Kate Hardy - Christmas Bride For The Boss

‘Spaghetti,’ he corrected. ‘Did you?’ He gave Sophie a speaking look.

‘She was a brilliant sous-chef, just like my niece Hattie,’ she said.

Conversation during dinner was like pulling teeth. Jamie seemed to have no idea whatsoever how to talk to his daughter. Was he just hopeless with children in general, or was there something else going on here?

Sophie did the best she could to include both of them. Once they’d eaten, she said, ‘It’s bathtime, now, Sienna. Perhaps Daddy can do your bath and read you a bedtime story while I do the washing up.’

* * *

Bathtime.

Water.

Jamie had to dig his nails into his palms as a picture flashed into his head. Fran, her golden curls wet and plastered to her head. Her face so swollen and puffy, just like her throat had been inside, so no air could get through.

Fran, dead.

He’d avoided bathing his daughter ever since, leaving the job to Cindy. Sienna looked so much like Fran that he just couldn’t handle seeing her with wet hair and getting those flashbacks, the dreams that had had him waking in tears for weeks after it had happened.

Okay, so it had been two years and anyone would think he’d come to terms with it by now—he was overreacting. But he couldn’t bear it. He just couldn’t.

And Sophie really expected him to do bathtime?

Jamie looked horrified. ‘Cindy—’ he began.

‘—isn’t here. And you have a special question to ask Sienna which needs to be with just the two of you together,’ she reminded him.

Oh, God. There was no way round this. He was just going to have to face his demons.

‘Let’s choose a story,’ he said, desperately hoping that maybe if he dragged his feet a bit, he’d either be able to think of an excuse or Sienna might decide she didn’t want a bath after all.

But it didn’t work out that way.

He had to go through with it.

He made the bath as shallow as he possibly could.

‘Cindy puts more water in—and more bubbles,’ Sienna said.

‘Well, we haven’t got time tonight,’ he said, hating himself for lying to his little girl but not wanting her to know about the nightmares in his head.

‘And she washes my hair.’

No. Just no. ‘Not tonight,’ he said. ‘And we need to talk about Sophie. Would you like her to be your nanny until Cindy’s leg is mended?’

To his relief, it headed his daughter off the subject of her bath and hairwash.

‘I like Sophie. She’s funny. And she does all the special voices in a story,’ Sienna said. ‘And she let me help her cook bisgetti. I was her sushi.’

He couldn’t help smiling at that. ‘Sous-chef.’

‘Can she stay? Please?’

‘Yes,’ he said. Even though Sophie Firth was pushing him into doing things he normally avoided. Because the alternative meant taking time off and doing everything for Sienna himself until the agency sent a replacement—which could take a couple of weeks.

He hauled his daughter out of the bath and dried her swiftly, before helping her into her pyjamas. ‘Story,’ he said. ‘And then I need to talk to Sophie.’

* * *

Jamie had gone absolutely white when Sophie had suggested that he did Sienna’s bedtime routine. What was the problem? she wondered. She was starting to think that there was more to it than Jamie being a cold workaholic. But what? She could ask him straight out, but she had the feeling he’d avoid the question. If Sienna agreed to let her stay, then maybe she’d have enough time to find out exactly what was going on—and help.

She’d just finished the washing up when he came downstairs.

‘Well, you were a hit,’ he said. ‘I asked her, and she says she’d like you to stay until Cindy comes back.’

Though she noticed he didn’t look too pleased about it.

‘So I’m looking at my new sleeping partner, then?’ she asked.

His pupils dilated slightly and she realised how her words could’ve been interpreted; she felt a tide of colour surge into her face. ‘I mean my business partner who invests but lets me get on with running things and doesn’t interfere,’ she clarified.

‘Business partner. And you’re my new temporary nanny.’

‘Right. I’m glad. Sienna’s a lovely little girl. I’m going to enjoy looking after her. So I guess your solicitors need to talk to mine about the buyout, assuming you agreed with the figures in my proposal.’

‘Uh-huh.’ He paused. ‘Plus I need to give you the car keys. Hang on a sec.’ He fished a set of keys out of a drawer and handed them to her. ‘And the spare key for the front door. I was thinking you might find it more convenient to stay here overnight in future. Cindy’s staying at her boyfriend’s flat until her leg mends, so you can use her suite—or the guest suite, if you’d prefer.’

Staying overnight? That hadn’t been mentioned before. It wasn’t part of their agreement. And she wasn’t giving him another excuse to avoid his daughter. ‘Ah, no,’ she said. ‘You’ll be getting Sienna up in the mornings. Though I’ll be here before you have to leave for work.’

He blinked. ‘But Cindy—’

‘—does things slightly differently than I would.’

‘She’s a trained nanny.’

Meaning that she was supposed to follow Cindy’s instructions? Sophie wanted to rip that ridiculous file into little pieces and jump up and down on it. ‘Well, I’m not,’ she reminded him. ‘As I said, I’ll be here before you have to leave for work.’

‘Right. And once you’ve dropped Sienna off, your day is your own until nursery school pick-up. I’ll give you the code word, and I’ll give the nursery school manager your details so she knows who you are,’ he said. ‘Would you mind if I took a photo of you for their records?’

‘Sure.’ She had something similar in place with Hattie’s nursery school.

He took a photograph of her on his phone. ‘Thank you.’

‘And you make sure you’re home in time to eat with us in the evenings.’

‘I have to w—’ he began.

‘Of course you have to work—I realise you have an empire to run.’ She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ‘But you’re the boss, so you can choose where you work. It doesn’t have to be in the office all the time. You have an Internet connection here.’ She folded her arms and gave him a challenging look. ‘So I want you here in time for dinner with us at six, and if you’re late I’ll make you eat cold, soggy, overcooked Brussels sprouts. And you won’t be able to refuse because it’ll be in front of Sienna.’

He looked utterly shocked. ‘Oh, my God. Eva didn’t tell me—’

‘—that I was even bossier than your mother?’ she finished.

His eyes widened. ‘How do you know my mother’s bossy?’

‘What’s sauce for the goose is most definitely sauce for the gander,’ she said. ‘You asked Eva about me—which meant I could ask Eva about you.’

‘I think,’ he said, ‘maybe I should have tried a different agency for Cindy’s temporary replacement.’

‘Tough. You’ve already asked Sienna and she’s made her decision.’

‘I want you to go by Cindy’s rules. Sienna needs structure and continuity.’

She needed love and laughter, too, Sophie thought, but didn’t say it. ‘Let’s try just a couple of tiny, tiny changes,’ she said. ‘Humour me. Spaghetti was all right tonight, wasn’t it?’

‘Well, yes,’ he admitted.

‘Good. Is there anything you really don’t like to eat?’

He said nothing, but she could guess what he was thinking and grinned. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t make you eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers with shaped potato products, peas and tomato ketchup. Hattie and Sam eat what Will and Mandy eat, so Sienna can eat what we eat. Plus, if she’s involved in making dinner, she’s more likely to eat it without a fuss.’