style="font-size:15px;"> “You’re trying to bribe me into changing my mind about staying as Brady’s nanny.”
“Bribe isn’t an especially flattering word.” He closed his laptop. “I prefer the word incentive.”
She put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin toward the velvet box. “So you don’t deny that’s a shameless attempt to convince me to extend my contract?”
“No.”
That took the wind out of her sails. “Oh.”
“It was the latest in a string of attempts—flowers, candy and a very generous bonus.” One dark eyebrow lifted. “All of which you accepted graciously.”
“This is different.”
“How so?”
Good question. It was personal? Not personal enough? “It just is,” she said stubbornly. “I can’t accept diamonds. It feels wrong.”
“What if I told you they’re cheap imitations?”
“Are they?”
“No.”
“Then it’s too expensive, extravagant and any other ex word you can think of,” she said.
“Not for me.” He smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
“Look, Jason, don’t think I’m not grateful that you appreciate my work with Brady—”
“It doesn’t look like work when you’re with him.”
Doesn’t feel like it, either, she thought. No way would she tell him that and have him use it against her. “He’s a sweet-heart. But I can’t stay any longer.”
“Why?” There was an angry edge to his voice. “Look, Maggie, I’m not hitting on you.”
“I didn’t think that.” Not really, even though a tiny part of her had hoped.
“Are you afraid I will if you stay? Did someone do that to you?”
“No.” If only it had been that ugly. Self-righteous anger would have helped her get over her hurt.
“Then tell me why I can’t alter the terms of this agreement and hire you permanently at an incredibly generous salary.”
“Because money isn’t everything. It doesn’t buy happiness.”
“It buys a hell of a lot of security.”
“It doesn’t buy an insurance policy against heartbreak.”
“What are you talking about?”
The dark, angry expression on his face chipped away her resolve that her past was no one else’s business. Maybe she did owe him an explanation.
She gripped the back of the chair in front of his desk until her knuckles turned white. “When I turned eighteen, I had to leave Good Shepherd because I aged out of the system.”
“Aged out?”
“Too old for state funding.”
“That stinks.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Fortunately I’d graduated from high school and I was determined to go to college. I had some scholarship money but still needed to work. My experience helping at the home came in handy. I got my first nanny job, which included room and board. I lived with a family and took care of the three minor children.”
“Minors? That implies there was an adult child as well.”
“The oldest son—Jeff Warren—This is the family I told you about.” A vision of brown hair and blue eyes flashed through her mind. He was handsome, smart and sweet. And he broke her heart. “He had a bachelor’s degree and was working on his master’s.”
“And he hit on you?”
“It wasn’t like that. We dated.”
“And then he hit on you?”
“You have to let that go.”
She almost smiled at his tenacity. If she had any stars left in her eyes, she might believe Jason was jealous. But Jeff had taken all the twinkle out of her and left the hard reality in its place.
“What then?”
“We dated. The family liked me and approved of the relationship. We were engaged to be engaged.”
“So it was all good?”
“Until Jeff’s father got a promotion and was offered the opportunity to build a mega resort in Macau.”
He frowned. “I guess he didn’t want to commute?”
“No.” She laughed and tried to keep the bitterness out of it, although without complete success. “Jeff’s parents decided to move the family and gave him the option of finishing school here. He agonized over what to do, but eventually came to the conclusion that a classroom was no substitute for life experience. He moved with the family and we agreed that calls and e-mails would keep us connected. His parents said I was like a daughter to them and promised to keep in touch, too. It wasn’t ideal, but we’d formed a bond and I finally had a family.”
“But no happy ending?” He removed his glasses from the top of his head and tossed them on the desk. “Otherwise this wouldn’t feel like a cautionary tale.”
She didn’t bother with a short affirmative answer. “He communicated at first, but it lessened over time and finally just stopped. When I called, he admitted that he’d met someone and was engaged.”
“Son of a…”
Sadness welled up in her. It wasn’t as acute, but still had the power to wound. “His parents eventually stopped communication, which was only natural under the circumstances. But natural didn’t make it any easier to come to terms with. I gave them my loyalty, my heart, and I lost everything.”
“That’s a tough break, Maggie, but—”
“Don’t tell me it will be different here. You have to do what’s best for your family, and I’m not part of it.”
“You’re what’s best for this family,” he said.
“For now. But what if that changes? And don’t tell me it won’t. I know better.” She rounded the chair and sat, gazing intently at him. “After I left the convent, Ginger placed me with a couple who’d just had a baby. Mom was on maternity leave and I helped out, staying on when she returned to work. That baby had me from day one and I gave everything I had because they said the situation was permanent. With my help she could have it all—a career and a baby.”
“Don’t tell me,” he said. “No happy ending here, either.”
“After
