by Bella Grant
“Thanks, Henry.”
When he left and I followed Jarrod along the hall and down a corridor, I couldn’t resist asking, “Wow, which century did you have to time travel to pick up that butler?”
Jarrod threw his head back and laughed, the sound booming across the corridor and filling me with unexpected warmth. “Now I can see why the kids said they preferred you to Pearl.” He grinned at me.
“They did?” I asked in surprise, pleased by the statement.
“Well, Pearl is not exactly the wifely—I mean motherly type.”
We stopped at the same room I had been in when I’d taken the wrong turn the day of the interview. He pushed the door open and gestured for me to precede him inside. The two girls sat on the carpeted floor, muddling through a jungle puzzle. They paused and looked up at us.
“Girls, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Jarrod said quietly. They both scrambled to their feet, standing side by side and holding hands. “This is Ms. Snow, your new nanny,” he explained further. “She will be living here and taking care of you. I hope you’ll be well-behaved for her. Laurel, this is Anabelle and Isabelle.”
I made a mental note to remember the girls. Anabelle was the one who seemed to be in control the day we’d met. The other one, Isabelle, was more curious. She darted glances at me as her father introduced us.
“Hello,” I greeted them. “Would you like some help with your puzzle?”
“I had thought to show you to your rooms first,” Jarrod told me. “You don’t have to start working this exact minute. You can settle down for the day.”
I waved him off and dropped to the floor where the girls had been sitting around the puzzle. “I like a good puzzle,” I told him. “You can show me the room later.”
“Uh…okay, if you’re sure.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Come on Ana, Isa, let’s see if we can muddle through this together.”
I held out my hands to them, and although they didn’t take them, they did move over to sit once again. I ignored Jarrod and focused on the twins. This was what I was there for, after all. Not to spend time with the man but with his daughters.
“Now what are we supposed to be forming?” I asked the girls, even though I could see it was a jungle of some sort with a lion in the middle.
“It’s a jungle,” Isabelle replied softly.
“Ah, that makes sense,” I reported. “How silly of me not to have noticed, right?”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jarrod leave, and I breathed easier. The man stole some of the oxygen from me when he was close.
“Where do you think this piece would fit?” I asked the kids.
I did most of the talking, but they co-operated, fitting pieces once we discovered them. They were a bit stiff at first but relaxed as the pieces were put together and the lion was formed. It did take several minutes to fit everything together, but when we did, their eyes held triumph and they both held a hint of a smile.
“Whew! That was hard work,” I declared. “You’re better at this than I am. What do you want to do now? How about we check out what’s on the TV?”
They shrugged but their eager eyes gave me the answer I sought. I walked over to the huge television and retrieved the remote control. I managed to turn it on, but beyond that, I had no idea what to do. I was used to a television that you turned on and then flipped through the channels. Apparently, on this, I had to go through access, there were several apps, and I was completely lost.
“Do you know how to work the TV?” I asked them, and they shook their heads bleakly. I looked at them in surprise. “You’ve never watched the TV?”
I spun around the room and took another look at the state of the art TV, tablets, laptops, even the bleak look of the room. This wasn’t a room designed for kids. We would have to work on this room if the girls were to enjoy it.
Chapter 12
Jarrod
Laurel’s pleasant voice trailed after me to the office. I closed the door, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Anabelle and Isabelle would be okay in her care, I was sure of it. She could have taken the day off as I had suggested, but she hadn’t. She had delved right into her task—getting to know the twins and bonding with them.
I didn’t feel so guilty anymore about the conference I’d confirmed I would attend tomorrow. This would be my first time traveling across state since the girls came to live with me, and I had flirted with the idea of calling in my regrets—especially with a new nanny about. But this could be the opportunity for her to forge a bond with the girls while I was out of the house.
I retrieved the contract on the desk and flipped through the pages. My lawyer had made the revisions, and it was now ready for her to sign. I still didn’t agree with the clause that made it possible for her to walk away from our agreement, but I was willing to go out on a limb because my gut instincts said I wasn’t wrong about her. My fortune had come from my gut instincts on the market, so I tended to listen to it.
The ringing of my cellphone pierced my thoughts. I retrieved it and answered, noting it was Pearl. She was responsible for booking us a stay for the couple days we’d be away for the conference and was more than likely calling about the details.
“Pearl, are we all set?” I asked, getting straight to the point. Since her outbursts the past few weeks, I limited my contact with her to only the business at hand.
“Hello, Jarrod,” she replied. “Yes, we are set to leave at four this evening. We’ll be staying at the Courtleigh Hotel where the conference will be held, so it’s very convenient.”
“Okay, good. I’ll meet you at the airport.” A knock sounded at the door, and I covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “Come in.”
“Excuse me?” Pearl asked from the other end of the line just as Laurel entered the room. I signaled to her that I was on the phone and would be with her in another minute.
“I’ll see you at the airport,” I told Pearl.
“Jarrod, is something wrong?” she inquired.
“No, everything is fine. See you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
I hung up and inclined my head to Laurel. “You’re not ready to run off on us already, are you?”
She approached the table and I gestured for her to sit. She did so in the chair opposite me. “Not likely,” she replied. “Your daughters are quite lovely. Unusually silent, but I’ll get them talking soon.”
“Good, then if you’re not running off, here’s the revised contract for you to sign.”
She took the contract from me and placed it in her lap, dismissing it. “There’s something else I need to talk about,” she stated.
“Oh?” I stiffened, wondering if the girls had revealed anything to her. I should explain everything to her, but I hadn’t worked up the courage as yet.
“I’d like to change the television in the rec room,” she disclosed.
“What’s wrong with the one that’s there?” I queried. “That’s the best television you’re going to find on the market, and I doubt the girls have used it yet.”
“Exactly!” She snapped her fingers at me. I couldn’t remember anyone snapping their fingers at me. “The television is not appropriate for their age.”
“What do you mean, not appropriate?”
“I couldn’t even figure out how to use the thing!” she exclaimed, “much less those two girls. You never realized they weren’t watching the television? Kids love television. That right there should have been a red flag.”
Guilt overcame me at her words. This was exactly why I needed someone else around. I didn’t know anything about kids and didn’t pay as much attention as I should.
“I didn’t know,” I said gruffly. “That’s why you’re here. To find out these things and make it better for them.”
She scowled blackly at me. “Jarrod, they need a father too.”
Her criticism hurt. “I didn’t hire you to question my parenting capabilities,” I said sharply. “I know my shortco
mings and I’m trying to make up for them. You’re here, aren’t you?”
“But it’s imperative—”
“I’ll have Henry look into a credit card for you with my bank,” I informed her, interrupting whatever she was about to say. “You can use it to purchase anything the children need. Of course, I don’t expect you to spend any of your personal money on my children.”
“Jarrod, they—”
“Is there anything else you noticed they needed?” I interrupted again, steering the conversation away from my parenting skills, which was what she wanted to talk about.
“Well, I think the gadgets are good to keep them abreast with technology,” she admitted, though a bit grudgingly. “However, no one has taught them how to use them. I’ll take care of it, though.”
“Good. Now, I’ll be away for two days,” I told her, avoiding her eyes so I didn’t catch her expression. “I’ll leave today at three and will be back Monday evening.”
“But I just got here,” she protested in alarm. “I don’t know anything about the them. Maybe you can tell me what they like to eat, to do. Stuff like that.”
My face was strained, and I imagined I looked quite pale at the questions she asked. “I don’t know,” I admitted, scrubbing my face with my hands. “I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, Laurel, but…I-I didn’t know about Anabelle and Isabelle until a couple months ago—when their mother died and I assumed custody of them.”
Her eyes registered curiosity. “No, you didn’t mention that at all. I understand now.” She rose, clutching the contract to her. “I’ll read through this while you’re away and have it signed by the time you return Monday.”
I nodded. “Laurel, thanks for showing an interest in the girls. I know I’m paying you for this, but your genuine concern for their wellbeing makes me feel better about their care.”
“We’ll talk some more about it when you return,” she stated, advancing towards the door. “Have a good trip.”
“Thank you, and you have my cell number. If you need anything at all that Henry can’t assist you with, don’t hesitate to call.”
When she left, I slumped back in my chair with a groan. The worst feeling in the world was knowing I was a horrible father. But I was doing something about it. Anabelle and Isabelle would have someone decent to care for them and that was much more than I could give myself. I never wanted to be a father, and now that I was, I did not know how to assume the role. I was awkward around my daughters and wanted to run each time they seemed to struggle with what to call me. They never called me Dad, which was just as well because I hadn’t been a dad to them.
I busied myself going through my presentation for the following day in DC before I packed a small bag. On the way up the stairs, I checked the playroom discreetly and found Laurel and the girls on the computers. She was stooped between them, instructing them on one thing or another. I stared at the two dark heads and her fair one—soon to be my wife and kids.
My heart lurched in my chest at the possessive thought, and I stepped back quickly, closing the door. Where did that pique of interest come from? Laurel was here for the kids. Whatever intimacy I may have need for would be sought elsewhere as I would not muddy our arrangement with sex.
I packed and called my driver to pick me up at the front door in five minutes before returning to the rec room.
“You did it! That’s amazing!” I walked in on Laurel praising Isabelle and giving her a swift hug. They still sat before the computer and were engaged in a game. Anabelle had earphones in and watched a cartoon from Netflix on her laptop. I glanced from them to the computer and felt stupid. All this time, I had wondered why they didn’t use the gadgets, and the answer had been so simple. Laurel had found it after less than an hour of being there.
I said a hasty and awkward goodbye to them, advising Laurel when she was ready to see her room, Henry would show it to her. The twins barely managed a goodbye before I left. I couldn’t help feeling like I shouldn’t be going, but what would I do if I hung around? Better to get out of their hair.
The ride to the private airfield took fifteen minutes from the estate, and when I arrived at my private jet, Pearl was waiting for me. I never flew commercial but had my own jet designed for comfort, luxury, and rapid relief. It also beat going through regular security checkpoints.
“Where are the kids?” Pearl asked, pausing our discussion about the presentation.
“Home,” I replied. “Laurel is with them, so they’ll be fine. I think I’ll hold off on further out-of-town conferences for a while.”
“Why? I thought the whole purpose of getting a nanny was to free up your time so you could get back to business.”
“But it can’t be business as usual anymore,” I returned. “I’ll no longer be only a businessman. I’m also a father, and I should play a part in their lives.”
“And you are. What do you think all the things you made me buy them was about?”
“Those are material things,” I tried to explain to her. “They couldn’t even use the television. I’m getting them a new one. Laurel is.”
“And I suppose Laurel will want to keep that one in her room?” Pearl asked.
I shrugged, not caring one way or the other. “She can have it if she wants it, although she already has a television in her private sitting room. Now, let’s go back to this presentation.”
I removed Laurel effectively from the conversation and returned our attention to the reason we were there together. A chauffeured car picked us up at the airfield in DC and transferred us to the hotel. Grateful to arrive at the Courtleigh, I was tired and confused when the lady at the front desk handed over a pair of the same room keys.
“Shouldn’t there be another set of keys?” I asked the receptionist. “We booked two rooms.”
“Uh…there’s only one room booked,” the receptionist answered, checking her computer screen again. “I see here a room for Mr. Jarrod Simpson, deluxe suite for two persons.”
“That’s absurd!” Pearl protested, stepping up beside me. “I booked two deluxe rooms.”
“I’m really sorry, ma’am, I only see the one recorded.”
I was tired, needed a rest, and wanted to call the house and check on Laurel and the kids. I couldn’t handle trying to decipher who was at fault.
“May we have another room?” I requested.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we’re currently booked at the moment because of the convention,” the woman replied. “Perhaps you can try the Willard.”
“There must be a room available,” Pearl pressed. “We’ll pay more for it. We work together and we’re here for the conference. We need to stay in the same hotel so we can go through some work.”
“We really are full, miss. There’s not even one room available.”
I swore beneath my breath. “I guess we’ll have to share a room,” I told Pearl. “We’re both adults here. Let’s go.”
Chapter 13
Laurel
Peeking into the bedroom, I confirmed Ana and Isa were asleep and closed the door. Today wasn’t a bad day, after all. They were still shy and responded reluctantly, but they didn’t argue when I informed them it was time for bed and didn’t make a fuss when I established it was time to put away the tablets they were now fascinated with and have dinner.
As I strolled to my bedroom down the hall from the room the girls shared, I tried not to judge Jarrod for his approach to his children, but I couldn’t help it. Having spent most of the afternoon with the children, it wasn’t hard to see they were neglected. They had people around them, and I noticed the housekeeper looked out for their wellbeing, coming to check on them even though I was with them, but they were connected to no one except each other.
Although Jarrod had hired me to take care of the kids, I’d be damned if I exonerated him from his fatherly duties. They were his children, and if I was going to do my job properly, I would ensure father and daughters spent ample time together and built a relationship. How aloof h
e was with them made sense when he explained he hadn’t known about them until recently.
He provided them with whatever they needed financially, but his demeanor showed he wasn’t interested in kids before the children arrived on his doorstep. And I believed the children could sense that. If he wanted a better relationship with his daughters, he would have to make an effort to show them he might not have planned for their arrival in his life, but he loved and cared for them.
As I walked into the bedroom, I heard my phone ringing. Thinking it was Mom, I rushed to get it because I’d completely forgotten to call her to let her know I’d reached the house safely. My finger hovered over the button to answer the call because it wasn’t my mother but Jarrod. Before I could swipe it, the call rang off to a missed call.
“Stupid, why are you so flustered?” I asked myself and almost dropped the phone when it rang again. I stood there with the small device in my hand before I realized it would ring off a second time if I didn’t answer. “Hello, Jarrod.”
“Laurel, sorry for calling so late,” he responded. “I meant to call you after dinner, but I got caught up with some colleagues I ran into.”
“That’s fine. I’m not in bed yet.”
An awkward silence followed my statement before he cleared his throat. “Ah…well, I was calling to check on the kids. How was the day?”
“It was fine,” I replied.
He sighed. “That means they aren’t responding, doesn’t it?”
“No, it means they’re fine, Jarrod,” I told him and sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t expect miracles my first day. They’re both shy kids, but we’ll get there eventually.”
“There’s something I forgot to mention,” he stated. “The girls are homeschooled. Their last tutor quit and it would be good if you could find one for the rest of the term. In the meantime, do you think you could ensure their education is not being neglected?”
“They don’t go to school with other kids?” I asked in surprise. No wonder they were this shy and didn’t socialize well, but I wasn’t about to lecture him about his choices.
