The Nanny's Secret Baby--A Fresh-Start Family Romance Read online

  “Well, I’m disgusted with them,” Arianna said, rubbing the long, soft ears.

  “It could be a blessing in disguise. She’ll have plenty of extra milk, and her baby...” He nudged at the adorable pup sleeping beside her. “He’s not had to compete for resources, so he’s gentle as a lamb, too. What do you think, Millie? Can you take on another baby?”

  Arianna held the whining puppy out, and the beagle let out a low woof, then sniffed him all over.

  “You can put him down,” Jack said. “I think she’ll be nice.”

  Millie’s pup lifted his head sleepily and then dropped it back down again. Millie licked the new, tiny pup all over, from head to toe, then nudged it toward her stomach. Soon the new baby latched on and began suckling with all its might.

  Jack swallowed a lump in his throat. If only people could be as simple as animals, the world would be a better place. He glanced over at Arianna.

  Her eyes were shiny again. “So sweet,” she said, and then he noticed the tear running down her cheek. It was only natural for him to hold out an arm, bringing her into a hug. He wasn’t sure why she let out a couple of sobs against his shirt, but hey...women, hormones, puppies... He rubbed his hand up and down her back.

  After a moment she looked up at him, and he suddenly realized how close they were standing, how good her hair smelled and how wrong and forbidden it was to notice such things. He took a big step backward, forced out a laugh. “Well, that’s our good deed for the day. Sammy and I have things to do. We’ll see you tomorrow to get started figuring out nanny duties.”

  She didn’t speak, and he didn’t dare stay. He swung around and, God forgive him, he practically ran away, leaving her to find her way out of the barn and back to her apartment by herself.

  Helping her just might prove too much, and too dangerous, for Jack.

  * * *

  The next morning, Arianna showed up at Jack and Sammy’s house five minutes early—something of a record for her—only to find Jack with his jacket and shoes on, briefcase in hand. She blinked. “Am I late?”

  “No, no. It’s fine,” he said. “I just need to give you some instructions before heading out.”

  Duly noted: on time for Jack meant at least ten minutes early.

  She wasn’t about to complain. She was still marveling over the blessing God had given her, allowing her to care for her son. She looked around and spotted Sammy, contentedly pushing blocks through holes on the top of a bin. Then she shed her own jacket and purse and pulled out her phone. “I’m going to record what you say, if that’s okay,” she said. “I don’t want to make any mistakes.”

  He glanced over at her coat and purse. “Okay, first off, let’s make sure that your purse is hung up out of Sammy’s reach. I don’t want him choking on small items or getting into medications. Even a little bit of aspirin or the like can make a baby sick.”

  She was already messing up. “Of course, I should have thought of that.” She followed him to a closet where she could hang her things.

  He brought her into the kitchen. “I know this is going to seem like overkill, but I have even more instructions than the last time, since you’ll be with Sammy all day.”

  “It’s fine. It’s good.” Her throat tightened unexpectedly. Jack was so careful, so thorough, at caring for Sammy. God had made sure Sammy was in a good home, that was for sure.

  After walking her through the instructions and showing her where everything was kept—all in that flat, businesslike tone—Jack finally left. It felt like a relief.

  Until she sat down with Sammy. “Hey, pumpkin,” she said quietly.

  He ignored her.

  “Sammy?”

  He continued pushing blocks into his bin. Or did he pause? She wasn’t sure.

  “Are you hungry?”

  He looked up at her, a fleeting glance, and then back at his blocks.

  “Daddy will come back,” she said. “He always comes back.”

  No reaction there.

  She blew out a sigh. These were going to be long days if she couldn’t do even basic communication with Sammy. She was incredibly grateful for the opportunity, but it came accompanied by worry.

  Problem solve. She’d claimed to know about autism when she’d asked Jack for the job, and she hadn’t been lying. She needed to use that knowledge to help Sammy communicate. She couldn’t freeze up just because he was her secret son.

  She shook off her emotions and cast her mind back to the kids she’d worked with before, kids she’d cared for, a lot, but not with the depth of emotion she felt for Sammy.

  A few of them had been nonverbal, although they’d managed to communicate through art.

  She studied Sammy, thinking. Now that she was paying closer attention, she realized that he wasn’t poking the blocks into the correct holes as she’d thought. Instead, he was putting all of them into the larger side hole, and struggling plenty to do that much.

  Fine motor skills delay. It was typical, and no doubt his TSS workers would help him with it. In fact, maybe that was why he was playing with the blocks at all.

  But it meant that having him express himself through art probably wasn’t a good option.

  Okay, she needed to try something else. She thought back to the kids she’d worked with and had a lightbulb moment: sign language.

  That was something even young babies could learn. It didn’t take a lot of coordination, nor verbalization skills.

  She got on her phone and looked up “sign language” and “babies.”

  When Sammy stopped playing with the blocks and instead started banging one against his head, hard, she figured something was wrong. A check of the detailed schedule Jack had left confirmed that it was time for Sammy’s midmorning snack.

  She got out the whole-grain crackers Jack had told her to serve and handed Sammy one. He stuffed it into his mouth and then looked at her expectantly.

  “Do you want more?” She put her thumbs against her fingertips, making her hands into ovals, and tapped them together. “More?”

  Sammy stared.

  Gently, she reached out and formed his hands into the same shape, then tapped them together. “More!” she said and handed him another cracker.

  They went through the entire snack that way, and while she was still assisting him after his designated ten crackers, she thought she saw a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

  Later in the day, she noticed he was looking at the door frequently. She found the sign for daddy on her phone. Then she found a photo of Jack and Sammy and brought it over to him. “Daddy,” she said, pointing to Jack. Then she flattened her hand, splayed her fingers and tapped her forehead with her thumb. “Daddy. He’ll be home soon.”

  She reached to help him, but he took the picture and grasped it in both hands, pulled it close to his face and stared at it.

  Then he flattened his hand and tapped his forehead with his thumb. And looked at her.

  Her heart expanded almost to bursting. He was smart! He could communicate. “That’s right, Sammy!” she said and reached out to hug him, making it short and loose in deference to his likely preference for nonintense cuddling.

  Indeed, he twisted away, but gently. Then he looked pointedly at the kitchen and made the “more” sign.

  Arianna couldn’t keep the smile off her face. He’d just asked for more food! And though it wasn’t strictly his mealtime, she went and got him a bowl of fruit and more crackers. For him to communicate deserved a celebration.

  They finished the snack together, and then she had Sammy sit with her in the kitchen while she made a modest dinner for him and his father. Pasta and cheese sauce with broccoli on the side. Cooking wasn’t one of her duties, not officially, but she saw no reason not to help Jack out that way, since she was here all day.

  A little later, Sammy looked at her with peculiar intent. He pointe
d at the picture of Jack and made the “daddy” sign. Then he pointed at Arianna and waited.

  “He’ll be home soon, buddy,” she said.

  He pointed at her again, and she stared at him. Could it be that he wanted to know the sign to use for her?

  Before she could stop herself, she looked up the sign for “mother.” Five spread fingers, thumb tapped on the chin.

  Should she teach her son to call her “mother”?

  The temptation tugged hard at her. Who on Redemption Ranch, or in Esperanza Springs, would know what the sign meant? It could be her private little communication with her son.

  But that would be wrong. She’d be using Sammy for her own selfish satisfaction. Throat tight, she punched the keys to look up the sign for “aunt.” Make a close-fisted A, circle it beside the cheek a couple of times. It was a sweet sign.

  She taught it to him, and he caught on quickly, his face lighting into something like a smile.

  It was enough.

  It would have to be enough.

  * * *

  “You’re sure these colors are okay?” Arianna asked Penny several days later. She was unloading discount paint from her car and doubting herself. “I know you gave me free rein, but sometimes that’s better in theory than in practice.”

  “Believe me, that’s the least of my problems.” Penny was carrying cans of paint from Arianna’s car to the outdoor stairway that led to Arianna’s apartment. “With Willie and Branson both bugging me for dates I don’t want to go on, as well as running the ranch, I’ve got my hands full. Besides, your taste is better than most people I know.”

  “If you’re sure.” Arianna had a vision for the upstairs apartment, and she’d gotten a little carried away with it at the paint store.

  Daniela Jiminez, one of the women who worked as a therapist at the ranch, pulled up in her Jeep. “Did I hear there was a painting party out this way?”

  “You sure did,” Penny said and flashed a grin at Arianna. “I figured you might need some help. You don’t mind, do you? I asked a couple of the other gals, too.”

  As if in response to her words, a truck pulled up. Kayla, who worked with Arianna in the church nursery, and Lily, who’d picked up those adorable twins, climbed out.

  “Ready to work,” Kayla said.

  “I love painting,” Lily added.

  Their kindness warmed Arianna’s heart. “You guys didn’t have to do this. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do at your own houses. And husbands and kids to take care of.” In fact, all three of the other women—Daniela, Kayla and Lily—were relatively newly married. Both Kayla and Lily had kids, and Daniela had a suspiciously round belly.

  “Oh, believe me, we welcome the chance to be away from our mom responsibilities for a little while,” Lily said. “A girls’ night is fun, even if it has to take place in the middle of the afternoon.”

  “And I brought chocolate.” Daniela opened the passenger door of her Jeep and pulled out a tray of very fancy brownies. “To make up for the fact that I can’t paint while I’m pregnant. I’m a whiz with masking tape in well-ventilated rooms, though.”

  Arianna inhaled the rich fragrance of them and regretfully patted her hips. “These jeans are already too tight. Don’t tempt me.”

  “Jeans are made to be unsnapped,” Lily said. “Besides, you have a beautiful figure. You have actual curves.” She gestured at her own rail-thin self. “I dream of a figure like yours.”

  “Curves are beautiful,” Daniela said, “or at least, that’s what Gabe tells me.” She blushed, and one hand rose to the scar on the side of her face.

  Another vehicle, this one a giant SUV, sped up the long driveway and stopped in a flurry of gravel. A woman closer to Penny’s age than Arianna’s, wearing a Mountain Malamutes T-shirt, jumped out. “Am I late?”

  “Yes, but it’s okay.” Penny hugged her and then introduced her to Arianna. “Thanks for coming, Marge. I know between the dogs and six kids, it’s tough to get away.”

  “Tough, but welcome.” Marge walked around, hugging the other women, then gripped Arianna’s hand. “I’m real glad to meet you. Thanks for letting me in on your girls’ night.”

  “Thank you,” Arianna said, slightly overwhelmed by these women’s willingness to help a near stranger.

  They hauled the paint up the stairs and started spreading drop cloths and taping off the trim. “This is going to be so cute,” Lily said. “I love the primary colors you chose. With a nice braided rug and the pine floors, it’ll look great.”

  “You think so? I was afraid the bright blue and yellow would be too much.”

  “Bold but perfect,” Lily declared, and the others nodded agreement.

  They painted together for a couple of hours, making small talk. Arianna was impressed that they all worked hard. It wasn’t their place, and they barely knew her, and yet they dug in and helped as if she were family.

  “So how’s it going with Jack?” Kayla asked as the afternoon light went golden. Then she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be nosy.”

  “But we’re all curious, because he’s seemed a little happier.” Lily was pouring more paint into a roller tray.

  “He was so unhappy before,” Marge added. “With his wife.”

  “That’s her sister!” Penny slapped Marge’s arm gently. “Be nice.”

  “I’m sorry,” Marge said. “Nobody ever knows what someone else is going through.”

  Jack had been unhappy with Chloe? That was the first Arianna had heard about it, and she doubted it was true. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” she said. “Chloe was... Well, she was the perfect one out of the two of us. We didn’t have a whole lot in common.”

  “Perfect, huh?” Penny raised an eyebrow.

  “She wasn’t perfect enough to forgive a rude remark like I just made to you,” Marge said. “I was forever offending that woman. You seem a lot more relaxed.”

  “Um...thanks?” Arianna ran her brush carefully along the trim beside a window. “I just figure I don’t have room to judge other people, that’s all. But it’s not Chloe’s fault she was that way. Our parents were really, really rigid.”

  “Like Jack’s,” Marge said. “That must be why they got along so well.”

  Arianna thought back to Jack’s father, sputtering in the coffee shop. He’d always seemed difficult to Arianna, making awkward comments and assumptions about young single women, and artists, and pretty much everything Arianna was. Jack’s mother hadn’t been as vocal, but she, too, had tended to judge first and ask questions later. And she’d seemed to particularly target Arianna.

  “Chloe ran that True Love Waits club at our church with an iron fist,” Marge continued on. “Those teen girls were terrified of her.”

  Marge had her mouth open to continue talking, but at a glance from Penny, a subtle head shake, she shut it again.

  Daniela leaned forward. “Did I hear right that you’re teaching little Sammy some sign language?”

  Arianna nodded, relieved at the change of subject. “It’s really cute. He already understands the signs for more and Daddy.”

  “Oh, more was Leo’s first word!” Kayla chuckled. “Kids. They’re actually a little bit predictable.”

  “I think you’re going to be really good for Sammy,” Daniela said.

  “And good for Dr. Jack,” Marge added with a sly smile.

  “Speaking of,” Lily said, looking out the window. “He’s coming this way with his adorable baby.”

  Arianna checked the time on her phone and clapped a hand to her forehead. “Guys, I have to take a break. I’m supposed to watch Sammy while Jack does some work with the rescue dogs out in the barn.” She went out to the back porch-like area, a square with room for a chair and small table, surrounded by a railing.

  Jack was trotting up the steps, the sun behind him addi
ng gold to his light brown hair. He reached the top, not even winded, and smiled at her. “Ready for Sammy?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry you had to bring him over.” She had to keep better track of time if she was going to make a good impression as a nanny, good enough that Jack might let her stay awhile.

  “No problem. I’ll get my work in the barn done and then come back and get him so you can finish painting,” he said. “I saw you made a meat loaf. You’ve been cooking for us all week, and I appreciate it. You should at least stay for dinner with us so you could benefit from your hard work.”

  An electric prickle raced up and down her spine. She didn’t want to impose on Jack and Sammy’s family time, nor establish a habit of being too close and personal. But if Jack were asking her to stay because he wanted her to...

  “The therapists say it’s good for him to witness interaction,” Jack said. “If he’s having dinner with us, and hears us talking and laughing, it might stimulate his own communication centers.”

  Arianna’s face heated. How stupid of her to think Jack was interested in hanging out with her. “Oh, sure, if it’s for Sammy.” She glanced back into the kitchen, where the other ladies were working and, most likely, listening in. “I can have a quick dinner, but then I’m going to finish painting while it’s still light. You guys go on home,” she called back through the screen door. “You’ve been an amazing help, but I’m going to need to be gone a couple of hours.”

  “Go, go,” Daniela said. “We’ll just finish up what we’re doing and let ourselves out.”

  She took Sammy from Jack’s arms. “I’ve got you covered,” she said. “We’ll be hanging out at home.” Then she felt stupid to have said that. Jack’s house wasn’t home, not to her.

  He just gave her his usual sunny smile and trotted back down the steps.

  She went back into the kitchen, where Sammy permitted some pats and cooing from the ladies before starting to fuss. Arianna gave each woman a quick hug. “Thanks so much, you guys. With all of you helping, it’s almost done. I owe you big-time.”