in from a beautiful flower garden Reese could see beyond her.
“We didn’t expect you this early. I take it Jamie’s better now.”
“He’s fine,” Nick stated. “In fact you’re perfect, aren’t you, sport.” He kissed his cheeks while he undid the straps and lifted him out. “You’ll notice he’s grown.”
“Put him down in the carriage.”
With no playpen or swing, Nick had little choice unless he wanted to plop Jamie in his grandmother’s arms. But she gave no indication that she wanted to hold him. Reese knew there were many people in the world who couldn’t show affection, no matter their social class. Still, this was Jamie’s family and it just didn’t seem natural.
Now that she thought about it, a hint of Nick’s rebellion had come out when he’d shown them the nursery and deposited Jamie in her arms. Today he held back and abided Anne’s wishes.
The trouble with a carriage was that it blocked part of the view for the baby, who started crying as soon as Nick moved out of his line of vision. Reese’s first instinct was to take him right out. Like Nick, she, too, had to hold back from grabbing him.
“I brought this.” Reese set the diaper bag down on one of the chairs. “It has enough bottles and diapers for today.”
“We have everything he’ll need. Walter? Will you tell the nurse they’re here.” Jamie was not happy and his cries were getting louder.
“I’ll be back for him at six.” Nick flicked Reese a glance. “Let’s leave them alone, Ms. Chamberlain.”
They walked out the mansion through the front door with Jamie’s cries still following them. She assumed he meant they were going to explore the estate and go swimming later on. To her shock Nick headed for the limo and helped her inside.
She stared at him in puzzlement. “I thought our plan was to stay close by. What if Jamie needs you?”
“Then he’ll cry his heart out until he falls asleep.”
“Nick…”
His grim expression was too much. The past week had been so carefree, Reese could hardly bear to see his brooding expression come back. “I didn’t have a choice, Reese, because I made them a promise. But after today, all promises are off.”
He flicked on the intercom. “Paul? Drive us to the heliport.”
“Where are we going?” she asked when he’d finished.
“Out on my sailboat.”
Her heart thudded with sickening speed. “If we need a helicopter, it must be pretty far away.”
“Don’t worry. We’re only going to Martha’s Vineyard outside Edgartown. One of our summer homes is there.”
A summer home there, an estate with horses on Long Island, a penthouse on Park Avenue, a villa in Cannes. Reese had an impression those possessions only constituted the tip of an enormous iceberg. If Jamie didn’t have a daddy who’d decided to break the cycle of emotional neglect that went with so much luxury, he could be suffocated by it all the way Nick had been.
He studied her for a moment. “Have you ever been sailing?”
She knew it was his favorite sport. “No. One time our family went to Wisconsin and we crossed Lake Michigan on the ferry in choppy conditions. None of us did well. That’s the sum total of my knowledge of being on water.”
A light gleamed in his eyes. “As long as you can swim, that’s all I need to know. When we get out beyond where the breeze fills the sail, you’ll find out you’re a wonderful sailor.”
“That’s wishful thinking. I only hope I won’t be imitating Jamie’s bout of last weekend.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have the flu.”
Reese knew Nick wanted and needed this outing, if only to take his mind off leaving Jamie with his grandparents. Please don’t let me get seasick. When she saw the helicopter, another prayer went up about not getting airsick. She’d never been on one of those, either.
In the end she needn’t have worried because Nick’s cell phone rang before they even exited the limo. After he picked up, his gaze sought hers. She tried to read his expression as he listened to the person on the other end. It went on for a minute. After he hung up, he told Paul to turn the limo around and go back.
Her brows lifted. “Jamie?”
“He won’t settle down. Anne says the nurse can’t do anything with him, so if she can’t, that’s it.”
Reese bit her lip. “I was afraid of that. Jamie worships you.” She bet Nick’s mother-in-law told him it was the nanny’s fault for spoiling him and probably decried Nick ever removing Jamie from their house in the first place.
“Nothing could please me more,” he declared in a satisfied voice. “Now we can take him with us. I’ll call ahead for a cooler of food and drinks to be packed for us.”
The burst of elation exploding inside Reese only lasted until she remembered her mother’s last question to her. “You’ve got a terrific head on those shoulders and broke off with Jeremy for a reason. I don’t have to worry about you losing sight of your career plans just yet, do I?” Not for the first time, Reese had to remind herself that she was just the temporary nanny. But the pain she felt at the thought of leaving this little family was becoming too much.
When they reached the mansion, Reese could hear Jamie’s heart-wrenching sobs from the foyer of the mansion. They hurried down the hall to the dayroom and found the nurse pacing the floor with him. His in-laws stood around looking upset.
“Hey, sport? What’s going on?” Nick walked over to the distraught-looking woman and took the baby from her arms. Jamie caught sight of his daddy and lunged for him before bursting into another paroxysm of tears. Reese could almost hear him saying, ‘Why did you leave me?’
When he burrowed his head into the side of Nick’s neck, Nick must have felt it deep in his heart. In a few seconds peace reigned. While Jamie clung to him, everyone in the room looked infinitely relieved.
“I think there’s been enough excitement for one day. Why don’t you come to the penthouse next weekend and we’ll try this again.”
“We’ll be in Salzburg. Don’t you remember?” Anne sounded indignant. “You and Erica went with us two years ago.”
“I’m sorry. This new job of parenting has taken over my life. Call me when you’re back and we’ll make arrangements. Have a safe trip.”
Jamie refused to leave his arms, so Reese picked up the carryall and diaper bag before they headed for the limo waiting outside the mansion. Once Nick got in the backseat with him, Reese’s eyes zeroed in on the baby.
“Your cute little face is all splotchy from crying. Here’s your pacifier. Do you want your rattle, too?”
His fingers glommed right on to it. He didn’t fight Nick as he strapped him in the infant car seat.
“Crisis
