by Donna Fasano
"Nana bringed present?"
Gina's bright little voice broke the tension in the air that seemed to have condensed into an impermeable fog.
The woman grinned down at the toddler, even though Katie could see that the distress never left her faded green eyes.
"Of course I did, baby," she cooed. "Does Nana ever come and visit without a present for her precious little girl?"
Gina greedily snatched at the small, brightly wrapped package.
Katie cleared her throat. "Was Jason expecting you?" she asked.
It was a perfectly legitimate question. Jason hadn't mentioned to her that company was coming. Her mind flashed to the stew simmering on the stove. She hoped there was enough to go around if Jason happened to invite his in-laws to dine with them.
"Expecting us?"
Oh, no, Katie thought. Ellen Cole's tone had tightened with enough sarcasm to tell her that the woman felt she'd definitely overstepped her bounds.
"Now, honey—" Jack Cole patted his wife's hand "—how could the girl possibly know that we live right next door?" He grinned at Katie, but his voice, too, took on an edge as he explained, "We're over here nearly every day. And seeing that we're family, we don't need an invitation."
Then he turned his attention back to Ellen. "Let's go on inside and wait for Jason." As he ushered his wife and granddaughter into the living room he said, "And I don't know about you, but I want to see Gina open her present."
Katie stood rooted to the foyer floor. This man and woman seemed downright hostile, and they didn't even know her. And they lived next door. Maybe her new world wasn't going to be as wonderful as she'd first imagined.
Ellen Cole's words replayed themselves in Katie's mind. "Does Nana ever visit without bringing a present for her precious little girl?" Jack Cole's followed close behind. "We're over here nearly every day."
If Gina's grandparents came to visit daily and brought her a present each and every time they stopped by, it was no wonder that the house looked like a toy and clothing factory. Maybe, Katie thought, she'd been hasty to blame Jason for showering his daughter with gifts that were meant to compensate for the death of her mother.
But regardless of who bought the presents, Katie mused darkly, this practice wasn't good for Gina. Not at all.
Mrs. Cole's harsh whisper wasn't lowered enough to escape Katie's attention. "But, Jack, we still don't know who she is." The woman's agitation caused her to speak so quickly that the words nearly tumbled one over the other, sort of like a high-speed pile up on an expressway. "Or what she's doing here. Especially when Jason's in the shower. Did you hear how she announced the information? Like it's an everyday occurrence for Jason to take a shower with some... some... woman in the house. I'm hurt that he never even told us he was seeing someone."
A silent gasp rushed from Katie's open mouth. No wonder Jason's in-laws had been antagonistic toward her. They were under the mistaken impression that she was dating Jason. She had to set them straight. Right now.
But before she could get from the foyer to the living room, Katie heard Ellen Cole's panicky words continue.
"It's much too soon. Don't you agree, Jack? Shouldn't Jason at least have had the common decency to warn us about—"
"Now, Ellen," her husband broke in, "let's not go jumping to conclusions."
But his placating words didn't hide the worry so obviously expressed in the man's voice. He, too, was upset by the idea that his son-in-law might be taking a personal interest in another woman.
"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Cole," Katie gently interrupted, "but I think there's something here that needs to be cleared up. You don't need to worry. You've… um, gotten the wrong idea about what's happening." Words suddenly failed her, and she found her brain spinning in a quandary as she searched for the perfect way to explain the situation.
It was evident in the way these two people were looking at her that they thought she was usurping their daughter's place or memory or something. She hated the thought that anyone would feel threatened by her presence.
But she had to be careful with Jason's in-laws' feelings. Did she admit right up front that she had just met Jason and that they did not share any kind of personal relationship? Or should she avoid that subject altogether and focus on the fact that she was just the hired help?
Finally, Katie decided that in order to totally clarify the situation, she needed to be blunt, honest and up-front. As much as was possible, anyway.
"I'm not seeing your son-in-law in any personal sense," she said, keeping her tone calm and unemotional. "You see, I'm here to take care of Gina."
"But what happened to Mrs. Haskell?" Ellen Cole demanded.
Katie shook her head. "I really don't know the specifics. All I do know is that she apparently quit early this morning."
"Oh." The woman's distressed gaze became tinged with regret. "But she seemed so perfect."
Jack Cole nodded, agreeing with his wife. "Yes, she may not have been pretty to look at, but she had seemed competent enough."
What had made Mrs. Haskell so perfect, Katie mused silently, probably had nothing to do with the woman's child-care skills. Oh, no. Mrs. Haskell probably had been old as the hills or plump as a side of beef. Katie felt certain that the only baby-sitter Ellen Cole would deem "perfect" would have to be someone who would never be noticed, physically or emotionally, by her son-in-law. It had quickly become obvious to Katie that Jason's in-laws were looking for a sitter with whom not only Gina would be safe, but Jason also. If their son-in-law stayed "safe," then so would Marie Devlin's memory.
Are you really being fair, though? she asked herself. You don't even know these people. Could it be that you're misinterpreting their intentions just as they had mistaken the situation when they first arrived?
Just as Katie was about to wipe the slate clean and give Jack and Ellen Cole the benefit of the doubt, Jason's mother-in-law opened her mouth and spewed forth a fountain of hurtful words that led Katie to believe her first impression was the right one, and that these people didn't deserve the benefit of any doubt.
"I don't like this." The small statement was laced with ugly hostility. "You're much too young and pretty to know a thing about children."
Being an optimist, Katie decided to take the woman's opinion as a backhanded compliment, rather than the out-and-out insult she knew Ellen had meant to level at her.
The woman is feeling threatened, Katie reminded herself. She wasn't entirely certain of this hypothesis; however, the tense atmosphere kept her brain in such turmoil that she knew she'd never figure it out completely until she had some quiet time to reflect. But having focused on Ellen's motivation rather than her method, Katie tried hard to conjure empathy for the woman standing before her.
"I'll be happy to tell you about my past experience with children," Katie offered gently.
"That won't be necessary."
The deep timbre of Jason's voice drew the gaze of everyone in the room.
"Daddy!"
Gina ran to her father and flung herself at his knees.
"Hey, there, pumpkin." He picked up his daughter and planted a loud kiss on her cheek.
Katie's eyes seemed riveted to Jason. He looked so different. His blue gaze was clear and alert. The dark circles that had been under his eyes earlier were gone. She'd noted his handsome face that morning, but since he'd had a good, sound sleep, she had to admit that the descriptive word he now brought to mind was more along the lines of gorgeous, rather than merely attractive.
He'd obviously just shaved, and his strong jaw looked silky smooth. Katie found herself wondering what his skin would feel like against her fingertips.
The unexpected thought made her eyes go wide. Her pulse fluttered, and she felt oddly shaken by the sight of him. In an attempt to hide her reaction to him she raised one hand, curled her knuckles and pressed them to her lips.
Even though she tried to conceal her physical response to her devastatingly handsome employer, improper images continued t
o plague her. Helplessly her gaze traveled down the length of his taut body. He wasn't wearing his uniform, but the collared cotton shirt he wore emphasized his broad, hard chest and tapered waist. The soft, worn fabric of his blue jeans fitted his muscular thighs like a second skin. Although she knew he was a police officer and that his vocation made it imperative that he remain in top physical condition, she could have been completely ignorant of what he did for a living, yet somehow know intuitively that he had a job that required a strong and able physique.
Katie couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to flatten her palms against his chest and smooth them down along his firm, flat stomach.
Her mouth grew dry as attic dust, and she felt her face suffuse with the heat. She dragged her gaze up his body to look once again on his face, and she was relieved to see his attention was centered on his in-laws, and that they had been busy saying their hellos. She darted a quick glance at the Coles, and found a great deal of solace in the fact that both Jack and Ellen seemed to be focused completely on their son-in-law.
Her salacious gawking had been safely unnoticed by anyone.
Jason greeted Jack and Ellen with a smile. Yet he was more than a little aware of the acute sadness that pervaded every cell of his body each time he saw them. His in-laws were a constant reminder of Marie. Not that that was a bad thing. Jason had loved his wife dearly, but it seemed that a day didn't go by without the Coles becoming a physical reminder that their beloved daughter had died giving him a daughter.
Of course, they never came right out and voiced the accusation. But Jason felt it just the same.
Then again, he did realize that the heavy guilt plaguing him could very well have been conjured all on his own. It might be that the blame he carried wasn't caused by the Coles, but was simply triggered by them, after being created in his own conscience, by his own memories, his own survivors guilt.
As he'd walked down the hallway, Jason had heard Ellen's sharp tone as she'd voiced the opinion that Katie wasn't experienced enough with children. Both his in-laws had nitpicked and harangued all the sitters he'd hired until, one by one, they had quit. And the women they had recommended for the job had either been too old to competently keep up with a toddler, or they simply hadn't wanted to work.
The greetings he'd exchanged with the Coles had been fraught with an underlying tension, and he'd recognized that his in-laws were upset by this change—another in a long line of changes—in babysitters for Gina.
He looked beyond Jack and Ellen to Katie. Her blond hair tumbled gracefully about her shoulders, her beautiful face was calmly composed. A lovely woman, the very picture of an angel.
Jason suppressed his smile. He couldn't help thinking of her in that heavenly manner, especially after she'd come to his rescue that morning.
Katie Smyth had been so eager for a job. And it looked as though she truly was efficient and capable. He'd noticed how clean the living room was, he'd smelled the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen as soon as he'd stepped out into the hallway, and Gina was happy and dressed… and clean. The thought made his mouth quirk. He wouldn't have Ellen saying anything that would make Katie feel unwelcome.
He understood that his mother-in-law was only concerned about her granddaughter, but he needed Katie. There was something about her... something that allowed his mind to rest easy. He'd enjoyed nine blissful hours of sound sleep—with no tossing and turning, no nightmares about Gina's safety. He hadn't experienced that in many, many months.
"Katie," he said finally, "would you be kind enough to give me a few moments alone with Jack and Ellen?"
"Certainly."
He watched her head bob, and she averted her gaze from his.
She started to cross the living room toward the hallway. "I have some things to do in my bedroom. I didn't have time to unpack today—"
"Unpack?"
Ellen's one-word question could easily have been described as a screech.
Jason cringed.
"Nana mad."
Gina's chin trembled, and automatically he reached out to comfort his daughter who had begun to whimper. Katie had stopped only inches from him and turned to look toward Ellen.
"Shhh," he crooned to Gina. "It's okay." But all the while he comforted his daughter, he was keenly aware of the mysterious and sensual scent of Katie's perfume wafting about him. Her silk blouse, and her satiny skin beneath, were scant inches from his reach. For one weird, outlandish moment, he felt a strong urge to extend his hand and run his fingertips down the warm, soft length of her arm. He shook his head to clear his brain. What the hell?
"It's okay," he repeated, this time to Katie.
Thankfully, she took his words as he'd meant them, as a gentle dismissal. Jason needed to explain the situation to Jack and Ellen, and he felt certain he would be better able to do that if he wasn't preoccupied with Katie.
Preoccupied? Wasn't that an odd word for him to be using with regard to Katie? he wondered. But he didn't have time to dwell on the thought.
"Can I take Gina with me?" Katie asked softly from the hallway. "I can surely keep her busy for a few minutes."
"Please," he told her, and he set his daughter down on the floor. "Gina, go in and help Katie."
"But," Ellen protested, the panic she obviously felt continuing to make her voice louder than normal, "she didn't open her present."
"No present. Nana mad." Gina looked concerned. Her innocent summation of the situation and big, sad-looking eyes seemed to evaporate the strain that had coalesced around them all.
Jason watched as Ellen blinked several times.
"Oh, honey," Ellen told Gina. "Nana's not angry. You go along with the babysitter now, and Granddad and I will see you in a little while."
Gina took Katie's hand, and together they disappeared around the corner.
Jason turned to his in-laws, intending to assure them of the new nanny's competence. But Jack and Ellen spoke, beating him to the punch.
"Do you think you've made a wise choice?" Jack asked.
"She can't possibly be experienced with children, Jason," Ellen added in a rush. "She's much too young. She barely looks out of her teens."
Jason sighed. He hoped he could reassure them, because the thought of losing Katie as a nanny and a housekeeper just when it looked like the woman was going to be the answer to all his problems... He sighed again.
"Listen," he said, "how about if we sit down and talk."
He indicated the couch, and he lowered himself onto the edge of his big easy chair.
Jason planned to make every effort to put their concerns to rest. He'd never gone against Ellen and Jack when they had had a problem with any of the sitters in the past. But in this case he felt he just might have to put his foot down.
* * *
Katie stayed in her bedroom with Gina for about fifteen minutes. They spent the time unpacking Katie's clothing and toiletries from her single suitcase. Getting the child involved in the chore had been easy—didn't all children thrive on praise and positive feedback? Gina's most satisfying activity had been opening the large, bottommost drawers of the dresser all by herself.
The trepidation that sat like a rock in Katie's stomach never eased. She knew the Coles didn't want her to have this job. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with how well she could or could not care for Gina. Jack and Ellen Cole didn't want her within miles of Jason. She knew that as surely as she knew her own name.
But worrying about whether they would cause her to lose her newfound position as Gina's nanny would change nothing. Katie simply had to trust in the Fates. Besides that, Jason seemed like a logical and reasonable man. He'd hired her, hadn't he? Still, she sent a quick prayer heavenward just to be safe.
When the clothes were all hung up or folded and put away, Katie decided she really should check on the stew that had been left simmering on the stove's lowest temperature. Luckily the hallway led to a back entrance to the kitchen. Of course, she had to pass the living room doorway, but Kat
ie had hurried along with Gina in hand.
"Mmm," the child commented when they reached the kitchen. "Good smell."
Katie smiled when Gina rubbed her tummy.
"Gina hungry."
"Well, that's good," Katie said. "Because dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."
Katie fastened the toddler in her high chair, a safe distance away from the oven, and gave her several books to keep her busy. Katie stirred the stew, then reached up to set the oven temperature. Then she went to the refrigerator for the round cardboard carton of biscuits she'd spied there earlier in the day. She popped the ready-made dough open, placed the rounds on a cookie sheet and slid them into the oven.
She decided that if the biscuits were ready before Jason was ready to eat, she'd simply keep them warm by tucking them in a clean and heated tea towel. That's how the kitchen staff handled such things at her home.
The salad was the only dish left to be made. She was rinsing the lettuce leaves when Jason entered the kitchen.
"Boy, that sure smells delicious," he said.
She turned to smile in response to his compliment, but she couldn't keep the anxious questions from showing in her eyes.
"It's okay," he said, obviously perceiving her concern.
But before he could elaborate, Gina's books tumbled to the floor and she was calling for her father's attention.
"Here, here. I'll get them." He went to her high chair and picked up her books. "Are you hungry?"
The toddler nodded, then looked toward the living room.
"Nana?"
"Nana will be back later," Jason assured his daughter.
It was then that Katie remembered Gina had never opened the present her grandparents had brought her. The gaily wrapped box was still sitting on Katie's bed, forgotten. Apparently, Gina was so used to receiving gifts that the specialness was gone. It seemed that all the little girl really received from the toys and games and clothes were a few minutes of initial excitement. What a sad thought.
She placed the bowl of salad on the table, surprised when Jason reached out and encircled her wrist with his warm, strong fingers. Katie stopped dead and gazed up into his eyes.
