LITMIR.BIZ

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hadn’t planned to until we got back to the penthouse.”

      “Are you hungry?”

      “I have to admit a salad and lemonade would hit the spot.” No doubt she kept her expenses down by not spending money on food.

      “I’m hungrier than that.” Since the advent of Reese in his life, his appetite had grown. Food tasted better. The sky looked bluer. When he woke up in the morning, the world seemed filled with new possibilities. He looked down at his son. “What about you, sport?”

      Reese answered for him. “I’m sure he wouldn’t turn down a bottle. It’s warm out here.”

      With Jamie against his shoulder, Nick pushed the stroller. Together they made their way to an empty table and sat down beneath the umbrella, welcoming the shade. As he looked around, it dawned on him he hadn’t been here in years. He’d been so busy making money for the brokerage, this part of life had passed him by completely.

      “Here’s a bottle for him.” Reese handed him a burp cloth, too.

      “Thank you.” His breath caught when their eyes met. “The waiter’s coming over. Will you order me a steak sandwich and coffee while I feed Jamie?”

      The baby nestled in his arm, eager for his formula. He was hungry and virtually inhaled it, then let out several burps loud enough to bring some other diners’ heads around with a smile.

      Laughter bubbled out of Reese. He loved hearing it. “Your son would be welcome in some parts of the world where it’s polite to burp after a good meal.”

      He continued to rub Jamie’s back in order to get out all the air. By the time his eyes fluttered closed, their food had arrived. Nick lowered him into the stroller and put the canopy down to shield him from the sun.

      While Reese ate her salad, he attacked his sandwich. “Did I tell you I’m taking him to his grandparents in the morning?”

      She nodded. “I bet they can’t wait to see him.”

      “Next time I’ll take you with us.”

      A shadow crossed over her lovely face. “Why would you do that?”

      “For one reason, you’ll be ready for a change of scenery. For another, Jamie is already attached to you. Another week of enjoying your exclusive attention and he’ll have a hard time being separated for a whole day. With you along to reassure him, things will go better.” He could tell by the shadows in her eyes she was worried about it.

      “Don’t be concerned. You’ll be free to walk around certain parts of the grounds. Hirst Hollow is open to the public on Saturdays. You’ll be enchanted with the flower gardens.”

      Reese finished her lemonade. He could practically see her mind taking it all in, working up a protest. After she put her glass down, she didn’t disappoint him. “No matter what, your mother-in-law won’t be enchanted to see the nanny along for the ride, especially this nanny!”

      “Anne’s going to have to get used to it. You’re an integral part of my household.”

      “But Jamie doesn’t come from a normal household.”

      “Go on,” Nick urged, drinking the rest of his coffee. He was curious to hear the words she was getting ready to spout from lips he suddenly realized he’d love to taste.

      “You don’t really want me to spell it out.”

      “You’re wrong,” he fired back. “I’m fascinated by everything you have to say on the subject.”

      “If I told you, it could be taken as an insult, and that’s the last thing I would want to do when I’ve been given a dream job.”

      “At least do me the courtesy of telling me how my son’s home is not normal. I have to work, and I need someone to look after Jamie—what’s wrong with that?”

      He was prepared to hear that he made the kind of money that separated him from the masses, but she said something else instead—something that touched on that painful area of his soul no one else knew about or understood.

      “In the short time I’ve worked for you, I’ve learned that Jamie is a Hirst and a Wainwright, two blue-blooded American families.”

      “You mean we only breathe the rarified atmosphere of the elite upper class from England going back several hundred years? You’re right, Ms. Chamberlain. Someone put it much better than I could. ‘In our world men were better than women, horses better than dogs, and Harvard better than anything.’”

      Her cheeks turned to flame, but she held his gaze. “I should never have brought this up.”

      “Why not? It’s the truth. Did you know the Wainwrights have had horses on Long Island going back at least two hundred years? Nothing’s more important than pedigree and belonging to the right clubs. Not even marriages have as much significance as long as the principles belong to that exclusive world where the women provide the decoration.

      “Everyone has rank, some higher than others. One is aware of his social placement at all times. That’s only the outer shell we’re talking about. Unlike the soft meat of the crab, their inner stuffing is even harder. It blinds them to the loving and understanding of their own children.”

      As he spoke, emotion darkened her eyes.

      “Erica’s and my family share an ancestry that has been in love with itself for generations. They’ve continued to hone the ‘right’ way to do things to a fine art while at the same time distancing their offspring by their criticism and lack of affection.”

      He heard Reese’s sharp intake of breath before she said, “For that very reason certain things aren’t done, like hiring an unsuitable nanny, someone like me.”

      “Correct. The way you hug and kiss Jamie all the time, you’re probably the most unsuitable nanny in existence, which makes you perfect for the job.”

      Her delicately arched brows knit together. “That sounded like a declaration of war.”

      “War…divorce…Ultimately they’re the same thing. It’s time the cycle of neglect ended, starting with Jamie.”

      “So you’re using me for a guinea pig?”

      Nick nodded without shame.

      “Mrs. Tribe mentioned that you’d be hiring another nanny in the fall. What about her?”

      “Since my mother-in-law was the one who arranged for her in the first place, I’ll let her fix the mistake. Barbara Cosgriff’s another blue blood. She and Anne make up part of a very elite circle. The Cosgriffs won’t be in need of their nanny by September, therefore, they’re delighted to do this favor for my mother-in-law, who spoke for me without my permission, something she’s good at doing.”

      “So whom do you plan to hire?”

      “I’m not sure of anything yet, but it goes without saying that whoever she is, she’ll be entirely unsuitable.”

      A small sad smile broke the corner of Reese’s wide mouth. “You’re a clever man gaining my sympathy so I’ll be a willing accomplice.”

      “Let’s just say that for Jamie’s sake, I’d like your help. Are you with me on this?”

      Her gaze darted to the baby, who was just starting to wake up. She let out a troubled sigh. “You’re my employer. I need this job and I love Jamie, so I’ll do my best for you.”

      Nick ignored the little dart he felt when she referred to him as her employer. He hoped she might be inclined to do it for him. Shaking this off, he pulled out his wallet and put some bills on the table. “You have another full week before I force you to face the dragon. Put the thought away until you have to deal with her.”

      “That’s not so easy to do.”

      “But possible. Remember I’ve had longer practice

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