“Maybe I should give it a go, d’you reckon?”
“What, running? Or getting your heart broken?” Jenna smiled wryly. “I recommend the first. But I can’t say much for the heartbreak thing.”
* * *
“Jenna!”
She turned, Oscar on the lead this time, to see Harry running up the final bit of the path to the observation area at the edge of the enormous volcanic crater that was Mt. Eden. Nyree puffed up the slope after him with Sophie following behind, dribbling a soccer ball.
“Hi, Oscar!” Harry thumped a willing Oscar vigorously on the shoulder, then laughed as the dog swiped a tongue over his cheek in welcome. “He remembers me!”
“He sure does. You’re his friend for life, now that you’ve thrown the ball for him. You guys are playing soccer today, huh?”
“Just Sophie,” Harry said dismissively. “Nyree kicks it with her, not me.”
“I see that,” Jenna watched Sophie execute an intricate dribble, followed by an accurate kick to Nyree, who trapped it neatly with a foot and sent it cleanly back to the little girl. “You don’t like soccer?”
“Nah. It’s boring. I like animals best. D’you like animals too? Besides dogs?”
“I do. All kinds. Even extinct ones. How do you feel about dinosaurs? They’re some of my favorites.”
Harry stared at her, awestruck. “I love dinosaurs,” he breathed. “But there are hardly any dinosaur fossils in New Zealand, did you know that?” He sighed. “I saw a bit of a foot in the museum once. But that was all.”
“That is a little disappointing. On the other hand, New Zealand was the only place that had moa. And moa were very cool. It’s hard to imagine a bird that big, isn’t it? Twice as tall as an emu. Have you seen emu?”
“Yeh,” he brightened. “Dad took us to Aussie, and we saw heaps. Sweet as. I wish the moa hadn’t all died off, though. I wish I could see one.”
“You’ve seen the models they have in the Auckland Museum, I’ll bet,” Jenna guessed. “I like to imagine walking around here when it was still native bush and meeting one. That would’ve been a bit of a surprise, wouldn’t it? You wouldn’t even have come up past the top of its legs.”
“Yeh! And imagine if you saw a Haast’s Eagle attacking a moa!”
“I’d want to hide, if I saw that,” Jenna said. “That would be pretty scary. I’d be worried it would carry me away.”
She stopped to greet Sophie and Nyree as they approached. “You’re a pretty good soccer player,” she told Nyree admiringly. “You must have played at school.”
“And practiced with my own kids, when they were growing up,” Nyree said. “I’m too old and fat to run anymore, but as long as Sophie kicks it to me, I can send it back to her.”
“That’s good,” Sophie told Jenna seriously. “I have to practice my accuracy. And Nyree helps.”
“Sophie practices all the time,” Harry complained. “We have a goal set up in the garden at home. All she ever wants to do is practice kicking, and read. Bor-ring.”
“I’ll bet when you learn to read, you’ll be doing it a fair bit yourself,” Jenna suggested. “There’s so much cool stuff to find out about. Are you Year One?”
Harry nodded. “I haven’t learnt to read yet, though.” He gave another gusty sigh. “I thought we were meant to learn in Year One. But all I can read are little words. And baby books.”
“You have to keep trying,” Sophie said. “I told you that. It’s just like soccer and footy. Like Dad says. You have to practice hard to get better.” She did a little more dribbling with the ball, clearly itching to get started. “Can you play soccer?” she asked Jenna. “Because you can run. I saw. Can you practice with me?”
“I can try,” Jenna said doubtfully. “Do you and Harry mind holding Oscar?” she asked Nyree.
“We’ll take him to the dog area, let Harry throw his ball,” Nyree said. “There’s a bit of an open area near there where you can kick the ball till you’ve worn this girl out, if you really don’t mind. Then come find us.”
Jenna did her best, but her inaccurate kicks kept Sophie running, while her inept stops had her scrambling after the ball herself. She called a laughing halt after fifteen sweaty minutes.
“I don’t think this is my game,” she apologized to Sophie. “I’m afraid you’re the one wearing me out. Let’s go rescue Nyree from the dog park, all right?”
“You tried hard, though,” Sophie said encouragingly, finally displaying her seven-year-old gap-toothed smile.
Jenna laughed. “That’s very nice of you. But I think you’d better stick to practicing with Nyree.”
“Jenna! Oscar comes when I call him!” Harry told her excitedly when they joined the others inside the dog park. “Watch this!”
“You’re a Dog Whisperer, that’s for sure,” Jenna told him approvingly as Oscar came running at Harry’s enthusiastic shout. “Someday you’re going to be a really good dog owner. What kind of dog do you want, have you thought? A retriever, like this?”
“Nah,” Harry said confidently. “I want a plain dog. Loads of dogs get killed, did you know that? Because there aren’t enough homes for all of them. I think that’s sad, don’t you?”
“I think it’s very sad,” Jenna agreed. “And it’s wonderful to adopt a dog from a shelter.”
“Maybe when I get it, I can walk it with you and Oscar,” Harry suggested.
“Hmm. We’ll see. For right now, though, why don’t you give Oscar’s ball one more good toss? Then I need to be getting him back to his owner.”
No Prize
Jenna put a hand up to her auburn hair and verified her suspicions. Her carefully blow-dried waves had become corkscrew curls, even under the shelter of her umbrella. So much for a polished, professional appearance. Giving herself a time cushion had meant walking in the rain for twenty minutes before the appointment, but she hadn’t wanted to risk a late arrival.
She looked up at the imposing villa set against the hillside of the Mt. Eden Domain, squared her shoulders, and made her way through the wooden gate set into the stone wall and up the front steps to the polished wood door. She reminded herself that the job was a long shot, but she couldn’t help being excited all the same. When she’d seen the ad, it had seemed tailor-made for her. The six-month post as a nanny and housekeeper would end in mid-December, giving her a chance to get settled before the new school year started at the end of January. It was live-in, which meant she wouldn’t have to find a place here in Auckland right away, and could save most of her salary as well. She’d enjoyed staying with Natalie for the past couple weeks and catching up on their friendship, but she needed to move on before she wore out her welcome.
“Hello,” she smiled up at the tall man who answered the door at her ring. “Mr. Douglas? I’m Jenna McKnight. I think you’re expecting me.”
“Come in. And call me Finn, please.” He took her umbrella from her with a raised brow. “You got pretty wet. Couldn’t you find a parking space?”
“No car. Shoes off?” she asked, glancing at his stockinged feet.
“If you don’t mind,” he agreed, and watched as she bent to pull off her boots. “You’ve learnt Kiwi ways, obviously.”
“I’m a permanent resident, actually. I may not sound like it, but I am pretty much a Kiwi at this point.”
“You do know that this job involves driving,” he commented as he led the way into a spacious lounge, its original rimu flooring polished to a high russet gloss and covered by a large Oriental carpet.
“I can drive,” she assured him. “And I have a clean record.”
“Yeh,” he said absently, gesturing her to a seat on the big leather couch and picking up her CV with a frown. “You have good qualifications. Six years teaching Year One. You’re not … exactly what I was hoping for, though. This is a temporary job, but it’s a serious one. You’d have a couple days off each week, but otherwise you’d be here with the kids. Twenty-four hours a day some of the time, though there’s additio
nal help you could call in. I travel a fair bit, as I’m sure you know.”
“Did you say that on the phone? I don’t recall that. But of course it’s a serious job. It’s taking care of your children, after all, and that’s serious business. I wouldn’t have applied if I hadn’t been prepared to do that.”
He didn’t seem to be warming to her. Was it the hair? She put her hand up to it again, then pulled it away quickly and tried to project more calm than she was feeling.
“You don’t know who I am,” he said. It was a statement, accompanied by a piercing stare from his light blue eyes.
“Should I know? Are you an actor or something?” She looked at him doubtfully. He was certainly striking, with his height and powerful build, but his features were much too rough-hewn to be called handsome. And that gravelly voice—he could play villains, she supposed. He must have some kind of lucrative career, anyway, to be able to afford this house, in its exclusive neighborhood. He looked young to be a successful businessperson—early thirties, maybe.
“I’m a rugby player,” he answered briefly, still looking at her. “You didn’t know that?”
“No. I don’t follow sport.”
“You didn’t look me up online, before the interview? That isn’t why you’re here?”
“What?” She was staring at him now. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Look.” He sighed and set her CV down. “I’ve tried to do this discreetly, but somehow, most of the candidates have turned out to be attractive young women. I advertised because I needed a temporary nanny and housekeeper. Not a girlfriend, and definitely not a wife.”
Jenna sat with her mouth open for a moment, then shut it with a snap. “And astonishingly enough, I came here today, on the bus, in the pouring rain, to interview for a job as a temporary nanny and housekeeper. Not to … what? Audition to be your girlfriend? Sleep with you? Maybe you should look in the mirror. You aren’t that good-looking.”
She forced herself to stop before she said anything even ruder, and stood up to leave. All she’d lost was her time and some bus fare, she reminded herself, taking a couple calming breaths to prepare for a dignified exit.
As Finn rose to join her, those eyes even harder now, the front door banged and excited voices rose in the hallway.
“Daddy! We got so wet!”
Jenna turned in surprise as two familiar little figures rushed into the room, then skidded to a stop, staring at her.
“Jenna!” Harry rushed forward and gave her a hug that Jenna reflexively returned. “Why are you here? Did you come to visit us? Where’s Oscar?”
She smiled down at him and reached out to smooth his hair. “No Oscar today. I came to see your dad, but I was just leaving, buddy.”
“Hi, Jenna!” Sophie came forward for her own hug. “Did you come to talk to Dad about being our nanny?” she guessed. “He said he was going to talk to some ladies while we were gone. Are you going to stay with us? That would be so cool.”
“Afraid not,” Jenna told her. “Your dad and I were just realizing that it wouldn’t work out. See you soon, though, OK?”
“Wait,” Finn protested. “What’s going on here? How do you know my kids? I thought you weren’t working as a teacher now.”
Jenna turned to him. “I see them quite a bit at the Domain, when they’re there with Nyree.”
“Jenna knows all about birds, and dogs, and extinct animals, and everything, Dad,” Harry told him. “She’s very, very good at discussing.”
Finn looked down at his earnest son with a smile. “I know how much you like to discuss animals. Why don’t you two say goodbye to Jenna and run back with Nyree now, though?”
“But why aren’t you going to be our nanny?” Sophie asked with disappointment. “We’d like you best.”
“It’s not going to work,” Finn told her firmly. “Say goodbye, now.”
Both children looked mutinous, but obeyed at last. After they had left the room, Finn turned back to Jenna, his expression even more skeptical. “You got to know my kids. But you don’t know who I am.”
“No. And frankly, I find myself caring less and less. Good luck finding your elderly nanny.”
“Look.” He followed her out of the room and watched as she pulled on her boots and retrieved her raincoat and umbrella from the hooks that lined the entryway. “If that’s true, I’m sorry I insulted you. It’s just …” He ran a hand through his close-cropped brown hair. “It’s awkward, you know. Because the person has to live in the house with me. I know what I look like, and that I’m no prize. But for some reason, whether you believe me or not, I’ve met a fair few young women this past week who seem to be looking for more than a job.”
Jenna nodded stiffly. “No point in my telling you I’m not interested. You can’t prove a negative. But you have great kids. So, really, good luck with the nanny.” She reached out a hand to shake his.
“Let me ring for a taxi,” he suggested, looking a bit shamefaced now.
“No worries. I’m already wet.” She gave him a brief smile and left the house.
Finn shut the door behind her. Sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. Why did Nyree have to leave, anyway? That was selfish, though. Her mum needed her. Hip replacements were no picnic. But this was too hard. He must have sounded like an arrogant prat just now. Jenna really hadn’t known who he was. He looked at himself in the hall mirror and grimaced. She was right. No prize.
* * *
“Daddy, can we talk to you for a minute?”
Finn looked up with a frown. “Isn’t it bedtime?”
“Yes.” Sophie picked up the TV remote and turned the set off.
“Oi,” Finn protested mildly.
“This is serious,” she told him as she and Harry came to join him on the couch, one on either side of him.
“Right, then,” he said. “What?”
“We don’t like Mrs. Donaldson,” Harry burst out. “She’s mean.”
“Mean? She’s been here less than a week,” Finn said. “What has she done?”
“She smacks,” Sophie told him.
“Smacks? Smacks what?”
“Daddy. Us,” Sophie explained in exasperation. “Well, me mostly. But Harry once too.”
“What? She smacked you?” He had a hard time believing it. “When? How?”
“When Harry wasn’t ready for school. When I wouldn’t eat that smelly fish she made last night. She gets a really mean face, and she smacks.”
“Like this,” Harry explained. He stood up, pushed up his glasses, and frowned menacingly at Finn. “Then she smacks on the bottom.” He illustrated on himself. “And we don’t like it. Nyree never smacks.”
“No,” Finn agreed grimly. “Right, then. I’ll put you to bed, then I’ll talk to Mrs. Donaldson. She won’t be your nanny anymore.”
It was a good thing there was no training the next day, he thought worriedly. But then what was he going to do?
“We have something else to say,” Sophie told him. Clearly, she was the spokesperson tonight.
“We want Jenna!” Harry burst out.
“Harry,” Sophie frowned him down. “I was supposed to explain.”
She looked up at her father, determination written all over her little face. “We want Jenna to be our nanny,” she told him. “For these reasons.” She opened the notebook she was carrying and turned to the latest page. “Reason One: Jenna is nice. Reason Two: Jenna knows all about animals.”
“Yeh,” Harry interjected again, impatient with his sister’s list. “And the other reason, Jenna smells very nice. And we like her. We want her to be the nanny, please, Dad.”
“She can’t kick a ball very well,” Sophie pointed out fairly. “I don’t think she can help me with soccer practice, not like Nyree does. But maybe you could help me instead.”
“Right. Your points are noted,” Finn said. “But you know, Jenna may have another job now. Or she may not want this one. I’m not sure she likes me as much as s
he likes you.”
“That’s because you made the Scary Face when she was here,” Harry said. “You just have to smile, Dad. Then she’ll know you’re nice, and she’ll want to stay with us. Please?”
“Please, Dad,” Sophie added. “Please ask her.”
Finn exhaled. “I’ll think about it, all right? Now let’s get you to bed.”
Talking to Mrs. Donaldson was easy. She started out hostile, but when he reminded her of the legal ban on smacking, most of the wind went out of her sails. A week’s severance and a taxi waiting while she packed took care of the rest. Calling Jenna the next day, though, proved a much tougher proposition.
“Look, I know I got offside with you,” he told her at last. “But I’d like to try again. I talked to the head of your school in Wellington and she gave you a glowing recommendation. Rang your other references too, with the same result. You were right, and I was wrong. Can’t say fairer than that. So could you come back and talk to me again? I’ll send a taxi for you,” he went on hurriedly. “Have a heart. I’m in a right mess here.”
“I’ll come talk to you again,” Jenna said warily. “As long as all that other business is over.”
“My being irresistible. Done and dusted. You told me, and I got it.”
She laughed. “I suspect we both find each other resistible. But I’ll come talk to you. For the kids’ sake.”
* * *
“You’re a teacher, eh,” he asked when Jenna was once again sitting across from him in the lounge. “Why aren’t you teaching now?”
“Taking a year off,” she explained. “I’ve been living in Wellington, as you saw, for some years now. I decided after last year, though, that I wanted to find someplace new to live. I’ve been traveling and working for the past six months.”
“Working where? That’s not on your CV,” he pointed out.
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