LITMIR.BIZ

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might be best,” she said softly.

      The aching sadness in her voice tore at his heart. “Jenna, just because I don’t think we should repeat the experience doesn’t mean that wasn’t an amazing kiss.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “It was. Amazing.”

      “It was,” she agreed, then wrenched her gaze away.

      He stood, gave Bonnie a hug and laid her back in the position she’d been in on the sofa when he’d arrived. “I’d better get back to work.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “I’ll see you tonight.”

      Then he turned on his heel and strode from the house.

      * * *

      The next day Jenna was sitting cross-legged on the floor in her bedroom playing blocks with Meg when Liam appeared in the doorway.

      “My parents are here early,” he said with an apologetic glance. “I should have expected they wouldn’t be able to wait and would come straight from the airport.”

      Jenna jumped up, her mind clicking into gear. “Bonnie’s asleep, but she shouldn’t be for too much longer. I can bring her down when she wakes up.”

      Liam nodded. “I thought she might be. They said not to wake her if she was sleeping, but they’d like to meet you.”

      “Oh, right.” It was reasonable they’d want a chance to assess the person looking after their granddaughter. She’d met them in passing when she was Dylan’s housekeeper, but she’d never had a conversation with either of them. And now a proper introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Hawke took on more meaning—after all, she’d never kissed Dylan....

      Liam scooped Meg up and tickled her under the chin. “What do you say, Meg? Want to meet my mom and dad?”

      Thrilled to be in Liam’s arms, Meg squealed and babbled, probably telling him about her day. It made Jenna’s heart ache that Meg would never know Alexander and would lose Liam from her life when they left his house.

      “Are you ready?” he asked, turning to Jenna.

      She looked down at what she was wearing—a long floral skirt and a red tank top. She wanted Mr. and Mrs. Hawke to think their granddaughter was in safe hands. Would these clothes make a good impression? She had splatters on her skirt from the finger painting she’d done with Meg earlier, and her top was covered with creases from where Bonnie had gripped it in her little fists, but she figured because she was trying to make an impression as a good nanny, the look was probably appropriate.

      She smoothed the skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Yes, I’m ready.”

      Picking up the baby monitor, she followed him down the stairs, blowing Meg a kiss as her daughter watched her over Liam’s shoulder.

      When they entered the living room, Liam’s mother came over and grasped Jenna’s hands. “It’s so lovely to see you again, Jenna.”

      Pleasantly surprised at the familiar greeting, Jenna squeezed the older woman’s hands. “You too, Mrs. Hawke.”

      “Please, call me Andrea.” She swept her arm towards her husband. “And this is Gary.”

      “All right. Andrea. Gary.” She nodded at each one as she said their names, relieved that they already seemed to approve of her as their granddaughter’s nanny. “I’m sorry that Bonnie’s still asleep, but I don’t think it will be long before she wakes.”

      “That’s okay,” Andrea said. “We can wait. In the meantime, we can keep ourselves busy with this beautiful girl. You must be Meg.” She put her hands out to the baby in Liam’s arms, then hesitated. “Do you mind, Jenna?”

      “No, please feel free to hold her. Meg loves new people.”

      Andrea took the baby from Liam, and Meg looked around with quick movements until she spied Jenna, then smiled. Jenna gave her a little wave. Satisfied, Meg turned back to the new person she’d found.

      Liam dug his hands into his pockets. “Do you want to freshen up while you wait?”

      “No, we won’t be here long.” Andrea sank down onto the sofa with Meg, playing a game on the baby’s fingers. “We just wanted to meet Bonnie, then we’ll get out of your hair.”

      Gary turned to Jenna, his hands in his pockets, mirroring his son. “You’re from Scandinavia somewhere?”

      “Larsland,” she said, nodding.

      Gary broke out in a smile. “Ah, Larsland. That was on our itinerary, but we missed out when we heard about Bonnie and cut our trip short.”

      Jenna thanked the stars that Larsland had been one of the countries they’d missed. If they’d made it and seen her photo somewhere, they might have recognized her today. “It’s a shame you missed it,” she said, “but Bonnie will be more than worth it. She’s an adorable baby.”

      Gary’s eyes softened. “I’m really looking forward to meeting her. Perhaps we’ll make it to Larsland next time. We’d even booked a tour at the royal palace. Have you been there before?”

      Jenna froze. “Um,” she said and swallowed. “Yes. Most people in Larsland have been at least once.” She hated lying, but both statements were technically true.

      Soft crying sounds came through the baby monitor. “I’ll go,” Liam said.

      Jenna would have welcomed the opportunity to escape from a conversation that was veering into dangerous territory, but Liam was already gone. Besides, it was probably important to Liam to be the one who introduced his daughter to his parents, and she wouldn’t want to deprive him of that.

      Once Liam left, his father wandered over to the huge sliding glass doors at the back that looked over the flower farm and let out a deep, contented sigh. “The stock is looking good,” he said.

      His wife rose, Meg on her hip, and joined him. “There’s nothing quite like that view.”

      Jenna followed them and gazed out at row after row of bright flowers that she’d come to think of as her own personal garden. “I don’t know how you ever left it. I love waking up and seeing the flowers from my window.”

      Meg reached for her and Jenna put her arms out so Meg could monkey-crawl from Liam’s mom across to her. Andrea smiled softly as she watched the baby. “After years of having the responsibility of a farm, we’d been dreaming of an apartment with no garden maintenance. No lawn, even.”

      Gary chuckled. “That sounded like freedom to us.”

      “I can see that,” Jenna said, thinking of the times she and her brothers and sisters had talked about the freedom of a different life. “Sometimes responsibilities can feel overwhelming.”

      “The grass is always greener,” Gary said, heavy on the irony.

      Jenna cocked her head to the side. “It’s not working out that way?”

      Andrea shrugged delicately. “Oh, we’re more than happy. And the change has probably been good for us. But I have to admit that, at heart, we’re farmers. We’re happiest with the feel of the soil between our fingers.”

      Gary draped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “There’s nothing like tending to a seedling that grows and flowers into something bursting with color.”

      Liam’s parents glanced at each other, and a look of sweet nostalgia passed between them. Jenna swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. They so clearly had a deep love for each other, and their love for their career was inspiring. Had she ever felt that way about stepping into royal duties? Had her parents? When she’d been growing up, she’d taken it all for granted, which seemed such a waste now. If she had her time over, she’d look for the aspects of her role to love, find the joy.

      She glanced up as Liam came through the door with Bonnie cradled in his arms. The sight made her breath catch, as it always

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