Cody.” Maggie stuck out her hand, but Cody ignored it, instead pressing against his grandmother’s leg. She tried to ignore the sharp sting his rejection produced.
“Code,” his father said in a gentle voice, “you can do better than that.”
Cody looked up at Maggie, his big blue eyes swimming with tears, and shook his head.
Maggie’s heart cracked. “It’s okay—” she began but Josh shook his head.
“Cody, we talked about this. Remember?”
“Don’t want her,” Cody cried and Maggie sucked in her breath, each word almost a physical blow. “I wanna have Mrs. Herman!”
Josh knelt down in front of his son. He tugged Cody into his arms. “I know it’s hard on you. But she had to leave, Code,” he said. “You know that. She had to go help her daughter out. She’ll miss you and she loves you. She’ll call and send you letters. Remember?”
Cody dipped his chin. “I know,” he mumbled, and his father hugged him.
“Now, let’s try this again. What do you say to Ms. Thelan?”
Cody slid a sideways glance her way. “Hi,” he muttered and Maggie smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Cody.” Oh, if he only knew.
Ellen held out her hand to her grandson. “Cody, you want to help me make some sandwiches for lunch?”
Cody brightened. “C’n I have peanut butter?”
“Of course. You can even spread the jelly if you want.”
“Okay.” With a last cautious glance at Maggie, Cody followed Ellen into the kitchen.
Josh looked at Maggie. “Mrs. Herman is Cody’s former nanny. Her leaving has been hard on him. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Don’t be,” Maggie said, and meant it. “He is attached to Mrs. Herman. It’s a loss he has to process. I understand. It’ll take some time, but we’ll be okay.”
Maggie held her breath while Josh gave her a thoughtful look. “Let’s have a seat and go over what exactly you’ll be doing.”
Maggie’s heart soared. “Does this mean I officially have the job?”
“Yes.”
Even with the reluctance in his voice, relief flooded her. Maybe her luck had finally turned, after all.
* * *
Too young.
Later that evening, Josh’s thought upon seeing Maggie Thelan for the first time kept playing through his head. And too gorgeous, with that long dark hair and those blue, blue eyes rimmed with dark lashes. Similar to Lucy’s, really, but hers had been a paler blue. He pulled his thoughts back to the problem at hand.
His mother was playing matchmaker.
He groaned and clicked the TV remote, not seeing the images on the screen. He’d specifically requested an older woman so there’d be no chance of anyone thinking there was anything remotely marriageable about him. That possibility died with Lucy, as it should have.
But Mom clearly had other plans. She’d told him over and over to move on. To let Lucy go. He’d listened politely, but he knew it didn’t matter. He’d made a promise to her, intended to keep it. He’d managed it for nearly four years.
But then Maggie stumbled into his life and now things were not quite so cut and dried. She made something he’d buried long ago want to sit up and take notice.
Josh groaned again and scrubbed his hand over his eyes.
Hell. She’d be the nanny. Meaning she’d be living here, under his roof, right down the hall from his bedroom.
Josh shifted on the bed. Uh-uh. No way could his thoughts take that course. No.
Maybe he could tell her he’d changed his mind, they didn’t need her and he’d go find a nanny on his own.
A nice, grandmotherly type. Someone who wouldn’t remind him he couldn’t get involved with another woman.
“Daddy?” Cody’s voice sliced across his thoughts.
“Cody. I thought you were sleeping.” Josh hit the mute button on the TV. He patted the bed beside him. “You okay?”
Cody nodded as he crawled up next to Josh. “Yeah. Is Miz Thelan gonna be my new nanny?” His voice dropped off.
“Mrs. Herman isn’t coming back,” Josh said gently. “You know that, Code. We need someone to help us out around here. Ms. Thelan seems really nice. I think she’ll be a good nanny.”
So much for not hiring her.
Cody bit his lower lip. “But—don’t—if I don’t get a nanny won’t Miz Herman hafta come back?” The words tumbled out in a rush.
“No. Oh, Cody, is that what you thought?” Josh’s heart broke and he reached over to hug his son to his side, felt the little body nestle into his own.
Cody shrugged his small shoulders, then nodded.
Josh spoke gently, knowing how hard this had been for his son. “Cody, she loves you, but she had to go.”
“Like Mama,” Cody said matter-of-factly, and pain seared through Josh, cutting off his air for a heartbeat. Like Mama.
“Mama can’t come back. But she loved you, too, Cody.” His voice grated in his throat. Lucy had adored Cody, doted on him, loved him with every last fiber of her being. This Josh knew without a doubt. Guilt crushed him every time he thought of it. He was the reason his son didn’t have a mother anymore.
“Miz Thelan is pretty,” Cody said. Josh said nothing, stymied by the realization that he couldn’t deny he agreed, or what it meant. “Will she live here? With you an’ me, Daddy?”
“Yeah,” Josh said and wondered again if having Maggie under his roof was a good plan.
“Then I guess it’s okay to try her, Daddy.” Cody’s small face was serious. Josh hid a smile.
“Then we will. I think she’ll be just fine.”
“Is she gonna cook for us?”
Josh shrugged. “She said she could but we’ll see.”
They looked at each other for a moment, and Josh knew they were both thinking of Mrs. Herman’s practical casseroles.
Years of casseroles.
“No, um, cassy-oles?” Cody ventured and Josh laughed.
“She doesn’t look like the casserole type but we’ll ask her tomorrow when she gets here just to be sure. Okay? Now let’s get you back to bed.”
“Okay.”
