Amy’s mouth dropped open. “Wh-what did you say?”
“I said, how would you like to work for me as a live-in nanny to my girls?”
As Amy digested this startling development, she realized this offer might be the answer to her prayers. Cole would never look for her in Morgan Creek because he wasn’t even aware of its existence or the fact she had any connection to it. Working for Bryce would mean she would be living on this compound, behind high walls with a sophisticated security system, to all intents and purposes hidden from view.
She and Calista would be safe.
“Bryce, being a nanny isn’t like teaching school,” Tara said.
Ignoring Tara’s remark, Bryce kept his attention trained on Amy. “It seems to me we could help each other out. I need someone young and energetic and experienced with children to supervise my girls. And you need a job and a way to care for your daughter at the same time. This would solve both our problems. I’ll make it worth your while and pay you as much as you’d make teaching.” He named a generous amount.
Tara had no intention of being ignored. “Have you any experience with girls the ages of Stella and Susan?” she said.
Her voice was perfectly pleasant and reasonable, but Amy knew the woman was not pleased. “Actually,” Amy answered just as pleasantly, “I have.” She turned to Bryce again. “I’m certified to teach kindergarten through second grade, and even though most of my experience is with kindergarten, I did substitute teach in both first and second grades my first year out of college.”
He nodded, obviously pleased. “Stella just completed second grade, and Susan will begin second grade this year.”
“I figured as much,” Amy said.
“So what do you say? Interested in the job?”
“Oh, Amy, it would be great to have you here!” Lorna said. “Please say yes.”
Although Amy was so thrilled about the job offer she wanted to get up and dance around the room, she managed to reply calmly and in a businesslike manner. “I appreciate your confidence in me, and I accept your offer. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“Great,” Bryce said.
“Oh, I’m so excited!” Lorna said.
Amy stole another glance at Tara. Although she still maintained an even expression, her eyes as they met Amy’s were as cold and hard as Bryce’s were warm and welcoming.
Amy suddenly had that feeling her mother used to describe as “someone walking over my grave.” She knew as certainly as she knew her own name that she had made an enemy in Tara Kenyon, who obviously viewed her as some kind of threat. Why this should be so, Amy had no idea. After all, Tara was beautiful and rich and from the same social class as Bryce, whereas she, Amy, was not beautiful or rich and certainly not even close to the same class of people as the Hathaways.
She wanted to say, Chill, honey, I’m just the hired help. Your claim on Bryce Hathaway is perfectly safe. He would no more be interested in me than one of the maids.
Sure, Bryce liked her. She could see he liked her. But his liking her had to do with his children and his need for someone to take care of them and not to anything else. Amy was enough of a realist to know that. Anyway, even if Bryce did like her in another way, it wouldn’t make any difference. Amy wasn’t interested in romance. Not yet. Maybe never. And even if she were, how could she get involved with any man under false pretenses? The fact was, she was living a lie, and a lie was no basis upon which to form a serious relationship.
For the rest of the meal, Tara managed to dominate Bryce’s attention, and Amy knew it was no fluke that she did it talking about people, events and subjects Amy knew nothing about and couldn’t possibly comment on. Amy was amused. Tara thought she was effectively cutting Amy out, but she was actually doing her a favor, because now Amy could try to relax and just enjoy her dinner.
Even so, she was relieved when dinner was finally over and she could escape the table. Grinning, Lorna linked her arm with Amy’s as they headed toward the morning room and the children.
“I’m so tickled you’re going to be staying on,” she said. “It’ll be such fun to have you here.”
“I’m pleased, too. It was really nice of your brother to offer me the job.”
“Hey, you’re doing him a favor. He’s had a devil of a time keeping nannies.”
“Why is that? Do you know?”
“This isn’t exactly an exciting place to live, Amy. I mean, the closest movie theater is a good forty-five-minute drive. And shopping? Forget it. You’ve got to go into Austin or San Antonio to find a decent place to shop. And as for eating out, if you don’t belong to the country club, you’re pretty much limited to barbecue or Tex-Mex.”
Amy shrugged. “Those things aren’t very important to me.”
“I agree,” Lorna said. “Of course, I get to travel quite a bit for my job. Being a nanny six days a week really ties you down, plus it isn’t easy. Are you real sure you want to do this? I mean, we did kind of pressure you.”
Amy wasn’t completely sure of anything except the need to hide from Cole, but she smiled and said, “I’m sure.”
Lorna grinned. “This is going to be like old times.”
Amy nodded, but she knew nothing would be like old times, not for her, at least. Her life had changed irrevocably the day she married Cole Jordan, and she would spend the rest of it looking over her shoulder.
Bryce kissed his grandmother good-night, then walked over to where his mother stood talking with Claudia. She turned to him and smiled. “Leaving?”
“Yeah, I think I’d better. The girls are getting wild, which means they’re overtired.”
“So I noticed,” his mother said dryly.
Bryce’s eyes briefly met Claudia’s. In hers he saw understanding and empathy. All the Hathaway siblings understood that their mother would never be the storybook, doting grandmother. Kathleen Bryce Hathaway loved her grandchildren, but she had no patience for behavior that was less than perfect.
And in Bryce’s experience, no child was perfectly behaved. Children were children, not miniature adults. But there was no point in expressing the sentiment, because in this one way, his mother and his grandmother were alike. Each held strong views on the subject, and neither would ever change.
“Before you leave, dear,” his mother continued, “I’d like a private word with you.”
“That’s my cue to disappear,” Claudia said, grinning. She lifted her arms. “Gimme a hug, big brother.”
Once Claudia was gone, his mother said, “Bryce, I’ve never known you to be impulsive—at least not since you became an adult.”
Bryce instantly realized what was coming.
“So do you think it’s wise to have hired Lorna’s friend to supervise the girls without knowing anything about her?”
“Well, I do know she’s Lorna’s friend, and Lorna seems to think highly of her.”
“Yes, but from what I gather, Lorna only knew her for a brief period of time many years ago. We know nothing about her people or her morals or anything else really.” Kathleen frowned. “It worries me. Don’t you think you should at least check her credentials?”
“I intend to.” Bryce had already decided he would ask Amy for her references and give them a call.
“Good. In our position it pays to be careful, you know.”
“It pays any parent to be careful.”
“Well, of course, but people like us have to be doubly careful.”
Bryce bit back what he really wanted to say. Instead he just kissed his mother good-night and went to round up his daughters. As they walked home, he thought about his mother’s concerns. His mother had her faults—the priority she placed on position and wealth being uppermost among them—but at bottom she was a sensible woman who didn’t worry needlessly. And when she did express concern, her reasoning was usually sound.
Why had he been so impulsive tonight? His mother was right. It wasn’t like him. Normally he thought things through and investigated all aspects of a situation before he acted. Yet in the case of someone to care for his children—a job that was crucially important—he had acted on instinct, never mind the fact he had belatedly decided it might be wise to check Amy’s references.
Why?
Later, as he supervised the girls in their bedtime rituals, he still hadn’t come up with an answer to his impulsive act. It was only as he climbed into bed and turned out the bedside lamp that the answer came to him, and it startled him.
Something about Amy Gordon reminded him of Michelle. Bryce punched up his pillow and turned on his side.
Amy didn’t look like Michelle. Michelle had been blond with gray-blue eyes. She’d also been taller than Amy, an all around bigger woman. Yet there was something, some quality the two women shared, although Bryce couldn’t exactly put his finger on it.
He thought about his impulsive act for a long while before finally deciding it didn’t matter why he’d acted the way he had. For some reason he liked Amy and he instinctively trusted her. No, he didn’t know a lot about her background, but he was a good judge of people, and he would lay odds Amy Gordon was a good person and her references would all check out.
So he wasn’t sorry he’d offered her the job. In fact, he had a strong feeling she would be the best nanny his girls had ever had.
“So tell me about your brother,” Amy said. She and Lorna were sitting on the porch—Lorna in the swing, Amy in a nearby rocking chair. Each sipped from a glass of wine. The heat of the day had finally succumbed to nightfall and the strengthening wind that promised rain before morning. It was so peaceful sitting there in the moonlight, listening to crickets chirping and the wind rustling through the leaves of the big magnolia tree that dominated the front yard. Amy could feel all the stress and worry of the past couple of days falling from her shoulders.
“Bryce is one of the good guys,” Lorna said. “Of course, I am prejudiced since he’s my brother, but even so, it’s true. I admire him and respect him more than just about anyone in the world.”
Amy couldn’t help the stab of envy. She had always wanted brothers and sisters. “What happened to his wife?”
“Ovarian cancer. She died three years ago.”
“That’s tough.”
“Yes, it was. We were all pretty broken up about it. Michelle, well, she was special. We all loved her. Even Mother.”
The way Lorna said “even Mother” piqued Amy’s curiosity, yet she hesitated to comment. She didn’t want to overstep. So she was glad when Lorna continued without prompting.
“See, the thing is, my mother wanted Bryce to marry Tara Kenyon, so it really was remarkable that Michelle won her over so quickly.”
“Why’d your mother want him to marry Tara?”
“Because it would enhance her position and add to the family’s wealth,” Lorna answered matter-of-factly. “Believe me, it had nothing to do with her thinking Tara would be a good wife to Bryce, although, to be fair, I think Tara would have been a good wife. The problem is, and always has been, that no matter how Tara feels about him, I don’t believe Bryce is in love with her. I think he has a high regard for her—unlike me and Claudia, who aren’t swayed by her charms.” She laughed at this, then grew serious again. “He and Tara grew up together. They have a lot of interests in common, and they’ve always been friends, but from what I can see, that’s as far as it goes for him.”
“What was Michelle like?”
“The word that describes her best is warm. She was a warm, loving woman who rarely found fault with anyone. You just couldn’t help responding to her. It’s hard to dislike someone who so obviously likes you.”
Amy could hear the smile in Lorna’s voice. “She sounds wonderful.”
“She was. Not perfect. I mean, she was human. But she was wonderful. In addition to being so nice, she had a great sense of humor, and a sense of fun.” Lorna pushed harder on the swing, and it squeaked in protest. “Damn. I keep forgetting to oil this thing. Anyway, we had some good times together.” Her voice softened. “I miss her.”
Amy felt an ache of sympathy along with another twinge of envy. What must it be like to be loved so much, not just by your husband but by his family? Amy had never known that. Oh, she’d been loved by her family, but Cole hadn’t ever really loved her. She’d been a possession to him, something it had taken her a while to realize. And he wasn’t close to his family, who lived in Michigan, so Amy had never had a chance to know them. That fact alone should have been a warning signal and should have told her something important about Cole’s character, but she hadn’t realized that until it was too late.
“What about the girls?” she said after a moment. “Did they have a hard time after their mother died?”
“Yes. For months they cried for her. But kids are pretty resilient, especially when they’re surrounded by lots of family who love and support them. They’ve bounced back remarkably well, I think. I have to warn you, though. Susan is a handful. She’s a big reason Bryce hasn’t been able to keep the nannies he hires.”
“How many nannies has he had?”
“Truthfully, I’ve lost count. At least six.”
Amy felt a twinge of alarm. Six. “And they all left because of Susan?”
“I’d say she was the biggest factor.”
Amy pictured the seven-year-old with her lively eyes and curly hair. She was cute as the dickens and obviously a high-spirited child, but she didn’t seem any worse than some of the children Amy had handled in preschool. “What, exactly, did Susan do to drive them away?”
“Nothing really awful. She’s just mischievous. And she’s sly. When she doesn’t like someone, she’ll sabotage her, which is what she did to the nannies. Things like putting lizards in their jewelry box or salt in the sugar bowl or constantly hiding their glasses. That kind of thing.”
“She didn’t like any of them?”
“Not really, although a couple of them quit because they couldn’t take living in Morgan Creek and having such a limiting kind of job. I mean, I told you, there’s just not much to do here.”
“As I said before, I’m not looking for excitement. With Calista, I wouldn’t go out much anyway, even if I lived somewhere with a lot going on.” Amy smiled. “Anyway, I have you, so I won’t be lonely.”
“I know. Isn’t it great? I’m going to love having you here. I’ve missed having a best friend.”
“But surely you’ve got friends here. After all, you grew up here.”
“Yes, but most of my girlhood friends are gone. Some married and moved away. Others found better career opportunities in Austin or San Antonio. Oh, I’ve got friends. But no one I feel really close to except Claudia, and I’m afraid Claudia won’t stay here, either.”
“Really? Why not? Is she getting married?”
“No, nothing like that. In fact, that’s a lot of the problem. There aren’t many eligible young men around here. They leave, too, and go to Austin or Dallas or Houston. That’s where the good jobs are.”
“But what about your family’s business? Surely you employ a lot of people.”
“Yes, but mostly the jobs here are blue-collar. Not that there’s anything wrong with blue-collar workers, but the guys here don’t have a lot in common with my sister, even if they weren’t intimidated by the idea she’s a Hathaway. There are a few management jobs, but not many, and Bryce and my father and I have the three highest level positions.”
“What about sales? You’ve got a sales staff, don’t you?”
“Of course. But they’re based all over. Our Morgan Creek facility is our main plant. It’s where the company began and it’s still the biggest facility, but we now have twelve other smaller plants dotted around the state.”
“So is Claudia going to transfer to another location in a bigger city?”
“No. The truth is, she doesn’t like working in the business.”
“What does she want to do instead?”
“Actually, she’s applying for teaching jobs around the state.”
“I didn’t know she was a teacher.”
“She’s never taught, but she’s investigated getting a teaching certificate. She has an MBA and could teach at either the high school or college level. She’d like to teach business subjects.”
By now Amy had finished her wine and was beginning to feel the effects of the wonderful dinner and the three glasses of wine she’d had over the course of the past few hours. She yawned, even though she tried not to.
“You’re tired,” Lorna said instantly. “Of course you’re tired. Where’s my head? You drove all day, then I dragged you to a dinner party and now I’m keeping you awake chattering away.”
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of the evening,” Amy said. “But I am tired.”
Lorna got up to the tune of more squeaking. “I’ve got to remember to oil this swing tomorrow.”
Amy stood, too, and together the two old friends walked into the house. Lorna closed the door behind them and turned the dead bolt.
“So you do lock your doors,” Amy said. “I wondered.”
“We never used to, but things have changed…even in Morgan Creek. Plus I’m a woman alone.”
Amy nodded. She was glad Lorna locked her doors. She was afraid she wouldn’t have felt safe otherwise. She wondered if the reason was the reality of life in the present day or her fear of Cole. She guessed it was probably a combination of the two.
After saying good-night to Lorna, Amy quietly climbed the stairs. She undressed and prepared for bed in the bathroom adjoining the bedroom she and Calista were using, then silently tiptoed across the floor and slid into bed next to Calista.
Very gently, she kissed her sleeping daughter’s warm cheek. A surge of love nearly overwhelmed her as she breathed in Calista’s sweet-smelling skin.
I love you so much, precious girl. I’ll never let anything hurt you again.
As if Calista had heard Amy’s silent vow, she sighed deeply and flung her arm across Amy.
Smiling, Amy snuggled next to her baby. Then she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.