Much as Vic dreaded it, he called the employment agency where he’d found both nannies before. They had his history in the files and were delighted to help him out again. After waiting a minute, he was told there were six women of different ages who’d applied for a nanny position. When did he want to meet them?
After some hesitation, he arranged for them to come at staggered times Monday and Tuesday after lunch. He’d be back from his therapy sessions and Jeremy would be home to meet the applicants. Claire had promised she’d be there, too, in order to help them make the final decision.
For the next while he went outside to wash his truck and car. Then he called his sister-in-law, Carol, and brought her up to date. Following that conversation, he phoned forensics to find out if they had found Jeremy’s backpack in Leroy’s truck when it had been confiscated. He was told they had it and he could come by for it at any time. He needed some good news about now and went to get it before any more time lapsed.
By the time Vic had showered and dressed, it was time to pick up Jeremy. He drove to the school and went inside to wait for him outside his classroom. The kids were finishing a math assignment. In another minute the bell would ring. His son sat at his desk with his notebook closed. If he’d finished his work, he had to be the only one.
All of a sudden he turned his head toward the door. When he saw Vic, he got up from the table and quietly walked toward him with his notebook. His teacher waved to Vic as if to say “it’s okay.”
Jeremy didn’t say anything until they were at the car. “Where’s Claire?”
“She’s out doing some shopping.” It was probably the truth, just not all of it. The time for explanation would come when they got home.
Vic knew his son was being very careful not to display emotion in front of the other kids at school, but he remained just as quiet on the way home. “Do you wish I hadn’t come to get you?” he asked.
“Kind of.”
“Because it isn’t what dads do?”
“I don’t want the kids to think I’m a sissy.”
“I get it, sport. Sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“That’s okay.”
He frowned. “Jeremy? Was it hard to be at school today?”
“Dad? Do we have to talk about it?”
Vic blinked. “Nope. What would you like to do?”
“Go home and ride Comet.”
“Want to stop and get a treat first?”
“I’m not hungry. Claire said she was going to make tacos for dinner.”
“That sounds good.”
“How come you came to get me?”
Whoa. “I’m taking a vacation from work.”
“I bet it’s because Claire is going to leave. She said she would after she graduated. Did she get a new job yet?”
His son had been doing a lot of thinking during his ordeal. What to say... “She’s being interviewed by several companies looking for a chemist.” Vic looked over at him. Tears glistened on his boy’s pale cheeks.
“I don’t want another nanny. Aunt Carol said I could live with her.”
If Vic had been shot through the heart, the shock couldn’t have been any greater.
When they reached the house, Jeremy spotted Claire’s car parked in the driveway. “She’s home!” That was joy he heard in his son’s voice. Vic followed him through the living room to the kitchen. Claire was cooking the ground beef for their dinner.
She smiled at the two of them. “I’m glad you’re home. I’ve been waiting for you. If we eat an early dinner, then we can go riding after.” She opened the fridge and handed Jeremy a cold bottle of Fanta Orange, his favorite drink. “Would you like a cola, Vic?”
“Not right now, thanks.”
Jeremy unscrewed the cap and started drinking.
“How was school?”
“It was okay. Nate is still sick.”
“Boy, he really does have the flu. I’m glad you haven’t caught it.”
“I know.”
“After you wash your hands, come and help me chop up the tomatoes and onions.”
“Okay. Be right back.”
Vic walked over to the sink to wash his hands. “Give me a job and I’ll do it.”
Without looking at him she said, “How about shredding the cheese while I cook the tortillas?”
Their little picture of domestic bliss didn’t fool anyone, particularly not Jeremy, who returned in a nanosecond and got busy dicing the vegetables on the bread board. He was good at it. Claire had taught him well.
She set the table and put out some sour cream and salsa. After slicing the avocados, she made a fruit salad and announced that dinner was ready. Vic put the bowl of cheese on the table, and then slipped out of the house to the car to retrieve Jeremy’s backpack.
“Surprise!”
They both looked up as Vic entered the kitchen.
“My backpack! Thanks, Dad!” He ran over to give Vic the hug he’d been waiting for since the end of school. “My spy kit is in here, Claire.”
“I know. Why don’t we eat first? Then you can get it out.”
“Okay.”
When everyone was seated, Jeremy looked at Vic. “Where did you find it?”
“The police got it out of the back of Leroy’s truck, where he’d hidden you.”
“I’m glad he didn’t throw it away.”
I’m overjoyed you’re still alive, son.
The dinner tasted good and everything seemed to be all right until Jeremy blurted, “Dad says he’s on vacation. Does that mean you’ve got a new job, Claire?”
Chapter Five
Oh, help.
The time had come for honesty, but Jeremy had to be in a precarious frame of mind. Still, Claire couldn’t lie to him. “I met some people today and I have another interview tomorrow, but I haven’t made a decision yet.”
“Will you still work in Austin?”
“No. Both positions are in Houston.”
He crumpled his paper napkin. “I can’t eat anymore.” In the next instant he slid off the chair and ran through the house.
Sick at heart, she got up to go after him, but Vic beat her to it. “I’ll talk to him. Thank you for the dinner. If you want to visit your folks, feel free. Jeremy and I need time together. He can help me do the dishes.”
In the politest way possible Vic had asked her to leave. She understood. “I’ll do that.”
Claire had left her purse on the kitchen counter when she’d brought in the groceries. She reached for it and left the house through the back door. After walking around to the front, she got in her car and took off for her parents’ modest home five miles away.
Her father worked in the accounting department at a local college, and her mom was a part-time dental receptionist. They’d been frugal all their lives in order to make ends meet. Claire’s two older sisters were married and struggling financially. That was the reason why she’d wanted to get her master’s degree and make a promising career for herself.
Today happened to be one of her mother’s days off. Claire’s dad wasn’t home yet.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She gave her mom a hug and they sat down in the living room.
“How did that second interview go today?”
“Really well. The job sounds great and so does the salary. Even better, if I’m hired, they’ll pay part of my tuition to get my PhD. Then I’d have to promise to work for them for five years. With a PhD I’d have the credentials necessary to go almost anywhere.”
“You’ll be living in Houston?”
“Yes. It’s only an hour and a half drive, Mom.”
But Claire would never forget the pain on Jeremy’s face when she told him where she’d be working if she took the position. He’d dashed from the
dinner table. It had been an awful moment for her and his father.
“Did they offer you the position?”
“Yes.”
“That’s wonderful!”
“I agree. I told them I’d have to let them know sometime next week. I have a second interview with the other company tomorrow. If they offer me a position, too, then I’ll have to weigh everything carefully before making my choice.”
“It’s a big one. Does Ranger Malone know you’re this close to making a decision?”
“Yes. He told me he’d pay me the starting salary these jobs offered if I’d stay and be a nanny to Jeremy for another year.”
Her mother looked incredulous. “You mean he would pay you $70,000?”
“Yes. Of course he couldn’t have meant it. I told him I would never take that kind of money for caring for his son. This horrible kidnapping experience has caused him to overreact because he was so terrified he’d never see Jeremy again.”
“Does Jeremy know how close you are to taking a new job?”
Claire jumped up from the couch. “Yes. His father has been given vacation time and Jeremy figured out he’s home to find a new nanny. Tonight when the subject came up, he ran from the table while we were eating dinner. His father got up to follow him. Before leaving the kitchen he told me that if I wanted to visit you I should go. He and Jeremy would do the dishes. That’s why I left and came over here.”
“I see. It’s time we had a talk, Claire. Sit down, honey.”
She stared at her mom. “We are talking.”
“Why have you turned this into an either-or situation?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I’m saying. I know your love for Jeremy goes beyond what most nannies feel for their charges. When you’ve brought him over here other times, it’s been clear that he adores you. His father knows that. That’s why he’s offered you more money so you’ll stay.”
“He hasn’t been himself since the kidnapping, Mom.”
“Naturally. His son loves you. It’s obvious he doesn’t want you to leave and is probably hoping you’ll consider staying on longer than you’d originally planned. Would that be so terrible? I have the feeling you don’t want to leave either, even if you’ve been offered a good position with that lab. Other offers will come along later. Tell me what’s at the bottom of this.”
Claire stopped pacing. “I have to leave.”
“Because?” she prompted.
“Because I’ve fallen in love with Vic.”
She smiled. “He’s so attractive and remarkable, what woman wouldn’t?”
“But it wasn’t supposed to happen. I was hired to take care of his son.”
“Which you’ve done so admirably, he’s willing to pay a great deal of money to keep you on for another year.”
Claire shook her head. “I couldn’t. He’s not in love with me, Mom.”
“How do you know that?”
“What more proof do I need? You don’t offer the woman you love $70,000 to stay, and I wouldn’t take it.” It hurt. It hurt so badly she couldn’t stand it.
“He recognizes your worth, honey. I think the offer is quite revealing.”
“No, Mom. He’s so desperate to keep his son happy, he’s willing to throw money at me, but I can’t live this way any longer. We’ve been living in the same house for over nine months and he’s never given me any indication that he has romantic feelings for me.”
“Not ever?”
“While we were looking for Jeremy we had a few moments where we tried to comfort each other, but that ended the moment we found him. He’s already made plans for us to interview some new nanny applicants on Monday and Tuesday of next week.”
“But that was after you turned down his offer. With you leaving, he has to find someone to take care of Jeremy.”
“If he has feelings for me, then I don’t understand why he’s never acted on them.”
“Maybe he’s been afraid of scaring you off in case you didn’t feel the same way about him. Because you’re a lovely young woman living in his household, he’s been forced to draw a line to keep things professional. But you’ve taken such wonderful care of Jeremy, he realizes he doesn’t want to lose you. Has he been seeing other women?”
“No, at least not that I can tell. Whenever he has any free time, he spends it with Jeremy.”
“And you,” her mother added. “It appears he’d rather be home with you and Jeremy than out with another woman. The man could be with any woman he wanted. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
“No. Jeremy is his whole life! I was hired because he knew I’d be there for his son no matter what because I’d broken up with Bryce and wasn’t in a relationship.”
“You haven’t dated at all since then.”
“I wanted to honor my commitment to him.”
“You did it so well, he wants you to stay.”
Claire had grown restless. “But not as his wife!”
“You don’t know what’s on his mind, honey.”
“Mom—he’s already made arrangements to find someone to take my place.”
“Not because he wants to. Your plan to get a job has forced him to act. Think about it before you rush into a decision you might regret.”
I’ll regret it if I don’t. I love them both too much to be a nanny any longer.
“Thanks for the talk. I’ve got to go.”
“Not like this. Wait for your father to come home. He had a staff meeting after work, but he should be here soon. Maybe a talk with him will help you.”
“I’ll call him later.”
She reached for her purse. Her mother followed her to the door and hugged her before Claire hurried out to the car. Talking to her mom had only made her heartache worse. Vic needed time alone with his son, so she took a long drive, not planning to return to his house until she knew Jeremy would be in bed asleep.
* * *
THE EVENING ALONE with Jeremy had turned into a nightmare. After cleaning up the kitchen together, Vic’s son had sobbed so long and hard, he looked pale lying in bed with his head against the pillow.
“Where’s Claire?”
“I’m pretty sure she’s still at her parents’ house.”
“When is she coming back?”
“I don’t know. She hasn’t seen them for a while.”
Jeremy had turned on his side, looking into space with puffy eyes. “I thought she liked living with us.”
Vic didn’t know how much more of this he could take. “She’s loved it here. I’ve heard her tell you that so many times. But she’s been in college for a long time to become a chemist. It’s what she’s been planning on doing since high school.”
“You mean she’d rather do that than stay here with us?”
“It’s been her dream, Jeremy. She has an exceptional brain. I’ve told you how she helped me find you because she’s so smart.”
“She thinks I’m smart, too, and every day she tells me she loves me. But she couldn’t love me if she wants to go work for some dumb company.”
Jeremy wasn’t listening to Vic. He couldn’t get through to his son and prayed the therapist would be able to help. The room fell quiet. Just when Vic thought Jeremy had finally fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion, he turned over on his back.
“I don’t want to live here anymore, Dad. Can’t we move back to Blanco?”
Vic groaned inwardly. Not that again.
“If we live right by Aunt Carol, she’ll let me come to her house every day and play until you get home from work.”
“Jeremy? Your aunt Carol and uncle Dennis have their own family. You and I are our own family. We moved here to be close to my work and you’ve made friends. This is our home now, son.”
“Can’t you make Claire stay with us?”
Oh, boy. What was he supposed to say to that? “You can’t force someone to do what they don’t want to do.”
He suddenly sat up in the bed. “You could if you scared her.”
“What do you mean?” Vic was dumbfounded.
“You could tell her that if she doesn’t stay with us, I’ll run away and she’ll never see me again.”
The threat sounded bloodcurdlingly real. It had come out of his child who was still traumatized by the kidnapping and devastated that Claire would be leaving.
“Son...” Vic wrapped his arms around him and rocked him until Jeremy broke down once more and sobbed. “I love you. We’re going to get through this.”
Twenty minutes later his boy finally fell asleep. Vic lowered him to the pillow carefully and stretched out next to him. Amazing how he thought he’d already lived through all the grief possible in the past three years...
When Vic opened his eyes next, it was seven in the morning. Jeremy was still asleep. Vic rolled off the bed and hurried into his bedroom to shower and shave. When he’d dressed, he went back to Jeremy’s room to wake him up, but his son wasn’t there. Fear that he might have run away had him dashing through the house until he found him in the kitchen with Claire.
“Hey, Dad? Claire says to come and eat.”
He breathed slowly in the hope of bringing down his heart rate. His gaze met Claire’s. Vic hadn’t heard her come home last night. “Mmm. It smells good.”
“We’re having pancakes and little pig sausages.”
Those were Jeremy’s favorites. The normal way he was behaving right now made it hard to believe he’d had a meltdown last night.
“It’s the last day of school. I thought we ought to celebrate the occasion,” Claire commented and brought coffee and food to the table.
“Claire said she’d drive me to school, Dad.”
“How about we both take you?” Vic could still make his appointment with Dr. Marshall on time.
The Texas Ranger's Nanny Page 9
