LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter Two

      Hayley was afraid her legs weren’t going to hold her, but somehow she managed to continue standing. Her face began to burn with the heat of embarrassment, while she tried to make sense of what had gone wrong. She’d assumed her position would be that of a live-in nanny. Apparently that’s not what Luke had in mind. Why hadn’t they discussed it the day before, during the interview? There was no excuse, except that he’d been distracted, and she’d needed the job to help pay for her college tuition.

      Glancing at her new employer, she realized he looked as if he’d been punched, and she wished she could think of something to say that would make everything all right. Absolutely nothing came to mind.

      He glanced at his watch, then over his shoulder before turning his attention to her. “I know this is something we need to get settled, but—” He looked down, shaking his head. “It’s not like it isn’t important, because it is, but I need to get the chores done.”

      In the distance, she could hear the bellowing of cattle, obviously waiting to be fed. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to let him walk away without settling the question of her employment, but she knew the importance of feeding livestock on time. “It’s all right,” she told him, hoping he didn’t pick up on her insecurity. “We can settle it later.”

      He visibly relaxed, although his smile was shaky, at best. “Great. I mean, thanks. We’ll do it at lunch.” He started to move away, but stopped. “If that’s okay.” When she nodded, he let out a long breath. “Then I’ll be back around noon.”

      Seeing that things were as settled as they could be for the time being, she turned for the house. She was nearly inside when she heard him call to her.

      “I’ll just put these suitcases on the porch, until we decide what we’re going to do.”

      “That’s fine. I’ll just...” What? Worry? She couldn’t say that, and she needed to reassure him that all would be well, even if she wasn’t all that sure they would be. “I’ll check on Brayden and get his breakfast started.”

      She didn’t wait for an answer and, once inside with the door closed firmly behind her, she did her best to put aside the fear and disappointment that she might not have a job after all. Knowing that staying busy would help keep her from thinking of her current dilemma, she went upstairs and found Brayden’s room. She soon had him awake and out of bed, so they could start their day. He didn’t make a sound as she dressed him or while he ate his breakfast. When he finished eating, she checked the kitchen cabinets and pantry with thoughts of lunch and supper in mind, while he played in the family room with the toys she’d brought for him.

      “Cow!” he announced, holding the plastic animal up for her to see.

      “And a lovely cow it is,” she said, laughing. She hoped it wasn’t the only word he knew. After all, he was two and should have a better vocabulary than one word.

      Later, when Brayden began to rub his eyes, Hayley took him upstairs to his bed for a nap before lunch, then she returned to the kitchen. She expected Luke to appear at any time, and she’d planned to have a more substantial meal ready for him and Brayden. But between her disgust at herself for assuming things she shouldn’t and the fact that there was practically nothing to eat in the house, she was left with literally throwing together some sandwiches.

      “How’s it going?”

      She turned to see the object of her thoughts standing in the doorway, and she searched for something to say. “I wasn’t sure if you like mayonnaise, but since I couldn’t find any—” She pressed her lips together, realizing she was complaining, and went back to the preparations. It took every bit of her concentration to place the thick slices of ham, tomatoes and cheese between the pieces of bread. There was no reason to let him know how nervous he made her, and she quickly chalked it up to her fear of losing the job. No matter whether it was live-in or not, she needed it to help pay off her student loan and finish her master’s degree. Not only that, but after a few hours with Brayden, she’d already fallen for the little boy.

      Determined not to worry, she stacked the sandwiches on a plate. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Luke across the island counter from her.

      “You didn’t need to do this,” he said as she placed the plate in front of him.

      “It’s all right,” she answered with a shrug. “I consider it to be part of the job.” If she still had a job.

      He settled on a tall, upholstered stool and picked up a sandwich. “I appreciate it. Today’s a little crazy, but it’ll get better.”

      Instead of answering, she nodded and placed a glass of iced tea near his plate. “Lemon or sugar?”

      “No, nothing. This is great.”

      They fell silent as he ate and she started a quick cleanup. The quiet, along with not knowing where she stood when it came to the job, nearly made her physically ill, and she decided it was time to ask if he’d made a decision. “Mr. Walker? I mean, Luke,” she corrected immediately. He turned to look at her and she took a deep breath. “I just wanted to apologize—”

      “Wait.” He held up his hand. “I need to say something, but I’m not sure how to go about it. And I’m a little embarrassed. What I tried to say earlier was that it was my fault you’d gotten the wrong impression about the job, and I...well, I apologize.”

      The air whooshed out of her chest. Here she was, ready to apologize again, and he was taking the blame. She felt a small, warm glow of appreciation.

      “Look, I know I shouldn’t make excuses, but it’s been a rough couple of years,” he continued. “I should have been clear to you and my sister about what I expected in a nanny, instead of letting Erin handle things.”

      “Apology accepted.” She smiled, hoping that he would see she was sincere. And she was, but they still needed to settle the live-in situation. “Have you—” She cleared her throat, determined to get it over with. “Have you made a decision

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