Loe raamatut: «The Nanny's Twin Blessings»

Chapter One

Stephanie Cartwright would have described the Texas prairie in early spring in two words: dry and barren. Endless miles of dirt, rolling hills of dry grass and dark, skeletal weeds, stretching out as far as the eye could see.

The land was a mirror of her heart. Or maybe it was her frame of mind that was coloring the landscape in dreary shades of gray. As if that wasn’t enough, she exited her subcompact rental car to find her nostrils angrily assaulted by a strange, pungent odor—no doubt the scent of cows or horses or other livestock.

Did it smell like this all the time? She hoped it was just the direction of the wind adding to the eye-watering stench in the air, because for better or for worse, Serendipity, Texas, was where she’d be living for the next couple of months. As far away from the east coast—and her ex-boyfriend—as she could get. Hidden from the world in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.

And way, way out of her comfort zone.

But it wasn’t as if she could turn around and go back home. There was no home to go back to. Trying not to breathe too deeply, she clenched her fists and fought for control as her feelings once again vacillated between devastation and anger. At any given moment since she’d boarded the plane for Texas, she had struggled with one of those emotions, sometimes both at the same time.

Her eyes widened as a large, square-headed and very intimidating dog wandered up and situated himself on the wood-planked porch steps to the house where her new employer, Drew Spencer, presumably waited.

Peachy. Another obstacle. Just what she needed… .

Stephanie was a nanny. She’d expected to be greeted by children, not canines. She had little experience with animals and had never even owned a pet.

The dog shook his head and licked his chops. He appeared to be welcoming her, though she couldn’t be certain. For all she knew he was putting her on the menu.

“Hello there, big guy,” Stephanie crooned, speaking in the same soft, gentle tone of voice she used to calm small children. She prayed it would work. “Nice puppy.”

The dog’s ears pricked. His mouth curved up naturally, as if he was smiling at her, and he wagged his tail with unreserved enthusiasm. Was that a good sign?

“Don’t worry. He’s harmless.” Warm laughter emanated from behind the screen door, startling her.

If she wasn’t a twenty-three-year-old woman in perfect health, she probably would have thought she was experiencing a heart attack. Every nerve ending in her body crackled with an unexpected jolt of electricity. She hadn’t realized someone was watching her, and her face flamed in embarrassment.

A man who quickly introduced himself as Drew Spencer opened the screen and stepped out onto the porch. “Sorry about that. The four-legged Welcome Wagon that greeted you is Quincy, the over-enthusiastic pit bull. I should have put him in the house.”

“He’s very…friendly.” Stephanie straightened her shoulders and curled her lips into what she hoped was an inviting smile.

“Very,” Drew agreed, chuckling. “He may look like a tough old watchdog, but Quincy is as harmless as they come. If you were a robber he’d invite you into the house and show you where the silver was.”

“I’m more interested in your gold,” she teased as her gaze locked with Drew’s intelligent but darkly shadowed green eyes.

Her breath caught. It was as if the scene had suddenly gone from black-and-white to a rainbow of color. To put it bluntly, the guy was one tall drink of water.

Which is to say, he was nothing like she’d imagined him to be.

In the emails they’d exchanged, Drew had seemed staid, rigid and academic—at least on paper. Even the times they’d spoken on the telephone, she’d thought his voice was dull and lackluster, with little emotion or variation in his tone. Somehow she’d imagined he looked the way he sounded.

The man standing in front of her, however, wasn’t anything like her mental picture.

Uh-uh. Not even close.

He was wearing a pair of worn but polished brown cowboy boots, crisp blue jeans, a navy button-down dress shirt and a loosely knotted burgundy-colored necktie. He had strong-boned, even facial features, and thick brown hair lightly brushed his forehead. He looked as if he’d be as comfortable on a horse as he was in the classroom. All that was missing was the cowboy hat, and Stephanie had a good notion that he owned one.

There were no dark-rimmed, pop-bottle-thick glasses. No nerdy slouch or nutty-professor grin. Just a long, lean and fantastic-looking elementary school teacher in the guise of a cowboy.

She shook herself mentally, thoroughly appalled at where her thoughts had gone. What difference did it make whether her employer was a gorgeous cowboy or a geeky academic? She was here solely to watch over his children, not to gawk at him, and she knew how important first impressions were.

Specifically, his first impression of her.

She’d intended to appear poised and confident when she met Drew face-to-face for the first time. Not that she generally felt composed or self-assured—but she was good at faking it.

Widening her smile, she extended her hand. For a moment, Drew just stared at it as if he didn’t know how to finish the gesture. The left corner of his mouth curved up, then down and then into a tight, straight line that matched the unyielding right side of his lips.

Stephanie nearly pulled back her arm. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Had she botched things already?

Waves of relief washed over her when he finally reached out to shake her hand. His firm, steady grip reassured her, as did the way his mouth finally relaxed, his lips bowing upward in what could almost be considered a smile.

A tow-headed young boy peeked around Drew’s leg and sized Stephanie up with a thoughtful stare. She paused, observing the child and allowing him a moment to adjust to her presence before she introduced herself to him. Presumably he was one of her two future charges, and he was a real cutie-pie, with large blue eyes and trim white-blond hair combed over to one side like a miniature Cary Grant.

Stephanie immediately relaxed. Her senses had been jarred by both the dog and the man, but kids she could handle. She was comfortable with the little ones.

She was one of the lucky ones who’d found out early what she wanted to do with her life—care for children, whether it was as a babysitter for her younger foster brothers and sisters, in her first official job as a superintendent at a bounce house or as a nanny for a high-society family. As long as there were children, she was happy.

Eventually she wanted to teach in a preschool and had already gotten her degree in early childhood education, but she had not yet pursued her teacher’s certification. For now, she was content being a nanny.

“Who are you?” the three-year-old asked bluntly.

Drew coughed into his hand but she could see he was covering a smile. His eyes lightened for a moment, sparkling with barely concealed laughter. She arched an eyebrow at him, amused at how valiantly he tried to keep a straight face at the nerve of his precocious offspring.

She struggled not to giggle, herself. It was funny. She was glad Drew hadn’t corrected the boy on her behalf, as many of her foster parents over the years would have done when their children had misspoken. The child’s question was direct, but it was equally as innocent.

Leave it to a three-year-old to get right to the point of the matter.

Stephanie didn’t mind. She was used to the straightforward, curious nature of children. She much preferred it, in fact, versus lying, deceitful adults. At least kids were honest.

With a smile, she crouched down to the boy’s level, looking him straight in the eye to let him know she was taking him—and his question—seriously.

“My name is Miss Stephanie,” she answered earnestly. “And I’m happy to meet you—”

She hesitated, glancing up toward the door, seeking Drew’s input on the little boy’s name, since she knew she’d be caring for identical twins. Instead, the answer came from a gruff, guttural voice from somewhere behind Drew’s right shoulder.

“His name is Matty.” Using his cane for leverage, an older, scruffy-faced gentleman Stephanie presumed must be Drew’s father inched around him. “He’s the bold one. And this sweet little guy,” he continued, gesturing toward the child cuddling in his arms with his face tucked shyly into the old man’s chest, “is Jamey.”

As far as Stephanie could see, the twins were completely identical in looks, but she had no doubt she’d be able to tell them apart once she’d spent some time with them. There were bound to be differences in personality, if not tiny distinctions in their looks.

“Hello there, Matty and Jamey,” Stephanie responded as she stood upright. “How are you fellows doing today?”

Jamey curiously peeked out at Stephanie, and Matty laughed and ran around the old man’s legs.

“I figure you already know that the rude fellow blocking the doorway and not inviting you inside the house is my son, Drew,” the old man continued. “Although most everyone in town calls him Spence, on account of our last name.” He grunted noncommittally. “And I, my dear, am Frank. Please come in.”

Drew’s father winked and flashed an engaging grin, then set little Jamey on his feet and ushered both boys through the door. Quincy the pit bull stood up, stretched lazily and followed the twins inside.

Drew hesitated a moment, the corners of his lips once again curving down as his brow furrowed. He shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, looking a great deal more like the staid, solemn school teacher Stephanie had initially imagined him to be. Something was definitely bothering him, and she wondered if it had anything to do with her. Why else would he be smiling one minute and frowning the next?

Her apprehension hung almost palpably in the air, on her part, if not on his. He certainly wasn’t what she’d expected. Perhaps she wasn’t what he’d anticipated, either. Maybe he was wondering how to gently let her down, to send her packing again. But Drew obviously had some serious motivation in bringing her here to take care of his twins, something beyond what they’d discussed when she’d interviewed for the position.

She had no clue why he had decided to look so far out of town to find someone to watch his children, and it was one of the first questions she planned to ask him when the opportunity presented itself. Granted, Serendipity was tiny, but it was hard to imagine there were no adequate forms of child care Drew could call upon in a pinch. At the very least, there must be a few teenagers who would be vying to earn a little extra spending money.

So why her?

It was a fair question, and one that she eventually meant to get to the bottom of, but in the end, she realized it didn’t matter to her all that much what his motivations were. The point of the matter was that she was here now, and this man had unknowingly offered her a way out of a really bad situation. He’d given her a place to hide from a spoiled, abusive boyfriend who didn’t know how to take no for an answer. Drew Spencer’s offer to hire her as a live-in nanny from now until the end of the school year was truly an answer to prayer—two months to heal her heart and get back on her feet, to give herself a fresh start.

It wasn’t enough that her ex-boyfriend Ryan had torn her heart to shreds—he’d also ripped her home and her job right out from under her. She’d naively given up everything for him, only to find out he was playing her.

She was proud of herself for finding the self-esteem to walk away from a toxic relationship, but that didn’t stop her from being a little bit anxious about the way it had ended—Ryan was used to getting his own way, and he was frighteningly possessive. He’d alienated her from everyone else in her life, wanting her all to himself—even though he never had any intention of putting a ring on her finger.

How could she help but look over her shoulder, even knowing she was far away from New Jersey? Ryan had threatened to come after her, and he had power and money behind him to do it. She hoped she’d done enough to keep herself safe.

She needed somewhere secluded and private to regroup and refocus her life, to make plans for her future, though at the moment, she had no idea what that would be—other than finding more permanent housing and a stable job.

In the meantime, Serendipity was a good place to hide.

* * *

Drew wasn’t overly keen on having a nanny living in his house and getting under his feet. He was already so busy he barely had time to breathe, and he didn’t need the added complication of having someone in the way, especially a beautiful woman who smelled like orchids and jasmine.

Unfortunately, he had little choice in the matter. Drew was working off the advice of his lawyer, who had strongly suggested he get someone to watch his boys full-time until the end of the school year, particularly since the custody mediation with his ex-wife wasn’t progressing well. His lawyer had called it making a good faith effort to show he was taking care of the boys.

It had better be good. It was costing Drew a good part of his pension plan. And it was causing him a great deal of stress.

Heather had recently been making all kinds of verbal threats about taking the boys away from him, and though none of them had yet come to fruition, Drew still felt as if she was holding him hostage where the kids were concerned.

He knew full well that Heather didn’t have any intention of shouldering the responsibility of raising children. She probably planned to pawn them off on her parents, or worse yet, whatever boyfriend she was living with.

Drew’s gut felt as if it was filled with molten lead, as it always did when he thought about the callous way Heather had left him—and even worse, how she had abandoned the twins. He prayed he could eventually find forgiveness in his heart for her, but he was human, and forgiveness was a long way off, especially now that she was locking him in a battle for custody of the children.

For Heather, this wasn’t about what was best for Matty and Jamey. She was only interested in hitting Drew where it hurt. He couldn’t even imagine life without the twins. He would have no life without his sons.

And Heather knew it.

“Which name should I call you?”

Stephanie’s golden voice slowly penetrated into his thoughts. She flashed him a dazzling smile that exposed both rows of straight, white teeth. “Do you have a preference?”

“I’m sorry?” he asked. His eyebrows rose in confusion as he was mentally jerked into the present.

“Shall I call you Drew or Spence? Your dad said the folks in town call you Spence.”

“Oh, yeah. Right. No…Drew is fine.”

He didn’t know why he was stammering, and he certainly had no clue why he’d just given her the answer he had. Only members of his immediate family called him Drew. The words had just slipped out before he’d had a chance to think about what he was saying, but he didn’t correct himself. As a live-in nanny, Stephanie was going to be a part of the family for a while, even if she was everything he didn’t want in a nanny.

Not outwardly, anyway.

What had happened to the peculiar cross between Mary Poppins and Nanny McPhee that he’d been expecting to show up at his door? Instead, Stephanie had soft, delicate features, high cheekbones, a pretty smile, wave upon wave of sun-drenched, fair hair and warm brown eyes that a man could easily get lost in.

He didn’t feel like it sometimes, but he was still a living, breathing man. He was going to trip over Stephanie’s beauty every time he looked at her. He’d erroneously assumed, from her upside-down umbrella avatar on the Parents of Preschoolers classified board that she’d be…

Plain?

Homely?

Truth be told, he didn’t know what he’d been expecting, only that the woman still waiting on his doorstep was not it.

Emphasis on waiting. On his doorstep. He ought to kick himself for his discourtesy.

Stepping aside, he gestured for her to go in ahead of him. He averted his gaze from her female sway, but he was unable to keep himself from inhaling the rich oriental fragrance that wafted over him as she swept by. She smelled every bit as good as she looked, which really wasn’t helping matters any. He was uncomfortable enough as it was.

There was no sign of his father, but the twins were huddled around the toy box in the living room. They already had several trucks and trains on the floor and were reaching for more.

“One toy at a time, boys,” Drew reminded them. “Remember our rule.” His gaze shifted to Stephanie. “I tidy up this place at least five times a day, and there are still toys scattered everywhere. They haven’t quite mastered the one-at-a-time rule yet, and they’re easily distracted.”

Stephanie chuckled lightly. “Comes with the territory. I don’t mind at all. Preschoolers and messy go together like butter on toast.”

“Right,” he agreed, noting that her expression softened and her shoulders lost their stiffness when her attention was directed at the children.

Offering Stephanie a seat on the couch, Drew positioned himself on the antique chair near the fireplace. Seconds later, Jamey slipped onto his lap and Matty climbed up his back, wrapping his little arms around Drew’s neck and practically choking him in the process.

Or was it was Stephanie’s smile that was making his throat close so forcefully?

“Have you had dinner? I can make you a sandwich if you like.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted with the hint of a smile.

“Coffee, then?”

She shook her head, and the conversation drifted to a standstill.

Less than a minute passed before Matty’s curiosity got the best of him. The small boy crawled off Drew’s back and launched himself at Stephanie, who caught him with a laugh and tucked him next to her on the couch, under her arm. There was a toy airplane in reaching distance, and Stephanie grabbed it, giving it to Matty complete with a vroom sound.

To Drew’s surprise, Jamey crawled off his lap and settled up on Stephanie’s knee, his thumb tucked in his mouth, a habit Drew hadn’t yet been able to break him out of.

Incredible.

Drew had never seen Jamey cozy up to a person as quickly as he had to Stephanie. It was as if she’d earned the boys’ respect the very first time she smiled. She tickled the boys on the ears and they both squealed with laughter.

“These little men are absolutely darling,” Stephanie said, giggling along with the twins. Her eyes were shining, lighting up her whole countenance. She was definitely in her element with the children.

“They’re a handful,” Drew countered teasingly, though he spoke the truth. He was unable to stop himself from grinning, despite his misgivings about the situation.

“Oh, I’m not worried about that. I love children. I’m happy to be here.”

Drew could see that, and he could sense it, too. She had become immediately attached to his kids, and they clearly liked her. He would be foolish to put her off just because she didn’t look like the nanny he’d pictured in his head. It was what was inside a person’s soul that really counted—like seeing the way his kids had instantly warmed up to her and instinctively trusted her. That spoke volumes about her, in Drew’s mind. Kids had a way of perceiving things about people that weren’t so obvious when seen through an adult’s eyes.

His father picked that moment to hobble across the hallway behind Stephanie. He paused and gave Drew two thumbs-up, grinning and wagging his bushy gray eyebrows for emphasis.

Apparently he approved of her—which was an absolutely frightening thought. Whoops. Drew hadn’t thought of that particular ramification of hiring Stephanie. Pop wasn’t viewing her as a nanny for his grandsons, but as a potential future wife for his son. Drew had seen the impish light in his father’s eyes before, and it never boded well.

He couldn’t imagine how ghastly it would be once his father put his head together with his best lady friend and cohort in mischief, Jo Murphy, the gregarious owner of the Cup O’ Jo Café and the town’s chief matchmaker.

Nanny or not, his pop and Jo Murphy would see romance where there was none. Before he knew it, they would be pestering him half to death. Stephanie, too, for that matter, and she certainly hadn’t signed on for that.

“I hope my father won’t be too problematic for you,” Drew said. “The twins love the gruff old guy, but the simple fact of the matter is that he is getting up in years and he can’t do everything he thinks he can. He doesn’t require any special physical care or anything. For his age, he’s as fit as a fiddle. But he has a tendency to involve himself in matters that don’t concern him. You may want to keep your eye out for him so he doesn’t cause you any trouble.”

He paused and chuckled, but it was a dry, nervous sound rather than a happy one. “Have I overwhelmed you yet? Made you change your mind about working here? I’m sure you’re ready to turn right around and hop on the next plane back to the east coast.”

“I think I can handle your father,” she assured him. “How ornery can one man be?”

“You would be surprised.” Drew cocked his head and twisted his lips in amusement. “He’s going to be in your way. Constantly. And he has an opinion about everything.”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t everybody?”

“Maybe, but my father is especially blustery when he gets into one of his moods. Which is often. Just so you know.”

“Not a problem,” she assured him. “I tend to get along with everybody.”

Somehow, he believed she did.

“Boys,” he stated firmly, addressing the twins, both of whom by that time were using Stephanie as playground equipment, swinging over her shoulders and sliding down her legs—not that she appeared to mind. The crystal-clear sound of her feminine laughter laced the air like stardust.

Drew gestured toward the hall. “Why don’t you two run along now and get ready for bed? I think Pop-Pop is waiting for you. I’ll be there in a minute to read another chapter of our story to you.”

At least that would keep his father occupied for a while, getting the two squirming, over-excited preschoolers into pajamas and tucked into bed. Drew ruffled their fair hair and kissed each of his boys softly on the forehead before urging them to the back hallway where their room was located.

“Sorry about the interruption,” Drew said once he’d herded the twins down the hall. “Bedtime is a real zoo around here.”

He returned to his seat and braced his elbows on his knees, ignoring the quivering sensation in his stomach as their eyes met.

He cleared his throat, wondering how to start the conversation. There was a lot she needed to know about why she was here, issues he hadn’t felt comfortable discussing over the phone, but that she ought to be aware of if she was going to be working for him.

And he had a few more questions for her, as well.

Like why she’d chosen a temporary position in Serendipity when she’d clearly had a successful career in child care on the east coast. It wasn’t What’s a pretty lady like you doing in a place like this? But it was pretty close. He wasn’t sure if he should be prying, yet it seemed an obvious question.

If it was none of his business, she would no doubt tell him so. But something about her expression gave him pause to consider.

With just the two of them in the room, she appeared uneasy—like a cornered animal, with wide, wild brown eyes staring back at him. Though she was trying to hide it, she was clearly uncomfortable sitting here with him.

Maybe she was just nervous about starting a new job in a new town, but somehow he thought it was more than that. He hoped she wasn’t reconsidering the position. It had been next to impossible just to find someone suitable for these circumstances the first time around. He didn’t know if he would find anyone else willing to do the job.

He fidgeted in his chair, which was unusual for him. Normally, he would just blurt what he was thinking outright. He’d been told on more than one occasion that he was too blunt and outspoken. This might be a good time to work on that defect.

But how did one ease into this kind of subject?

Before he could say a word, there was a knock at the door.

Stephanie jerked in surprise, as her gaze shifted to the door.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, rising. “I wasn’t expecting anyone this evening. It’s probably my father’s friend Jo, although she usually just lets herself in. I’ll only be a moment.”

Stephanie tried to smile, but the color on her face had faded into a serious shade of gray. She clasped her hands together in her lap until her knuckles were white.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m—yes,” she stammered. “I’m fine.”

Drew didn’t think she looked fine. She looked terrified. And it had something to do with whoever was potentially knocking at his front door.

Even though he barely knew Stephanie, his deep-rooted protective instincts flared. She had nothing to fear. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her while she was in his house, though he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to. And like he’d said, it was probably Jo Murphy, come to see his pop.

Only it wasn’t Jo Murphy.

Drew opened the door to a lanky young man he’d never seen before, certainly not a resident of Serendipity.

A friend of Stephanie’s? Or worse yet, an enemy?

“Andrew Reid Spencer?” the boy asked, obviously trying to sound official despite the crack in his voice.

Drew’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Why was the young man asking for him?

“Yes,” he replied cautiously. “I’m Drew.”

The boy shoved a manila envelope at Drew’s chest and was backing up before he even spoke. Drew instinctually reached for the envelope, clutching it to his side as the young man made his pronouncement.