Ami Weaver - The Nanny's Christmas Wish

“C’n I be ’scused?” Cody asked.

“Sure,” Josh said. “Take your plate into the kitchen first. Be very careful.”

“I will,” Cody promised. Josh hid a grin as his son walked slowly around the table, his concentration on the plate and the utensils on it. A few seconds later he heard the clatter of the plate going in the sink. Maggie’s eyes widened.

“I did it, Daddy!” Cody called. “C’n I go play now?”

Josh grinned at Maggie, who smiled back. “Yep.”

“Yes!” And Cody was gone, all pumping legs and thumping stairs.

“We’ve got the clear-the-table part down pretty good,” Josh said as he rose from his chair. “It’s the delivery to the sink that we need to work on.”

Maggie laughed. The clear, light sound floated over him, an unexpected balm to his frazzled emotions. “So I see.” She pushed her chair back. “I’ll take care of this.”

He went to lay a hand on her arm, changed his mind. Better not to touch her. “I’ll clean it up, Maggie,” he said, but she shook her head. “Then let me help,” he insisted as he gathered up dishes. “It’s the least I can do. You rinse, I load.”

She worried her lower lip for a second, then he saw her cave. “All right. Thank you. As long as you know it’s not necessary.”

“No thanks needed. It’s the least I can do,” he repeated.

In the kitchen, he rolled up his shirtsleeves and held out his hand for the first item. She handed him a plate.

“Cody seemed to have a good day,” he said.

She nodded as she scraped the next dish. “Oh, he did. He’s not too sure of me yet, but he’s very sweet and wants to please. We’ll get there. I’m not worried.”

Josh slid a bowl into place. Something in her tone said she thought otherwise. “He can be shy. He’ll come around.”

“Of course he will. We didn’t go out much today because I was trying to give him a little space. You know, to get used to me being in Mrs. Herman’s place.”

Worry zinged through him. “Was there something you needed that you couldn’t get? You could have called me.”

Her head came up, surprise in her blue eyes. Their color was nearly the same as Cody’s. “Oh, no, Josh. We were fine. And your mom checked in on us, too, just in case. I won’t bother you at work unless it’s an emergency. I know how busy you are.”

A bit of the scene with Julie flashed through his mind, only this time Maggie sat on the exam table in a short skirt and a come-hither look. His groin tightened at the possibilities.

For that, he’d have locked the door.

“Josh?” Amusement in her voice sliced across his fantasy, and he cleared his throat.

“I am busy. Most days are pretty crazy. But not so much so that if you guys are stuck somehow you can’t call me.” Why was it so important that she know she could get him if she needed him? Because Lucy had complained so often that he was constantly unavailable when she needed something?

Because he wanted Maggie to think better of him than his wife ever had?

Maggie held out the last pan. “Don’t worry, Josh. If I need you, I’ll call.” Her words and their double meaning hung in the air as her fingers touched his when he took the pan. Heat arced between them with the intensity of a live wire. His gaze caught hers for a heartbeat, before alarm sprang into her eyes. She quickly backed up, grabbed a washcloth and started swabbing the counter. He concentrated on fitting the last pan into place and closed the dishwasher, wondering how to break the suddenly awkward silence. What the hell was going on with him?

Maggie rinsed and folded the cloth, then draped it on the faucet. Not looking at him, she said, “If you don’t need anything, I think I’ll head upstairs. Do you need me to put Cody to bed?”

Josh shook his head. “As long as I don’t get called, I’ll do it.”

She nodded. “Okay, then. Good night.”

She turned and moved toward the stairs, her back perfectly straight. He doubted she’d take it too kindly if he swept her off her feet and carried her upstairs.

Tonight, anyway.

* * *

Shoving Josh and the kitchen weirdness out of her mind, Maggie paused in Cody’s doorway. He didn’t see her. With his back to her and his attention on his Matchbox cars, she figured she could drive a train through there and he wouldn’t notice.

“Cody.” He whipped his head around so hard his curls lifted and settled. “What are you playing?”

He poked at a fire truck. Paused for a moment. “Fireman.”

“Ahhh.” She leaned on the door frame. “Do you want to be a fireman someday?”

Cody shrugged, then nodded.

“That’s good. Firemen help people.”

“An’ they drive big trucks,” Cody observed, lifting one and studying it with one eye open.

Maggie hid a smile. Trust a kid to get to the heart of the matter. “That they do.”

He returned to playing with his toys and she watched for a minute. The conversation was clearly over, but she loved the fact they’d actually had one. She slipped out of the room and into her own across the hall.

She closed the door and let her head fall against it with a soft thunk.

Holy cow. She’d had her first day as a nanny. As Cody’s nanny.

While he wasn’t too sure of her yet, she had to believe they’d get there. Josh seemed to think the little boy would come around soon enough.

Josh. A little shiver ran down up her spine. She needed to watch herself around him, make sure she hid the attraction she felt. Maybe it was just the fact he was a nice guy and loved his son—so different from her ex.

That was it. It had to be.

It couldn’t be anything more.

Chapter Three

To distract herself, Maggie grabbed her cell off the nightstand, plopped in one of the chairs and dialed her best friend’s number.

“Maggie!” Kerry didn’t even bother with hello. “How did it go?”

Maggie filled her friend in on her day. “He needs to warm up to me still. He misses his old nanny a lot,” she finished.

“Of course he does,” Kerry agreed. “Poor little guy. He’s been through so much.”

“I know. It will take some time but he’ll adjust,” Maggie said, echoing what she’d told Josh earlier in the day. “Josh said he’s a little shy.”

Something in her tone gave her away. “Really,” Kerry said, drawing out the word. “Josh, huh? Tell me about him.”

Maggie mentally kicked herself for even getting into this. She stood up, walked to the sliding doors, her gaze on the pine trees in the backyard. The faint scent of burning leaves lingered on the breeze as she slid the door open. “There’s not much to tell. As far as I can tell, he works hard and he adores his son.”

“Sounds perfect,” Kerry teased. “Is he hot?”

“Kerry! He’s my boss.” She kept her voice low, even though Josh wasn’t likely to overhear.

Her friend sighed, all signs of teasing gone. “I know. I’m sorry. That didn’t go so well for you last time.”

“You could say that,” she murmured, thinking of the baby that wasn’t hers. “But I’d never get involved with him,” she added. “It’d be way too weird and anyway, I’m here for Cody.”

“So he is attractive,” Kerry said.

An understatement, that. Maggie’s fingers still tingled where they’d touched his. She curled her hand tighter around the phone. “Well, yeah. In a generic kind of way. You know. Not personally. To me.” She rolled her eyes. She sounded a little too casual, even to her own ears.

Kerry paused and Maggie held her breath. “I see. Well, that’s good. You don’t want a repeat of Tony.”

She exhaled. “God knows that’s true. I’m here in a professional capacity, period. Cody is my focus.”