Книга - The Nanny Proposal

The Nanny Proposal
Donna Clayton


SHE'S YOURS.Two handwritten words changed Dr. Greg Hamilton's playboy lifestyle forever. From the moment he found his baby girl on the doorstep, she held his heart in her tiny hands. Juggling fatherhood and a busy practice wasn't easy–so when the shy and lovely Jane Dale proposed she be baby Joy's nanny, Greg didn't question his luck….Jane's pulse beat fast when she faced the man who'd supposedly seduced and left her sister. When she'd joined his household under false pretenses, she hadn't expected her niece's father to be caring, honest…and much too attractive. Would her deception cost her the child and the man of her heart?









She was about to meet the odious Dr. Greg Hamilton.


Jane’s eyes widened, and her heart skittered. He was too handsome for words!

“Hello.”

He smiled, and Jane knew without a doubt from whom her baby niece had inherited her dimples. And his eyes were as green as little Joy’s, too.

He reached for her hand and she automatically clasped his. His palm was warm against hers. Secure. Trustworthy. Her insides went utterly haywire.

“Jane,” she said, relieved that she remembered her name. “Jane Dale.” Her voice sounded whispery, halting.

“Nice to meet you.” He paused. “Give me a moment to look at your file and then you can tell me what I can do for you today.”

She was happy to give him as long as he needed. She needed some time herself. Time to bridle these unexpected and totally confusing emotions that were wreaking havoc on her nervous system….






The Doctor’s Medicine Woman


Dear Reader,

As Silhouette’s yearlong anniversary celebration continues, Romance again delivers six unique stories about the poignant journey from courtship to commitment.

Teresa Southwick invites you back to STORKVILLE, USA, where a wealthy playboy has the gossips stumped with his latest transaction: The Acquired Bride…and her triplet kids! New York Times bestselling author Kasey Michaels contributes the second title in THE CHANDLERS REQUEST…miniseries, Jessie’s Expecting. Judy Christenberry spins off her popular THE CIRCLE K SISTERS with a story involving a blizzard, a roadside motel with one bed left, a gorgeous, honor-bound rancher…and his Snowbound Sweetheart.

New from Donna Clayton is SINGLE DOCTOR DADS! In the premiere story of this wonderful series, a first-time father strikes The Nanny Proposal with a woman whose timely hiring quickly proves less serendipitous and more carefully, lovingly, staged…. Lilian Darcy pens yet another edgy, uplifting story with Raising Baby Jane. And debut author Jackie Braun delivers pure romantic fantasy as a down-on-her-luck waitress receives an intriguing order from the man of her dreams: One Fiancée To Go, Please.

Happy Reading!






Mary-Theresa Hussey

Senior Editor




The Nanny Proposal

Donna Clayton





www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


This book is dedicated to Peggy Moore who is always ready and willing to straighten out my twisted medical facts. Many thanks!




Books by Donna Clayton


Silhouette Romance

Mountain Laurel #720

Taking Love in Stride #781

Return of the Runaway Bride #999

Wife for a While #1039

Nanny and the Professor #1066

Fortune’s Bride #1118

Daddy Down the Aisle #1162

* (#litres_trial_promo)Miss Maxwell Becomes a Mom #1211

* (#litres_trial_promo)Nanny in the Nick of Time #1217

* (#litres_trial_promo)Beauty and the Bachelor Dad #1223

† (#litres_trial_promo)The Stand-By Significant Other #1284

† (#litres_trial_promo)Who’s the Father of Jenny’s Baby? #1302

The Boss and the Beauty #1342

His Ten-Year-Old Secret #1373

Her Dream Come True #1399

Adopted Dad #1417

His Wild Young Bride #1441

** (#litres_trial_promo)The Nanny Proposal #1477




DONNA CLAYTON


is proud to be a recipient of the Holt Medallion, an award honoring outstanding literary talent, for her Silhouette Romance Wife for a While. And seeing her work appear on the Waldenbooks Series Bestsellers List has given her a great deal of joy and satisfaction.

Reading is one of Donna’s favorite ways to wile away a rainy afternoon. She loves to hike, too. Another hobby added to her list of fun things to do is traveling. She fell in love with Europe during her first trip abroad and plans to return often.

Oh, and Donna still collects cookbooks, but as her writing career grows, she finds herself using them less and less.

Donna loves to hear from her readers. Please write to her care of Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017.










Contents


Prologue (#u7805a4bc-9789-54b5-967a-e49e3f4144ca)

Chapter One (#uce332239-625b-5bd8-9887-a34bd93fe182)

Chapter Two (#ude640259-5048-54a2-8ba8-73e3a5c7e695)

Chapter Three (#u11493dd0-ed43-541d-a45c-7db5328029ad)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)




Prologue


Greg Hamilton patted a healthy splash of aftershave on his smooth jaw as he stared into the mirror. Habit had him brushing his damp palms over his bare chest, then he picked up a comb and ran it through his wet hair.

He felt good. Like a man who had put in an intense week at work and was ready for a little fun on a Friday night.

His patients had kept him on his toes this week. He’d treated Mrs. Brown, with her just-give-me-a-pill attitude. The elderly woman he had just diagnosed as borderline diabetic refused to believe that her diet played an important role in her continuing a healthy life. He’d spent a great deal of time explaining the condition to her. But it seemed none of his arguments could curb the woman’s taste for sweets.

And little Bobby Lee, whose bed-jumping escapade had earned him a fall that needed three stitches. Greg grimaced into the mirror, wondering why these kinds of things always happened right around eleven o’clock at night.

There had also been a myriad of coughs, colds, upper-respiratory infections and bouts of flu he’d treated. However, none of his patients concerned him more than young Tracy Morgan. The teen had an eating disorder. He was sure of it. But he’d had a devil of a time convincing her parents that their daughter had a problem at all. He’d begun explaining his diagnosis calmly, but their refusal to open their eyes and minds to the potentially deadly prognosis had frustrated him. He’d ended up frightening them into really listening to what he’d had to say. He’d felt badly when he’d seen the fear in their eyes, knowing he’d put it there. Parents never wanted to believe their child was in danger. But Greg had only acted out of concern for young Tracy. In the end, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan had agreed to take Tracy to see a specialist that Greg had recommended.

He sighed, tugging a fresh T-shirt over his head. Enough about his patients, he thought. He’d worked hard. Now it was time to relax and enjoy himself. And he had a date with a raven-haired beauty who was going to help him do just that.

As he fastened the buttons of his crisp white dress shirt, Greg once again thought about his medical practice—a practice he shared with his two best buddies in the whole world. He thought about his great apartment, positioned in the best possible location in the city. The hot little sports car he’d purchased just a few months ago.

Ah, yes, Greg sure did have the world by the tail.

And the very best part of being a successful bachelor doctor? Why, that would have to be the seemingly endless number of lovely ladies willing to spend Friday and Saturday evenings with him. A little dinner, a little dancing, a little kissing in the moonlight. He loved being a single guy.

It wasn’t that he used or abused women. No way. In fact, he had a rule: no sex on the first—or second—date. The morning after the one and only time he’d broken the rule, he’d felt like a bum. A real heel. And on principle, he’d ended up reaffirming his faith in the “no sex without meaning” law. He simply enjoyed the company of females. Luckily, in this very enlightened age, there were plenty of women who felt free to enjoy the company of a man.

He buckled the belt around his waist, smoothed his palm over his taut abdomen, hand-pressing the pleats of his dress trousers, and then he slipped his feet into black Italian loafers. After one last glance at his reflection, he grabbed his suit jacket off the hanger, reached for his wallet and keys—and was stopped dead in his tracks by the doorbell.

Greg glanced at his watch, wondering who could be at his door as he shrugged on his jacket. Travis and Sloan, his friends and partners, knew he had a hot date tonight. Absently brushing his hand over one lapel, he moved down the hall and into the living room.

He heard the baby’s cries before he even grasped the door handle. The child’s wails had his brow furrowing. None of his neighbors had kids. A patient, maybe? But why hadn’t his answering service notified him there was an emergency? Why wouldn’t the baby’s parents go directly to the hospital ER? Why would they show up here—

As the questions churned in his mind like the swirl caused when a boat oar is forced through river water, he gave the handle a quick twist and pulled open the door.

The woman was clearly annoyed. And vaguely familiar to him. Irritation pulsed from her in palpable waves. The baby girl in her arms was so upset her sobs were actually being released in tiny hiccups.

The professional medical practitioner in Greg immediately took over. Instinctively reaching for the child, he asked, “Is she ill?”

“No,” the child’s mother answered as she handed over the baby. “She’s yours.”

Greg’s mouth dropped open as the baby squirmed in his arms. Shock paralyzed his vocal cords. Where did he know this woman from? he wondered. He racked his brain, trying to recall her name from the depths of his memory. And what on earth did she mean by what she’d said?

The woman then dropped a small suitcase at the threshold of the door and let the overstuffed diaper bag that hung on her shoulder slide to the floor beside it. Relieved of what seemed an overwhelming weight, she smiled for the first time, a gleam shining in her gaze—a gleam Greg could only describe as…triumphant. He got the distinct feeling she’d succeeded in some goal. Met some terribly stubborn and hundred-pound-weight-off-the-shoulder objective.

“Your daughter’s name is Joy,” the woman continued, “and I’ve decided it’s high time for you to take her off my hands.”




Chapter One


Greg burst through the glass double doors of the clinic. He didn’t have to look at his watch to know he was late. His first patient would be waiting. His whole day’s schedule shot. Again.

“Your first patient is waiting.”

Rachel Richards, the office manager for the clinic, teased him with a disapproving click of her tongue.

“I know,” he said in a rush. “I know.”

“She’s only a baby, Dr. Greg.” Rachel reached out and took his daughter from him, grinning at the happy ten-month-old. “The way you’re reacting, it’s the end of the world.”

A spontaneous gust of ironic laughter erupted from him. “Joy’s arrival was the end of the world as I knew it.” He softly added, “I’m trying to get used to this new planet called parenthood. Please have patience with me.”

He felt as if he was whispering the plea not only to Rachel, but his patients, his staff, his colleagues…and anyone else understanding and kind enough to listen. Juggling career and parenting responsibilities was an overwhelming task. One at which he was sure he was failing miserably.

“I’m just teasing you.” Rachel shifted Joy onto one arm and then held up a crisp white lab coat for Greg with her free hand. “It’s only been a week. Give yourself time.”

He slipped on the coat and fastened the buttons with swift, precise movements. “So many times this week I’ve wished Mom and Dad were alive to help me. They’d have loved Joy so much.” He sighed. I can’t believe I’m having such a devil of a time finding a sitter. It’s ridiculous. No one wants to watch Joy at home. I don’t think it’s a good idea to take her to a day-care center. She’ll have a constant cold if she’s with other children.”

Rachel shook her head. “Greg, millions of mothers and fathers drop off their children at day cares all over the country every single day. Joy would be with other kids. Think of the social skills she’d develop.” She handed him his stethoscope and then his first patient’s file. “You’re going to have to do something. I’m an office manager,” she reminded him gently, “not a nanny.”

“I know, I know.” Apology was in his tone, deep and sincere—Rachel had been a godsend this past week—but suddenly his whole countenance brightened as what she’d said really sunk into his head.

“A nanny.” He let the word roll around on his tongue, roll around in his mind. “That’s just what I need.”

“Oh.” Rachel waved off the idea. “You don’t want someone living with you night and day.”

“But I’ve got plenty of room,” Greg said. “My apartment has three bedrooms.”

“Your whole life would be disrupted.”

He cocked one brow at her. “Like it hasn’t been already?”

She laughed. And they were both rewarded when little Joy joined in.

“Ah—” Greg smoothed a finger along his daughter’s satiny jaw “—you liked that one, huh? You like knowing you’ve thrown your daddy for a loop?”

The toddler’s bubbly giggle made Greg chuckle. He’d taken quite a shine to her during the one short week she’d spent under his roof.

“This little girl is just too charming.” Rachel touched the end of Joy’s tiny, button nose, then leveled her gaze on Greg. “Too bad her dad couldn’t muster up any charisma this morning.”

Greg let his silence urge the office manager to expound on her comment.

“You couldn’t find your razor?” she asked.

Of its own volition, his hand reached up to cup his jaw. “Oh, Lord. I never gave it a thought.”

Merriment danced in Rachel’s eyes. “This daddy business really has rocked your world right off its axis, hasn’t it?”

Rather than responding, he took a second to glance down at himself. His tie was askew and his belt was fastened but hadn’t been tucked into the last loop.

“I feel like I’ve been through an earthquake.” Then he amended, “A daily earthquake. She’s pretty good during the days. But the nights…” He sighed wearily. “She still cries for her mother at bedtime. I’ve got to rock her and sing to her for hours before she’ll fall asleep.”

Rachel offered a compassionate smile. “It’ll get easier. I promise. But right now, you’d better get to that patient. She’s been waiting a good while.”

“Of course.” However, before he left the waiting area, he tickled Joy under the chin and was rewarded with her sunny grin. He’d had no idea a man could lose his heart so thoroughly in just seven short days.

Jane sat on the examining table, her stomach dancing with a horrible case of nerves. She shouldn’t be here. She didn’t have a plan. This impulsiveness just wasn’t like her. But she had to find Joy. Her heart felt aching and empty without that baby in her life. How could Pricilla just disappear with the child like she had? How could her sister do such a thing?

Hot tears prickled the backs of Jane’s eyelids when she thought of her niece with her huge jewel-green eyes, her springy red curls and those deep dimples that formed every time the child grinned. Jane dashed the moisture away with a quick swipe of her fingertips. She couldn’t afford tears. Not now. She had to try to keep her wits about her. Dr. Greg Hamilton would be arriving any moment.

She glanced at the white clock on the wall. He was late. But could she expect anything else from the haphazard and irresponsible man who had made her sister pregnant and then would have nothing else to do with her or the baby he’d created?

Tamp down that anger, she warned herself. Giving Greg Hamilton a piece of her mind would be satisfying, yes. But it would get her nowhere in locating Pricilla and Joy. And that was the sole reason she was here.

A whole week had passed since she’d arrived home from the restaurant where she worked as a waitress to find the apartment empty. Pricilla had left no note. No hint of where she’d gone or when she planned to return. At first, Jane had been furious, thinking that her sister had taken the baby with her on a date, or something equally as capricious.

Pricilla was always doing things on a whim. She never thought her actions through. And that unguarded attitude often placed her own baby in neglectful circumstances. Hadn’t Jane just argued with Pricilla about that very subject two days before her sister and niece disappeared?

Jane had discovered that, rather than staying home with Joy while Jane was at work, Pricilla had been leaving the baby with a neighbor—a young woman neither of them knew very well—and going out on the town. Jane hated to admit it, but her sister’s maternal instinct wasn’t very strong. It had been sheer luck that Jane had beat her sister home by a mere five minutes and caught her fetching Joy from the house down the block. The hour had been late, and the baby had been wearing nothing but her pajamas to ward off the late October chill.

Jane and Pricilla had an awful argument about the incident. Money was so tight. Jane hadn’t even asked where Pricilla had gotten the funds to pay the neighbor for baby-sitting. Probably from the big-spending men-friends she dated…the ones who seemed to crawl out of the woodwork whenever Pricilla had it in her mind to go out and party. Men who thought nothing of their actions. Men whose only concern was having a good time.

Men like Greg Hamilton.

The name hadn’t even finished whispering across her brain when the door of the examining room opened and the man himself appeared before her.

Jane’s eyes widened, and at the same time her heart skittered into a race. The man was too darned handsome for words! But then, did Pricilla ever choose any other kind?

“Hello.”

He smiled after he spoke, and Jane knew without a doubt from whom baby Joy inherited her dimples. However, while her niece’s were cute enough to invoke grins, the deep indentations in Greg Hamilton’s cheeks were…breathtaking. Even shadowed with a day’s growth of auburn whiskers, those dimples were absolutely mesmerizing. And his eyes were as green as little Joy’s, too.

“Hi.” Her greeting sounded whispery, halting. She silently berated herself. What did she care if his damned dimples made him look like some Hollywood movie star? Or if his eyes glittered attractively? She was appalled by the way her heart skipped and scampered against her ribs, the way her stomach constricted at the sight of him.

“I’m Dr. Hamilton.”

He reached out for her hand and she automatically clasped his. His palm was warm against hers. Secure. Trustworthy. Just like a doctor’s hand should be. Again, he smiled. And again, her insides went utterly haywire. The spontaneous and downright shocking feelings she was experiencing toward this man were so at odds with the opinion she’d formed of him that she felt sure her brain would short-circuit at any moment.

“Jane,” she told him, relieved that she’d even remembered her name. “Jane Dale.”

“Nice to meet you.” Then he said, “Give me a moment to look at your file and then you can tell me what I can do for you today.” He went to the counter and flipped open the manila folder he’d carried in with him.

She was happy to give him as long as he needed. The way things were going, she needed some time herself. Time to bridle these unexpected and totally confusing emotions that were wreaking havoc on her nervous system.

The giddiness was purely a feminine response to a good-looking man. That much, she knew, was completely natural. Completely controllable. But why was she angry that Greg Hamilton was handsome? She had expected him to be, hadn’t she? Pricilla wouldn’t have been caught dead with a man who didn’t have above average looks.

You’re angry because men like the good doctor here, a tiny, hurtful voice silently intoned, would never find you attractive.

That was ludicrous! She didn’t give a hoot if Greg Hamilton, or any other man for that matter, found her attractive or not.

What did anger her were the facts. This man fathered a baby and then refused to have anything to do with the child unless he could have full custody. This man had refused to help Pricilla when he certainly had the means to do so. He’d refused to support his daughter. Those were the facts. Facts that made Jane smolder like a day-old bonfire.

Stay calm, she scolded herself. If she lambasted him like she wanted to—like he deserved—he would surely refuse to help her find Pricilla and Joy.

Why would he help you, anyway? that irritating voice silently taunted. Pricilla had said early on that Dr. Hamilton wanted full custody of his daughter, or he wanted nothing to do with the child. Discovering that Pricilla had suddenly gone off with Joy just might stir in him a renewed interest in his baby girl.

Jane felt the blood drain right out of her face.

What if he decided to take Joy away from Pricilla? What if he hired a lawyer? What if he demanded his rights as the baby’s father be recognized? Her mind whirred faster than the speed of light.

Why hadn’t she thought of all these things before she’d come here? Why hadn’t she realized that she was entering enemy territory? This kind of thoughtless, irresponsible behavior was usually carried out by her sister, not level-headed Jane. But now Jane herself was being swept away by some insane recklessness.

She could be causing Pricilla trouble just by being here. Seeking him out. Jane could lose Joy for good.

That final thought caused her to tremble, literally. Perspiration prickled her forehead and upper lip. She felt light-headed. Dizzy. A frown bit deeply into her brow as she contemplated the magnitude of the mistake she’d made in coming to see Greg Hamilton. But it was too late now. Too late to get out of here without starting some kind of trouble. For Pricilla. For herself.

You can get out of this, a stern, no-nonsense voice echoed in her head. All you have to do is lie. You’ve already set it up perfectly.

In her reluctance to reveal the true purpose of her visit to anyone except Greg Hamilton himself, she had told the receptionist and the nurse she was here for a physical. All she had to do was stick with that story. This would be simple. A piece of cake, really.

She thanked her lucky stars that she and Pricilla had different fathers, hence different last names. The doctor didn’t know her. Had never met her. So there was no reason why he would link the mousy-haired woman sitting in his examining room now with the blond, blue-eyed, gorgeous bombshell that was Pricilla. The logical voice in her head made getting out of this situation unscathed sound so terribly easy.

Nervously running her tongue over her dry lips, Jane tried to make sense of these rash, chaotic thoughts.

Lying is for cheats and swindlers, another part of her brain argued.

Not all liars were bad, the stern voice stressed. Look at poets and song writers, novelists and playwrights. They fabricated stories every single day. They made up people, places, events.

But that was solely for entertainment purposes, her rational side reasoned.

No, the stern voice pointed out, it was for survival. And that’s just what you need to do right now. Survive. So you’d better lie like there’s no tomorrow.

Greg leaned his weight on one elbow, his forehead in his hand, and stared unseeingly at the medical history page in front of him. The woman’s blood pressure was fine. Her weight was perfect for her height. Yet he still continued to stare at the page.

As inconspicuously as possible, he inhaled a huge breath of air, and then expelled it slowly. When he’d entered the room and looked into Jane Dale’s face, it was as if he’d been kicked in the chest by a mule. She seemed so…haunted. He was almost positive her ailment wasn’t physical.

Her gray-blue eyes were clouded. Intense. Desperate.

It didn’t take a medical degree to clearly see that she’d had at least one sleepless night. And from the look of the dark smudges on the porcelain skin under her eyes, she hadn’t slept well for days. Something deep inside him stirred.

Instinct had urged him to reach for her, hug her to him. Give her the comfort she so obviously needed. However, that would have been behavior of the most unprofessional kind. So he’d made an excuse out of studying the few facts he had about her. Height. Weight. Blood pressure. Temperature.

Truth was, he needed to put some space between them. To get a grip on himself. His reaction to Jane Dale had taken him completely by surprise.

He was sure his new attitude about women was to blame. He’d really been shaken when Pricilla had shown up with Joy. The past week with his daughter had been hard. Oh, boy, had it ever been! But being a father had also been like having a small piece of heaven dropped right into his lap.

Yet, it was the situation—his having made Pricilla pregnant over a year and a half ago and him without a clue that it had happened—that had totally altered his thinking where women were concerned. Had he really been so callous, so careless, that he could have made a woman pregnant and not known about it? His whole outlook on life had been shattered.

He gave the woman a surreptitious glance, wondering what on earth was troubling her. Only one way to find out. Straightening his spine, he turned to face her. “So what can I do for you today?”

“A physical.”

Her answer was rushed, her tone curt, and that made Greg all the more intrigued by this delicate-looking woman.

He automatically reached for his stethoscope. “Have you been feeling okay lately?”

“Oh, yes,” she assured him. “I’m not sick or anything. But I need a physical.” Almost as an afterthought, she quickly added, “For a job.”

“Ah, so you’re starting a new job.” A little doctor-patient dialogue might help him find out something about her, something about her life-style…her troubles.

“Well…” She hesitated. “I don’t have a job yet. I’m new in town. But I plan to be working soon. I’ve got to be. To pay for a place to live. The hotel where I’m staying isn’t cheap.”

He smiled. “Welcome to Philadelphia. What type of job are you looking for?”

As he spoke, he moved toward her with the metallic diaphragm of the stethoscope outstretched. And he was taken aback when she leaned away from him.

“I just need to take a quick listen to your heart and lungs,” he explained, hoping to put her at ease.

Those huge cloud-gray eyes of hers slid away from his gaze, but she remained still while he slipped the diaphragm between the facings of her blouse and pressed it to her chest.

Her skin was like warm satin against his fingertips, and the lacy edge of her bra had him averting his own gaze toward the far corner of the small cubicle.

What was the matter with him? He caught glimpses of people’s underclothing all day long. Seeing a bit of lace during an examination had never flustered him before. But he was sure flustered now. In fact, he was so disconcerted by his reaction to this woman that he hoped his hands didn’t begin to shake. This was crazy!

Occupy your mind. Let routine take over.

Conversation. That’s what he needed. Get lost in some small talk.

He realized then that she hadn’t answered his question regarding what kind of job she was seeking.

“I see you as…maybe…an elementary schoolteacher?”

Jane Dale actually smiled at his out-of-the-blue guess, and her whole face was transformed by the expression. The edges of her mouth softened. Even the anxiety in her gaze seemed to relent just a little.

She was pretty. In a natural kind of way. A natural beauty. That’s how Greg would describe her.

However, rather than taking note of her looks, he knew he should be focusing on her physical health. Period.

“I do love kids,” she said wistfully. “But I’m not a teacher.”

“A photographer, then,” he suggested. “Or a bank manager. A nurse. A cement truck driver?”

“A what?” There was laughter in her voice, despite whatever turmoil was plaguing her.

Greg thought he’d never heard a more beautiful sound. “Hey, this is a new millennium. Women can do and be whatever they want.”

Her smile faltered. “Well…if you say so.”

There it was again. That haunted expression shadowing those unusual gray-blue eyes.

Pressing his fingers to either side of her long, slender throat, he felt the left and right lobes of her thyroid gland, and at the same time he wondered what it would be like to press his lips against the silky length of her neck. The thought made his heart trip in his chest.

“So what do you want to be when you grow up,” he asked, his tone unwittingly dropping to a soft murmur as he forced the sexy image of him kissing her from his mind’s eye.

“Does that really matter? What I am is a plain old waitress.”

There’s nothing plain or old about you, Jane Dale. I just wish I could get into your head. Find out what it is that’s troubling you so.

The thoughts came out of nowhere and nearly made him step back away from her. But he quelled the reaction and made yet another silent vow to keep these very inappropriate thoughts at bay.

Being a doctor often meant more than simply finding a cure for his patient’s physical ills. Often, he had to delve into a person’s psyche. Get into the mind to try to discover what worries might be harrying a person and adding to their suffering.

What was so confusing about what he was experiencing at this moment was the strange mixture of intrigue, curiosity and…attraction. Yes, attraction.

He knew very well that his confusion was caused by the change in his attitude. Ever since Pricilla showed up on his doorstep with Joy, he’d been beating himself up for taking women for granted. It was this transformation in his thinking that had him so…mesmerized. So intrigued by Jane Dale and whatever was so obviously bothering her. That’s what was behind this discombobulated reaction he was experiencing.

“I’d like to be able to say that I have a teaching certificate,” she told him. “Or that I’m certified as a nurse. Or trained as a photographer.” She sighed. “But my only claim to fame is that I’m pretty good at slinging hash.”

Jane Dale had a sense of humor. Greg grinned. He liked the woman.

He found himself murmuring, “It’s too bad you’re not a Mary Poppins type.”

She went utterly still. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, you know, a governess. An au pair. A nanny.” Absently, Greg reached up and rubbed his fingers over his day’s growth of beard and thought about just how badly he needed help at home with Joy. “If you had experience with children, I just might have a job for you.”

Hell, he couldn’t say why he’d make such an offer. He didn’t even know this woman. But thoughts of Joy, of the sleepless nights he’d had, of the seemingly endless piles of baby clothes waiting at home to be laundered, added with Rachel’s complaint just a few minutes ago that she was an office manager and not a baby-sitter…all these things had him speaking before he really had time to think about what he was saying. Jane was a nice woman. A healthy woman. He’d just checked that out, hadn’t he? He smiled to himself. And he liked her. Besides that, she needed a job.

“Oh? You need someone…”

He chuckled. “But, of course, being a waitress, you’re not going to be interested in changing diapers and finding ways to make a baby girl eat strained peas.”

“A-a b-baby girl?”

Greg nodded. “I have a brand-new baby.” Then he said, “Well, not brand-new. Joy is ten months old. She’s cute as a button. And best of all, she’s got my dimples.” He smiled big and pointed to his cheeks.

Okay, so he was a proud daddy. Jane Dale would just have to understand.

“Y-you need a sitter?”

“Actually, I was thinking of live-in help. Like a—” he shrugged “—a nanny. But you probably wouldn’t be interested, seeing as how your experience is in food services.”

“Wait.” Her voice sounded small, almost uncertain. “I do have experience with children. I, um, I just came from living with my sister. She’s got a baby. And I handled, well, I handled most all of the child care. When I wasn’t working at my job at the restaurant, that is.”

Greg was amazed that she would even consider his suggestion. He hadn’t really expected anything to come of the offer.

“Wow. This is great.” He moistened his lips, reality sinking in. “Could I meet her? Your sister, I mean? Or could you at least supply some kind of…” He felt like a heel for asking, but couldn’t help himself. This was his daughter they were talking about. “Um, letter of recommendation?”

“Sure.”

He watched her throat convulse with what looked like a nervous swallow. Apprehension fairly pulsed from her. A blaring hint of just how badly she must need a job.

“I’ll get my sister to write a glowing recommendation. And—and I’ll even get her to stop in the next time she’s down this way.”

She frowned and nibbled on her bottom lip, and Greg had to drag his gaze from her mouth.

“Would that be sufficient?” she asked.

Something made him pause. He was rushing into this. And maybe he shouldn’t be. But for the first time since he’d come into the room and made this woman’s acquaintance, the shadows cleared from her gaze.

He’d lifted the worry from her shoulders. That made him feel pretty darned good, even if he did say so himself.

His head bobbed and he grinned at her. “That will be great.” He shook her hand, then caught her attention with raised brows. “Do you have any qualms about starting immediately? As in, this very second?”




Chapter Two


“You did what?”

Radcliff, the older of Greg’s two partners, stared at Greg, disbelief and disapproval darkening his countenance like a storm cloud.

Greg leaned his elbows on the counter of the office’s waiting room. All the patients were gone, the staff, too, and the partners had just happened to meet up at the end of this long day.

“I hired a nanny for Joy. What’s so bad about that?”

With his brows raised high, Sloan continued to censure Greg’s actions with a small shake of his head.

Travis Westcott, Greg’s other partner, stood just behind Sloan and obviously couldn’t find the words to even respond to this surprising turn of events.

“This woman might have made a good impression on you this morning, Greg,” Sloan said. “But she’s still a stranger. You know nothing about her. And you’re trusting her to care for your baby girl.”

Greg couldn’t tell if this last sentence was a statement or a question. And the doubt his friend tossed out affected him mightily. Maybe he had jumped into this too quickly.

The manner in which he’d become a father—so out of the blue—had Greg leaning on his buddies a great deal this past week. And Sloan and Travis had come through for him with plenty of advice and support. He respected their opinions. And it was clear that Sloan didn’t think very highly of his decision to hire Jane on the spot this morning.

“Well, I was pretty desperate for some help,” Greg said, knowing his words made him sound defensive. Why shouldn’t they? He was on the defensive. “You should have seen Joy’s eyes light up at the sight of Jane. It was like they were old friends or something. Joy took to Jane like a duck to water. It was amazing, I tell you.”

He shifted his weight onto the other foot. “I stopped in at the house unannounced today at lunch. And Jane was doing great with Joy. They were playing with blocks. Making little stacks and knocking them down in the middle of the living room floor. And Jane had already dived into that mountain of laundry. And the kitchen sink was free of dirty dishes for the first time all week. The beds were made. The toys picked up. And she’d done all this in just a couple of hours. When I get home, I just may discover that she’s given the whole apartment complex an overhaul.” His hollow laughter died quickly when his friends didn’t join in. His brow wrinkled in a pitiful frown. “Look, guys, I need the woman. I need her help. Try to understand.”

Travis and Sloan just looked at him, and Greg surrendered to the welling urge to try again to convince his friends that what he was doing was the right thing for him and his daughter.

“Look,” he said passionately, “you guys know that I was happy to take Joy from Pricilla. I want to be responsible for my actions. And I have every intention of being a good father to my daughter for the rest of my life.”

The stern-lipped disapproval on the other men’s faces softened.

“But single parents can’t do it alone,” he continued. “Sloan, as the father of triplets, you should know that. You get a sitter for the girls once every couple of weeks. You go out. You have a good time. And you have a housekeeper, too, to help you with the cooking and cleaning. I can’t do this alone.”

Greg hated the accusatory tone he used. He hated throwing up into Sloan’s face any fun the man might have. Sloan, the father of nearly teen triplet girls, was a widower—a widower who was still grieving almost two years after losing his wife. But Greg was being bested by the desperation he felt to make his friends comprehend his plight.

“Yes,” Sloan agreed quietly, “I do get a sitter every now and then. But only so that I can have a beer with you two after work. I never stay out late. And I always get home in plenty of time to tuck my girls into bed.”

Guilt solidified in the pit of Greg’s stomach. He hadn’t the right to make his friend feel the need to defend himself like this. But before he could apologize, he discovered Sloan had more to say.

“And I do have a housekeeper. With three pre-teens running rampant in my house, I’d be a lunatic not to.” Sloan ran his finger absently along the corner of the counter as if he was debating how to word what was on his mind. Finally, he said, “But there’s a big difference between having a housekeeper come in a few times a week and having live-in help. Especially when you just met this woman.” He raised his eyes, locking gazes with Greg. “I’m going to say something you’re not going to like.”

Instant wariness had Greg steeling himself.

His friend sighed. “Travis and I both know that this past week has been hard on you. Dealing with fatherhood has really thrown a monkey wrench into the cogs of your life. And we also realize that finding out about Joy…finding out that a casual affair you had made you a dad…has, ah—” he stammered for the first time “—done something radical to your thinking.”

“Now, wait just a minute—”

“This has to be said,” Travis softly interrupted, the step he took closer to Sloan clear evidence that he agreed with whatever revelation the man was about to make.

Sloan plowed ahead. “You’ve taken this woman into your home—”

“Her name’s Jane,” Greg said, his hackles rising. “Jane Dale.”

“Okay, Jane Dale.” This time when Sloan continued, his tone was gentler. “I think your hiring her has a great deal to do with what happened to you. Your thinking about women has become…confused. You think you can save this woman. This Jane. You found out she was needy. So you gave her a job and a place to live. You’re somehow trying to make up for your behavior in the past.”

This was the truth. Greg had known it. He’d thought that very thing himself this morning when he was examining Jane in his office, hadn’t he? But why did his motivation for hiring Jane sound so blasted twisted coming from someone else’s mouth?

“We want you to know,” Travis added, “that we don’t believe you’ve done anything to make up for. It’s not a crime to date women. Pricilla was a consenting adult, right? And it’s your habit to practice safe sex, right?” Lifting his hand, palm up, Travis said, “Mistakes happen. Yes, you have to take responsibility for your actions. And you’re doing that. But you don’t have to try to save the world.”

But I never called Pricilla, the silent lamentation screeched across Greg’s mind like fingernails on a blackboard. I never reached out to her afterward. If I had, I’d have found out about my daughter sooner. All I thought about was getting away from a bad situation. All I thought about was myself.

Shoving the thoughts aside, he decided not to allow himself to get sidetracked with these dark recriminations regarding what he should have done. He needed to stick to the topic at hand.

“B-but,” he stuttered lamely, “I’m not just helping Jane. She’s helping me, too.” Then he let his eyes slide from one friend to the other. “Do you guys really think I’m a nutcase for hiring her?”

Both men remained silent for a moment. Travis shifted his overstuffed briefcase from one hand to the other. Then leveled a steady gaze at Greg.

“My friend,” Travis said, “just think about what you’ve done, and how out of sorts it seems with your usual actions. When we wanted to hire a new nurse for the practice, you refused to let the woman near the patients until we had three letters of recommendation from her previous employers. Three. Like Sloan said, you don’t know this Jane Dale.” He bit his bottom lip a moment. Quietly, he pointed out, “This is your daughter we’re talking about. Your daughter.”

A cold shiver clawed its way up Greg’s spine as revelation struck. “And I’ve left her with a complete stranger all day. A woman I know nothing about.”

Without another word, Greg snatched up his valise and headed for the front door.

Jane could not believe her good fortune. She’d actually lied her way into a job as Joy’s nanny. She was once again with the light of her life. Nothing could have made her happier.

When she’d arrived in town, she’d had no idea what she meant to do other than to throw herself on Greg Hamilton’s mercy, beg him for information about where Pricilla and Joy might be. During the days since her sister had disappeared with the baby, Jane had called every friend Pricilla had ever talked about. When a week had passed with no word from her sister, Jane felt she simply couldn’t hang around the apartment any longer. She wasn’t eating. Wasn’t sleeping. Couldn’t keep her mind on her work. She’d reached the end of her rope. She simply had to find Joy. However, when Jane had gone to her boss to ask for some time off to search for her family, she’d been told that if she walked out the door, she’d be walking away from her job. For good.

Jane had walked out the door without a backward glance.

She’d been that desperate to find her niece. She’d been that desperate to somehow heal the aching hole the baby’s disappearance had left in her heart. In her soul. She’d been that desperate to put to rest the worry she’d felt for Joy’s welfare. Pricilla had proved time and again during the past ten months that she wasn’t a good mother. Heck, Pricilla hadn’t wanted Joy. Who knew what her sister might do? Jane had been terribly anxious for Joy’s well-being.

Once she’d left her job, Jane had visited all Pricilla’s friends, hoping against hope that one of them had lied about harboring her sister and niece. Jane had questioned each of them. None of them had known where Pricilla might be. A few of them had told Jane that surely Pricilla would show up. Eventually.

Jane couldn’t take that chance. Not with Joy’s health and safety at stake.

It might have sounded strange, but little Joy always seemed to feel discomfited by her own mother’s presence. The baby would fidget and cry and reach for Jane. Jane suspected the child sensed Pricilla’s lack of mothering instinct.

To be absolutely honest, Jane loved Joy as if she were her own daughter. She felt like Joy’s mother. She loved the child to distraction. And that’s why she was willing to give up everything in order to find her.

And she had!

Jane had hardly believed her ears when the doctor mentioned needing a nanny for his daughter. She’d nearly toppled right off the examining table onto the floor.

Images of her appointment with Dr. Greg Hamilton this morning swirled, unbidden, into her brain like the heated waters of some tropic flood, invading and filling every nook and cranny of her thoughts. His hands had been so warm, so gentle on her skin as he’d listened to her heartbeat. She’d been certain that her pulse had accelerated. And she’d been utterly mortified when the silky touch of his fingers brushing her chest had caused her nipples to bud to life. However, she’d noticed that his gaze had been averted, and for that she’d been terribly relieved. Even now, as she thought about the way his mahogany hair fell in thick waves, the way his forest-green eyes studied her with concern, her heartbeat pounded, her face flushed.

“Stop.” She whispered the word aloud and Joy looked up at her from where she sat on the floor, gnawing happily on a teething ring.

How Joy came to be in Greg’s care, Jane couldn’t be sure. But there could only be one answer. Pricilla had given the baby to Greg.

Jane had no idea if Pricilla planned to return for Joy. Or if her sister simply meant to give Greg all parental rights to the baby.

The mere idea made Jane tremble with fear. She couldn’t imagine her life without this baby in it. She just couldn’t.

The lies she’d told Greg were wrong. She’d known that even as the grand stories had come rushing from her. However, she had good cause. And she reached for that cause, a big smile spreading across her face.

“Are you ready for a bath?” Jane asked Joy.

Joy chuckled, the dimples in her creamy cheeks deepening. The baby was so happy with any small amount of attention she received. Joy was an angel. She was Jane’s angel. It was true that Jane hadn’t given birth to this little girl, but she couldn’t love the child more even if she had.

“Let’s go have a tubby,” Jane crooned.

She’d have to tell Greg the truth. She knew that. But she’d win his trust first. She’d show him that she was the mother for Joy that Pricilla simply didn’t have it in her to be.

As she gathered together a towel, the baby shampoo and a washcloth, she felt her whole abdomen seize with icy dread. She had no legal claim on Joy. She couldn’t fight Greg for custody. Not when she was only the baby’s aunt. No court of law would side with her. And it seemed that Pricilla had lost all interest in helping her raise Joy.

Hot tears blurred Jane’s vision as she plugged up the drain of the kitchen’s big porcelain sink and turned on the spigot. Joy reached up and tweaked Jane’s bottom lip between her chubby fingers, seeming to sense her melancholy mood.

“It’s okay,” Jane said. And she didn’t know whether her words were meant more to assure the baby or herself. Then she whispered, “It really is going to be okay.”

She was with Joy. And for the moment, that was going to have to be enough.

Joy was still splashing in the warm water of the sink when Jane heard Greg come in through the front door.

“Hello? Jane? Where are you?”

The frantic tone of the doctor’s voice had her frowning. Something was wrong. Something terrible. Goose bumps rose on her arms as some kind of intrinsic proof.

Leaving the baby unattended wasn’t an option, so she called out, “We’re in here. In the kitchen.”

He literally burst through the doorway.

“What?” The anxiety pulsing from him frightened Jane and she reached for Joy with both hands, pulling her from the sink and clutching the baby’s wet body to her, heedless of the water dribbling down her clothing. “What’s the matter?”

The sight of them seemed to assuage the apprehension that darkened his green eyes.

“I was just…worried.”

She didn’t like his tone. Or his frown. Or the way he was looking at her. This morning—and then again when he’d come home at lunchtime—he had been so confident in her, so at ease with the idea that she was caring for Joy, so relieved to have her help.

“You see,” he continued in a rush to explain his abrupt arrival, “I was feeling a little nervous. It’s been quite a while since lunch and…and this is your first day with Joy and all.”

Trepidation had Jane’s gaze narrowing. Something had happened to cause this anxiety in him. And it must have to do with her. He was obviously having second thoughts about hiring her.

Greg went to the counter, picked up the towel and wrapped it around his daughter. His fingertips pressed against Jane’s shoulder, her arm, her waist, every place that he tucked the towel around Joy’s little body.

“You’re getting soaked.”

His tone was calmer now, and it smoothed over her like warm velvet. Jane’s throat went dry, a giddy feeling rose up in her chest and she blinked several times. She wished her body wouldn’t react to him, to his touch, to his voice, so…wildly.

Thankfully, he was distracted by Joy’s smile of greeting—a smile that turned into a delighted giggle at the sight of her daddy.

“Hey, little girl,” he said softly. “Did you miss me today?”

He went to take Joy from Jane.

“But you’ll get your suit all wet,” Jane warned.

“It’s okay.” Joy went to him, gladly. “It’s only water. It’ll dry.”

He gave his daughter a soft kiss on the forehead. The gesture was sweet enough to make Jane smile. She didn’t want to like Greg Hamilton. She wanted him to be the ogre she’d conjured him to be in her mind. But that image was fading fast. It was obvious that he cared about his little girl.

But he refused to help Pricilla unless she signed over full custody. This man is too controlling. Heartlessly so.

Jane pushed aside the silent arguments for and against him. She needed to focus on the here and now.

“Why don’t you take her into her room?” she suggested. “I was just going to get her ready for bed.”

She led the way down the hall, and Greg made delightful baby conversation with his daughter as he followed. The sound of it made Jane grin even though an uneasiness was swirling in her belly.

“You know—” he sat Joy on the changing table and dried her with the towel “—it’s a good thing I came straight home. Bedtime is a nightmare around here. This little girl cries herself to sleep every night. It’s usually a three-hour ordeal. You might be sorry you got yourself into this.”

“Oh, no.” Jane smiled to herself as she searched through the dresser drawer for pajama top and bottom. She quietly added, “I’ll never be sorry. That’s for sure.”

He set the towel aside and eased Joy down so he could place a diaper on her bottom. “You really didn’t have any problems today? She took a nap for you? Ate her lunch?”

“Not a single tear,” she told him. “All day long. She ate some rice cereal for lunch. A little applesauce. And drank a bottle of milk. Then she napped for more than an hour.”

Jane approached the changing table and tickled Joy’s belly. “You were a perfect little angel weren’t you, my Joy?”

Suddenly, Jane froze. Had she acted too familiar with her niece? Would Greg realize she was no stranger to this baby?

“She is an angel, isn’t she?”

Greg’s easy manner made her want to sigh with relief. Her expression was stiff as she looked up at him.

“Yes, she is.”

She busied herself tucking one of Joy’s feet into the leg of the cotton pajama bottom.

“Jane.”

He paused. He swallowed. And Jane knew he was about to say something she wasn’t going to like.

“I’ve been thinking,” he continued. “Maybe we, um, jumped into this, ah, arrangement too quickly.”

“No way.” She waved off his remark, keeping her tone airy and light, then reached to pull the elastic-waist pants over Joy’s little bottom. But fear lumped in her throat. He was going to fire her just when she’d found Joy. He was going to ask her to leave his home just when she’d been reunited with her little girl. She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t!

“Don’t you worry about me,” she told him. “I’m just fine. I told you, Joy and I made out great together today. We played. We laughed. I read to her. And I cleaned the house.” Her words came tumbling from her tongue in a rush. “I washed clothes. I cleaned up the kitchen. I picked up. And…” She paused to take a deep breath, sitting Joy up and dressing her in the pajama top. The last thing she wanted was to sound too desperate. That might make Greg ill at ease. “I cooked dinner. I saved you a plate. It’s ready to be reheated in the microwave.”

She lifted Joy onto her hip, then tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Taking a deep inhalation, she tried to control the fear that had a tight grip on her. Finally, she glanced up at Greg. “Please give me a chance.”

A frown dug deeply into his brow. “It’s not you,” he said. “You’ve done a great job. And I do appreciate it.” His head tilted a fraction. “It’s me.”

Joy squirmed to get down onto the floor among her toys, so Jane put the baby down and moved some blocks within her reach. Then she straightened her spine and looked at Greg.

“I was talking with my friends this evening,” he said. “Both Sloan and Travis feel that…I might have rushed into this situation. And after having some time to think it over—” his full, sexy lips pursed for a moment before he finally admitted “—I’m afraid I might have to agree with them.”

They stared at each other, he obviously feeling guilty, she feeling tremendously desperate. She didn’t want to be tossed out on her ear. She wanted to be here. With Joy. She had to do something. Say something that would make him change his mind.

“Do your friends believe I’m a serial killer, or something?” She chuckled, hoping to break the tension with humor. But when she thought about some of the outlandish national news stories she’d read and heard on radio and TV in the past, this suggestion of hers didn’t sound so funny. Stranger things happened every single day in these times.

“Greg, please.” Her expression as well as her tone revealed the utter sincerity she felt. “I know I’m pretty much a stranger to you. But I want this job. I need it.”

What an understatement that was, she thought.

“I know you don’t know me,” she continued. “Your friends don’t know me. But all of you can get to know me…if you’ll just give me a chance.”

Indecision flickered in his gaze. She could clearly see it, and it gave her hope.

“I’m not terribly educated,” she admitted. “I had to drop out of college in my freshman year. But I am well read. I’ve worked hard all my life. Supported myself. And my sister. So I’m hard-working. I always have been.” Her tone went all whispery as she automatically added, “I was forced to be.”

Uneasiness crept over every inch of her skin. She hadn’t meant to reveal this much personal information about herself. Before he could ask her to elaborate, she softly blurted. “I’m dependable. And honest.”

These things were true…well, usually they were, but remembering the lies she’d conjured for Greg this morning, the withholding of information and her true relationship to Joy, Jane nearly choked when that adjective had slipped from her lips.

In a rush, she added, “I’m good-hearted…I’m trustworthy…I’m simple and straightforward.…”

She flushed to the roots of her hair. As complicated as this mess was that she’d created, her life was turning into something that was the exact opposite of simple and straightforward.

“Look.” Her gaze was beseeching, pleading, and she knew it. “I’m capable. And I’ll work hard. I’ll take good care of Joy. I will. Just give me a chance.”

He studied her for a long, silent moment. Finally, he heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. But until you can give me some references…”

A lump rose up in Jane’s throat, and tears burned her eye sockets. She pressed her lips together tightly to keep her chin from trembling.

A single, hot and desperate tear trailed slowly down her cheek. She couldn’t have stopped it if she’d tried.

“Please don’t cry,” he said. “You said you could provide references. You can get them over the weekend. As soon as I look them over, we’ll discuss the job again. Next week.”

She wasn’t normally a crier. She didn’t allow life to get the best of her. The road of her life had been rocky a time or two. Or three. However, she wasn’t the kind of person to wallow in self-pity. But she hated the idea of walking out Greg Hamilton’s door and leaving Joy behind just when she’d found the baby again.

Oh, why hadn’t she just been up-front with him from the beginning?

Because he’s the enemy, a stern voice intoned in her head.

But he seemed too darned nice to be anyone’s enemy.

This man is a stranger to you, the voice chided. Just as you are a stranger to him. Pricilla’s told you enough about him to let you know you cannot trust him with the truth.

He had turned his back on Pricilla. He had refused to offer his daughter monetary support unless he was granted sole custody. Those were the facts. And a man who was that controlling would never allow Jane to care for Joy if he knew she was the sister of the woman who had given birth to his daughter.

“Please.” Her whisper was husky and paper-dry to her own ears.

“I’m sorry, honey.”

He meant the nickname as a comfort, she knew. But all she felt was desolation, humiliation. And anger.

She was angry with herself for getting into this mess. She was angry with herself for not standing up to Joy’s father.

But what good would it do? None. Somehow, he’d gotten his hands on her niece. And until she found Pricilla, until she discovered whether or not Greg meant to keep Joy, she really couldn’t do anything but surrender to his whims and wishes.

A shaky sigh expelled from her lips, and she nodded. “Okay,” she told him. “I’ll go.” She paused, one last spark of an idea coming into her head, an idea that would make it possible for her to have just a few more minutes with Joy. “But would you mind if I put her to bed? It wouldn’t take long. And then I’ll go.”

Greg shook his head. “I don’t believe that would be wise. It’s an awful chore, anyway, what with all the tears and all. You go get your things together. And we’ll talk again. Next week.”

She gave him a slow, resigned nod. And then she walked out of the baby’s bedroom.




Chapter Three


The baby’s cries continued for every one of the seventeen minutes it took Jane to slowly and reluctantly gather the clothes she’d unpacked earlier and tuck them neatly into her small carryall. She checked her watch every thirty seconds or so, mentally battling the urge to go and comfort her niece. The hallway bathroom was directly opposite Joy’s room, so when Jane went to retrieve her makeup case and personal effects from the marble countertop, the toddler’s sobbing was even more audible, more soul-wrenching.

Jane was sure her heart was going to rip right in two. She couldn’t leave Joy. Not like this. Not with her crying and upset.

Greg had mentioned that bedtime for Joy was a nightmare, Jane remembered on her way back toward her bedroom. But it didn’t have to be. Not if she were allowed to rock her niece to sleep.

Finally, she could take it no longer. Tossing her small makeup case on the bed beside her suitcase, Jane turned around and headed back toward the baby’s room.

She knocked on the door, and without waiting for an answer, she pushed her way into the room. Greg look flustered and helpless.

“Here,” she said, hustling over to the two of them, “let me take care of this.” Maybe if she just bullied her way into helping him, he wouldn’t have a chance to reject her offer.

She scooped Joy up with both her arms, and the baby immediately hugged her tight, stuck a pink thumb into her mouth and rested her head on Jane’s shoulder.

All was quiet.

Jane’s ploy worked. Greg’s expression clearly revealed that he’d been steamrollered. He sat in the rocker, blinking, gaping up at the two of them, obviously trying to figure out how the silence came to be.

Motioning for him to rise with a sweeping movement of her free hand, Jane smiled softly at him.

“It’ll be all right,” she said in a hushed tone. “Just give me a few minutes alone with her, okay?”

She sat down in the rocking chair and cradled Joy in her arms. The baby sighed, her eyes locking onto Jane’s face. The love that swelled in Jane’s heart actually hurt. But the achy feeling was wonderful. She hadn’t rocked Joy to sleep in a week…a week that somehow felt like many months.

Tearing her gaze from Joy’s, Jane looked up at Greg, who still seemed in a daze. Without a word, he stared at the two of them for a second or two. Then he turned on a silent heel and stole from the room.





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