Verity sat with Heather, rocked and read her a favorite Dr. Seuss book. Heather’s eyes were almost closed as they finished, and Leo lifted her from Verity’s lap and placed her in her crib.
Then he leaned down to her, kissed her forehead and said, “Good night, baby.”
The huskiness in his voice tightened Verity’s throat and she didn’t know why. Maybe because Sean was gone. Maybe because her relationship with her father was strained. Maybe because she suddenly felt so alone.
Standing, she took a deep breath and said, “Nighty-night, Heather. I’ll see you in the morning,” and went to the door.
Leo joined her in the hall.
For a few moments they just stared at each other and a hum of attraction seemed to grow louder and stronger between them. They were standing very close, the toes of Leo’s boots almost touching the toes of her sneakers. He towered a good six inches above her. When she looked up into his blue eyes, her tummy fluttered and her pulse raced. In fact, she almost felt as if she couldn’t catch her breath. Leo didn’t touch her, and she so wished he would. He looked as if he wanted to. He looked as if he wanted to kiss her.
With a shake of his head, he blew out a breath. “Do you feel safe here in this house with me?” he asked.
“Yes!”
“I didn’t realize until tonight how this could look. Your staying here, I mean.”
“I’m your nanny and housekeeper. Nannies often live in the residence where they take care of the children.”
“That’s true, but usually there’s a wife. I don’t want to compromise your reputation.”
“I know who I am. I know why I’m here. What other people think really doesn’t matter to me. Does it matter to you?”
“No, what other people think has never bothered me.”
“Then we’re fine,” she said brightly. “There’s nothing to be concerned about.”
But the expression on his face as well as the wild beating of her heart told her that wasn’t true. Besides that, if he knew how terrifically attracted she was to him, he might fire her. She liked this job, and she was beginning to like Avon Lake.
Tomorrow was Saturday, and to steer toward a safer subject, she asked, “Will you be going to the boatyard tomorrow?” He had worked the last three Saturdays she’d been here.
“For a few hours. I realized today I haven’t been spending enough time with my daughter. That’s going to have to change.”
“I usually have breakfast for Heather around eight-thirty. Do you want to join us?”
After a pause he said, “Yes. I’ll go to the boatyard afterward.” There was an intensity in his gaze when he looked at her that excited her more than she wanted to admit. That excitement was as scary as the loneliness she’d felt as she’d watched Leo put his daughter to bed.
“I’ll see you in the morning, then,” she murmured.
When she turned to go, he finally touched her. His hand clasped her arm, and the feel of his hot skin on hers sent tingles through her whole body.
“Thank you for taking care of Heather so well today.”
“It’s my job.”
Releasing her, he nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Then she was walking down the hall into the great room, bypassing the kitchen and heading to her suite. Today Leo Montgomery had become more than her employer. She wasn’t sure how their relationship had changed, but she knew she had to be careful or she’d get hurt all over again.
Chapter Two
Verity was selecting clothes from her closet when she heard Heather on the baby monitor chattering to her stuffed animals. Smiling, she pulled on indigo jeans and zipped them, then grabbed a T-shirt that had seen many washings. The soft, blue cotton fell practically to her thighs. Comfort had always come first with her, certainly before fashion or trends or what anyone thought a girl should wear. Climbing trees, riding bikes and playing baseball with Sean had always led her to choose practical clothes.
Heather’s babblings were getting louder now, and Verity left her room and headed for the little girl’s. In the past, Leo had gone to work before she was up. Last night she’d had a restless night, reliving those moments when they’d stood so close, when she’d thought she’d seen something in his eyes that had made her heart jump so fast. This morning, though, in the light of day, she just chalked it all up to her imagination.
Heather stood up in her crib when she saw Verity, grinning from ear to ear. She stuffed a pink elephant—her toy of choice this week—under one arm.
“Good morning, honey,” Verity said, scooping the little girl up into her arms. “I’m hoping that big bed your daddy ordered soon arrives. I’m afraid you’re going to crawl out of this one.”
“I cwawl out,” Heather parroted, swinging Nosy by his trunk.
“Let’s brush your teeth. Then you can decide what you want for breakfast.”
“Waffles wif bluebewies,” she said as if she’d been thinking about it all night.
Laughing, Verity shook her head. “You’ve had those every day this week.”
“Waffles wif bluebewies,” Heather repeated.
“Okay. I’m sure you’ll get tired of them eventually.”
Cooking was a pastime Verity enjoyed. She and Sean and her father had always shared the chore. After she’d gotten her own apartment in college, she’d found experimenting could be fun. Now she was glad she had. Heather could be a picky eater, and coming up with fun and playful ways to serve food was always a challenge.
Fifteen minutes later, teeth brushed, dressed in pink overalls and a matching shirt, Heather ran ahead of Verity to the kitchen. The bandage on her forehead was still in place and she wasn’t paying any attention to it.
Verity hadn’t seen any sign of Leo, but he might be working in his office in the pool house. She’d just started a pot of coffee brewing when a deep male voice made her jump. “Good morning.”
Her hand over her heart, she swiveled toward the back door that led to the patio, pool and pool house. “Mr. Montgomery. I was going to call you when breakfast was ready.”
He was carrying a folded sheet of paper in his hand. “It’s Leo, remember?”
Oh, she remembered.
Without waiting for her response, he went on, “I thought I’d spend some time with Heather while you make breakfast. I realized yesterday I need to give her more attention.”
Verity remembered how Heather had clung to her when Leo had arrived home to take her to the doctor. “I imagine it’s difficult being a single parent.”
“Funny,” Leo said almost to himself,
