The Nanny Clause

by Karen Rose Smith

  “Are you going to give her a bath?” Pippa asked.

  Emma laughed. “I doubt that. When she’s cared for and has enough to eat, she’ll groom herself. That’s what cats do. My guess is she’s tired from running here and there, trying to find a place out of the weather and get something to eat.”

  The girls seemed to be hanging on her every word.

  When Emma glanced up at Daniel Sutton, he was watching her. His expression was...curious, if she had to put a word to it. She was curious about him, too, but had no right to be. He was probably married.

  There wasn’t a ring on his finger, but she knew better than most that the symbol of marriage might not mean anything.

  Reminding herself that her only interest was the cat in front of her, and maybe the girls, she asked, “Did she give you any trouble when you handled her?”

  Daniel shook his head. “She was compliant, even purred a little when Penny petted her.”

  “Did you give her anything to eat?”

  “I had roasted chicken in my office refrigerator. I cut off a piece and chopped it up. She gobbled it down.”

  “Really fast,” Pippa added.

  Paris said quietly, “She rubbed against my legs, too, over and over again, like she wanted to be friends.”

  The cat was looking at Emma as if asking what was going to happen next. Emma wished she knew and hoped for the best.

  * * *

  Daniel felt shaken after Emma Alvarez walked away. He hadn’t been attracted to a woman since Lydia had left. What was this?

  Obviously, Emma was compassionate, not only with animals, but also with children. Before Lydia left, he hadn’t even seen that compassion in his ex-wife toward her own offspring, much less strangers.

  Don’t compare anything. Don’t be interested in anyone, he charged himself. He finally felt as if he was whole again and that had taken two long years.

  The other stray thought he’d had about Emma Alvarez was that she’d make a wonderful nanny. He’d interviewed two women last week and neither of them had given him the impression they’d be this good with his girls.

  Too picky...or too cautious? Both were true on many fronts. But Emma gave him a feeling he just couldn’t ignore, especially as he watched his daughters respond to her. Yeah, he was definitely going with his gut on this.

  He watched Emma speak with a volunteer, who was caring for the cats behind the plexiglass window. That woman asked Pippa, Penny and Paris if they wanted to come in and pet a few. They did. He watched them curiously as he waited for Emma. Paris obviously had a caring streak, too. He hadn’t seen that side of her since Lydia had left.

  Emma returned from the office down the hall with papers that were attached to a clipboard in hand. She said, “Why don’t we sit in the lobby while you fill these out. If you have any questions, I’ll be here to answer them.”

  Daniel gently rapped on the window and Paris looked his way. He pointed to the clipboard and to the lobby, and she gave him a thumbs-up sign to indicate that she understood.

  As they walked toward the lobby, Emma said to Daniel, “The feline you brought in was not microchipped. She will have to have an FIV and a feline leukemia test. I didn’t want to say anything around your girls.”

  “What do you mean? What if one of the tests is positive?”

  Emma gave him a sad look and he knew what that meant.

  “Why?” he asked, surprised that he cared.

  “There’s research being done to determine if an FIV-positive cat can be included in a multi-cat family, but for now FIV and feline leukemia are both considered highly contagious.” She gently touched his arm.

  He couldn’t believe the heat that simple touch generated. When he glanced at her, he saw an almost surprised look on her face. Was she affected, too?

  They’d reached the lobby and Emma cleared her throat and motioned to two chairs. After they sat, she handed him the clipboard and pen. They were sitting side by side, his knee practically touching hers. He didn’t move it away because that would be too obvious. Obvious that he was attracted? Or obvious that he wanted to remove himself?

  He rested the clipboard on his thigh. The realization brought on by Emma’s words struck hard. “If you can’t save that cat and her kittens, my daughters are going to be heartbroken.”

  “I do understand,” Emma empathized. “And you shouldn’t lose hope—the tests might come back negative. As soon as the vet tech is free, she’ll draw blood. The test will take about twenty minutes. I suggest you take your daughters home and I’ll call you later with the results.”

  He made a quick decision. “Let me give you my cell number, then you can reach me no matter where I am. Do you have your phone on you?”

  She did. She plucked her phone from her belt and tapped Daniel’s cell number into her contacts.

  Thinking he should be filling out the forms, not watching Emma tap in his contact information, he felt startled when she raised her gaze to his and didn’t quickly turn away.

  He did look away. The forms had become more important than Emma Alvarez.

  * * *

  Daniel sat in his study that evening listening to his girls play a video game in the family room across the hall. The floor plan of this house was one of the reasons he and his ex-wife had bought it after Penny was born. The house had been on the market for over a year without a buyer. The owners, a couple whose family had grown and left, had wanted to move closer to their children. He’d gotten a great deal, and he knew that. Lydia had been over-the-moon pleased.

  Pippa’s laughter rang out from the family room. He glanced around his man cave at the bookshelves, at the massive desk, at the computer-and-printer setup. Neither his house nor his law degree would mean anything to him without his daughters.

  He returned to looking for summer-camp selections for his girls at the community college. He hoped it wasn’t too late to enroll. As he began reading the selections, his cell phone buzzed. Picking it up, he saw on the screen that the caller was E. Alvarez. His heart began beating just a little faster.

  “Mr. Sutton?” she asked.

  “Call me Daniel,” he suggested. That wasn’t too informal, right? He always told his clients that, didn’t he?

  Emma hesitated and then said, “All right, Daniel. The calico tested negative, and we’re taking care of her. I named her Fiesta because of all of her colors. She needs good nutrition for her babies.”

  “I’m so glad she has a place where she’ll be safe,” Daniel responded.

  “She’ll be safe for a time. Momma cats with babies aren’t very adoptable. The kittens will be, though, once they’re born.”

  “I don’t think I’m going to tell Pippa, Penny and Paris that.”

  “We can’t give Fiesta a whole lot of attention at the shelter because of all of our animals. I’ll do my best to keep an eye on her. It really would be better if she could go home with you and your girls, though.”

  “No.” The word popped out of Daniel’s mouth before he even thought about the idea.

  “Can I ask why?” she inquired gently.

  After a moment, he told her the truth. “I’m a divorced single dad with three girls who are active, smart and sometimes needy. I really can’t see adding a pet to that mix.”

  She paused, then said quietly, “I see. If you can’t adopt Fiesta, why don’t you bring your daughters back to the shelter for a visit. I’m sure they’d enjoy it and so would she. I’m certain she’ll want all the attention she can get. She’s a very friendly feline.”

  “I’ll consider a visit,” he assured her, maybe because he wanted to see Emma Alvarez again and not the cat.

  “Whenever you have time. Do you know our hours?”

  “I do. I looked them up before we came to the shelter. Are you always on the same shift?”

  “My schedule varies depending on when the
shelter needs me to be here.”

  He hadn’t thought about that.

  “We hope to see you soon at Furever Paws,” she said politely. “You have a good night and say hello to your girls for me.”

  “I will.”

  After Daniel ended the call, he wished it had gone on a little longer. Should he visit again with her at Furever Paws when he was attracted to her?

  His better judgment told him no.

  Chapter Two

  Whole Bean, the coffee shop in Spring Forest, was a popular local gathering place, even on a Saturday. Daniel was grateful for his sister, who had come over to the house to take care of the girls for the day so he could catch up on client appointments at the office. She was making them breakfast and since she didn’t drink coffee...

  The coffee shop was near his office so it was an easy stop. He went to the counter and ordered a double-shot espresso. Checking his watch, he saw that he had about ten minutes before he wanted to start at the office. It wouldn’t hurt to relax a bit before the workday began. Sometimes getting the girls up and dressed and their hair fixed was like running a marathon. He wanted his sister to do the fun things with them and didn’t intend to burden her with any more than was necessary.

  He’d turned and headed to the main part of the café to find a table when he stopped cold. There was Emma Alvarez, sitting alone at a bistro table for two. Could she be waiting for someone?

  It didn’t look like it. She’d spread the newspaper on the table in front of her and had a pen in her hand.

  So much for relaxing. His heart had started pulsing faster the moment he’d spotted her.

  Crossing to the table, he stood there for a moment. She must have felt his presence because she looked up and her eyes widened.

  Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Do you mind if I join you?”

  She looked flustered but she folded the newspaper and laid her pen on the table. “I don’t mind.”

  He checked the coffee she was drinking. It looked like a latte.

  She saw him studying her coffee and she studied his. “Yes, I drink lattes—vanilla. How about you?”

  He nodded to his cup as he sat. “It only looks like black coffee. It has shots of espresso in it.”

  “Enough to get you through the day?” she teased. “Or will you need more about noon?”

  “I’m limiting myself to the two shots of espresso a day. If I have them both in the morning, that’s it. I have enough trouble sleeping at night.”

  “Because of your daughters?” she asked, and then blushed. “I’m sorry. That sounded like prying.”

  “I opened the conversation, and yes, my daughters do keep me from sleeping at night. Pippa often calls out in her sleep. It’s been that way since my wife left.”

  “You said you’re divorced?”

  His gaze landed on her hand. No ring there. “Yes, I’m divorced. Two years now. You’d think I would have gotten used to being mother and father by now.”

  Emma shook her head. “I don’t think it works that way. I lost my mom to cancer when I was twelve. I’ll never forget those last six months or the years after, when I missed her so much I didn’t know what to do. I still miss her.”

  They’d jumped into heavy waters awfully fast, and it was time to back up. Except, when he tried to remove himself emotionally, he got caught up in Emma’s beauty—those dangling curls, her pert nose, her full lips. Backing away from her would be downright difficult.

  Clearing his throat, he nodded to the newspaper. “You looked serious when I came over.”

  “I’m looking for a job. I have a business degree. In Pennsylvania before I moved here, I was an office manager. I’m hoping that the grapevine surrounding the shelter will reveal a position somewhere nearby. Lots of folks go in and out of there in a day.”

  “I imagine so. I thought maybe you were training to be a vet tech since you were working at the shelter.”

  “Oh, I love animals. But I don’t think vet tech is in my future—the medical side isn’t for me. During my shift I help out wherever’s necessary. What I like most is giving the animals attention. They are so much like children. When neglected, they act out. If we play with them to release energy, and they know someone’s caring for them, they behave much better.”

  When he was at the shelter with his daughters, he could easily see that Emma had a soft spot for children and animals. He took a few sips of his coffee. “Have you been in North Carolina long?”

  “About a month now.”

  “You said you worked as an office manager in Pennsylvania. Did you come here looking for work?”

  Appearing uncomfortable for a moment, she brushed her curls behind her ear before answering him. “Not exactly. It’s a very long story. My trip down here ended up being a little different than I expected. Now I’ve decided to stay for a while to see if Spring Forest is where I might want to settle. It is a beautiful little town.”

  Emma sipped more of her coffee. It was about half-finished. It must have still had foam because it edged her upper lip. He smiled.

  “What?” she asked, probably because he was studying her so intently.

  What he wanted to do was touch that foam and find out exactly how soft her skin was. The notion was absolutely crazy. So instead he took his forefinger and edged his own upper lip.

  She laughed and caught on right away. “You don’t have to worry about that with espresso.”

  She wasn’t at all embarrassed and he liked that about her. She was natural, unaffected, genuine.

  The lawyer in him took the other side of the argument. You don’t know her. You have barely spent any time with her. How could you possibly know she’s all those things?

  Yes, how could he possibly know, and why would he want to know? He had a full plate as it was. He didn’t need an entanglement to upset an already rocky boat.

  Although he was reluctant to leave, he made a point of checking his watch. Then he said, “I hope you find what you’re looking for. I really need to go now. I have a client coming in first thing this morning.”

  She nodded, “I understand. You have a good day.”

  He stood, even though something was telling him to stay. He waved his hand at her coffee cup. “Enjoy the rest of your latte.”

  She was smiling at him when he left. That smile stayed with him all the way to his office.

  * * *

  Tied up with clients who wanted to make out a will, close on a house sale or draw up powers of attorney, Daniel hardly had time to breathe the rest of the morning. At some point the espresso would let him down, but hopefully not until the end of the afternoon. Raina knew he liked to see clients in the morning and deal with paperwork later in the day.

  He’d started reading the history of a neighborly dispute over land boundaries between two properties when his cell phone buzzed. Cell phone rather than office phone meant it was a personal call.

  “Hello,” he said. “Busy lawyer here.”

  “Oh, Dad, you’re always busy,” Paris complained. “I have a problem. Aunt Shannon wants me to eat a sandwich and a salad. I don’t want to. She’s so vehement about it, I’m afraid she’ll force-feed me.”

  Just where had Paris learned the word vehement? She wasn’t studying for her SATs yet, he thought wryly. However, when Paris was in a snit he did his best to calm her. “Do you want me to talk to your aunt? You can put her on the phone.”

  “No. You have to come home. I’ve got to lose weight before school starts in September. She doesn’t understand that. Oh, and Penny missed her last soccer game of the season this morning because you didn’t tell Aunt Shannon about it.”

  Daniel rubbed his hand over his brow. “Why didn’t Penny tell her about it?”

  He could almost hear the shrug in Paris’s voice when she answered, “I guess she forgot, too. It was scheduled at the l
ast minute.”

  He had a decision to make—whether to be honest or patronizing. Paris didn’t take patronizing well. “I do have to work. Are you sure you can’t settle this yourself?”

  “I didn’t tell you the worst part.”

  Now Daniel held in a breath, then let it out. “The worst part?”

  “Um...” Paris hesitated. That was unusual and worried Daniel even more.

  “Just spill it, Paris. It won’t get any easier if you turn it around in your mind ten times.”

  “Pippa got into something you’re not going to like.”

  “Is this going to be twenty questions?” He really was losing patience. Maybe he should take up meditation.

  “There was this shoebox in your closet. It had all of mom’s makeup in it. Now it’s all over Pippa’s face.”

  Pushing aside the papers on his desk, Daniel faced the problem head-on. When Lydia had left, he’d hoped she’d return to her family, so he’d kept all of her things. When she hadn’t, he’d packed everything up and then forgotten about that box in the deepest recesses of his closet.

  “What made Pippa go in there in the first place?” he asked Paris.

  “I don’t know. Honest. Maybe she saw you put it in there and she remembered.”

  More than once Pippa had asked why her mommy had left. He’d never been exactly sure what to tell her. Lydia sent the girls birthday cards and she’d written them a couple of short notes, but that had been the extent of her communication since the divorce. No wonder they felt abandoned.

  What had Emma said just this morning? Animals are so much like children. When neglected, they act out.

  So much for working at his office on a Saturday. “I’ll be home in about ten minutes, Paris. Do you think the three of you would like to visit Fiesta at Furever Paws?”

  “Dad’s coming home,” Paris announced to her sisters, who must have been standing right there.

  He heard the “yay” that filled the kitchen. Then Paris asked Pippa and Penny, “Do you want to go visit Fiesta at Furever Paws?”