Rachel Bailey - The Nanny Proposition

Liam parked in front of the main door, under a portico, and jumped out.

They unbuckled the babies and Jenna followed Liam into the house, she carrying an instantly awake and perky Meg, and Liam carrying a still-sleeping Bonnie in one strong arm.

The house was spacious and open plan, with living areas connected by archways. The whole was decorated in neutrals with splashes of color, like the burnt orange rugs on the tiled floor and olive green cushions on the sofa. It was sophisticated but much more relaxed than Dylan’s apartment. More of a home. Jenna smiled. Bonnie would love growing up here.

A woman appeared through one of the archways, tall, silent and grim-faced.

Liam glanced up and nodded at the woman. “There you are, Katherine.”

“Do you need something, Mr. Hawke?” she asked, moving very few facial muscles in the action.

“Just to introduce you to our newcomers.” He held an encompassing arm out in their direction. “Jenna, this is Katherine, my housekeeper. Katherine, this is Jenna and her baby, Meg. As I mentioned on the phone, Jenna is going to be Bonnie’s nanny. I’m not really sure how these things work. I understand babies create a lot of washing and mess, so you’ll need to work together. Perhaps you also can take on a part-timer to help with the extra workload.”

Katherine didn’t spare Jenna a glance. “I told you I could take care of the little one, Mr. Hawke.”

Liam didn’t seem fazed. “You already have a full-time job, Katherine. You’re essential to this household, and I won’t have you overburdened.”

Katherine sniffed, appearing to be partially mollified. “I assume there will be one extra for dinner?”

Liam nodded. “And for all meals now, thank you.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” Still without acknowledging Jenna, Katherine turned and left.

Jenna watched the other woman leave. She hadn’t been so thoroughly snubbed since she was twelve and her sister Eva had told her she was too babyish to come to her fourteenth birthday party.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

“That’s just Katherine,” he said and shrugged casually. “She’s run this place like a captain runs a ship for eight years and I’d be lost without her, but she can be a little...territorial.”

Territorial was one word. Rude was another. “But you said she couldn’t do both jobs anyway.”

“Knowing Katherine,” he said with the hint of a smile, “she would have liked to have made that decision for herself, then been the one who hired the new nanny.”

Oh, good. That promised to play out well. Jenna took a breath and changed the subject. “Have you lived here long?”

“Since I was eleven. My parents bought it as a little farmhouse, not much more than a shack really, but it was the land they wanted. As the business grew, we added rooms.” He looked around at the house as if it were an old friend. “I bought it from my parents five years ago when they wanted to retire and move off the farm. It is a good arrangement—they moved to a nice apartment in the city with no maintenance, and I can live here next to my work.”

She followed his gaze, taking in all the tasteful elegance that oozed money. “It’s hard to imagine this place as a shack.”

“The original structure is now storerooms off the laundry. But for now, I’ll show you the bedrooms I thought we could use as the nurseries.”

“You’re thinking of giving them their own nursery each?”

He put the keys to the Jeep and his sunglasses on a hall stand, then readjusted Bonnie to hold her closer before turning back to face Jenna. “If we don’t, Bonnie will wake Meg when it’s time for her night feeds and we’ll end up having to get two babies back to sleep.”

“It would be great if they could have their own rooms—I just wasn’t sure how much space you had. I thought Meg might sleep in with me.”

“Up here,” he said as he walked up a staircase, “is the main bedroom wing. My bedroom is this one at the end.” He opened a door and she peeked in to see a huge room decorated in strong browns and cream with a forest green wall behind the bed. Being at the end of the wing, it had windows on three sides that showcased amazing panoramic views of the San Juan Capistrano countryside.

He strode back down the hallway to the first room and ushered her in. “This is one of the guest bedrooms. There are three along this hall. I was thinking you could have this one. Then the next room for Meg, and the one beside mine for Bonnie.”

The rooms were sumptuously decorated, each in a different color. The room that was to be hers had been done in lavender and wheat, with a satin comforter on the four-poster bed and a series of beautifully framed close-up shots of purple irises on the wall. It was gorgeous but didn’t seem either Liam’s or Katherine’s style.

She stepped in and ran a hand over the silky bed cover. “Did you choose this color scheme?”

“No, my mother had the house redecorated before she and my father moved out a few years ago.”

She walked into the next room along and turned around. Meg’s new nursery had mint green walls and accents in rose pink. The bed had a multihued knitted blanket, and on the walls was a photo series of bright pink tulips. “We should easily fit Meg’s crib and changing table in here along with the bed.”

“No problem to move the bed out if you want.”

Her eyes were drawn back to the bedcover. “Who knitted the blanket?”

“My mother,” he said, a trace of a smile flitting across his face. “My brothers and I each have several of them.”

“And the flower photos?” she asked, pointing to the tulips.

“They’re mine. I take lots of photos in the greenhouse for records. My mother had some of them framed.”

His tone was dismissive, but these were more than mere record keeping. The way the light had been captured hitting the leaves and the angle chosen to accentuate the shape of the petals were masterful. However, she didn’t think he’d appreciate her pointing that out, so she let it drop.

The room next to his, Bonnie’s nursery, had the same tasteful and elegant feel, but it was full of dark wood and tan walls. Masculine and heavy. Perfect for a male guest, but not so appropriate for a baby girl’s room.

Liam winced and threw her an apologetic glance. “Perhaps you could organize this room to be painted.”

“Absolutely. Any thoughts on color?”

“I’ll leave that to you,” he said, glancing out the window and seemingly distracted. “I’ll organize a credit card—it will make redecorating this room and obtaining ongoing things for Bonnie easier. Though if it’s something regular, like formula or diapers, let Katherine know and she can add it to the grocery order.”

“Okay.”

Bonnie fussed in his arms, and Liam’s eyes suddenly had an edge of panic.

Jenna put Meg on the floor with a rattle from her handbag. “Do you want me to take her?”

“That might be best,” he said and gently handed her over.

Jenna looked down at the sweet little baby and ran her hand over the soft, downy hair. “Her hair is so dark. Like yours, actually. Meg was bald when she was born.”

A smile flittered across his mouth then left. “Bonnie’s hair was how I knew for sure she was mine at the hospital.” Frowning, he threw a glance to the door. “Listen, I know you’ve just arrived, but I need to duck out to the greenhouse. I hadn’t expected to miss work this morning, so there are things I need to check on.”

“No problem,” she said, taking the cue. “You go back to work. We’ll be fine here.”

* * *

It seemed it had only been a couple of hours since she’d given Liam the list when a small truck with a stork emblazoned on the side pulled into the paved circular driveway. Liam had obviously found a place that was willing to deliver immediately. It probably helped that money talked.