She drew in a breath and let it out in a sigh. “All right. Thank you, Sam.”
The wheels were turning in his brain now. “In fact...” he said slowly.
“What?” she asked warily.
“Do you want to earn some extra money this summer?”
She laughed, a short sound without humor. “Always. I need to send some money to my mom. And I’d love to pay for an extra course toward my master’s.”
“And maybe buy a new car?” he needled.
“Sam!” She put her hands on her hips. “I know my car isn’t pretty, but it runs fine.”
“It runs loud. And smoky.”
“It’s fine.” She turned away. “If you’re through insulting my stuff, I’d better go help Angelica with the kids.”
“She’s fine. Wait a minute. Listen to my proposal.”
The corner of her mouth quirked upward as she spun back around. “What proposal is that?”
Their eyes met, and held, and something electric zinged between them.
The breeze through the window lifted a strand of her hair, but even as she brushed it back, she still stared at him. He could see the pulse in her neck.
His own pulse was hammering, too.
Wow.
They both looked away at the same time. “So what are you thinking of?” she asked in a businesslike voice, grabbing a sponge to wipe down the already-clean counter.
He cleared his throat and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the kitchen island. “I’m having my annual summer picnic for my employees, and the woman who usually plans it for me is out on maternity leave. How are you at party planning?”
She laughed. “I’m a whiz with the elementary set, but I’ve never planned an adult party in my life.”
He should definitely get someone else, then. “You could get Daisy to help,” he heard himself saying. “And it’s a family picnic, so we always try to make it fun for the kids. I’d pay you what I normally pay Trixi, the one on maternity leave. She gets overtime for the extra work.”
“Really?” She frowned, bit her lip.
“Of course,” he said, watching her, “you’d have to work pretty closely with me.”
There was a beat of silence. Then: “I’m already working way too closely with you.”
“What?”
She clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, wow, did I say that out loud?”
“Susan.” He sat down on one of the bar stools to be more at her level. She was so petite. “I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable in some way. That’s the last thing I intend.”
“No!” She was blushing furiously. “No, it’s not that, it’s just... I don’t know.” She turned away, staring out the window.
He came over to stand behind her, a safe couple of feet away. “I know this is pretty close quarters for two strangers. But I want you to know that I’m very pleased with your work, Susan. I think we can stop thinking of the nanny job as a trial run. I’d like for you to stay all summer.”
She gripped the counter without looking at him.
“I haven’t seen Mindy so happy since...well, since she was a baby and her mom was healthy.”
She half looked back over her shoulder. “Really?”
The plaintive sound of her voice was so at odds with her feisty personality that he felt a strange compulsion to touch her shoulder, to run a hand over that silky hair, offering comfort.
The super-independent, super-confident teacher evidently had some vulnerabilities of her own. It almost seemed as if she hadn’t received much praise, although he couldn’t imagine why, when she seemed to be so good at everything she did.
Well, everything except cooking.
And why was his hand still moving toward her hair?
Just in time, he pulled it back. That wouldn’t do at all.
He was getting a little too interested in Susan. She was too young, too independent, totally wrong for him in the long term, even though she was turning out to be an amazing summer nanny. He needed to get on with his program of finding Mindy a real, permanent mom. And he needed to do it soon.
He’d make sure to get back on the dating circuit right away. There were a couple of women he’d seen once and then left hanging. He’d give them a call. His secretary, who was of necessity a little too involved in his life, had a niece she wanted to fix him up with, and Mindy’s Sunday school teacher had handed him her phone number along with Mindy’s half-completed craft last week.
He just needed to get himself motivated to do it. He’d been too busy. But now that Susan was in place—Susan, who was completely inappropriate for him—he’d jump back into pursuing that all-important goal.
He forced himself to take a step backward. “If you’re interested in the extra job, I’d appreciate having you do it. It would be easy, because you’re here in the house anyway. But if you’re not comfortable with it, by all means back off and I’ll find someone else.”
She studied him, quizzical eyes on his face, head cocked to one side. “I can give it a try,” she said slowly.
And Sam tried to ignore the sudden happiness surging through him.
* * *
“When will we get to the lake, Daddy?”
Sam glanced back at Mindy, bouncing in her car seat, and smiled as he steered into the parking lot by Keystone Lake. “Hang on a minute or two, and we’ll be here and out of the car.”
As Mindy squealed her excitement, Sam felt tension relax out of his shoulders. Now things were falling into place.
He pulled into his old parking spot, surveying the soothing, tree-surrounded lawn with satisfaction. He’d grown up with Saturday trips to the lake, and he and Marie had brought Mindy here most summer weekends when she was small. He’d meant to continue the tradition, but it had fallen by the wayside...until now.
They’d play on the blanket, and have a nice picnic, and spend family time together. The only thing missing was the woman beside him. But Susan had agreed to work today in exchange for a weekday off next week. She’d fill the role temporarily, until he could get on his larger goal of finding a new mom for Mindy.
“It’s a little cold for swimming,” Susan said as she helped Mindy undo the buckles. “But there’s a lot to do at the lake aside from swimming.”
Sam’s arms were loaded down with the picnic basket, blankets and a couple of lawn chairs, but looking around the stuff, he could see Mindy’s lower lip sticking out.
“I want to swim!” his daughter said.
Susan nodded comfortably. “Okay. You can. I’m not going in that lake until the sun comes out, but I’ll watch you.”
Sam came around to the side of the car where Susan was bent over, gathering an armload of beach toys. “She can’t go in the lake. It’s too cold.”
Mindy had already taken off for the water.
Susan pressed the beach toys into his already overloaded arms. “She’ll figure that out for herself!” she called over her shoulder as she raced after Mindy. “Relax, Sam!”
Sam gritted his teeth, dumped the gear on a picnic table, and hustled after them.
Mindy was already up to her knees in the water. She looked back toward the shore, her expression defiant.
He opened his mouth, but Susan’s hand on his arm stopped him. “It’s called natural consequences,” she said. “If she goes in, she’ll get cold and come out quickly. No harm, no foul. And she learns something.”
“But she’ll catch a cold!”
Susan shrugged. “I actually think colds come from viruses, but whatever. A cold never hurt anyone.”
“For a nanny, you’re not very protective.”
“For a successful entrepreneur, you’re not much of a risk taker.”
They glared at each other for a minute.
“Come in, Daddy!” Mindy call
ed.
“No way!” He looked at his shivering daughter and took a step forward.
“Then I’ll come out,” Mindy decided, and splashed her way to the shoreline.
Susan gave him an I-told-you-so grin. “What are you waiting for, Dad? Get her a towel. She’s freezing!”
As Sam jogged off toward the beach bags, he couldn’t help smiling. A trip to the lake with Susan was never going to be dull.
After Mindy was toweled off and building a sandcastle under Susan’s supervision, Sam set up the colorful beach tent they’d always used to protect Mindy’s tender skin. Then he rummaged for the tablecloth, but it was nowhere in sight.
Nor was the picnic. Had Susan forgotten to pack it?
Don’t be controlling, he reminded himself. Maybe she thought packing food for a Saturday beach trip was beyond her regular duties. They could always call Daisy and ask her to bring something, or as a last resort, could get something from the junk food stand at the other end of the beach.
Noticing that several children had gathered around Susan and Mindy, he strolled down to see what was going on. The little group had already created a somewhat complicated castle with the help of Mindy’s multiple beach buckets and molds.
Mindy held a bucket with her half arm and shoved sand in with her whole one, attracting the attention of the two visiting boys.
“How come you only have one hand?” one of the boys asked Mindy.
“This is how I was born,” she answered simply.
“That’s weird,” the child said.
Color rose on the back of Mindy’s neck, and Sam opened his mouth to yell at the kid, and then closed it again. He was learning from Susan that he needed to wait and watch sometimes, rather than intervening, but when someone made a comment about his kid, it was hard. Natural consequences and learning better social skills were all well and good, but insults, not so much.
He looked at Susan to find her watching the kids with a slightly twisted mouth.
“Yeah, it’s really weird,” said the other boy, and they both started to laugh.
“That’s enough!” Susan stepped toward them and squatted down, a protective hand on Mindy’s shoulder.
“It’s bullying,” Mindy said. “Right, Miss Hayashi?” She’d automatically reverted to Susan’s professional name, maybe because bullying was something they talked about in school.
“Very good, Mindy. You’re right.” Susan turned a steely glare on the two young offenders. “And bullies can’t play. Goodbye, boys.”
“Aw, I didn’t want to play with her anyway,” said one of the boys. He jumped up and ran toward the water.
“I didn’t mean to be a bully,” the other boy said, looking stricken. “I’m sorry.”
Susan looked at Mindy. “What do you think? Can he still play, or would you rather he goes away?”
Mindy considered. “He said he was sorry.”
“Yes, he did.”
“He can play,” Mindy decided.
“Thanks!” And the two of them were back to building a castle as if nothing had happened, while the other boy kicked stones on the beach, alone.
Susan stood and backed a little bit away, keeping her eyes on the scene as another little girl joined the group. She ended up right next to Sam.
“You did a good job handling that,” he said to her, sotto voce. “I want to strangle anyone who teases my kid.”
“Believe me, I felt the same way.” She smiled up at him.
There was that little click of awareness between them again. She looked away first, her cheeks turning pink.
He needed to nip that attraction in the bud. He needed to start dating, before he did something silly like let Susan know that he found her...interesting.
As he was casting about in his mind for a new subject, Mindy looked up at them. “I’m hungry,” she announced.
“Well, I think we forgot a picnic,” he said tactfully.
“No, I brought stuff.” Susan said. “Come on over, we’ll have lunch.”
“I’m hungry, too,” said the little girl who’d just joined in the group.
“Me, too!” The little boy stood up and brushed sand off his hands onto his swim trunks.
“Tell you what, go ask your mom or dad if you can share our lunch,” Susan said easily.
“Do we have enough?” Sam hadn’t seen evidence of any food, so the thought of sharing was puzzling.
“Oh, sure,” she said as the children ran toward their separate families. “It’ll be fine.”
He didn’t see how, but he followed Susan and Mindy, curious to see what she came up with.
From the bottom of the bag of beach toys, she tugged a loaf of whole wheat bread, a tub of peanut butter, and a squeeze bottle of grape jelly. “Voila,” she said as the other two kids approached. “Let’s play ‘make your own sandwich!’”
“Yay!” cheered the kids.
Sam frowned at the splintery picnic table, thinking of the neat checkered tablecloth Marie had always brought to the lake. “It’s not very clean.”
She was digging again in the toy bag and didn’t hear him. “Hey, Sam, grab me one of those beach towels, could you? Oh, there we go.” Triumphantly, she produced a small stack of paper cups.
He handed a towel to her and she spread it over the table. “Everybody, take a cup. We’ll wash hands and then get water from the drinking fountain.” She looked at Sam. “Coming?”
“So lunch is...peanut butter sandwiches and water?”
She seemed genuinely puzzled. “You were expecting caviar?”
“No, but maybe...never mind.” He didn’t elaborate on checkered tablecloths and homemade chicken salad and cut up melon in a special blue bowl, but for a second, his whole chest hurt with missing his wife.
Mindy was tugging at his hand. “Come on, Daddy, I’m hungry!”
The next fifteen minutes were a blur of helping a bunch of primary-school-aged kids make messy PB&J sandwiches and chatting with the parents who came over to check everything out. Both families, it turned out, knew Susan from the school, and showed respect for her and interest in her summer plans.
Finally the kids headed back to the water with one of the other families, and he and Susan collapsed down onto the picnic bench. Susan cut the sandwich she’d managed to make for herself and offered him half.
To his surprise, it actually tasted good.
“What I wouldn’t give for a cup of coffee,” she admitted.
“I could buy you one at the refreshment stand, since you provided the lunch,” he offered.
“Well, technically you provided it. But if you’ll buy me a coffee I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“Anywhere?” he asked lightly as they stood up together.
“Maybe.” She had the cutest way of wrinkling her nose.
And he needed to watch it, or he’d be getting those romantic feelings for her again. He pulled himself together, checked one last time on Mindy, and then led the way to the concession area.
They were halfway across the grassy lawn when a young guy tossed a ball straight at Susan.
Sam stepped forward, ready to slug the guy, but Susan had already caught the ball and tossed it back, laughing. “Hey, Hunter,” she said. “What’s going on? Enjoying the summer off?”
The twentysomething guy rose to his feet, shirtless and in surf-style jammer shorts, and pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. “I’d be better if you’d join the teachers’ volleyball league,” he said. “Every Wednesday. It’s fun.”
“Oh, well, I don’t think so, but thanks.”
“What are you doing for fun this summer?” the guy asked. Focused on Susan, he was completely ignoring Sam.
Sam restrained the urge to move closer and put a protective arm around Susan. No way co
uld she be interested in this guy, right? He was much too young and silly.
He’s Susan’s age, his inner critic reminded him.
“I’m at the lake! That’s fun, right?” She gestured toward a couple of people who’d headed down toward the water. “Your friends are leaving you. You’d better catch up.”
“Hey, good to see you. I’ll give you a call.” He jogged off.
Susan rolled her eyes. “And I’ll block your number,” she muttered.
Relief washed over him. “You don’t like him?”
She shook her head. “He’s fine, but he just won’t take no for an answer.”
Curious now, Sam fell into step beside her. “That must be a problem, guys hitting on you.”
She laughed. “No, not usually, but Hunter is fairly new in town. He doesn’t know my reputation.”
“What’s your reputation?”
“I’m known as a cold fish.” She kicked at a rock with a small, neat bare foot, toenails painted pale blue. “Or, sometimes, too mouthy and assertive. I don’t get asked out a lot.”
“That surprises me,” Sam said, tearing his eyes away from those delicate feet. “Does it bother you?”
She shook her head. “Not really,” she said. “I’m not looking for love. I’m one of those people who’s meant to be single, I think.”
Sam knew with everything in him that this warm, funny, kid-loving woman was meant to be a mother. And a wife. “That surprises me, too.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Well, because you’re...cute. And a lot of fun.”
“Thanks,” she said drily. “I didn’t know you cared.”
He lifted his hands. “I didn’t mean I cared like that...” He felt heat rising up his neck.
She studied him sideways. “It’s okay, Sam. I really have no expectations in that area. I’m not angling for a date with Rescue River’s richest bachelor.”
She seemed to be telling the truth, and to his surprise, he found that refreshing. A lot of the women he dated did have expectations. They liked him for his big house and his money and his CEO position. Not so much for who he was inside.
“So tell me about your love life,” she said, seeming to read his mind. “Since I don’t have one.”
Small-Town Nanny Page 7
