Читать книгу The Nanny Who Kissed Her Boss - Barbara McMahon - Страница 7

DECLAN stared at the doorway after Savannah left. He was surprised she’d agreed to proceed. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d refused outright.

Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, he looked at the stack of reports in front of him. Not that he saw them. Instead, images of Savannah danced in front of his eyes. Her laughter that time they’d taken the paddle boat around the lake at St. Anne’s. The way her eyes grew a deeper blue when he kissed her. The evenings they’d made dinner together, stopping between tasks to kiss, touch, promise silently that even more would come later.

The worst mistake of his life had been turning his back on Savannah, thinking he and Margo could make a marriage just for Jacey’s sake.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected when he saw Savannah again, but it hadn’t been that mature sophisticated businesswoman instead of the fun-loving student on the brink of life.

It looked as if she’d succeeded. He’d learned a lot about her business, but nothing about the woman. What had she been doing these past seven years beyond Vacation Nannies?

Did she have a boyfriend?

The thought twisted his gut.

He had no rights. Any he’d had years ago he’d forfeited when he’d told her goodbye.

“You need to do what you need to do and have no regrets,” she’d said at that coffee shop when he’d told her he was breaking it off with her to remarry Margo.

He wished he could have lived with no regrets.

The past was past. Now he needed her in a different way—to help with his daughter.

He remembered Vacation Nannies’ office manager telling him the nanny had to approve the children or they would not take the job.

He hoped Jacey would behave. He needed someone to be there for his daughter when he had to work. He’d know by tomorrow shortly after ten.

The next morning Declan was up early and back at work to finish up loose ends before the trip. His housekeeper was with Jacey. She herself would be taking a vacation while he was gone. Had she been a younger woman, he would have prevailed on her to go with them to California. But, in her late fifties, she was not interested in backpacking in the mountains.

His vice president would be in charge of the business for the next few weeks. Declan knew he’d do a good job. It was hard to leave with so many different irons in the fire, but he was determined that while Jacey was with him, he’d do what he could to get his daughter comfortable around him. He wanted his sweet little girl back.

The trip was not all about bonding with Jacey. He was interested in adding an entirely new direction to the company. The fact he was combining business with their time away was prudent. He’d show his daughter some of what he did for a living, thus correlating work with earning money. Her mother was filling her head with an entitlement attitude that drove him crazy. Nothing in life came free.

Some things came with a steep price. He thought about Savannah and couldn’t help but feel a stirring of anticipation. He’d see her soon. He had told Jacey about hiring a nanny and hoped she’d behave.

He’d forgotten over the past seven years how pretty Savannah was. Or had he deliberately suppressed the memory? He’d genuinely tried to make the marriage work. It took two, however, and Margo’s agenda had been different from his.

Marrying Margo a second time had been a huge mistake almost from the beginning. Granted, she was stunning. Long dark hair, mysterious eyes, a sly, catlike smile. He’d been captivated the first time around. If she’d told him she was pregnant before they’d divorced, he might have stayed in the marriage. She was high maintenance from the get-go, always wanting to party, to be seen in all the trendy places, to acquire clothes and jewelry and anything else that could be construed as a status symbol. Nothing had changed the second time they married. She’d hired a housekeeper and fobbed Jacey’s care off on her.

But she hadn’t told him. They’d divorced and he’d met Savannah.

She’d been a small-town girl, new to New York and focused on the business idea she and her sister had of nannies for vacations only. He’d never felt so young and carefree as he had in the months they were together. That time still remained a special memory.

She’d been the first person he’d thought about when he decided to take Jacey backpacking in the wilderness. Savannah was no longer a shy country mouse. From her hair to her attire to her attitude, she was just what he wanted Jacey to be like when she grew up. Trendy without being over the top. Confident, assured, pleasant.

And she probably hated his guts.

He stared at the numbers in the reports he was skimming. None of them made any sense. All he could see was the cool manner in which Savannah had deliberated before giving him an answer. Her final agreement was predicated on her meeting with Jacey going well.

He checked his watch. Time to head for home. What wasn’t done wouldn’t get done. The world wouldn’t end.

Jacey was watching television when he entered his flat a short time later. Mrs. Harris, his housekeeper, was sitting with his daughter, crocheting. Jacey looked up and then deliberately looked back at the television without any greeting.

He had to admit the all-black attire, the dark circles around her eyes and the straight, flat black hair had taken him aback when Margo had brought her by unexpectedly a week ago. Where was the sunny smile Jacey had had when she was younger? The enthusiasm she’d evidenced when she saw him? She used to run to hug him.

“Hi, Jacey,” he greeted her, going across the room to give her a kiss on her cheek.

She pulled back and glared at him. “When’s the babysitter coming? I called Mom. She’ll want to know you plan to pawn me off on some stranger.”

“Since your mother didn’t consult me at all about this summer, I suspect she’ll be happy enough to go along with what I have planned. I thought she was in the Hamptons.”

Mrs. Harris, his housekeeper, rose and smiled at her employer. “I’ll just finish up in the kitchen,” she said and took off without even a glance at Jacey. She did not like confrontations and there’d already been a couple of major storms since the evening Margo had arrived unexpectedly with Jacey, announcing she had plans for the summer and Declan could take a turn with his daughter.

Declan rarely saw Jacey. While he had visitation rights, Margo had demanded full custody. And many of the times he’d planned to see his daughter, Margo had had other plans and couldn’t have Jacey spend time with him.

“She has a life, too, you know,” Jacey said. “She has a hard time making ends meet. She’s going to petition for more child support. And I think you could help out your only child. It’s tough living in New York on a small salary.”

He looked at her, hearing Margo’s voice in his child’s words.

“I send more than adequate child support. If she wishes to challenge it in court, maybe we should consider you coming to live with me. That way all her money could go straight to her own needs.”

“I don’t want to live with you. I’m stuck here this summer when I could be going to the Hamptons with Mom’s friends.”

He smiled without humor. “Yet your mother brought you here.”

Jacey frowned. The fact was she was as angry with her mother as much as with Declan. He was angry with Margo for putting such ideas in his daughter’s head. If he could audit his ex-wife’s finances, he knew he’d find more of the support money was spent on Margo than on his daughter. He knew how much he sent each month. He doubted Jacey saw much of it, however. Margo had always been high maintenance.

Jacey pouted and looked away, studying the toes of her black shoes. “I wish I was at home.”

“What do you normally do at home?” he asked easily.

“Hang out with my friends, for one thing.”

“Maybe when we get back from California we can see about having some come over here. Or you can visit.”

“It’s not like I can walk there.”

“I’ll provide transportation.”

“Whatever.”

“Until then you have San Francisco, then backpacking in the High Sierras to look forward to. Remember how we used to go camping?”

“Oh, pul-ease, not camping. I was a kid then. What did I know? When I hear California I think beaches in LA, maybe go to Hollywood, see something worth seeing.”

“I understand the views from the Pacific Crest Trail in Yosemite are amazing.”

The doorbell sounded. Declan took a breath. Make-or-break time.

Jacey looked at the door but didn’t move.

He rose and went to open it. Savannah stood there. Today she wore a light blue silk blouse that made her eyes shimmer. Her slim white pants showed her shapely figure. He wished she’d at least smile at him instead of looking like someone going to a funeral.

Jacey came to Declan’s side and looked at Savannah.

“Are you the babysitter?” she asked rudely.

“I’m a certified nanny, but you can call me a babysitter if you think that fits better,” Savannah said calmly.

Jacey looked at Savannah and then at her dad. “Did you hire her for me or you?” she asked.

“That’s enough,” Declan snapped out. “Come in, please, Savannah. As you probably guessed, this is my daughter, Jacey.” He turned to Jacey and introduced Savannah.

“If she’s going, I’m not. I’m calling Mom.” Jacey turned and went back to the sofa, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. She glowered at both her father and Savannah.

Savannah sighed softly. She really didn’t need another assignment that didn’t go well. Her last one had been enough to drive a saint crazy. And she wasn’t anywhere near being a saint. While her gaze was focused on Jacey, she was very aware of the girl’s father standing near enough that she caught a whiff of his aftershave, which spiraled her right back to when she’d been close enough to nuzzle his neck and be flooded with sensations of scent and touch.

Still, having come this far she felt obligated at least to give this interview a fair shake. Trying to ignore Declan, she put herself in Jacey’s shoes. She found a bit of empathy. Teen years were hard. Being shunted back and forth between parents was hard. And if Jacey’s mother was allowing her to dress like this, she wasn’t getting a lot of parental guidance at home.

She sat on one of the chairs, looking at Jacey as the girl stared back at her.

Declan stood nearby. “Does anyone want something to drink?”

“Like what?” Jacey asked.

“Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, a soft drink?”

“I’ll have coffee,” Savannah said.

“I don’t want anything,” Jacey growled.

“I’ll be right back,” Declan said and disappeared into the kitchen area. Suddenly she felt sorry for Declan. He appeared to be trying so hard. Faced with the rebellious teen before her, Savannah knew he’d be in for a bumpy road.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Jacey said defiantly.

Savannah took the time to study the girl while she tried to come up with an answer. Jacey could be really pretty if she’d wash her face and wash out whatever dye she’d used on her hair. And put on a colorful shirt. Black leached the color from her skin.

“I’m sure your father knows best,” she ended up saying.

“I’m not going.”

“Oh? Have the plans changed?”

Jacey frowned. “I don’t think my mom’s going to let me go to California.”

Declan returned, carrying a tray with two mugs of coffee. He glanced between the two and then placed the tray on a table. “You like it black,” he said to Savannah, handing her the cup.

Jacey looked at her father with suspicion.

“Jacey says she isn’t going on the trip,” Savannah said, taking the cup and meeting Jacey’s gaze over the rim.

“Well, Jacey’s wrong. She’s not only going, she’s going to have a great time,” he said, sitting on another chair facing the sofa.

“When Mom calls back and I tell her what you want to do, she’ll come get me.”

Savannah watched as she sipped her coffee. Here was a very frustrated, unhappy young person anxious to make things go her way, and they weren’t going to. What could she do to distract her? Get her off that line of thinking and on to exploring the possibilities the summer offered?

Jacey faced her father defiantly. “She’ll be calling soon.”

“Honey, your mother said when she brought you here that she wants you to spend the summer with me. I want you to have a good time. But if you decide to make it painful, so be it. We’re still going to California, all three of us.”

“Did you tell her we’ll be shopping in San Francisco?” Savannah asked. She looked at Jacey. “I’ve been to the City by the Bay before. It’s a fabulous place. They have the crookedest street in the world there. Yummy seafood at the wharf. And the stores are to die for.”

“Manhattan has the coolest stores,” Jacey said, not at all interested.

“Other places can be cool, too, if you give them a chance,” Declan said.

“I hate you!” Jacey jumped up. “Mom said you were always difficult. She was right!”

She ran from the room. A moment later a door slammed.

Savannah looked at Declan. “That went well,” she said. “Not. Is she always like that?”

“Before Margo brought her over the other day, I hadn’t seen her since April. The hair and makeup is new since then. I think today was a new high in rudeness. Or maybe I mean a new low. With that attitude, we’re all going to be miserable.”

He looked at her. “You’re still going, right? I know you have the right to refuse, but see her for what she could be, not how she’s acting today.”

Savannah hesitated. She was a professional and knew she was good at her job. But this assignment would be more difficult than any other she’d had. Not only was the child rebellious and going through a definite Goth stage, Savannah was having trouble not focusing on the man sitting across from her.

“I could try it. If nothing else, I’ll stick through the San Francisco portion. If it is untenable you’ll be on your own for the hiking part. But you’d be with her there and really not need a nanny.”

He nodded. “I can handle that. It’s not what I want, but if it’s the best you’ll offer, I’ll take it. And hope you change your mind by the time we leave San Francisco.”

“We don’t always get what we want,” Savannah said, rising. “I’ll meet you at the airport on Monday. What airline and flight? I imagine the next few days will prove challenging.” In more ways than dealing with his daughter.

“I think getting her away from her mother will be the best thing for her. I haven’t told her yet there’s no cell service in the mountains,” Declan said, his expression one of bewilderment and frustration.

“Won’t that be fun when she finds out,” Savannah said. She studied Declan, seeing his frustration beneath everything. It would prove interesting to see how he handled his daughter.

Savannah hadn’t known her own father; he’d died when she was very little. But she’d have loved to have had a father like Declan, good-looking, successful and obviously concerned about his daughter.

Suddenly she hoped the trip would go as planned for his sake.

She walked to the door as he rose and followed her. She could almost feel the vibrations between them. Time and distance—that’s what she needed.

He looked at her and caught her gaze, lifting an eyebrow in silent question.

She looked away, too many memories.

“We leave from JFK at ten, arrive in San Francisco shortly after noon.” He gave her the airline and said he could have a car pick her up.

“Not necessary, I’ll be there.”

She reached the door and ventured one more look at him. “Strictly business, right, Declan?”

“Absolutely. Do you want to go over the itinerary before you go?” he asked.

Savannah hesitated again, then shrugged. “I guess.” Every instinct clamored for her to leave, but curiosity got the better of her.

“I have brochures and maps on the dining-room table,” he said. “Jacey, come in here, please. I want to show you something.”

Jacey came out of her room by the time Savannah was seated. A couple of maps were spread out on the table, a scattering of brochures nearby. Jacey sat opposite Savannah while Declan took the head seat.

“We’ll fly to San Francisco Monday. We’re staying right in the heart of the city. I’ll take you both with me to check in with the store and get our hiking gear. Want to do anything special after that?” he asked Jacey.

When she merely shrugged, he turned to Savannah.

“There’s so much to San Francisco. I think Jacey would enjoy the wharf, especially Pier 39. Then there’s the crookedest street in the world, everyone should see that. We can walk down or drive, it’s like a corkscrew. Chinatown’s fun. And we have to ride the cable cars.”

She tried to put as much enthusiasm into the suggestions as she could. She watched Jacey as she spoke, wondering if anything would spark her interest.

“There’s also some fabulous shopping around Union Square,” she added.

“New York has fabulous shopping,” Jacey spoke up.

Savannah nodded. “If you know where to shop.”

“You don’t like my clothes?” Jacey immediately took up the challenge.

“Not at all,” Savannah said.

Declan frowned at her.

“What? I’m supposed to pretend I do when I don’t? One thing I insist upon is absolute honesty with children,” Savannah said. Time this teen learned not everyone would kowtow to her behavior.

“If you’re so honest why not say you’re interested in my dad and that’s why you’re going?”

Savannah burst out laughing. “Oh, no, you have that wrong. I’m the reluctant one on this trip”

Jacey looked at Declan, her expression puzzled. “Why?”

“Various reasons. Anyway, I’ll be glad to show you some of the attractions in San Francisco while your father’s working. You can pick or I will,” Savannah said.

“Whatever,” Jacey mumbled, staring at the map.

“So we buy lots of stuff at your San Francisco store,” Savannah said, changing the subject and looking at Declan. “I have my own boots. I don’t need new ones. But a few new tops and cargo pants wouldn’t hurt.”

“I don’t have anything like that. I don’t want to go hiking,” Jacey said.

“We’ll have a couple of days in San Francisco, and we’re ending the trip at a resort in the mountains. You’ll need clothes for that, too,” Declan said.

Jacey looked bored, her gaze on the map in front of her.

Savannah nodded at the maps. “Show us where we’ll be hiking.”

Declan rose and leaned over the map of California, showing where San Francisco was and Yosemite National Park. He drew a marker along the Pacific Crest Trail showing where it became the John Muir Trail in Yosemite.

“It’s a high elevation,” Savannah murmured, following as he pointed it out.

“Some of it’s above ten thousand feet. And we’ll have higher peaks surrounding us.”

“Where are we staying?” Jacey asked, leaning forward to look.

“Camping out on the trail. We’ll backpack our stuff—clothes, tent, sleeping bags, food, everything. This is true wilderness. But the resort is here,” Declan said, pointing to a spot on the map not too far from Yosemite National Park.

Jacey pulled out her cell phone to check it. “Mom should be calling me,” she said.

“Maybe your mother has already started her summer,” Declan said.

“What does that mean?” she asked suspiciously.

“She obviously had plans this summer that didn’t include you. Why else would you be here for three months?”

“She likes to have me there.”

“I know she does. But she’s an adult and would like some time to herself,” Declan said.

“She can’t do much. She has to work all the time. We don’t have money for extras,” Jacey said.

“I have to work,” he said easily.

“Most people on the planet have to work,” Savannah added. Wow, Margo had done a number on this child. Money wasn’t that important in the greater scheme of things. Family, friends, experiences, all went together to make a rich, fulfilling life. Money helped, but there was more to life than money.

“You’re rich, you could do more for us,” Jacey said to her father, ignoring Savannah.

“What more do you want, Jacey?” he asked, looking directly at her.

“We’re always pinching pennies,” she grumbled.

“I send your mother a lot of money each month. It’s supposed to all go for you. What’re you lacking that my generous child support doesn’t provide?” he asked.

“I didn’t go skiing with my friends in February. Mom said we didn’t have enough money and you wouldn’t give her any more.”

“You’re old enough to understand a few things,” Declan said. “First we’ll discuss the money I send.” He told her how much money he sent each month. Judging from the way Jacey’s eyes widened, she’d had no idea. “Granted, some of it goes to supplement the rent and food and basic expenses like that. But if your mother managed the money well, there’d be plenty for extras like a ski trip in February. And, by the way, this is the first time I’ve heard about that.”

“It’s expensive to live in New York,” Jacey said.

“Your mother’s not managing the money I’m sending. Next time something like that comes up, call me directly. I’ll consider paying for the trip.”

“Mom needs money this summer,” she said.

“Now isn’t that interesting? I continue to pay the same amount every month, no reduction for the time you stay with me.”

Declan glanced at Savannah who was watching the interchange closely. He disliked airing dirty laundry in front of strangers, not that she was a stranger precisely, but he didn’t know her now. She’d changed over the years. He hadn’t a clue what she was thinking. Probably that all his problems served him right. He’d made a major mistake and could never forget that.

“So we leave in two days,” she said, trying to change the subject.

He nodded, suddenly wondering if his idea had been such a good one after all. Jacey was behaving worse than he’d expected. He hoped their time together would prove beneficial.

What really startled him was the anticipation he felt at the thought of spending the next three weeks with Savannah Williams. She’d done nothing even to hint she wanted to resume a friendship, much less anything more. And he couldn’t blame her. Looking back, he’d shattered something precious.

No one could go back to the past. Knowing what he now knew, he’d have held on to Savannah for all he was worth.

What would it be like to take this trip with her? What if they could have taken it alone? Spend days hiking spectacular country and then nights with nothing but the starry sky overhead and endless miles of empty land surrounding them? He knew the reality of their trip would be different, but, for a moment, he almost pretended.