I’m not looking for a baby-sitter. Kim had agreed to be a live-in nanny for my three boys. When she decided to elope, she said you’d take the job.”
“Well, she was wrong,” Jill said without thinking.
A full-time nanny? That was insane. Absolutely the last thing she wanted was to work with someone else’s kids. Okay, she didn’t have a job right now, but that was because she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. She could go back to San Clemente. Her condo was sublet, but she could rent another one. Her job was waiting. But that didn’t feel right. She didn’t want to go back to her old life. That was the point of living with Kim for a few weeks.
Craig moved to the edge of the chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together, clutching the notebook. “Jill, I’m in a bind. I’ve interviewed literally a dozen women for the position, and Kim was the only one I thought would work. She was young enough to be able to relate to the children and old enough to maintain discipline. She assured me you had experience with children and would be just as suitable. She also said you’d agreed to take her place.”
“I said I would baby-sit. She never told me it was a full-time job. My Lord, you probably want me to live with you and your boys.”
He nodded. His dark eyebrows drew together. “I’m currently involved in a special investigation. I won’t bore you with the details, but it requires me to be gone odd hours. I never know when I’m going to be called away. The boys are too young to be left alone. They need some stability. I’ve had five nannies in the last four months.”
She frowned. “What’s wrong with your children?”
He hesitated just long enough for her to suspect there really was a problem. “My wife and I divorced several years ago. Although she didn’t have much contact with them, her death last year shook them up. The woman who had looked after them left shortly after that. Since then it’s been one change after another. With my new assignment and being gone all the time—” He turned his hands palms up and spread his fingers. “They’re scared little kids who need someone to look after them. Nothing more.”
She rose to her feet and walked to the window. “You’re not playing fair,” she said slowly, staring at the house across the street. “I have this mental picture of poor starving orphans shivering in the snow.”
“Based on the weekly food bill, they’re not starving.”
Jill grimaced. Damn him, and damn Kim. When her friend returned from her honeymoon, Jill was going to give her a piece of her mind. This wasn’t fair. Not to Jill, not to Craig and not to the kids.
She fought against a twinge of guilt. She was partially to blame. When Kim had come to her and talked about eloping, Jill had encouraged her to just go for it. Her life was so upside-down, she wanted someone she cared about to be happy. Kim had worried about the job, and Jill had blithely told her she would step in.
Next time I’ll find out the details before agreeing, Jill promised herself. In the meantime, three boys didn’t have anyone to look after them.
“I find it difficult to believe that you couldn’t find one other nanny you liked,” Jill said.
Craig didn’t answer. She turned to face him and found him standing only a few feet behind her. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
“I’ve taken enough of your time,” he said and placed his hat on his head. The black uniform emphasized his dark hair and eyes.
He was leaving. That would be best for both of them. Yet what about the children? She really didn’t have a job right now, and she wasn’t ready to go back to San Clemente. She might never be ready to do that. Besides, she could use the money. If it wasn’t permanent, if she were careful to keep her heart firmly under lock and key, it might not be so bad. She would be a caretaker; she would not get personally involved.
“Spring break is in a few weeks,” she said quickly. “Let’s give each other a one-week trial. If it works out, I’ll stay until break. That will give you time to find someone who wants a permanent position. Agreed?”
He stared down at her. She couldn’t read his expression. She wondered how much of that was because he was a cop and how much of it was the man himself. He didn’t look like the chatty, outgoing type.
He crossed to her in two long strides and held out his hand. “Agreed.”
His smile once again made her knees threaten to buckle. At least she was short enough that if she collapsed it wasn’t a real long way down. She extended her hand toward him and tried to give him her best smile. He didn’t seem the least bit affected. Hmm, she would have to work on it more. She wanted to leave men in a broken heap trailing behind her. Maybe it was—
His skin brushed against hers. Instantly electricity raced between them. His long fingers and broad palm swallowed her hand nearly up to her wrist. Her heart thundered in double time and her breathing choked to a stop. She hoped she didn’t look as stunned as she felt. She hoped it was just a quirk of fate, a not-to-be-repeated cosmic thing, because there was no way she was going to get involved with a man. Any man. And certainly not one with children.
Been there, done that, she reminded herself. The punishing aftermath was still evident in her healing emotional wounds.
“Do you have a car?” Craig asked, apparently un-fazed by the sparks leaping between them. Or maybe they were just leaping one way.
“Uh-huh.” She withdrew her hand and, before she could stop herself, wiped it on her robe. The soft cotton did nothing to erase the electricity still prickling her skin.
He raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything. She was grateful.
“If you want to pack a few things, we could go right over.” He glanced at his watch. “My neighbor could only stay with the boys for an hour.”
“They’re home today?”
“It’s Saturday.”
“Oh. I forgot.” With the excitement of getting Kim ready to elope, there hadn’t been time to keep track of mundane things like days of the week. “No problem.” She glanced down at her robe. “Let me take a quick shower and pack enough to last until Monday. I can come back here while they’re in school. I still have a few things to take care of for Kim.”
She started toward the doorway, then glanced at him. “You can have a seat. Or there’s coffee in the kitchen. Whatever.”
“I’ll wait here,” he said.
She stepped into the hallway.
“Jill?”
She turned around. He’d removed his hat and was running his hand through his hair. His self-control slipped a bit, and she saw the worry in his eyes. “I hope Kim knows what a good friend you are. You didn’t have to do this. I really appreciate it.”
The compliment made her uncomfortable. “No big deal. I’m a sucker for kids and puppies. Be right out.”
Even as she hurried up the stairs, she started making a mental list of everything she would have to do. Packing, stopping the paper. She wouldn’t worry about the mail today. But Monday she would put it on vacation hold. Kim didn’t have any pets, which made
