The Nanny's New Family. Margaret Daley
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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?”
“More like a means to keep my sanity. When I’m troubled, I go outside and tinker in the yard. My wife got me hooked on it. She started this, and I’m just keeping it going. How about you?”
“Can’t stand to garden, but I love to look at a beautiful one. I’m a great spectator—not such a good participant.”
Ian turned toward her, not a foot away, and smiled.
“How about your children?” she asked. “Do they help outside?”
Watching Joshua finish with the last cushion, Ian pressed his lips together as though weighing what he said. “Joshua loves to, but his assistance isn’t quite what I need. Jasmine helps often. She takes after her mother, but Jade and Jeremy will do anything to get out of work—whether outside or inside.” He frowned. “In fact, if Jeremy joins the family at all it’s an accomplishment.”
“Will he be at dinner?”
“Yes, for as long as it takes for him to eat. I used to make him sit there until we were all ready to get up. Finally, I decided the hostile atmosphere he created wasn’t fair to the other children.”
“How was Jeremy with the other nannies?”
“He had as little to do with them as possible. The only one who seemed to get through to him was Aunt Louise. When she died, he took her death doubly hard.”
“He’s old enough to understand the losses he’s had,” Annie said over the stomping of Joshua’s feet as he came up the stairs. “Can I help you with dinner?”
“Nope. You aren’t officially on the clock until tomorrow.”
“What time do you want me to come to eat tonight?”
“Six-thirty, and I hope to have the food on the table shortly thereafter.” Dr. McGregor clasped his son’s shoulder to keep him from going into her apartment. “No guarantees, though. Joshua, we’re leaving. You have a room to clean.”
“Do I hafta? I told Annie I’m sorry.”
“Yes, but it has nothing to do with your room. It’s Sunday, and it’s supposed to be done before you go to bed.”
Joshua huffed and raced down the stairs, jumping to the ground from the third step.
“If he doesn’t give me a heart attack, I’ll be surprised,” Ian said with a chuckle.
But Annie had spied the tense set to his shoulders and the clamp of his jaw as his son had made the leap. “I imagine my parents felt the same way about some of my brothers.”
“But not you?”
“Well...probably so.” Some of Annie and Amanda’s antics could rival her siblings’. “But nothing like my younger brother.”
Ian grinned. “What is it about the youngest in the family?”
Annie smiled and shrugged, then watched Ian descend the steps. He moved with an ease and confidence.
Her new employer was easy to talk to. He was nothing like what she had expected. Tom had told her yesterday Dr. McGregor could work anywhere he wanted and make a ton of money. His reputation as a plastic surgeon was known throughout the United States. He chose to stay in Cimarron City, his wife’s hometown, and to donate part of his time to the free clinic. Annie couldn’t deny that the man intrigued her.
As she entered her apartment, she remembered an article she’d found on the internet when she’d applied for the nanny position. Recently, a world-renowned model had gone to Dr. McGregor to erase the effects of a car accident. Even with the scars from the wreck she’d been beautiful, but once the surgery had been performed and she’d recovered, there wasn’t a trace of what had happened to her.
Annie had an hour until dinner and decided to take a long, hot bath. As she stood in front of the counter in the bathroom, she pulled her turtleneck off. She usually didn’t look at herself in the mirror, but her gaze lit upon her reflection—zeroing in on her pink-and-white scars. She’d learned to accept them, but she recalled once when one of her nieces had glimpsed them, wide eyes glued on the scarred tissue, she’d clapped her hand over her mouth in shock. Annie wouldn’t forget that look—ever.
* * *
The door in the kitchen from the utility room opened, and Ian glanced at Annie entering the house. Dressed in jeans and a black turtleneck, she looked more relaxed since the scare with Joshua earlier. Her shoulder-length blond hair framed her face and emphasized her expressive dark brown eyes. She wasn’t classically beautiful, but she was cute and pert. And those eyes were so appealing and mesmerizing.
Suddenly he realized he was staring at her. He dropped his attention to the pot on the stove and stirred the sauce. “I hope you’re hungry. I think I went overboard.”
Annie inhaled and smiled. “It smells delicious. Italian?” She bridged the distance between them. “Spaghetti. I love it. From scratch?”
“Yes, that’s the only way. It’s one meal all of my kids will eat. That’s not the case with a lot of food. Their palate hasn’t expanded much beyond pizza, macaroni and cheese and hamburgers.”
“I saw some hope the last few years with the Hansen children.”
“Oh, good. I have something to look forward to. There are a lot of recipes I’d like to try, but I know they won’t go over with my kids.” Ian continued to stir the sauce.
“I have a niece who is five and loves snow crabs. She will crack the shells and eat them until you think there couldn’t possibly be any more room in her stomach. I’m usually right there with her, but the last time she kept going when I couldn’t eat another bite.”
Ian laughed. Annie was easy to talk to, nothing like the other nannies. Earlier, when she’d caught Joshua, she’d been calm and efficient. He remembered when the second nanny had freaked out when Jeremy was cutting up an apple and sliced his finger. Thank goodness he’d been home to take care of the wound because the woman had frozen when she’d seen the blood then yelled for him. He imagined Annie would have handled it and had the bleeding stopped before he came into the kitchen.
Ian put the spaghetti noodles on to cook then glanced around to make sure everything else was ready.
Those beautiful eyes connected with his. “Can I help you? Set the table?”
“It’s already set in the dining room.” Ian swung back to the stove, stirring the sauce when he didn’t need to. He had to do something. Looking at her was distracting.
“Do you usually eat in the dining room?”
“No—” he waved toward the table that sat six in the alcove “—usually in here, but this is a special occasion. We’re welcoming you to our home. I want this evening to be a nice calm one. Now, if only my children cooperate, it might be.”
“The least I can do is help you carry the food to the table.”
Ian made sure he had eye contact with Annie then said, smiling, “What part of ‘you are our guest’ do you not understand? Guests are supposed to relax and enjoy themselves. Nothing more than that.”
A grin twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Aye, aye, sir. I’ve got that. It’s awfully quiet. Where are the children?”
Ian frowned. “Come to think of it, Jade was the last one in here. That was fifteen minutes ago. I haven’t heard a peep out of them since.” He walked to the intercom and pressed a button. “Time for dinner, everyone. Don’t