Romancing The Nanny. Cindy Kirk
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Amy pushed back her chair and rose, unable to stop the warm flush of pleasure at the compliment. There was nothing she enjoyed more than trying new recipes. She hadn’t been sure how Emma and Dan would react to the citrus-glazed salmon, but she’d been fairly certain they’d love the sour cream peach pie with homemade ice cream.
She hadn’t allowed herself even the tiniest of bites. A Moment On The Lips, Forever On The Hips had become her new mantra.
“Can I get either of you anything else before I clear the table?” Amy’s gaze shifted from Dan to Emma.
“No, thank you,” Emma said.
Amy shot the little girl a smile of approval. She’d been working with Emma the last couple of months on her manners and it was obviously paying off.
“And how about you?” Amy’s gaze settled on Dan. She’d lived in his house for over three years and firmly believed she knew him better than he knew himself. Like now, she couldn’t help but notice the lines of fatigue edging his eyes. Lately he’d been working too hard…and socializing too much.
Last Friday night, she’d lain awake until 1:00 a.m. waiting for him to come home before she’d finally fallen asleep. She wasn’t sure what time he’d come in but the next morning he’d been at the table at eight, ready to take Emma to the zoo as promised. Saturday night he’d stayed in. They’d all gone to the park and had a picnic, then came home and played board games on the porch until it was time to go to bed.
Being home on a Saturday night had been just one of the signs that another of Dan’s relationships had come to an end. It hadn’t surprised her. Melinda had been calling a lot and trying to cozy up to Emma. Amy could have told her such behavior was the kiss of death. If a woman wanted to keep Dan Major’s interest, she had to act like she didn’t care. That’s why Amy had kept a tight lid on her burgeoning desire for him. As far as he knew, she didn’t feel anything more for him than simple friendship. She was his housekeeper, his daughter’s caregiver and his friend.
Occasionally he’d confide in her, knowing what he said wouldn’t go any further. She savored those times and the closeness she…
“Earth to Amy.” Dan’s voice broke through her reverie.
She looked up with a start to find Dan and Emma staring at her.
Emma giggled. “You were spacing out.”
Amy blinked and warmth crept up her neck.
“What were you thinking about?” Dan asked, a curious glint in his eye. “You had the most interesting smile on your face.”
I was thinking about you.
The words rose unbidden to her tongue and when Emma giggled again, for a second Amy feared she’d said them aloud. She searched for a plausible explanation. “I was thinking about Steven.”
“Steven?” Dan frowned. “Who’s that?”
“He’s her boyfriend,” Emma said. “Amy and Steven sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love—”
“You were kissing a man?” The shocked look on Dan’s face would have been funny at any other time. “In front of Emma?”
“Of course I wasn’t, I didn’t,” Amy said quickly, embarrassed warmth coloring her cheeks. She shifted her gaze to Emma. “And Steven is my friend, not my boyfriend.”
“You talked to him for a long time on the phone today,” Emma said. “And you were smiling when you hung up.”
“He’s my friend,” Amy repeated. She glanced at Dan. “I’ve told you about him. He’s the guy from my cooking club. We were exchanging lasagna recipes.”
Dan’s dimple flashed. “Lasagna recipes?”
“That’s right.” Amy lifted a brow. “You find that amusing?”
“Not at all,” Dan said smoothly. “I think it’s nice that you two have so much in common.”
Amy pulled her brows together, not sure if he was being serious or insulting.
“We both like to cook,” she said finally.
Dan’s finger traced the raised pattern on the lace tablecloth and when he spoke his tone was decidedly offhand. “You two have been going out for what—a couple of months now?”
“Something like that,” Amy said. She still didn’t think of Steven as a boyfriend since, until recently, most of the “dates” had revolved around cooking group events.
Something flickered in the back of Dan’s eyes but he remained silent.
Unexpectedly Emma lifted her gaze to Amy. “Do you love him like my daddy loved my mommy?”
The girl’s question took Amy by surprise and she answered honestly. “No, I don’t.”
“Do you think you could love him?” Dan asked.
“I don’t know,” Amy said when she realized Dan expected an answer. “I guess anything is possible.”
Dan tucked Emma into bed and reveled at this perfect child he and Tess had created. He loved her with an intensity that took his breath away and his heart ached at the thought of all the pain she’d had to endure in her short life. All because of his selfish desire to give her a brother or sister.
“Good night, princess.” He brushed a kiss across her cheek. She was his priority and nothing mattered more to him than ensuring her happiness. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
“Amy will be up in a minute to say good-night.” His stomach tightened into a knot. Usually he and Amy tucked Emma in together. But tonight, Steven had called and Amy had said to go on without her.
A tear trailed down Emma’s cheek and her brows pulled together. With her big blue eyes and honey-blond hair, she looked more and more like her mother every day.
Dan’s heart tightened. “What’s the matter, sweetie?”
The little girl’s bottom lip trembled and a few more tears fell. Though Dan wanted to make better whatever was bothering her, he forced himself to wait. He’d learned you couldn’t rush Emma. When she was ready, she’d tell him what was bothering her. Then he’d make it all better.
“Is Amy going to marry Steven?”
The words hit him like a punch to the chest. Dan didn’t like the idea of Amy marrying Steven, either, but somehow he managed to keep a smile on his lips. “She said he was just her friend. Remember?”
“But sometimes friends get married.” Emma pushed herself up to her elbows. “When Grandma Ann married Grandpa Hal she said he was her good friend.”
Dan’s mother had been widowed for many years when she and her old friend Hal had decided to tie the knot. Theirs wasn’t the romantic love she and his father had shared but they were content together. Even if Dan could explain it adequately, he wasn’t sure a six-year-old could understand.
“Daddy.” Emma’s voice trembled. “Amy’s not going to marry him and leave us, is she?”
Dan’s jaw clenched at the thought of his daughter enduring one more loss. But Dan knew it wasn’t just Emma who’d suffer. If Amy left it would leave a hole in both their lives.
“She’s not going to leave.” He pulled Emma close and planted a kiss against her hair. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
The resolve in Dan’s heart resounded in his voice. He didn’t care what the cost. He’d do whatever it took to keep Amy in his household…and Emma happy.
Chapter Three
After leaving Emma, Dan took the back stairs to the kitchen.