LITMIR.BIZ

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of his father, about to hear the news that he was a grandfather.

      ‘Will you be coming in to meet your niece?’ Ethan asked.

      ‘Of course.’ Abe glanced at the time. ‘Though not until later in the afternoon.’

      ‘Merida’s friend, Naomi, is getting in at midday. We were supposed to be there to meet her.’

      ‘Do you want me to organise a driver to pick her up?’

      There was a brief stretch of silence before Ethan responded. Neither of the brothers liked asking for help, even from the other. ‘Abe, is there any chance of you going? She’s Merida’s best friend.’

      ‘I thought she was the nanny?’ Abe frowned. He only knew that because a full-time live-in nanny had been a part of the terms agreed to.

      ‘Naomi’s both.’

      ‘Give me her details,’ Abe sighed, and pulled out a pen.

      ‘Naomi Hamilton.’ Ethan gave her flight details. ‘If she can come to the hospital before being taken to the house, that would be good.’

      ‘All sorted,’ Abe said, and glanced again at the time. ‘I really do have to go. Congratulations.’

      ‘Thanks.’

      Luckily Ethan was too muddled to ask how this morning’s meeting with Khalid had gone and certainly Abe did not volunteer the information.

      Cool heads were needed for dealing with this situation and currently the only Devereux who had one was Abe.

      He buzzed through to his own PA. ‘Jessica, could you organise a gift for me to take to the hospital this afternoon?’

      ‘For your father?’ she checked.

      ‘No, the baby’s here.’

      There was a little squeal that had Abe pulling the phone back from his ear; then came the inevitable questions. ‘What did Merida have?’

      ‘A girl.’

      ‘Does she have a name yet? Do you know how much she weighs?’

      ‘I don’t know any more than that,’ Abe responded. He really hadn’t thought to ask. ‘I also need you to sort out a driver to do an airport run from JFK to the hospital.’ He gave the flight details. ‘She gets in at midday. The name’s Naomi Hamilton.’

      Despite his brother’s request, Abe would not be playing chauffeur.

      As well as Khalid to contend with, he had the first-of-the-month board meeting to attend. Before that he was meeting with Maurice, the head of PR, to discuss the annual Devereux Christmas Eve Charity Ball.

      It was a highlight on the social calendar, but, for the first time since its inception, Jobe Devereux would not be attending.

      Tabled on this morning’s agenda was discussion of contingency plans should Jobe die close to, or on, that date.

      Not pleasant.

      But a necessary task, given that people travelled from far and wide and paid an awful lot of money to attend.

      Emotion had to be put aside and unpalatable scenarios played out and usually Abe was very good at that.

      Abe wasn’t just cool...he was considered cold.

      And not just in the boardroom. His reputation with women was devastating, though that had calmed in recent years. But his aloofness extended also to family.

      He had stopped trusting others by the age of four, looking out for his brother and doing his best to ensure that he came to no harm.

      Abe kept his emotions in check.

      Yet, unusually, this morning he was struggling to do that.

      His schedule was always daunting but he thrived on the pressure and handled it with ease. Yet the autopilot he usually ran on felt, this morning, as if it had disengaged.

      The news of the baby had punched a hole in the wall he carefully erected between himself and others.

      He put a finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose and squeezed hard, then took a long cleansing breath. Pushing all the drama out of his mind, he’d get on with holding down the Devereux fort.

      Someone had to.

       CHAPTER ONE

      ‘A NEW YORK CHRISTMAS...’

      Naomi smiled as her very chatty fellow passenger told her what a magical time she would soon be having.

      ‘There’s nothing better.’

      ‘I’m sure there isn’t,’ Naomi agreed.

      It was easier to.

      Privately she cared little for the festive season. Well, she made sure it all went smoothly for whatever family she was with but it was just another day for Naomi.

      Actually, no. It was a very lonely day for Naomi—it always had been and no doubt always would be.

      But she wasn’t going to bore the woman in the next seat with that.

      They had got on well.

      Naomi was a little on the large side and had tucked her elbows in and tried to make herself very small on take-off. But by the time they came into land, neither had slept and they were chatting away like old friends. Still, there were things even old friends didn’t need to know.

      Born on Christmas Eve, from the little Naomi knew her first weeks of life had been spent on a maternity ward before the first of many foster-care placements.

      Now a maternity nanny, she looked after newborns and ensured better for her tiny charges. Her job was to look after the mother and infant during this very precious, tumultuous time before the permanent nanny took over.

      She wasn’t a part of the family, though.

      On a day such as Christmas, her role was to make it as seamless and as stress-free for the new mother as possible. And Naomi usually ate in her room alone.

      This year, though, would be different as it was her best friend whose baby she would be taking care of.

      Merida, an actress, had come to New York City with Broadway on her mind and, sure enough, had landed a part in a new production called Night Forest.

      She had never made it to opening night, though.

      Pregnant by Ethan Devereux, she had said goodbye to her acting career and entered into a marriage of convenience.

      Although, inconveniently for Merida, she was head over heels in love with her husband.

      Naomi had had reservations about accepting the job.

      Ethan and Merida had insisted that she be paid, and though they were probably just trying to be nice, it would have been easier on Naomi to have been asked to stay as a friend.

      But she was concerned for Merida and that was why she had agreed to take the post.

      As the cabin lights were dimmed for landing, Naomi looked out of the small, moisture-streaked window. There wasn’t much to see, just snow-laden clouds, but then her breath caught as jutting up in the distance she saw the iconic skyline rising out from gunmetal-grey water and it sent a frisson of excitement through Naomi. She was here—actually here. And for someone who had never been out of the United Kingdom it was an exciting moment indeed.

      The plane banked for its final approach but that first glimpse of the city left a smile on Naomi’s face.

      Naomi had freshened up as best she could after breakfast had been served but she took out her compact and checked her reflection. She was excited to see Merida but her reflection showed tiredness. Her dark chocolate curls were limp and beneath her deep blue eyes were dark smudges. Her very pale complexion

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