Page 63 of Marrying the Nanny

“I wonder what she’ll want to be when she grows up.” Emma tilted her head at the mostly upside-down face grinning at her.

A knife slid into her heart as she realized she might not be part of Storm’s future.

“Emma—”

She looked at Reid, unsure how to interpret the stiff look on his face. It was the shielded expression he’d worn the day they’d met. Her stomach tightened in premonition.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He said it firmly as he drew Storm onto the front of his shoulder. “Everything is good. When we came here a month ago, I didn’t see this working nearly as well as it has.”

“But?” She could hear the contradiction in his voice and hugged herself.

His mouth pulled at one corner. “But it’s my job to find solutions to thorny problems. To put forth suggestions even if they’re…outside the box. Even if they’ll shake up a status quo.”

She gripped her elbows, instinctively wanting to pluck Storm from his grip and squeeze her to her heart. “Such as?”

He stayed in that boardroom demeanor, which didn’t reassure her in the least.

“Our goal is Storm’s best interest, right? We all want her to have a stable home. Caregivers who care.”

“Don’t say you’re giving her up for adoption.” She teared up, throat closing so she could hardly squeak out a single word. “I wouldn’t see her again. At least if one of you keeps her, you’ll let me visit—”

“Don’t cry.” He looked horrified and caught her arm the way he might if she had nearly stepped into traffic. “That’s not what I’m suggesting. I’m trying to figure out how to keep you in her life for good.”

“Really?” She melted with relief, eyes still wet, but now it was the flood of joyous anticipation. She pressed fingertips to her trembling mouth, trying to steady it.

“Listen to the rest,” he urged, squeezing her arm tighter. “You’d have to stay in Canada. Immigrate.”

“Of course! I don’t have anything to go back to.” It hurt to admit that, but it was true. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stay with her. But that process could take years.”

“Maybe, but…”

The chainsaw started up again, nearly drowning out what he said next.

“What if you and I got married?”

Chapter Eleven

“What?” The dumbfounded response was all she could manage as surprise jolted through her with the force of ten billion kilowatts of electricity. She reached for the rail on the balcony to steady herself. Had she heard him right?

“It ticks a lot of boxes.” Reid cast a frustrated glance at the whine of the saw below and motioned her into the bedroom.

They stepped inside and he closed the door.

“Storm is already attached to you,” he continued in his assertive way. “We trust you with her. You would get to stay in Canada. I could take custody without taking sole responsibility, which, frankly, scares the hell out of me. I can’t see raising her alone when my mom has so many needs. Every time she went into crisis, I’d have to find someone to take Storm. Logan and Trys would be too far away. I would wind up hiring a nanny. We’ve all realized that’s what we would have to do if we took her.”

The jolt happened again, this one harder and sharper.

“So you’ll marry one? Save some cash?” she asked wildly.

“That’s not what I meant.” He pulled away from Storm’s attempt to stick her fingers into his mouth, but the frown he wore was for Emma. “No matter which one of us takes her, we’re going to need help. Our childhood sucked in a lot of ways, but at least we had Glenda. That consistent caring mattered. If Storm can’t have her parents, I want her to have what you already said she needs—someone who genuinely loves her and commits to her for life. She needs a mom, Emma. I think it should be you.”

Oh. That moved her so deeply, she had to bite her trembling lip and rub at the ache behind her breastbone. A nasty suspicion rose, though, one that was a product of her own childhood.

“Why you? Did you, like, draw the short straw or something?”

“What? No.” He gently guided Storm’s hand from her persistent attempt to pull on his lip. “I haven’t talked to Logan or Trystan about this. I wanted to float it by you first. See if you would even consider it.”

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