The Nanny Proposition(18)

“Larsland,” she said, nodding.

Gary broke out in a smile. “Ah, Larsland. That was on our itinerary, but we missed out when we heard about Bonnie and cut our trip short.”

Jenna thanked the stars that Larsland had been one of the countries they’d missed. If they’d made it and seen her photo somewhere, they might have recognized her today. “It’s a shame you missed it,” she said, “but Bonnie will be more than worth it. She’s an adorable baby.”

Gary’s eyes softened. “I’m really looking forward to meeting her. Perhaps we’ll make it to Larsland next time. We’d even booked a tour at the royal palace. Have you been there before?”

Jenna froze. “Um,” she said and swallowed. “Yes. Most people in Larsland have been at least once.” She hated lying, but both statements were technically true.

Soft crying sounds came through the baby monitor. “I’ll go,” Liam said.

Jenna would have welcomed the opportunity to escape from a conversation that was veering into dangerous territory, but Liam was already gone. Besides, it was probably important to Liam to be the one who introduced his daughter to his parents, and she wouldn’t want to deprive him of that.

Once Liam left, his father wandered over to the huge sliding glass doors at the back that looked over the flower farm and let out a deep, contented sigh. “The stock is looking good,” he said.

His wife rose, Meg on her hip, and joined him. “There’s nothing quite like that view.”

Jenna followed them and gazed out at row after row of bright flowers that she’d come to think of as her own personal garden. “I don’t know how you ever left it. I love waking up and seeing the flowers from my window.”

Meg reached for her and Jenna put her arms out so Meg could monkey-crawl from Liam’s mom across to her. Andrea smiled softly as she watched the baby. “After years of having the responsibility of a farm, we’d been dreaming of an apartment with no garden maintenance. No lawn, even.”

Gary chuckled. “That sounded like freedom to us.”

“I can see that,” Jenna said, thinking of the times she and her brothers and sisters had talked about the freedom of a different life. “Sometimes responsibilities can feel overwhelming.”

“The grass is always greener,” Gary said, heavy on the irony.

Jenna cocked her head to the side. “It’s not working out that way?”

Andrea shrugged delicately. “Oh, we’re more than happy. And the change has probably been good for us. But I have to admit that, at heart, we’re farmers. We’re happiest with the feel of the soil between our fingers.”

Gary draped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “There’s nothing like tending to a seedling that grows and flowers into something bursting with color.”

Liam’s parents glanced at each other, and a look of sweet nostalgia passed between them. Jenna swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. They so clearly had a deep love for each other, and their love for their career was inspiring. Had she ever felt that way about stepping into royal duties? Had her parents? When she’d been growing up, she’d taken it all for granted, which seemed such a waste now. If she had her time over, she’d look for the aspects of her role to love, find the joy.

She glanced up as Liam came through the door with Bonnie cradled in his arms. The sight made her breath catch, as it always did. He was so tall and broad that the tiny baby appeared even smaller, even more delicate, and the care he took as he held his daughter made Jenna’s heart swell. In a few long strides, Liam crossed the room and passed Bonnie to his mother, the pride in his features unmistakable.

“So precious,” Andrea whispered in a voice clogged with tears as she took her granddaughter. His father swiped at his own eyes, then hugged Liam tightly.

Touched by the private moment, Jenna held Meg closer and slipped toward the archway that led to the kitchen. Liam tracked her movement with his eyes. “Where are you going?”

“I thought I’d give you some family time together,” she admitted.

“Oh, don’t leave,” Andrea said. “You and Meg are a big part of our granddaughter’s world.”

“Yes, don’t leave on our account,” Gary said. “Unless you have something else to do, of course.”

Jenna readjusted Meg on her hip, torn. As Dylan’s housekeeper, she would have melted into the background long before now. The thing was, she was still an employee, not a friend or family member. Yet part of her—the part that missed her own family with such aching sadness—longed to stay with the Hawkes a little longer, even if only as an observer.

Giving in to that feeling for once, Jenna sat down on the end of the sofa.

Seemingly satisfied, Andrea went back to inspecting her granddaughter, kissing her cheeks, rubbing her little arms. “Such a tragedy about her mother,” she said. “For herself and her family, but also for Bonnie.”

“It was,” Liam said, his voice tight. Jenna knew that he’d do anything to be able to give Bonnie her mother back.

Andrea smoothed the dark hair on Bonnie’s head as she looked up at her son. “What about her other grandparents? Have they been to visit?”

Liam’s gaze flicked to Jenna for a split second, then back to his parents. “It’s complicated. They’re getting ready to file for custody. My lawyers tell me it should be any day now.”

“They’re what?” his parents said in unison.

“Apparently, they’ve been collecting evidence to prove I’m an unfit parent.” He held up a hand to forestall their outrage. “Don’t worry—my lawyers are on it.”

“I should hope so,” his father said indignantly.

Meg squirmed in Jenna’s lap, so she put her on the floor and the baby crawled straight to Liam. As if without thought, Liam hoisted her into the air while still talking to his parents, explaining his meeting at the hospital with Rebecca’s parents. His mother watched the move, then her appraising gaze swung to Jenna before a ghost of a smile flittered across her face.

Her stomach clenching at what Liam’s mother thought she’d seen, Jenna abruptly stood. “I’ll just get a bottle ready for Bonnie.”

Liam nodded. “I’ll help you.”

Andrea Hawke broke out in a proper smile and asked her husband to take Meg from her son. “Don’t hurry back. We’ll enjoy our time with Bonnie and watch Meg for you.”

Jenna felt the heat rise up her neck to her cheeks. Now she wasn’t just hiding who she was from the world, but also how she felt about her boss. As she made her way down the hall, she cursed the tangled web she’d woven.





                      Eight

When they reached the kitchen, Liam noticed Jenna’s cheeks were pink. “Are you okay? You look flustered.”

She touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip, obviously debating whether she’d share what was on her mind. Then she winced and said, “Your mother thinks there’s something going on between us.”

“Does she?” He frowned and glanced toward the doorway that led to the hall. “What makes you think that?”

Jenna shrugged one shoulder. “There’s a look in her eyes.”

Perhaps he should have been paying more attention to his mother rather than watching Jenna. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Well, I suppose she’s right. There is something between us. It’s just something we’ve agreed we won’t explore.”

Her gaze flicked to his as she moistened her lips with her tongue, and all the blood in his body headed south.

“Jenna,” he said, aware it sounded more like a growl than a word. “Since we both agreed it’s not what we want, it would help if you didn’t look at me that way.”

Her eyes widened and she spun away to open random cupboard doors. “Your parents seem to have hit it off with Bonnie,” she said in a rush.

“Yeah.” He smiled, thinking of his daughter out there with her grandparents. “They’ve been hinting about grandchildren for a while. Probably since they retired and sold me this house.”

“You know,” she said slowly, turning back to him, “I think they regret that.”

“Retirement?” He rubbed a hand over his chin. That didn’t seem right—they’d been looking forward to retirement and the things they’d be able to do.

“I’m not sure about retiring, but I think they regret moving away from the farm.”

He thought back over all the family conversations about his parents stepping down from the business and moving to an apartment. “That doesn’t make sense. They’d been looking forward to a life of no daily responsibilities. A nice apartment in L.A. where they could walk to places and let the farm go.”

“Maybe it hasn’t lived up to expectations?” She took one of Bonnie’s bottles from the cupboard and went to the pantry for the formula. “I don’t know. It might be worth talking to them about it.”

He narrowed his gaze as he tried to ascertain what she was getting at. “You think I should sell them the house back? Leave here?”