The Nanny's New Family (Caring Canines)

by Margaret Daley

  The scent of ground beef saturated the air and Annie’s stomach rumbled. She scanned the yard, enjoying the sound of merriment from the children playing on the elaborate swing set. Her twin might not have children yet, but she spoiled her nieces and nephews.

  “Ah, it’s about time you arrived,” Amanda said as she put a Band-Aid on the youngest child’s knee. “We’re almost ready to eat. What took you so long?” She rose as her nephew ran back to play with the others.

  “I went back to the house to say goodbye to the Hansen family. The moving van will come tomorrow. They were heading to the airport when I left.”

  “Aren’t we supposed to help you move later today?” Her dad laid the spatula on the plate for the burgers and turned toward her. “Is everything boxed up?”

  Annie nodded. “Ben and Charlie’s trucks should be enough for the small pieces of furniture I have. After we empty my suite of rooms at the Hansen house, I’ll lock up and we’ll go to Dr. McGregor’s. Then the hard work starts. There are stairs on the side of the garage that we’ll have to climb with all the boxes.”

  Her youngest brother, twenty-year-old Charlie, came out of the house and clapped her on the back. “Remember, you promised me my favorite pie for helping. I’ve been thinking about that for days.” He rubbed his stomach in a circular motion.

  “I’ll bake you an apple pie this week.”

  Charlie’s dark eyebrows shot straight up. “Apple? Bah! Double-chocolate fudge is the only one I’ll accept.” Then he said to Ben, “I’ve been sent to find out when we’re going to eat.”

  Ben pressed the spatula down on each patty. “One minute, so get the kids to wash up inside.”

  As Charlie corralled the children and headed for the house with them, her dad chuckled. “Get ready for the onslaught.”

  Annie stood back with Amanda as ten children from the ages of three to fourteen invaded the deck, all talking at the same time. The other day Dr. McGregor had wondered if she could handle looking out for four children, but Annie was usually the one assigned to keep her nieces and nephews in line or make sure the older ones kept an eye on the younger ones because Annie enjoyed helping with them.

  Her gaze drifted to Amanda, an exact replica of Annie, although her twin usually wore her long blond hair pulled up in a ponytail. She doubted there was anything Jade and Jasmine could pull that she and Amanda hadn’t tried years ago. They had never fooled her parents, but they had confused a couple of their teachers when they exchanged places in each other’s classes. Now they went out of their way to be different.

  Annie herded the kids into a line so they could fill their plates with hamburgers, coleslaw and fruit salad while Amanda and Samantha, who was married to her eldest brother, Ken, helped the two youngest children with their food.

  As Annie’s nieces and nephews sat at their table, she arranged older ones to be near younger ones. “Let’s pray. Carey, do you want to say the prayer?”

  “Yes,” her ten-year-old niece said, then bowed her head. “Bless this food and, Lord, please don’t let it rain tomorrow on my soccer game.”

  When the children dug into their meal, Annie went to make a plate for herself. As she dished up an extra helping of coleslaw, she glanced at the lettuce for the burger. The green reminded her of the color of Dr. McGregor’s eyes, except his had a sparkle in their depths, especially toward the end of their conversation about his kids. She’d felt his relief that he’d told her everything about them and she hadn’t declined the job. He didn’t understand—instead of frightening her off, he’d intrigued her. Annie had decided years ago to help children in need, and Jeremy needed her whether he knew it or not. The Hansens’ middle daughter had, too, at one time, but now she was fourteen and growing up to be a mature young lady.

  “You haven’t told me much about your new position,” Amanda said when she joined Annie at the end of the food line. “What’s your boss like?”

  “He seems a little overwhelmed at the moment.”

  “Four children will do that.”

  “More than that. He lost his wife and then his aunt, who was assisting him with the kids. All in two years’ time.”

  Amanda gave her a long, assessing look. “Sounds as though you want to do more than help the children.”

  “Any kind of loss can be hard to get over. I don’t think Dr. McGregor’s even had time to think about either his wife or aunt. He’s had his hands full.”

  “You got all of that from an hour interview?”

  Annie started for the adult table. “Well, not exactly. I asked Tom and his wife about him. I have a nurse friend at the hospital where he does surgery. She told me some things, too.”

  One perfectly arched eyebrow rose. “It sounds as though you also checked his references.”

  “I could be working for him for quite a while—his youngest is four years old. I discovered that his colleagues respect him as a surgeon, but what I particularly like about him is that he spends some of his time at a free clinic for children, fixing things like cleft palates. Tom told me Dr. McGregor has had to reduce his regular work time because of his trouble with the nannies, but he didn’t decrease his hours at the free clinic.”

  Seated at the table, Amanda leaned close to Annie. “So he’s a plastic surgeon. Maybe you should talk to him about your situation.”

  Annie gripped her fork and whispered, “No. I was told there’s nothing else that can be done.”

  “That was fourteen years ago. Methods are bound to be better now.”

  “I don’t have the money. The last operation nearly cost Dad his house. I can’t do that again. I’ll live with the scars. I have for over fourteen years. Besides, the fire wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t left the candle burning when I went to sleep.”

  Tears filled Annie’s eyes. She’d forgotten about the candle that day at the cabin because she’d been too busy moping and missing her boyfriend.

  The memory of that day when she had been fifteen and the family had been staying at their grandparents’ cabin on Grand Lake inundated her with feelings of regret. The fire that had destroyed the vacation home had also nearly killed her when a burning beam had pinned her down. Part of her body was burned. The pain swallowed her into a huge dark hole that had taken a year to crawl out of. But the worst part was her mother had never made it out of the cabin. Her dad had managed to get to Annie, but when he’d tried to go back in, the building had been engulfed in flames.

  “You have four brothers and two sisters who can help you with the money. We all have jobs. Even Charlie works, and he’s still in college.”

  “He has to pay for his classes. And each of you has a family to support and your own expenses. Amanda, let this go before I get up and leave.”

  Amanda harrumphed. “You’re stubborn.”

  “So are you. Remember, I know you better than anyone, probably even Ben.”

  Amanda narrowed her brown eyes. “And the same goes for me. Annie, it was an accident. The family doesn’t blame you for Mom’s death. You need to forgive yourself and let the past go or you’ll never have the life the Lord wants for you. When are you going to figure that out?” Her twin raised her voice above a whisper.

  “Annie, what do you need to figure out?” her father asked from the other side of the table.

  “Nothing, Dad. Amanda and I are just arguing.”

  “What’s new?” Ken, her older brother who sat across from Annie, picked up his hamburger to take a bite. “Ouch! Which one of you kicked me?”

  The twins pointed at each other.

  * * *

  Emotions clashed inside Annie when she turned into the McGregors’ driveway and drove to the large white stone house set back from the road on the outskirts of Cimarron City, Oklahoma. She was excited for a new opportunity to help children in need, but it had been several years since she’d been challenged with a grieving child. The Hansen kids’ drama had been normal teenager or preteen stuff for quite some time. What if she’d lost her touch?

&nb
sp; Annie glanced in her rearview mirror and saw her brothers’ vehicles at the entrance of the driveway. Parking in front of a three-car garage, she inhaled a deep breath, then climbed from her red Honda, hefted a large box with her pots and pans from the backseat and headed toward the stairs on the side. Dr. McGregor had told her yesterday he would leave the apartment unlocked.

  She carefully started her climb up the steps, her view partially blocked by the carton. A giggle from above drifted to her. She lowered the box and gasped.

  Grinning at her, Joshua stood on top of the upstairs railing wearing a red cape that flapped in the breeze.

  “I have special powers. I can fly.” The four-year-old spread his arms wide as though he was going to demonstrate.

  “Don’t!” Annie shouted as Joshua wobbled.

  Chapter Two

  I shouldn’t have shouted. Annie sucked in a breath.

  Joshua regained his balance.

  Heart thumping, Annie dropped the box on the stairs, jumped over the cardboard box and scrambled up the steps. “Joshua, it’s great to see you again,” she said in the calmest voice she could muster. “I sure could use a big, strong superhero like you to help me bring my stuff upstairs. How about it?”

  By the time she reached the landing, the four-year-old had turned his body so he could see her better, but the motion caused him to wobble again on the six-inch-wide railing. He flapped his arms to catch his balance. This time, Annie lunged toward him as an ear-piercing scream from below split the air.

  She grasped his ankle as the little boy fell backward and held his leg with both hands. Annie leaned over the railing as she heard footsteps behind her and the wailing sound still coming from the bottom of the stairs. While Joshua dangled two stories above the ground, someone pounded up the steps.

  Muscular arms came around her and gripped Joshua. “I’ve got him. Let him go, and I’ll bring him up.”

  Relief washed over her as she released her fingers. Annie dropped down between Dr. McGregor’s arms and moved to the side so he could hoist his son up to the landing. While she watched, she took deep, fortifying breaths to calm her racing heartbeat.

  Giggling, Joshua hugged his dad. “That was fun. Can I do it again?”

  “No.” Thunder descended over Dr. McGregor’s features as he put down his son and glanced at Annie. “Thanks. One second he was playing in the den and the next he was gone. I figured he’d come out here since I told him to give you and your family time to unload your possessions.” He picked up Joshua and held him tight as though afraid the child would somehow wiggle free and try again to fly from the railing. “Young man, you and I are going to have a talk in the house about following directions.”

  “But, Dad, I wanna help Annie. That’s why I’m here wearing my cape.”

  The first time Joshua had seen her when he had awakened from his nap a few days ago, he’d called her Annie, which was fine with her, but Dr. Hansen and his wife had insisted on “Miss Annie” when she’d worked for them. She was quickly sensing the McGregors’ household was much more laid back.

  Her employer started down the stairs. “I’ll return in a while, Annie. And by the way, you can call me Ian.”

  As her brothers mounted the steps with boxes, including the one she’d dropped, and furniture, she watched Ian and Joshua exchange a few words with Ken and Charlie, then disappear around the corner followed by a little girl, who had to have been the one who’d screamed.

  “That one is going to be a handful.” Ken waited for her to open the door. “Reminds me of someone I know.” Her eldest brother looked pointedly at Charlie, who was bigger and more muscular than Ken.

  “I grew out of wanting to be a daredevil.” Her youngest sibling poked Ken in the back with two cartons he held.

  “Boys, let’s try to be good role models for the McGregor children.” Annie trailed them into her new apartment. “And, Charlie, the only reason you quit, no doubt temporarily, was because you broke an arm and leg performing that death-defying skateboard trick.”

  The bantering between her brothers continued as they brought up all the boxes and furniture from the three vehicles while Annie tried to decide which boxes to open first and where to put the ones she wouldn’t have time to empty today. Annie paused to look at her first real apartment. When she’d gone to college, she’d lived at home to save money, then she’d moved into the homes of her employers after that.

  Excitement bubbled to the surface as she walked to a door and discovered her bedroom with a double bed, a chest of drawers and one nightstand. Her grandmother’s cushioned chair would look good in here. She checked the closet and smiled when she found it was a walk-in with plenty of storage space.

  Then Annie moved on to the only other door and went into the bathroom, a pale-green-and-ivory color scheme. It had a tub with a showerhead, so she had a choice. She liked that because sometimes a hot bath worked the kinks out of her body on a particularly active day, and with Joshua she’d probably have a lot of them. She wouldn’t have to exercise much with him around if that stunt was any indication.

  When she went back into the main room with a living area at one end and a dining table with four chairs and a small kitchenette taking up the other half, her brothers stood in the middle of the stack of boxes, arguing.

  Annie put two fingers in her mouth and gave a loud whistle. They stopped and stared at her. “Are you all through bringing up my belongings?”

  “Yes. We were just waiting to see if you want us to do anything else. We were discussing the merits of our favorite basketball teams and as usual our little brother has it wrong. The Thunder will win the NBA championship. If you’re from Oklahoma, you have to root for them.” Ken shot Charlie a piercing look.

  Annie needed a few minutes of peace before she was introduced to the rest of Ian’s children, especially after that incident with Joshua. “I think I can handle this. Thank you for your help.” She grinned. “Try not to hurt each other on the way down the stairs.”

  When they left, Annie sat on the tan couch and laid her head against the cushion. Quiet. Tranquil. She’d better cherish this moment because tomorrow she officially started her new job. The memory of Joshua standing on the railing revved her heartbeat again. Then she remembered Ian leaning over her and clasping his son. Remembering the brush of his arms against her gave her goose bumps.

  Ian was strong. Capable. Caring.

  Annie quickly shook the image from her thoughts. They were employer/employee, and that was the way it would stay. She remembered the scars on her body, a constant reminder of the tragedy that had taken her mother away.

  If only I could relive...

  But there were no do-overs. She had to live with what was left. She was damaged goods.

  A knock at the door roused her from her thoughts. Annie pushed off the couch and weaved her way through the stacked boxes to the entrance. Maybe having quiet time wasn’t the answer right now. When she let Ian inside, she spied a very contrite child trudging behind his father. Head down, Joshua chewed on his thumbnail.

  She wanted to scoop the adorable little boy into her arms and tell him everything was okay, but she wouldn’t. Ian’s stern expression spoke volumes about a serious talk with his son, and rightly so. But he was so cute with blond curly hair, big dimples in his cheeks, the beautiful brown eyes and long, dark eyelashes that any girl would want.

  “Joshua, don’t you have something to say?”

  The child mumbled something, but Annie couldn’t make out what it was. She knelt in front of the boy. “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

  Joshua lifted his head enough that she had a peek at those beautiful eyes that told the world what he was thinking. “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.”

  She hoped not, but she knew Joshua still had to be watched carefully until he developed a healthy respect for dangerous activities. “I’m glad to hear that. I noticed some cushions on the ground. Did you put them there?”

  He nodded. “They’re
soft.”

  “But not soft enough to break your fall.”

  “I know. Daddy told me. I have to put the cushions back—by myself.”

  Annie rose. “That makes sense.” She glanced at Ian and saw that, like his son’s, his eyelashes were extralong, framing crystalline green depths. She took in his disheveled dark brown hair that looked as though he’d raked his fingers through it when he’d talked with his child. She could just imagine how he’d felt when he’d seen her gripping Joshua’s leg, his only safety line. Her heart went out to him. In the past two years Ian had buried two loved ones, and she suspected he was still dealing with his grief like Jeremy.

  “Joshua, I’ll watch you from the landing,” Dr. McGregor said. “You need to put the cushions back exactly like you found them.”

  “Yes, sir.” With slumped shoulders, the little boy made his way out of the apartment. The sound of his footsteps on the stairs resonated in the air.

  Annie went out onto the landing with the doctor. Looking at the ground twenty feet below reminded her all over again about how tragic today could have been. She saw a flower garden with stones around it that Joshua could have hit his head on.

  “Thanks, Annie, for grabbing Joshua. I went into the kitchen to make sure I had all the ingredients for dinner tonight. When I returned to the den five minutes later, he was gone. At first I’d thought he’d gone to his room, then I remembered all his questions about when you were going to show up. Something told me he went to see you. I was coming to bring him back inside so you could get settled without stumbling over him. He can get underfoot.”

  While Joshua wrestled with a two-seat cushion from the lawn furniture, finally deciding to drag it, Annie took in the beautifully landscaped yard with spring flowers bursting forward in their multicolored glory. The air smelled of honeysuckle. She leaned over and saw a row of bushes below the staircase. “I like your yard. Is gardening a hobby of yours?”