Cindy Kirk - Romancing The Nanny

“I said you need to make sure that your will names us as Emma’s guardians if anything happens to you.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me.” Dan forced a halfhearted laugh.

“We all think that,” Gwen said. “But George didn’t plan to die and neither did my daughter.”

Though Gwen had never come right out and said it, Dan knew she blamed him for Tess’s death. Tess wouldn’t have gotten pregnant a second time if he hadn’t been so adamant about wanting another child.

“I’ve already made provisions for Emma,” Dan said.

A moment of stunned silence filled the phone line.

“I’m surprised your mother would agree,” Gwen said. “What with having a new husband and all.”

“Actually my mother didn’t think she’d have the stamina for a young child.” Dan had been disappointed but he’d appreciated his mom’s candor. “A friend here in Chicago has agreed to raise Emma if something happens to me.”

After his mother had said no, Dan had approached Amy and she’d seemed touched by the offer.

“A friend?” Gwen’s voice rose. “Who is this person? Have I met him?”

Dan hesitated. Gwen had been wealthy her entire life and in her mind a nanny was a servant and as such would never be considered an appropriate guardian for her only grandchild.

“Emma belongs with family,” Gwen continued when Dan didn’t respond. It wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it that reminded him of Tess. Spunky Tess, who used to lift her chin and show him her stubborn face when they disagreed.

Some of his irritation dissolved in the remembrance. Gwen and Phil had loved their daughter and they loved Emma. Unfortunately they could be harsh and unyielding in their views and he had no doubt, given time and opportunity, they’d end up crushing Emma’s gentle spirit.

Even now, he had to monitor their interactions with his daughter. They compared Emma to Tess at every opportunity and Emma always came up lacking.

“My mind is made up,” Dan said. “I’m not going to change it.”

“Well, if anything happens, this friend of yours will have a fight on his hands.” His mother-in-law’s voice turned frosty. “We will not let our granddaughter be taken from us. And I happen to know that family is always given extra weight in custody issues.”

Dan’s knuckles turned white at her obvious disregard for his wishes.

C’mon, Dan. I know she can be difficult, but be nice to them. Please. For me.

The memory of Tess’s familiar plea stopped his sharp retort. Instead Dan forced a conciliatory tone.

“Gwen, it’s been great talking to you but I need to go.” He ignored her murmur of protest. “Be sure and tell Phil hello.”

Dan clicked off before she could get another word out. Though he had a thousand and one things to do, he didn’t move a muscle. He sat staring at the phone, cursing his mother-in-law’s high-handedness and wondering what in the world he was going to do now.

Dan sat at the kitchen table and tried to read the paper, but his gaze kept straying to Amy. She’d returned from her afternoon with Steven in a lighthearted mood. Her skin was rosy from the sun and her green eyes sparkled like emeralds. She looked, he thought, uncommonly pretty today.

When she leaned over to put the casserole in the oven, he found himself staring at her smooth thighs and the rounded curves of her breasts.

Dan inhaled a deep, steady breath. This had to stop. He really hated that his gaze lingered on those long, supple legs. And he didn’t like noticing the way her shirt clung to every curve or just how nice those curves were.

This was all Jake’s fault, he thought irritably. If he hadn’t mentioned Amy dating, Dan wouldn’t have looked at her in that way at all. For three years she’d been his daughter’s nanny. Now, all of a sudden, he’d realized she was a woman, too.

Oblivious to the turmoil her shapeliness was causing, Amy closed the lower oven door and turned. “Have I told you how much I love this double oven?”

Her cotton top accentuated her full, generous breasts, and for a fleeting moment Dan found himself wondering what she’d look like naked. His mouth went dry and it took everything he had to return her smile and concentrate on the question. “Only about a million times.”

She laughed. “I think you’re exaggerating just a bit.”

The sound of her laughter made him smile. Maybe he was exaggerating, but Dan had no doubt the reason she’d been so content in his household had a lot to do with the kitchen. Last year he’d had the entire area redone and Amy had supervised the construction. Since she used it the most, it had only made sense she should have input into the final product.

She’d been so thrilled with the results that when the last contractor had walked out the door, in a moment of pure joy she’d thrown her arms around Dan’s neck and given him a hug. He hadn’t given it a second thought. Afterward she’d been embarrassed, but he’d understood. She’d just been given her dream kitchen on a silver platter.

But it wasn’t really her kitchen, was it?

Maybe that was why Amy continued to date Steven. Amy was practical. The Lasagna Man might not make her heart beat faster—not yet anyway—but he could give her companionship and a permanent home of her own.

But so could I…

The thought surprised him. He shoved it aside but it immediately boomeranged back. This time he considered the idea. He and Amy shared many common interests and most importantly, they both loved Emma. In a way, he and Amy hooking up made its own kind of sense.

Dan glanced at his watch and headed to the back porch. When Amy got home, he’d be waiting.

Amy shifted her gaze out the window of Steven Mitchell’s lakeshore condo. The lights of Chicago blinked back at her. All evening she’d found herself mesmerized by the view.

Her lips curved up in a smile. It had been a wonderful evening, thanks to her very gracious host. She turned back to tell him that but before the words could leave her lips, Steven reached across his dining room table and took her hand.

She wasn’t surprised he’d gotten caught up in the mood. Though that’s not how it had been intended, the evening had taken a decidedly romantic turn. Crystal glittered in the candlelight and classical music in the background added to the ambience.

“Dinner was fabulous.” In the dim light, Steven’s eyes looked more black than gray. “You really outdid yourself.”

Amy resisted the urge to gently remove her hand from his grasp. It wasn’t that she minded holding hands with Steven, she just didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. After all, she’d meant it when she’d told Dan that she and Steven were merely cooking buddies. Though it was beginning to look like Steven might want more…

“Simply fabulous.” Steven breathed the words, his gaze riveted to her.

Amy forced herself to chew and swallow. She wasn’t sure why Steven was laying it on so thick but she couldn’t help but be flattered. Still she forced a nonchalant air as if having a handsome man flirt with her was an everyday occurrence.

“Beef tenderloin can be so boring.” Amy lifted the wineglass to her mouth with her free hand. “The secret is the parsley sauce with cornichons and capers.”

“You have just the right touch.” Steven’s thumb caressed her palm and Amy almost inhaled her Merlot.

What was happening? The stars definitely had to be in some kind of funky alignment. First, she’d found herself practically salivating over Dan and now Steven—who’d always respected the boundaries she’d set—seemed determined to push into new territory tonight.

Amy had the feeling she was partially to blame. Two weeks ago, when Steven had taken her to a fancy French restaurant, she’d happened to mention how tired she was of cooking the same boring meals that were Dan and Emma’s favorites. She longed to cut loose and try some fun, fancy recipes for a change.