Teresa Southwick - Marrying the Virgin Nanny / The Nanny and Me - Marrying the Virgin Nanny / The Nanny and Me

“If it closes, the kids will lose their home. And each other. Some of them are the only family they’ve got.”

Like her. He’d spent a lot of years resenting the revolving door of women through his father’s life and the fact that his mother walked out when he was barely old enough to remember her. But he never forgot the grief and anguish of wondering what he’d done to drive her away. Still, he’d never had to worry about a roof over his head or where he was going to live. Or who would take care of him because his father had secured the best help money could buy.

“You have the power to make a difference, Maggie. All you have to do is say yes.”

Her gaze jumped to his. “Why marriage, Jason? What if I just agree to stay?”

“I want a guarantee, too. Assurance that you will stay. That no one will hire you away.” And another thought struck him, this one more disturbing. “What if you find Mr. Right? What if some guy swoops in, sweeps you off your feet and marries you himself? I need stability for my son, and marriage does that.”

Jason stared at her hands, still in his. With his thumb, he brushed her left ring finger picturing another man putting an engagement ring there, the symbol of his promise to keep her forever. The idea didn’t set well.

The same instincts that made him a successful businessman should have warned him to go slowly with this proposal. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury. He needed to seal this deal now, while she was off balance. Before she had a chance to sleep on it and say no in the morning. If that happened, she’d walk out on her own terms. And he needed her to stay on his.

“I have to have your answer, Maggie. What’s it going to be? Will you marry me?”

She pulled her hands from his and folded her arms over her chest. “Jason, I just don’t—”

“As soon as you say yes, I’ll write a check to Good Shepherd with a lot of zeros on it.”

“You could stop payment,” she pointed out.

Clearly he wasn’t the only one with trust issues. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll set up an account. You can have an independent attorney look over the paperwork to make sure there’s nothing funny going on. I’ll jump through hoops if you want, but I need an answer now. Yes or no, Maggie?”

“It does feel a lot like God putting me in the right place at the right time,” she hedged.

“I’d call it a sign,” he agreed. “Are you in?”

Her beautiful eyes were full of doubt but she finally said the word he wanted to hear. “Yes.”

He held out his hand and hers was shaking when she settled it into his palm, signifying the agreement.

“Is everything ready to sign?” Jason looked across the desk at his attorney.

Blake Decker of Decker and Associates had handled his father’s third and fourth divorces, and was currently involved in financial negotiations for dissolution of property with the most recent, soon-to-be ex-wife.

“Of course it’s all ready. But a lawyer’s job is also to advise. They don’t call me counselor for nothing. I need to ask if you know what you’re doing.” The guy was in his thirties, tall, black-haired and physically fit. What women today call a hottie. And one of the city’s most notoriously marriage-phobic bachelors. “What are you thinking, man?”

“I’m marrying Maggie Shepherd. What’s your point?”

Blake leaned forward in his chair. “You’re making a legal commitment to the nanny. It’s a hell of a step to take for continuity in child care.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not taking it.” Jason knew exactly what he was doing. “But you’re entitled to your opinion.”

“My opinion is that marriage is the worst possible risk. I’ve never seen one work out.”

“With good reason. You’re a divorce attorney.”

“And I’m making an unbelievable amount of money doing what I do, which goes to what I just said. Getting married is a straight shot to legal, financial and emotional complications that you don’t need. Trust me. I’ve been through it.”

“That’s because you, along with most of the rest of the population, go into marriage with starry eyes and unrealistic expectations.”

“And you’re not?”

“Strictly business. I need someone to care for Brady. Maggie is exceptionally good at it. She’s already exceeded my expectations, and your job is to safeguard the financial part. Considering the fact that you negotiate so many breakups, I figured you were the perfect guy to draft a loophole-free prenup.”

“If you insist on going through with this, she won’t be able to touch your assets when it blows up in your face.”

“That’s not going to happen. Maggie isn’t like that.”

“That’s what all starry-eyed grooms say,” Blake pointed out.

“I’ve never had stars in my eyes.” Just the opposite. Jason figured he was born a realist and life reinforced his basic nature.

“What about emotional fallout?”

“Not a problem. We’re not in love.” He liked and respected Maggie. She was smart, funny and pretty in a pure, innocent way that was incredibly appealing. But love? Jason knew better than to go there. “We both have good reasons that don’t include a relationship. All the cards are on the table.”

“So I can’t talk you out of it?”

“No.”

“Don’t say I didn’t try.” Blake shook his head and leveled a “poor bastard” look at him, then opened the file. “I have the prenuptial agreement. And the paperwork is drawn up for a million-dollar trust. I’ll be the administrator for the funds that go to the Good Shepherd Home for Children.”

“Good.”

“Then we’re ready to get all the pertinent signatures.” Blake pushed the intercom button and asked the receptionist to send Maggie in.

Jason had the strangest sensation of wanting to leave before any papers were signed, but he was his father’s son, a witness over the years to the worst in relationship fallout that had shaped the man he was today. No way he’d take this step without safety measures in place because marriage was like sex with a condom—sometimes it breaks. He’d seen that happen, too, and Brady was the result.

But there was something inherently sweet and unspoiled about Maggie that he didn’t want tainted or shattered. Seeing the lawyer had been all about protecting his son and himself. And now he couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to protect Maggie, too, from all the sordid and sleazy aspects of why they were here.

Still, she needed money. No matter how innocent she seemed, it was always good to have safeguards in place.

Maggie and Jason sat in the back of his town car with the baby strapped in between them sound asleep. His driver was taking them to the courthouse to get married.

Married.

Margaret Mary Shepherd, abandoned baby and almost a nun, was going to marry one of Las Vegas’s wealthiest and most eligible bachelors. It was absolutely and completely surreal. Long ago she’d rigidly and deliberately put any thoughts of a wedding day out of her mind. But when rogue dreams had managed to leak through, there had always been sunshine.

Not today on her actual wedding day. It was cloudy. The forecasters were predicting rain. In the desert. It never rained in the desert. Actually, it did, but when that happened flash floods were the result.

She swallowed any misgivings and reminded herself that there was a greater good here. The home was going to get the repairs so desperately needed, and she was going to be able to stay with the baby boy she’d fallen head over heels for.

And his father?

Jason was staring out the window at the buildings going by. His profile could have been carved from any one of the rocky mountains surrounding the Vegas valley. He hadn’t said anything since leaving Blake Decker’s office. His lawyer was a very handsome man—in her opinion not as good-looking as Jason, but they said beauty was in the eye of the beholder. If that was true, it pointed to her having a crush on her soon-to-be husband. She supposed that was better than not being able to stand him.