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Ellen waved her hand, dismissing Maggie’s thanks. “It was nothing, honey, really. Do you need any help unpacking?”
Maggie shook her head. She wouldn’t ask for anything more even if she needed it. “No. Thanks, though. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, then.” Ellen crossed to the door, then stopped. “You have my number if you need it on Monday? If you have any questions at all, you can call. Josh can’t always get away, but I’m usually available.”
“I do have it. I’m sure we’ll be fine, but it’s a big comfort to know you’re there if we get stuck,” Maggie assured her. Ellen nodded.
“Okay, then. Sorry to run, but I’m meeting a friend for dinner and it’s a good hour drive.” She left, and Maggie heard her voice in the hall before Josh came in, carrying the last of the boxes.
“Where can I put this?” he asked.
She waved her hand. “Anywhere’s fine. I have to go through them all anyway.”
Josh deposited the box near the one his mother left and stood still. An awkward silence fell over the room as Maggie tried her hardest to look everywhere but at him, but her gaze kept darting back as if he were magnetic.
“I—”
“Do—”
They both stopped, and he dipped his head in her direction. “You first.”
She drew in a deep breath. “I was just going to thank you for the help,” she said. “It wasn’t necessary but I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Do you like pizza? You’re welcome to eat dinner with us.”
Maggie hesitated. She needed to erect some kind of wall between her unexpected emotions and this man. On the other hand, it would be an opportunity to interact with Cody. “Will Cody mind if I join you? I don’t want to infringe on his time with you.”
Josh shook his head. “You won’t be. It’ll be good for you to spend some time together. Any requests for toppings? Anything you can’t stand?”
They settled the pizza question with no onions or peppers for her but anything else was fair game. Josh left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Maggie stared at the closed door, then flopped back on the bed as the enormity of her situation began to take root.
She’d found Cody, gotten the job she wanted so badly.
But she’d never figured on her brother-in-law. She hadn’t counted on seeing him as an attractive man. Somehow, she needed to figure out how to ignore that while keeping her true relationship to Cody a secret from his father. A flash of guilt made her swallow hard. Would it have been better to own up to her connection to Lucy?
No. She stood up and moved to the nearest box. The last thing she wanted was to inflict any more pain on either Josh or Cody. They’d experienced a terrible loss before Cody’s first birthday and she had no desire to open any old wounds for them. With any luck she could spend a year or so with Cody, and have enough of a relationship with the little boy that Josh would allow her to stay in his life after Cody no longer needed a nanny.
So she’d get over this ridiculous quasi-attraction to Josh and that would be that.
Wouldn’t it?
So why didn’t her plan seem to be quite so simple anymore?
Chapter Two
Her nephew, so far, hated her.
Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. Maggie braced her arms on the kitchen counter and let her head fall forward with a sigh. Almost lunchtime on their very first day together and Cody hadn’t spoken more than four words to her. And only then because she’d spoken to the little boy first. It would take time for him to adjust, this she knew. It didn’t bother her. Really.
If only he wouldn’t look at her like he might a particularly freaky bug. He edged around her like he expected her to squirt something vile at any moment.
She squared her shoulders and her resolve. She was not here in the capacity of auntie. To Cody, she was the nanny and a poor sub for Mrs. Herman at that.
The shrill of the phone snapped Maggie back to reality. She grabbed the handset off the counter. “Hello?”
“Maggie. It’s Josh.” Oh, Lord. Her insides did a totally unwelcome little flip. “How’s everything going there so far?”
“Morning, Josh,” she said, glad her voice remained steady. “We’re doing just fine.” True enough. Just not the kind of fine she’d hoped for.
“That’s good.” The relief in his voice rang in her ear. “Sorry I wasn’t there this morning,” he added. “I rotate on calls with two other docs. I usually get calls every night I’m on. Not all of them involve me having to go in to the hospital, though.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” She prowled around the kitchen. Talking to him on the phone wasn’t much easier than doing it in person. Here he was right in her ear and she couldn’t put distance between them.
“Is he right there?” Josh asked. “I’d like to talk to him for a minute.”
Maggie headed for the stairs. “Of course. He’s got his trains out in his room. Hold on.”
She called for Cody, who came running when he heard it was his dad. After a brief chat, and numerous looks slid Maggie’s way, from which she deduced the conversation was about her, Cody handed the phone to her and returned to his trains without a backward glance. She stared at his retreating form with a muffled sigh and lifted the handset to her ear.
“Josh? Still there?” The bright note in her voice sounded false, even to her.
“Yeah,” he said, sounding distracted. “But I have to go. My next patient is here. Give Cody time, Maggie. He’s a little shy. He’ll come around.”
“Of course he will. We really are doing fine here, Josh,” she assured him. “I’m not worried.” Much.
“Good. Listen, I’ll give you a call later if it looks like I’ll be late getting home.” Maggie heard a female voice in the background and the rustle of paper.
“That’s fine. See you then.”
“Bye.” Click.
The dial tone sounded in her ear. Maggie stood and stared at the phone for a second before replacing it in its cradle on the wall. She released a long breath. If she couldn’t get a handle on this bizarre attraction to Josh, what would she do?
Maggie stalked over to the fridge and yanked open the door in search of lunch for Cody. “I know exactly what I’ll do,” she muttered as she pulled out sliced turkey. “I’ll work harder to get over it.”
She wasn’t stupid enough to fall for her boss.
Again.
* * *
Josh tipped his chair back and stared at the ceiling of his office where he’d taken advantage of a few quiet moments to scarf lunch and call Maggie.
It’s just because it’s their first day alone. It didn’t have anything to do with Maggie’s long legs or that smooth, dark hair that fell in a thick mass past her shoulders. Nothing to do with those clear blue eyes, or the wariness with which she watched him. And, of course, he wasn’t thinking about her because he was attracted to her.
Not at all.
She was the nanny for God’s sake.
“Hey, Doc.” Marta, his nurse,