Marrying The Virgin Nanny / The Nanny And Me. Teresa Southwick
college was with a wealthy family who had four children, ranging in age from an infant to early twenties. He was in college.” Her lips pressed together for a moment before she added, “I found I liked babies.”
But she hadn’t liked something. Jason wondered about that and also about what she did after college graduation. Her background information had only said that she’d spent time in the convent without taking final vows.
“Why did you decide to become a nun?”
“I admired the sisters and wanted to be like them. It was important to me to give back, help people the way I’d been helped.” Her face was all innocence and sincerity that couldn’t quite hide the shadows.
“There are many altruistic professions that don’t require such a structured lifestyle,” he said.
“I knew what I was leaving behind in the secular life.”
So she’d dated and still chose to enter the convent. Or maybe dating drove her into the convent.
“You didn’t find what you were looking for with the nuns?” He was pushing the boundaries of this interview and he knew it. But she stirred his curiosity.
She sighed and thought for several moments before answering, as if choosing her words carefully. “It wasn’t a matter of not finding what I was looking for in the convent as much as I’m simply not good nun material.”
The corners of his mouth curved up. “Oh?”
“When you’re close to final vows, it’s a time for reflection and honesty. I simply had too many doubts.”
“About what?”
“Me.” She shrugged. “There was an expectation of sacrifice and commitment that I wasn’t sure of being able to sustain.”
“I see,” he said.
“And speaking of expectations—” she shifted in her chair, and met his gaze “—it’s time we discussed what you expect of me.”
“Take care of Brady. He’s your only responsibility. I have a cleaning service and a cook who also runs the household. If you need anything let Linda know.”
“Fine. But that’s not what I meant.” She blew out a breath. “It’s obvious to me that you’re not comfortable with Brady yet. Do you need me to teach you how to take care of him?”
“It’s your job to do that.”
“I’m not being sarcastic or judgmental,” she added quickly. “It’s just that this is different for me.”
“How so?”
“You’re a single father.”
“Is that a problem?” he asked, thinking about her first job and the oldest son. Did she get hit on? The thought made him angry. “Like I said before, if I could care for my son, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But I have a large company and need to work.”
“I understand. And are the people working for you entitled to scheduled time off?”
“Of course, but—”
“I require one day off a week. Saturday, until midday Sunday. That should be stipulated in the contract that arrived with the rest of the paperwork. Can you handle the baby for a day?” She met his gaze with a direct one of her own and when he hesitated, she said, “Since I’ve been with The Nanny Network it’s never been a problem. But I’ve never worked in a home where there wasn’t a father and a mother.”
“Like I said, the woman who gave birth to Brady is a nonissue. I’m paying you to—”
“To be his mother?” she asked.
“No—” He’d paid a woman to bring him into the world and was going to pay Maggie to take care of him. There was no need to put a finer point on it. “Why does this matter?”
“Because you’re a single father, it would make good sense for you to find a long-term situation. If I’d known that, I would have turned down the job.”
“Why?”
“I only stay for six weeks, then—”
“What?”
“That’s also in my contract. My assignments last no longer than that.”
Jason didn’t want a parade of strangers coming through. He didn’t want a revolving door on Brady’s care. Continuity and stability were the cornerstones of a well-adjusted childhood and he’d do whatever was necessary to give his son the best cornerstone money could buy. He wanted long term now. He wanted Margaret Mary Shepherd.
She watched him carefully, gauging his reaction. “Ginger will find someone else—”
“What if I don’t want someone else?”
From the moment she’d ignored everything but the need to protect a baby—his baby—she’d had him. No one else would do.
Shadows turned her eyes navy blue and she pulled her lips tight for a moment. “I won’t stay beyond what’s stipulated in the agreement. It’s important that you’re aware of that up front.”
“Are you already angling for a raise, Maggie?”
“This has nothing to do with money.”
Right. And he was Mother Goose.
“Look,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “This isn’t something we need to decide tonight. When the time comes, we’ll discuss new terms.”
She stood up. “Six weeks, Mr. Garrett.”
“Call me Jason.”
“All right, Jason. But I’m not budging on my deadline. I won’t stay more than six weeks.”
He watched the unconsciously sexy sway of her slender hips as she walked out of his office after issuing what could only be construed as a challenge. Obviously Margaret Mary Shepherd had never negotiated with someone who was willing and able to pay whatever it cost to have her.
Chapter Two
Maggie stretched the baby out on her thighs and curled his fingers around her thumbs. “Hey, big boy. Where’s that smile? I know you’ve got one for me,” she cooed to him. “Let’s see it.”
He wasn’t five weeks old, and yet he was showing signs that he was on the verge of smiling. Would he look like his father? Her heart tripped up at the thought. This little guy wouldn’t be in that heartthrob league yet. The lack of teeth thing could be an issue. But his dad was something else. Jason Garrett had a very nice, very potent smile when he chose to use it. And Brady showed every indication that he’d be the spitting image of his dad.
Stretching out, the baby pressed his little feet into her abdomen and she wondered, not for the first time, what it felt like when life moved inside you. This child was a beautiful miracle, one his mother had walked away from. Not unlike her own mother.
She liked to think lack of money and resources had factored into the decision to abandon her. But Brady’s father clearly had big bucks. The penthouse was understated elegance with recessed lighting, soft yellow paint on the walls, plush white sofas and dark wood tables. Walking on the thick beige carpet was like sinking to your knees in softness. Expertly lighted art hung on the walls and expensive glass pieces and figurines were scattered throughout. In fact, before her tenure here ended, she felt duty bound to remind him to put the pricey stuff up high when Brady got mobile. A toddler’s oops in this place could cost way more than most people made in a month.
She glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows with a spectacular view of the lights on the Las Vegas Strip and the valley beyond. Scenery like that didn’t come cheap.
Jason had thoroughly checked her out, and she’d returned the favor, grilling Ginger for information. Her Nanny Network boss