Phyllis Halldorson - Professor And The Nanny

What was going on here? Nate shouldn’t be burdened with all those heavy and ungainly items. He might stumble and fall!

Without hesitation she hurried out the door and across the lawn to the curb to confront him. “Nate, don’t try to carry all that stuff at once. Let me help you.”

The sound of her voice apparently surprised the woman, who had been leaning in the van to retrieve several suitcases. She backed out and glared at Brittany.

“Who are you?” she asked gruffly.

“I’m Brittany Baldwin, Mr. Thorpe’s caregiver, and you are…?” She wasn’t going to let this woman intimidate her. She took her orders from Ethan and no one else.

“I’m Hannah Thorpe,” she said sharply, then turned her attention again to Nate. “When did you get a caregiver, Nate?”

He shrugged. “It was after the last time you were here. She takes real good care of me.”

Hannah looked Brittany up and down. “I’ll bet she does.” Her tone was venomous. “Takes real good care of your son, too, I should imagine. I figured it wouldn’t be long before Ethan would take up with some other woman, but I expected her to be full grown.”

Brittany gasped. “Now, wait just a darn minute—” she started to protest, but Hannah was already halfway up the driveway to the house with the suitcases.

Brittany and Nate followed close behind with the pieces of baby furniture.

“Why are you bringing all this stuff over here?” Nate asked as they set their burdens down in the foyer. “We’ve got all we need to take care of Danny for his weekend visits.”

“Tell you later,” she said as she turned and hurried outside again, Nate and Brittany not far behind.

They all reached the van at the same time and again Hannah spoke to Nate. “You and Florence Nightingale here can finish emptying the van and I’ll get Danny.”

Brittany bristled at the mockery in the other woman’s tone but saw no point in pressing the issue.

Hannah climbed inside the vehicle and started unbuckling the baby from the car seat while Brittany and Nate waited for her to finish so they could get in to retrieve the other articles.

While they stood there waiting, Ethan’s car turned into the driveway and he got out. “What’s going on?” he asked as Hannah backed out of the van with the toddler in her arms. “This isn’t my weekend to have Danny.”

“It is now,” she said crisply, and held the child out to him. “Here, take him. He’s heavy.”

Ethan took his son and nuzzled him playfully on the neck. He was an adorable child with blond curly hair and sparkling blue eyes. “Hi, guy,” Ethan said as he lifted the kicking and giggling little one over his head. “To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of your company?”

“Da-da,” the little boy burbled, and grabbed a fistful of his daddy’s hair.

Ethan didn’t display pictures of Danny all around his house, Brittany thought, but the look on his face when he hugged his little son left no doubt of his love and pride in the youngster.

“I’m glad to hear you consider his company a pleasure,” Hannah said sourly, “because you’re going to get plenty of it. I’m moving to Chicago tomorrow, so I’m afraid he’s all yours.”

Brittany couldn’t believe what she’d heard, and apparently neither could Ethan. “You’re what?” he roared.

“You heard me,” she snapped, “but let’s go inside so the neighbors aren’t treated to an earful.”

She wrestled a high chair out of the van and carried it up the driveway, followed by Ethan carrying Danny. Neither Brittany nor Nate knew what to do, but they finally grabbed some boxes and brought up the rear.

Back inside the house Ethan picked up a folded playpen and led the way down the hall to the family room. The others put down their burdens and followed. When they reached their destination Ethan put the youngster on his feet and Danny immediately took off running from table to sofa to chair, all the while squealing with delight.

“This room has been pretty much childproofed,” Ethan said. “I’ll let him run around for a while, but we can put him in the playpen if he starts getting into things.”

Hannah slumped down on the sofa with a sigh. Even in jeans and no makeup she looked like a model. Her complexion was radiant and her short, blunt-cut hair was blond with golden highlights.

“I need a drink,” she announced. “I’ve been going at top speed all day and still I’m nowhere near ready.”

“Ready for what?” Ethan demanded. “What’s this nonsense about moving to Chicago? I’m telling you right now, if you’re planning to transfer up there, forget it. I’ll never give my permission for you to take Danny so far away.”

She shrugged. “I’m not asking you to. I can’t take him with me. I’ve been offered one of those once-in-a-lifetime promotions, but I’ll have to headquarter out of the Chicago office. Also I’ll be traveling a lot, both national and international. So, I’m leaving Danny with you. You’ve always complained that you don’t get to see enough of him.”

She straightened up and looked around. “Where’s my drink? Surely one of you big strong men can fix me a margarita.”

“I’ll do it,” Nate volunteered, then looked at Brittany. “Come with me and I’ll show you where the liquor cabinet is.”

She already knew where the liquor was kept, but she also realized that she had no business standing around eavesdropping on the Thorpes’ private conversation.

A hot flush stained her cheeks and she hurried along beside Nate on their way to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry you had to hear all that,” he said gruffly. “When those two start having at it, things can get pretty heated.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” Brittany corrected him. “I should have left the minute Ethan got home. It’s just that everything happened so fast—Where does Ms. Thorpe work?”

“She’s a big shot in a company that manufactures computer parts, and she’s determined to break through the glass ceiling and make it all the way to the top. And don’t apologize,” Nate said. “I’m glad you stayed. Do me a favor and don’t leave yet.”

Brittany blinked. “But all this is really none of my business—”

“Don’t be too sure,” Nate said as they reached the kitchen. “Ethan’s gonna need help tonight, and much as I love my frisky little grandson I can’t keep up with him.”

Nate retrieved the key to the liquor cabinet from its hiding place in a drawer, opened it and fixed Hannah’s drink. “My sons think I don’t know how infirm I am and I let ’em believe that, but I do know. I won’t risk lettin’ little Danny get hurt or lost because I had one of my spells of confusion when I was supposed to be watchin’ him.”

He finished mixing the cocktail and picked up the glass. “I’ll pay you overtime, of course.”

Brittany noticed that his hands were shaking and she silently but firmly took the glass from him before it spilled. This was a sign that his blood sugar was low and it was imperative that he eat something.

“Of course I’ll stay if you want me to,” she assured him, “but as a friend, not a nurse. There will be no talk of paying me overtime. Now, get a peach out of the fridge and eat it while I take this drink to Ms. Thorpe.”

He smiled. “You’re a sweet girl—uh, I mean woman. Sorry, I forgot—”

She felt a rush of affection much as she would feel for a grandfather if she still had one.

“That’s all right.” There was a catch in her voice. “I’ll make an exception for you. You may call me a girl anytime you want to.”

She turned and walked toward the family room.

As she got closer she heard Ethan and Hannah arguing. “There’s no way I can take Danny full-time on such short notice,” Ethan said angrily. “You might at least have given me a few weeks’ warning.”