her doing what she was paid to do, not playing nanny to the fearsome five, nor fending off the good town mayor.
Bringing the kids to the office was not a workable solution. They were a distraction to all of his staff, not just Carmel. They had bids to get out, a subcontractor to fire and fifty other things that had slid because he’d been too busy shoveling mashed peas into ravenous little mouths, and changing diapers.
Well, Carmel had changed most of the diapers, he acknowledged as he wheeled the Suburban over the ruts in the dirt road leading to and from the building site. Definitely not in her job description.
He had to find an alternative, and Darby White was it. He’d exhausted every other avenue.
Everyone had their price. He would just have to find out what hers was.
Ten minutes later he was walking through the front door of Smiling Faces Child-Care Center. The noise hit him first. A baby crying. A lot of childish, squealing laughter. Someone singing.
Holy God. Give him the chorus of hammer and nails over this racket.
“Can I help you?” A young woman standing behind the long counter separating the entry from the rest of the center widened her eyes and smiled hopefully. She was tall, and had thick blond hair streaming down around her shoulders.
He felt not one speck of interest. He had more important things to take care of. “I’m here to see Darby White.”
Her smile dimmed a fraction. She looked over her shoulder, scanning the room. But Garrett had already spotted Darby’s distinctive hair, and he rounded the waist-high gate.
“Wait. You can’t just go back— Okaaay, I guess you can.”
Garrett stepped through the chaos and stopped behind Darby. She was standing in a circle, holding hands with a half dozen kids who looked no older than Reid. They were singing as their circle revolved.
When she was opposite him, her feet stopped. Surprise widened her eyes. Stiffened her shoulders. The children giggled and let go, forming their own wobbly circle without her.
“Garrett. Did you bring the children in today, after all?”
“No. I spoke with your administrator. Molly? Yesterday. The waiting list for full-time care is six months long.” In six months, he and the kids would be back in New Mexico where child-care would be more easily solved since Caldwell’s damned influence didn’t stretch quite that far. Since Garrett had his own share of influence there. “The best I can get is the two hours a day three times a week that Elise had already set up. But you knew that.”
She didn’t deny it. “How are they?”
“Reid won’t sleep at night, and Regan hates me.” Yet they’d both screamed bloody murder when he’d tried to get them ready to bring them to Smiling Faces for their regular time. They didn’t seem to want to let him out of their sight. Call him a coward, but he’d backed down and instead carted them all to the trailer-office.
Darby pressed her lips together. “Of course Regan doesn’t hate you.”
“My assistant is about ready to quit unless I arrange something more suitable than bringing the fearsome five to work with me.”
Her chin tilted. “There’s nothing fearsome about your nieces and nephews. You’ve told them…I assume.”
“Regan is the only one old enough to have some concept of what it means.” He hadn’t realized Darby’s eyes were quite so blue. “That’s what the psychologist said. I think that all the kids really understand is that their mom and dad left and didn’t come back.”
“It’s a lot of changes for them.”
“Which you could make easier if you’d help me.”
Darby looked around. She wasn’t surprised in the least that they were the focus of numerous interested stares. Anyone who looked as good as this man did, guaranteed plenty of interest.
It didn’t bear thinking about that she was interested enough to take a good, long look at him herself. It had been two years since she’d stood next to a man and felt even the slightest flicker. This was beyond a recipe for disaster, though.
She moistened her lips and angled her back against Beth’s avid stare. It didn’t take a genius to know what the pretty blonde receptionist would be gossiping about next. The woman’s mouth was constantly running, and Darby gave her as wide a berth as humanly possible considering they worked at the same place. “Garrett, I can’t discuss this with you here. Everyone is watching us.”
“Then where? I’m not leaving you alone until I get the answer I need.”
“Find someone else!” She lowered her voice and drew him to the rear of the room where the cribs were pushed against the wall. “There are other child-care centers in Fisher Falls. Smiling Faces isn’t the only one. There are referral services. Family child-care in private homes. I’m not the only person in town capable of solving your problem. Find another nanny.” She lifted her shoulder. “Beth, the blonde over there? She’d take you up in a heartbeat if you asked her.”
“She’d be too busy figuring out how to get in my bed to watch the kids.”
Darby flushed. It was probably true. And he obviously didn’t think he needed to worry about Darby on that score. Big surprise. On her own, she’d never managed to attract much male interest.
“You’re the only one in town who didn’t think twice about carrying out Elise’s wishes,” he said.
“So?”
His slashing eyebrows pulled together. “You really don’t know, do you?”
She dashed her hair off her forehead. “Know what?”
“Caldwell owns this town and nearly everyone in it.”
“He is our mayor. People are naturally loyal to him.”
“He wants custody of the children. He filed a suit for them even before they put my sister and her husband in the ground yesterday,” Garrett said flatly.
She sighed. Custody battles were never pretty.
“I haven’t lived here since I was fifteen,” he continued, “and those people who do remember me, don’t do it with fondness. So let’s just say that I’m not exactly overrun with friends I can count on to help me out.”
“Well, maybe the best answer is for their grandfather to have them,” Darby reasoned. “I’m sure your sister had her reasons for saying what she did, but if Mayor Carson wants them and you’re not equipped for caring for them— It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Garrett. The important thing here is the children’s welfare. Right?”
“She had good reasons.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Just because he’s mayor doesn’t mean he is a decent parent. Elise probably knew he’d ruin them just like he ruined us. There’s a custody hearing scheduled for next Wednesday to rule on the temporary order put in place when Elise died. At least help me out until then. It’s not even a week away.”
A week, she thought. What would one week mean?
A
