hair walked out the front door of the house toward them. She wore business capris, a stylish tank and blouse, and heels. She emanated an air of confidence.
“Hi, I’m Maddie. You must be Nicole,” she said, extending her hand. “Your resemblance to your sister is incredible. The hair color and the clothes are different, but—”
“Did you know her?” Nicole asked.
“I was working part-time for Rafe when they were involved. And little Joel is a doll,” she added. “Spitting image of Rafe.”
Joel’s hand tightened around hers. “With Tabitha’s eyes,” Nicole felt compelled to add.
“Maddie, do you mind giving Nicole the tour while I make a few calls?” Rafe asked.
Maddie gave Rafe a blinding smile. “Not at all. I live to serve.”
Nicole wondered if there was something more than business between the two, then reminded herself that it shouldn’t matter to her.
Rafe slid his hand down Nicole’s arm, short-circuiting her thoughts.
“I’ll see you later.”
Nicole resisted the urge to rub away the effect of his touch, forcing her attention to the house.
Maddie led her and Joel into the house through a foyer with a cool marble floor. They strolled through a kitchen, dining room, two downstairs dens, a library/game room with pool table, a master bedroom downstairs, and housekeeper’s quarters. A patio and large pool stood just outside the back door. Beyond that, tennis courts and a large grassy yard.
“You must always have an adult with you before you go into the pool,” Nicole said to Joel, bending down on her knee and looking into his eyes. “Always.”
“What if you’re not here?” he asked, his gaze straying to the tempting blue water.
“Then you wait until I am here,” she said. “Promise me.”
He met her gaze. “I promise.”
Nicole brushed a kiss on his soft cheek. “Good boy.”
“There will be other people who can swim with—”
“When he’s older,” Nicole said, cutting off the cute, pert woman. “Sometimes you don’t have second chances when it comes to safety.”
Maddie shot her a slightly piqued expression. “There’s more upstairs,” Maddie muttered.
Maddie led the way past several more bedrooms and baths, along with a playroom where Joel immediately began exploring the many new toys. Even though the mansion needed more furniture before it would feel like a home, Nicole couldn’t help being impressed with how much decorating progress had already been made.
“How did you do this so quickly?” Nicole asked.
Maddie laughed. “Rafe and I have been together so long. He can give me a few sentences,” she said and snapped her fingers, “and I know exactly what he wants.”
Nicole felt the little stab of a question again about their relationship. “Where will I sleep?”
“I thought I’d put you near Joel in this wing. Rafe will take the other wing.”
“I don’t think I saw that.”
Maddie hesitated a half beat. “Oh, I guess I forgot. There’s a master bedroom on each floor. The master on this floor is all the way down the hall and to the left. It includes a gym because Rafe is very big on working out. Now about the nanny—”
“Nanny,” Nicole repeated, frowning. “I’m here—Joel won’t need a nanny.”
Maddie hesitated again. “Perhaps not in the traditional sense. But you may find you’ll need someone to take care of the driving and to give you breaks. I’ve already set up a meeting for Joel at a preschool based on what Rafe described to me.”
“I’ll need to visit before a final decision is made.”
“Of course,” Maddie said, but something about her voice bothered Nicole. She gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It really is remarkable how similar the two of you looked. I almost feel as if I’m looking at a ghost.”
“We were identical twins with very different personalities.”
Maddie nodded. “Rafe and Tabitha were like oil and water. I knew it wasn’t going to work from the beginning. Rafe doesn’t need a pampered heiress. He needs more of an independent type.”
Nicole felt a rush of protectiveness for her sister. “Tabitha may not have been perfect, but no one is. If it weren’t for Tabitha, we wouldn’t have Joel.”
Impatience flashed through Maddie’s eyes and her lips tightened. “You’re right. Without Tabitha, there would be no Joel,” she said, her tone laced with irritation. “Now tomorrow, I’ll be sending over three na—” She broke off and corrected herself. “Three candidates to assist you with Joel. Choose which one you like best and then perhaps you can visit the preschool in the afternoon. I would have sent the assistants today, but Rafe insisted you and Joel needed a chance to relax.” Maddie led the way down the stairs then pressed her card into Nicole’s hand. “I know you’re only staying here temporarily, but Rafe and I want to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible. In his position he can get terribly busy, so if you need anything at all, please feel free to call me.”
The proprietary tone in Maddie’s voice rose again. It grated on Nicole, although she couldn’t say why. “Thank you. Hopefully Joel and I will be able to manage on our own.”
“Okay. I’ll just have a word with Rafe before I leave. Good-bye now,” Maddie said and turned away.
Nicole walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and surveyed the contents of the refrigerator. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to find Rafe looking at her.
“Hungry?” he asked. “We have a housekeeper and chef. I’m sure they can whip up whatever you like.”
“I was just looking to see what I could fix for Joel tonight.”
He shook his head and closed the refrigerator door. “You’re not preparing meals. You’re supposed to help Joel adjust.”
“That’s part of making him adjust,” she said. “I always cook at home.”
“Tell the chef the time you want dinner and what you want. Would you like to take a shower, spend some time in the Jacuzzi?”
“I might have time for that. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to pry Joel out of the playroom. He’s fascinated by all the new toys. You need to be careful about spoiling him.”
“I know, but I’ve got four years to make up for. Plus, I want him to be comfortable here.”
“But will you be?” she asked. “Won’t you miss living on the sea?”
“I’ll be there every day.” He shrugged. “Maybe
