his parents stepping down from the business and moving to an apartment. “That doesn’t make sense. They’d been looking forward to a life of no daily responsibilities. A nice apartment in L.A. where they could walk to places and let the farm go.”
“Maybe it hasn’t lived up to expectations?” She took one of Bonnie’s bottles from the cupboard and went to the pantry for the formula. “I don’t know. It might be worth talking to them about it.”
He narrowed his gaze as he tried to ascertain what she was getting at. “You think I should sell them the house back? Leave here?”
“No, sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she said, frowning. “It’s your home now. Besides, maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe there’s some other solution.”
He leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms. Could his parents be having second thoughts? And if they were, why had it taken an outsider to pick up on it? Jenna had only just met them.
“I’ll keep it in mind,” he said, surveying his nanny. This woman was constantly surprising him. And he wasn’t at all sure how he felt about that.
* * *
It was just after seven that evening when Liam arrived home. Jenna had bathed both babies and gotten them ready for bed, and Katherine had helped her carry them down to the living room so she could get Bonnie’s bottle and let the girls say goodnight to Liam. To Jenna’s surprise, Katherine had taken to helping out if Jenna was struggling, which often happened if one of the babies wanted some attention while the other was having her bath. Jenna generally tried to bathe Meg when Bonnie was napping, but it didn’t always work out.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Liam said as he came through the back door.
Jenna threw him a smile. “You don’t answer to us, Liam. Besides, most nights you’ve been pretty close to the four o’clock finish time you said you’d aim for.”
Katherine stood and hoisted Meg onto her hip. “Since we’re doing apologies, I have one of my own.”
The pronouncement seemed so out of character, Jenna was momentarily stunned.
“Katherine?” Liam said.
The housekeeper stood in front of them, expression as grim as ever, chin raised. “I haven’t made anything for dinner tonight.”
Jenna frowned. She’d ducked into the kitchen earlier to get a snack for Meg and seen a pot of pasta sauce bubbling away on the stove.
“But I saw—”
“As I said,” Katherine said, cutting Jenna off, “I’m sorry. To make amends, I’ll look after the babies, Mr. Hawke, while you take Ms. Peters out somewhere to eat. I’ll keep Bonnie down in my room with me tonight and put the baby monitor in Meg’s room, so don’t you two be worried about how late you stay out.”
Liam rubbed a hand over his chin. “I’m sure we’ll make do. You don’t have to—”
Katherine’s spine stiffened and she fixed Liam with a glare. “Ms. Peters has been working herself ragged, between night feedings, painting the nursery and running around after these two. It’s about time she had a night off and did something nice. We’ll be fine here, won’t we, girls?”
Jenna wouldn’t have been more surprised if a bird had landed on the windowsill and given that same speech. Katherine had just come out on her side. Katherine, who seemingly still begrudged her presence in this house. Katherine, who’d not said a nice thing to her since she and Meg had arrived.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I have eyes. I’ve watched you work. Now, go,” she said, making shooing gestures. “Go out for dinner somewhere nice.”
Jenna still didn’t move. Was Katherine trying to set this up as a date?
Liam grinned indulgently, then turned to Jenna. “Katherine makes a good point. How about it? I’ll have a quick shower and throw on some clothes.”
Katherine nodded, satisfied. “While you do that, I’ll make you a reservation at George’s place.”
Jenna knew her mouth was gaping but was helpless to do much about it. One minute she was getting babies ready for bed, and the next, people were making plans around her.
Liam turned to Jenna, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Wear something nice. Katherine’s brother is the chef at the hottest restaurant in L.A.”
“That’s assuming he can find you a table,” Katherine said, clearly not willing to appear too kind all at once.
Liam gave Bonnie a kiss and then left, taking the stairs two at a time, and Katherine picked up the phone, leaving Jenna standing as if in the middle of a whirlwind, unsure of how her night had so drastically changed.
She was going out to dinner with Liam.
To the hottest restaurant in L.A.
Most worryingly, even though Katherine had planned it, why did that sound like a date?
* * *
Liam sipped his wine and looked around the restaurant, with its trademark high ceilings and pink marble and chrome interior, bustling with waiters and patrons. Katherine must have twisted her brother’s arm to get this table—Liam knew they were normally booked out months in advance. And with good reason. His meal had been delicious, and if he wasn’t used to Katherine’s excellent cooking skills, he’d have been even more impressed.
A waiter cleared their plates and left the dessert menus.
“Would you like dessert?” he asked Jenna. Their conversation during dinner had been interesting. She was well informed on world affairs and they had discussed several scientific discoveries made in other countries.
Yet even while discussing topics as impersonal as science and world affairs, the insistent pull of attraction for her had lurked, and he’d had to be careful not to let his guard down and say something stupid. Something like, Come back to my room tonight. I want to peel that pink silk blouse off you with my teeth. His blood heated at the thought, and he tried to distract himself by studying the menu.
“I can never go past a cheese platter,” Jenna said. “Would you like to share?”
“Sure.” He indicated to the waiter that they were ready and placed their coffee and dessert order.
“You know,” she said, looking around the restaurant with an expression of happy bewilderment, “I think this is the first night I’ve been out without Meg since she was born.”
He cocked his head to the side, trying to imagine that. “Not once?”
She shrugged as if it were no big deal. Perhaps it wasn’t to the many single mothers across the country. And probably half the married ones too.
“When I worked for Dylan, I took trips for groceries and errands while Meg was in day care, but nothing social. I never went out in the evening.”
He didn’t know how she did it. She seemed so calm and confident about being solely responsible for her daughter whereas he was filled with horror at all the perils that lay waiting for his
