, "I was raised to believe in giving back. It doesn't have to be the military, but I feel like I can best do that by spending four years on active duty." She also wanted to go to college and this was her best chance at doing so without bankrupting her parents who had always struggled financially. It was an understatement to say that her mother and father had been proud of their daughter in blue. She'd not only served honorably, she'd done quite well for herself during those four years.

Shania learned very quickly that because of her looks she was a highly sought-after 'commodity' anywhere she went. Women in general were very popular as they made up less than 20% of the Air Force. Being one of the most attractive women in that 20% was both a curse and a blessing.

She realized early on she could use her looks to her advantage as it was very easy to manipulate most men and that included the senior enlisted and officers for whom she worked—even those who were married. However, her desire to make it on her own merits was extremely important to her but not always easy. Offers for special treatment were constantly coming her way along with implications for just what was needed to receive such special consideration.

She'd also soon learned that saying 'no' too many times to the wrong person had a 'funny' way of catching up with her. And lastly, she figured out from the 'get go' that were she to report every incident of unwanted attention from the men with whom she worked, she'd have done nothing but file complaints day in and day out.

Therefore, she did her best to find a happy medium between being a pushover and a bitch. She smiled politely, stayed friendly, but stood her ground when lines were crossed. She worked hard to be as good as she could be at her job, and that gave her credibility. That credibility, in turn, made it easier to stand her ground. Problem solved. Well, mostly.

Not being a saint, she'd had several discreet affairs while on active duty. The one line she wouldn't cross however, was dating a married man. Other than that, she only cared about whether or not she liked someone and liking them depended on several things. She dated people of all ranks, although the more senior the guy was the more discretion was required. As long as she was respected and treated well, she was open to dating pretty much anyone if she found them attractive, and she'd had no difficulty finding all kinds of attractive men from between 21-45. That said, she'd only slept with a four of them as taking it to that level required something more. There had to a kind of chemistry, and if it wasn't there then nothing else could bridge that gap.

Shania liked guys who were: At least reasonably attractive to her, intellectually stimulating, genuinely caring, polite, and they couldn't be arrogant. Arrogant men never got to first base let alone a second date.

But the cute, smart, shy type? Oh, yeah. That was her thing. They didn't need to lift weights or have great bodies. They just needed a face she found cute enough and a mind that could captivate her interest. Throw in a healthy dose of 'nice' and she could show her appreciation in a very special way after a respectable second date.

Finding cute guys was easy. Finding the kind of cute guys who 'did it' for her was a lot harder than it looked, but she'd gotten very adept at doing so and could now cull them out in short order. She could tell the wheat from the chaff almost as soon as they met and the chaff got quickly and permanently separated while the wheat got a closer, more careful examination. And sometimes, the wheat got lucky.

"So anyway, tonight's my last night then I've gotta find another job ASAP." She said the abbreviation as one word rather than saying each individual letter.

"ASAP. I love it when you talk all military," her roommate, Daria, said teasing her. "I still can't believe you were in the Air Force. You just don't fit the model." Daria laughed then said, "That's probably because you look like a model."

"Well, thanks for the compliment, but believe it, roomy. I loved the Air Force. Just not enough to stay for 20 years," she told her. "And believe me when say I need another job—ASAP."

"I'll keep an eye out, but you know how tough it is around here. I've been freaking about losing mine for a month or so. I'm almost afraid to go home during a break because it might not be there when I get back, you know?"

"Yeah, I do. It is tough, but there's always a place for good people," Shania said repeating something her father had told her many times growing up.

She got to work just before six and threw on her blue smock, tied the bow in back, and made sure her name tag was on straight. She checked the schedule and found out what section she had then went to work.

"Please let the tips be big," she said to herself as she headed toward her section. Because of her looks, the tips were often quite good, so she used those looks to her advantage as much as possible.

It was almost 9 o'clock, and as she was dropping off an order she heard a nice-looking older man at the table to her back say, "I can't keep staying at home with you, sweetheart, and that means I'm going to have to find a nanny."

"But Dad! I don't want a nanny. I want you to stay home with me!"

The girl looked to be about ten, but Shania couldn't be sure and she didn't want to stare.

"I know, honey, but I'm a doctor, and I haven't practiced for six months because I have stayed home with you."

"But I didn't want to move out here in the first place. I liked living in New York and I had all of my friends there and you made us move to Colorado."

Shania thought the girl might be on the verge of crying as she asked the people at her table if she could get them anything else.

"I know, honey. But this place was your mom's dream. We'd planned on moving here for years, but one thing or another kept delaying us. And then she got sick. Honey, just before she died she made me promise I'd raise both of you in this town."

"But she never asked me what I want!" the girl said. Shania noticed her eyes welling up with tears as she turned around to tend to her next table.

"Your mom thought...no, we both agreed that raising you and your brother in a smaller town would be better for you both. New York is a tough town to..."

"But I don't want to live here, Dad!" the girl said as she began crying openly.

Shania was about ten feet away when the dad called out, "Waitress?"

She turned around, smiled, and walked back.

"Could we get the check, please?"

"Oh, sure. Let me get that for you." His credit card was on the table so she picked it up without looking at it making sure to smile politely.

On the way to the cash register she looked at the name on the card. Andrew Harper. "Doctor Andrew Harper," she said to herself as she began ringing him up.

She returned to his table with the receipt and credit card. "I'll come back whenever you're ready," she told him still smiling brightly.

"No, that's okay. Here you go." He scrawled his name and added in a very generous tip.

"Thank you, sir," she said. "It's...doctor, right?"

He finally smiled and said, "Yes. How did you know that? Have we met?"

"No, sir," she assured him. "I wasn't eavesdropping, but I overheard what you were saying. That you're looking for someone—for your daughter."

She picked up the receipt then decided to go for it. "I don't have any formal experience as a nanny, but I'm really good with children, and I was in the Air Force for four years so I am very responsible. I'm also a senior here at the university majoring in nursing so I'm goal-oriented and hardworking. I think I could do a really great job...if you'd be willing to give me a chance. Tonight is my last night here and I really need a job."

He stared at her for several seconds then said, "I'd need someone to be there early in the morning to make breakfast for all of us, make lunch for my daughter, then take her to school. You'd need to pick her up and stay with her until I get home. That would also mean helping with homework, making dinner, and doing laundry, cleaning the house, and other related tasks. Can you do all of that and go to school?"

Her brain went into high gear as she quickly thought things through. "Absolutely! That works perfectly with my schedule as I don't have any classes before 9am or after 2pm." She kept up the smile and worked in all the charm she had.

The handsome doctor pointed across the table and said, "This is my daughter, Tatum."

Shania looked at the girl whose tears were still wet on her cheeks. "Hi, Tatum. I'm Shania. Were you possibly named after someone famous, too?"

The little girl wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up. She managed to say, "Tatum O'Neal."

"Shania Twain here," she said pointing to herself. She leaned down and whispered, "My dad had a huge crush on her. Don't tell my mom, okay?"

The girl managed a weak smile then almost laughed before telling Shania, "My dad was in love with Tatum O'Neal when he was a boy."

Shania looked at the dad who shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? She was my dream girl and I was...a teenager in love." He sang it to the tune of the song by the same name.

Shania laughed then turned back to Tatum. "So have you made any friends here yet?"

"No. Not really," she said.

Shania stuck out her hand and told her. "Well, now you have. I'll be your friend."

The little girl's eyes lit up as she shook it. "You're really pretty!"

"Well, thank you!" she said. "So are you!"

She turned back to her father then said, "I can promise you I'll be 100% reliable and I'm willing to work um...cheap."

"I don't know, I was hoping to find someone with experience. I'm assuming you're not a mom yourself, right?"

"No. I'm definitely not a mom. I'd love to be some day, but for now I'm very much single with no children." She kept the smile burning brightly as he looked her over.

"Please, Dad? Can Shania be my nanny? I really like her!"

"Honey, we don't even know her," he told his daughter. He looked at Shania then told her, "No offense."

"None taken." Her mind was still whirling as she blurted out, "How about this. I'll work for free the first week. If you're happy with me, you can pay me after that. If not, I go away no questions asked."

"Please, Dad? Pleeeease???" Tatum begged.

The doctor sat there and sized her up before finally speaking. "Can you stop by the house sometime tomorrow so I can interview you properly?"

Shania tried not to show her excitement when she immediately said, "Absolutely! Just let me know what's best for you. And for Tatum, of course."

"Yes!" the little girl said.

"I haven't hired her yet, sweetheart," her dad reminded her.

"I'm Doctor Harper, by the way."

"Shania...Lancaster," she said offering him her hand, too.

"Okay, Ms. Lancaster, how about stopping by around 11 o'clock? It shouldn't take more than an hour. Will that work for you?"

"Yes, sir," she said. "That's perfect."

"Okay. Well, here's my card and the address is..." He scratched out his old New York address and penned in where they lived before handing it to her.

"Do you have a dress code?" she thought to ask.

"No. No French Maid outfits," he said with a polite smile. "Just wear whatever you'd normally wear and that'll be fine. Tatum is my concern, not your clothes. Oh, I have a son, too. He's 18 and a senior in high school. He's pretty much on his own, but he does live with us. Well, when he's not so angry with me he won't come out of his room." The man paused then said, "He's even less thrilled about this move out here than his sister. Moving someone just before their senior year doesn't earn you any brownie points. Just so you know."

"Got it!" Shania said staying positive as she put the card away. "I'll see you tomorrow at eleven then."

She turned to Tatum and said, "You too, friend." She offered a high five and got a hearty slap in return. "Oh, nice!" Shania said shaking her hand as though Tatum had hurt it.

"Bye, Shania! See you tomorrow...friend!" Tatum said excitedly. "Dad, I really do like her!"

Shania only had one class the next day and it started at 8:30am and ended at 10 which left her plenty of time to drive to Doctor Harper's place.

She was very impressed when she entered the neighborhood where he and his family lived and even more so when she found his home. It was a large, rustic, cabin-like structure that was clearly very expensive yet it wasn't ornate or showy. It looked warm and inviting and very cozy.

She rang the doorbell at 10:59 not wanting to be either late or early. The sound was still reverberating through the large, open spaces when the door flung open.

"Shania! Hi, friend!" Tatum said smiling happily. She immediately reached for the older girl's hand and led her inside.

"Come on! My dad's in his study."

"Okay, then. Lead on...friend!" she replied.

"Dad? Shania's here!" Tatum called out well before they even got close. She led her possible future nanny to the study then waited.

"Oh, hi!" he said standing up and coming around to welcome her. "Thank you, Tatum," he told her letting her know this would a closed-door session.

Just then Shania heard a deep male voice say, "Cradle robbing are we? Nice work, Dad."

She saw Dr. Harper wince then smile. "Shania Lancaster. This is my son, Bryce. Bryce, this is Shania, and I'm interviewing her to be Tatum's nanny."

The younger Harper was clearly embarrassed.

"Sorry," he said trying not to stare at Shania. "I may need a little help getting my foot out of my mouth. I'll sit down if you wouldn't mind pulling."

She immediately noticed he was kind of cute and in spite of his caustic remark, evidently a bit shy—at least around attractive women. She smiled and then in spite of herself laughed. "No, you're fine."

"Um, no. You are fine," he told her. "Me? I'm...well, maybe average on my best day."

Shania couldn't help but laugh. "Don't sell yourself short." She smiled then said, "I understand this move hasn't exactly been the easiest thing for you."

"You understand correctly," he said smiling a kind of lopsided smile. "Although things may be looking up. Do you give relationship advice by any chance?" he asked her.

"Um, well, I've had a few of them, but it seems like your dad would be the better choice for that sort of thing," she said without judgment.

"Then I'll pass," he said the bitterness showing through ever-so slightly this time.