Nanny and the Beast

The ringing phone woke Hailey. He glanced down the hallway toward his daughter’s nursery and then toward the telephone in the kitchen.

“Go ahead and answer that.” Sophia got up from the couch and dropped the list of rules onto the coffee table. “I’ll go see to the baby.”

“It’s someone from work. I’m sure of it. I should have been in there already.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “Take the call.” Then she started down the hallway toward the back of the condo.

He watched for a second, impressed that even though he’d just canceled his contract with the woman she hadn’t hesitated to offer her help. He was also impressed with the way her bottom swayed when she walked.

Immediately, he shook the thought from his head and went to answer the phone. Sure enough, his secretary was calling to alert him that a couple of his less experienced employees had questions before they could get started working this morning.

“I’ve got a problem here, Jen,” he said. “Tell all four of the new hires to go into the simulator and answer the investing questions. Be prepared to hear them grumble because they completed the program once already, but going over the course again will be good practice. No one achieved a perfect score when they tested last week. Tell them that anyone scoring one hundred percent has lunch on me.”

“You know how competitive they are,” Jen warned. “You’ll be buying four meals. What’s the problem there? Is Hailey ill?”

“She’s fine. I’ve got nanny problems.”

“You’ve sure had plenty of those,” his secretary commented.

“Tell me about it.”

“The placement service you’re using has a great reputation. Everyone says so. I’m surprised you’re having such trouble.”

“Frankly, so am I. But things will turn around soon. I’ve broken my relationship with the service and plan to hire my own nanny. Things should look up from here on out.”

Having actually formulated a plan and spoken the words aloud, Michael felt once again in control of the situation. He liked to be in charge of things, liked to command his own destiny. He promised Jen he’d arrive at the office by noon before hanging up.

“So I really am fired.”

He turned at the sound of Sophia’s voice. He hadn’t suspected she’d been in the kitchen doorway eavesdropping on his phone conversation.

She shot him a sheepish smile. “I patted Hailey’s bottom and she fell right off back to sleep. And her diaper was dry. I checked.” Then she added, “I wasn’t snooping on you. Honest, I wasn’t. I just happened in at the tail end of your call.”

Sophia took two steps into the kitchen, and he watched her smooth her fingertips over the shiny granite countertop.

“I do wish you’d reconsider,” she said. “I’ve never been fired before. And I know you won’t believe it, but I’ve never had a single dissatisfied client.”

“Until now.” He moved to the sink, picked up the coffee cup he’d used earlier this morning and put it into the dishwasher. “I understand your position. But you have to understand mine. I expect certain things from the people I employ. And I wasn’t getting those things from the nannies you sent.”

He restrained himself from commenting that he seriously doubted he’d get them from her, either.

“I think it’s best if I hire my own nanny,” he said.

“And you think you’re going to find one before noon today?”

Something twinkled in her big blue eyes, as if she had a big secret that no one else was privy to. What was it with this woman that she had to question his every move?

He certainly hadn’t gotten to where he was by allowing naysayers to influence him. But something about this vivacious woman had him wanting to prove that he knew exactly what he was doing…even though he damn well didn’t.

“That’s exactly what I intend to do,” he told her. “You’re not the only nanny placement service in Wilmington.”

“Actually, I am. That’s why I started my business here. There are several in Philadelphia. But I seriously doubt they’ll send their nannies this far south.”

Refusing to allow this information to daunt him, he quickly regrouped. “I’ll start with temp agencies, then. Surely, they can supply someone to watch Hailey.”

There was warning written all over her face. “I doubt that temp agencies do background checks on their employees.”

“I’ll check the newspaper, then.” She made him feel as if he were standing on shaky ground. “Someone has to be in need of a job.”

“Yes, but who is that someone?” Sophia asked. “I doubt you want just anyone caring for Hailey. If you contact someone through an ad in the paper, I strongly suggest you do a thorough investigation. You’ll need to give the person a letter stating you’re offering them a job that requires a background search, and send them to the state police. Troop two in New Castle County is the only place you can get it done in northern Delaware. The police will fingerprint the person, take the necessary information and then you’ll be sent a report.”

Sophia was offering him some excellent information, suggesting things he hadn’t even thought of. In fact, he wished he’d had a pen and paper on hand to jot down notes. Why was he feeling so damn irritated with her when all she was doing was continuing to be helpful?

“Of course,” she added, “you’ll have to wait ten to fourteen business days to receive the all-clear from the police.”

There it was again. That glimmer in her gaze. She seemed to enjoy delivering news that put a damper on his plans. Obviously, she realized there was no way he could wait two weeks before hiring someone to care for Hailey.

He rejoiced when an idea popped into his head. “I can send her to a day care temporarily until I’m able to find someone and get the background check completed.”

Sophia shook her head. “I doubt you’ll find a day care that’s willing to take a baby under six months old, and even if you do, infant spots are always on reserve. You’ll have to wait six, eight—” she shrugged “—ten weeks, maybe.”

He frowned. “You have an awful lot of doubts.”

“I’m only trying to help,” she told him.

“For some reason,” he murmured, “I have grave doubts about that.”

She chuckled, and the clear buoyancy he heard in it sent a strange tremor through his gut.

Confusion forced him to ask, “What’s funny?”

Her expression straightened. “Your joke. You just complained that I had lots of doubts. Then you said you have doubts.” She lifted her shoulders. “It was a cute joke.”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

She blinked. “Oh.”

She stood there, smiling. Then her smile slowly grew to a wide grin.

Michael had never thought of himself as dense. Quite the contrary. To achieve success in the cutthroat investment business, a person had to have intelligence, a quick wit and nerves of steel. However, he was left feeling quite lacking, indeed, when realization slowly dawned.

“Okay, I’ve figured it out.” His jaw tensed as he released a frustrated sigh.

Now he knew why her tone had reflected such self-confidence, even when he’d been in the midst of firing her. Now he knew why humor had sparkled in her eyes, and why she stood there grinning.

“No other nanny placement services in the city.” He began ticking off the list on his fingers. “No proper temp agency employees available. No newspaper ads to help. No background checks for two weeks. No day care that will agree to take my newborn daughter.”

He’d wanted to get rid of her. Not because he didn’t think she could care for Hailey. Oh, no. Not at all. His reasons for wanting her out of his home were far more personal in nature.