Название: Out of Hours...Enticing the Nanny
Автор: Rebecca Winters
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon M&B
isbn: 9781472082954
isbn:
“I’ve found someone I believe will suit you and the baby.”
A Mary Poppins type only existed on film. “As long as she likes children and is a real motherly type and not some cardboard creation, I bow to your wisdom.”
“I’ll let you be the judge. She knows she hasn’t been hired yet. I told her a limo would be by to pick her up at one o’clock so you could meet her and make a final decision.”
“She can start today?”
“Yes. She needs a job badly.”
Excellent. “What’s her name?”
“Reese Chamberlain.”
“Tell me more about her.”
“If you don’t mind, Nick, I’ve decided to take a leaf out of your book. You once told me you prefer to attack a new project without listening to any other voices first while you formed your own opinion. I think that’s a good philosophy, especially in this case. She’ll be standing in front of the Chelsea Star Hotel on West 30th.”
Ms. Chamberlain really was in financial difficulty if she’d had to stay there.
“Tell Paul to look for the woman in yellow,” Leah added.
“You’re being very mysterious, if not cryptic. Give me something to go on.”
“I’ll wager she’s not like anyone you ever met.”
“That sounds promising.”
“I hoped it would.”
He made a sound in his throat. “Are you still accusing me of being a cynic?”
“I wouldn’t do that. If I’ve made a mistake, call me later and let me know so I can keep looking for the right person.”
“Do me a favor and phone Ms. Chamberlain. If she can be ready in forty-five minutes, we’ll pick her up on the way to the apartment.”
“She might not be available before time, but I’ll see what I can do and get back to you.” She clicked off.
Nick pocketed his phone, wanting to approve of Leah’s assessment of the woman because there was no time to lose. Establishing a routine for the baby with the new nanny ASAP meant he’d sleep better nights. Any more weeks spent with his grandparents and Jamie would think the nurse in the starched uniform was his mother. Heaven forbid.
REESE had barely reached the hotel when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and her stomach clenched. She might have known this job was too good to be true. Better to brave the bad news now and get it over with before she left for the airport. She couldn’t afford to pay for another night here.
“Mrs. Tribe?”
“Ms. Chamberlain? I’m glad you answered. I’ve spoken with Mr. Wainwright. He’s on a tight schedule and would like you to be out in front of the hotel in approximately forty minutes. Is that possible?”
She breathed a huge sigh of relief. “No problem at all.”
“That’s fine then. I’ll let him know. Good luck to you.”
“Thank you again.”
After hanging up, she hurried to the dorm she’d shared with three other women. The one with Gothic piercings and purple streaks in her hair was still there stuffing everything on the bed into her backpack. She flicked Reese a glance. “How’d that interview go, honey?” Her Southern drawl was unmistakable.
“I think I got the job, but there’s one more test to pass.”
“I’d rather blow my brains out than be a nanny. They couldn’t pay me enough.”
Reese decided a response wasn’t necessary. She only had a few items to pack in her suitcase and got busy.
The woman finished packing her things and turned to Reese. “It’s been nice meeting you, honey. Y’all be careful now.”
“You, too. Good luck finding your boyfriend.”
“I’m going to need it.” The door closed. Peace at last.
Reese went to the restroom to freshen up. One look in the mirror and she decided to put her hair back in a ponytail. Babies loved to tug on loose strands. Hers would be better confined. With the heat already building outside, messy limp hair and a flushed face wouldn’t make the best impression. She had the kind of skin that splotched when the temperature soared.
After applying a fresh coat of lipstick, she left the bathroom, anxious to get this final interview over. With her purse and briefcase in one hand, and her suitcase in the other, she went downstairs to the lobby to check out. Unfortunately other guests anxious to get out sightseeing had the same idea. She had to wait in line.
There was a small crisis behind the desk. The computers were down. If the problem didn’t get resolved fast, Reese was going to be late. Five minutes went by. She made the decision to go outside. Of course it meant losing her place in line. If her ride had come, she would ask the driver to wait while she settled her account.
Sure enough a black limo with smoked glass had pulled up in front. As she hurried toward it, a uniformed chauffeur of middle age got out. “Ms. Chamberlain?”
“Yes. I’m sorry if you’ve been waiting. I’m still in line to pay my bill. Could I leave my suitcase with you? I’ll run back inside. I shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Take your time.”
“Thank you.”
Ten minutes later she rushed back outside. The driver opened the rear door of the limo for her so she could get in.
“Oh—”
“Oh” was right, Nick thought to himself as the longlegged, ash-blonde female took the seat opposite him and Jamie. She brought a flowery fragrance into the limo with her. What was she? Twenty-five, twenty-six?
Her modest blouse and skirt couldn’t hide the curves of a body well put together. She had to be five-eight in her bone-colored sandals and was so different from the image he had in mind of a plump, fortyish maternal type, he couldn’t imagine what Leah had been thinking.
Maybe the wrong person had gotten in the limo, but she was wearing yellow.
“You’re Reese Chamberlain?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Nicholas Wainwright.”
Her light blue eyes flared as if in surprise. “How do you do,” she said in a slightly husky voice that for no particular reason appealed to him. When she saw the baby who’d fallen asleep, her eyes sparkled with life. She leaned toward Jamie, seemingly oblivious to Nick. “Oh—look СКАЧАТЬ