There Comes A Season. Carol Steward

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      What am I thinking? She’s happily married. Get your mind back on business, Beaumont! What’s wrong with you? Reprimanding himself, Bryan blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Can he start right away?”

      Laura seemed startled, hesitating before she answered. “The opening is available as of Monday, however…”

      “Have you interviewed a lot of families for this position? It seems infant openings are in great demand.”

      Laura lifted her gaze to his, irritated at this man’s presumptuousness. “I haven’t advertised the opening yet.” Truth be known, she’d been picking up the phone to do so when he’d called.

      She looked back at the baby in her arms. As much as her heart ached for these two and the pain they were feeling, she couldn’t do it.

      Laura considered how to tell Bryan that she wasn’t up to taking on a child who would need an extra dose of mothering.

      “Mr. Beaumont, I think you’d be better off looking for another live-in nanny under the circumstances.”

      “I beg your pardon?”

      “I didn’t realize the situation. I think a nanny might fit your needs better. I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

      “Just a minute, Mrs. Bates. I’m staying with a friend—until my house sells. The last thing we need is some woman…I mean, a nanny’s not a possibility. You came very highly recommended, and I need someone to care for Jacob.”

      Laura looked into Bryan’s eyes, then at his son. Questions raced through her mind. She heard a little voice reminding her of the pastor’s sermon the previous week: “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” But God, I have my own pain to deal with. I haven’t the strength to help a single father who obviously has no idea what to do with his baby.

      Her personal struggle with this was far from over. She couldn’t say yes to Bryan Beaumont. This time, God was expecting too much. Meeting her own family’s needs was more than enough to handle.

      Running her child care business, baking cakes, shuffling children between school and extracurricular activities would have been enough. But now Laura was responsible for her own duties in addition to those Todd had handled prior to his death. There simply was no extra time or energy for counseling anyone, let alone a chauvinistic executive who was willing to exchange his paternal duties for his own career.

      Before her emotions took over, she backed away, using her firmest business voice. “Before either of us make any decision, I recommend you review this packet. I also require that one parent visit during business hours before enrolling your child so you can see firsthand how I run my business. This also allows you to meet the other children that I care for. Enclosed in the packet is a copy of my policies, a letter outlining my child care philosophy, as well as a sample contract. Please read everything thoroughly.” Laura motioned to the manila envelope on the table next to him.

      The very way he handled himself told her that he was a man accustomed to success. If she was right, once the virile Bryan Beaumont experienced six preschoolers in action, he’d be out of her house quicker than a firecracker on the Fourth of July.

      Bryan picked up the envelope, stood and walked over to her. “Thanks for reconsidering, Laura. I’ll see you in the morning.” He took the baby, and walked to an expensive foreign-made car.

      “I have not reconsidered,” she muttered as the door closed behind him.

       Chapter Two

      Bryan pulled to a stop at the red light, then brushed Jacob’s dark fuzzy hair to one side with his hand. “How can one baby turn a man’s life upside down?”

      Jacob pursed his lips and grasped the finger Bryan offered, holding it tight until Bryan pulled to a stop in front of Kevin’s house. Bryan took Jacob from the car seat, then shouldered the strap of the diaper bag and grabbed his briefcase.

      After changing clothes and feeding Jacob his bottle, Bryan turned to Kevin. “I could use a run. You mind watching Jacob for an hour?”

      “Mind? The kid and I have some football plays to discuss.”

      “I have my pager, if you need anything.”

      “Get out of here. We’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about. Take it easy today, you’re not as young as you used to be.” Kevin picked up the baby, then tucked the diaper bag under his arm and pretended to be charging through the offensive line on his way out the door.

      Not for the first time in the last week, Bryan watched Kevin with envy, wondering how a dedicated bachelor had developed such a way with babies. Kids had always intrigued Bryan, but when his bride had announced that a baby would ruin her petite figure and her career, he’d eventually given up trying to change her mind. He’d directed his energy into his career, setting aside all hopes of a family. It was evident now that he wasn’t father material.

      Torturing himself more, Bryan remembered how tenderly Laura had held Jacob. How could a woman who didn’t even know the child have such an effect on him? It seems like the first time Jacob has relaxed in a week. I’ve got to convince Laura to take care of him.

      Bryan ran down the stairs and out the door. He cleared the last steps in one leap, starting his run at a rapid pace. Despite Kevin’s warning, today was a day to push himself…again.

      As he ran, his lawyer’s haunting voice returned…“Bryan, Andrea’s lawyer called this morning…She died in an automobile accident yesterday. That’s not all. You’d better sit down…You have a son.”

      A son.

      His son.

      Two days later, Jacob had arrived in the arms of a nanny. Three days later, they were on their own…

      Bryan pushed harder.

      Faster.

      After extending his regime of rigorous sprints up and down the hill, he walked to stretch his aching muscles, grateful for anything that would take his mind off the ache in his heart.

      Distracted by a group of boys playing football on the practice field ahead of him, Bryan ignored everything except the one boy who’d captured his attention.

      “What a throw.”

      An intense pain suddenly gripped the back of Bryan’s leg. He grabbed his calf muscle as his body hit the hard ground. Bryan groaned aloud, struggling to stretch his leg.

      From across the field, he heard yelling. “Help! Call 911! Call 911!”

      “What?” Bryan turned to see what the boys were screaming about, when the kid he’d been watching suddenly dropped beside him, a look of terror in his huge eyes.

      “Mister! Are you alive!”

      Bryan saw another boy running off as if his life depended on it, and realized that they were talking to him. “Me?”

      Relief СКАЧАТЬ