Page 67 of Marrying the Nanny

She had no business contemplating marriage to anyone with that paltry experience in relationships.

“What are you doing up there?” Sophie asked as she pocketed her phone.

“Reid asked me to go through Wilf’s and Tiffany’s things, sort it, and figure out what to do with it all.”

“That’s gotta be hard. Losing my mom sucked on every level, but at least she had time to make most of those decisions herself. I didn’t have to.”

“It’s emotional,” Emma agreed. “I’m trying to look at it from Storm’s perspective, keep what might have meaning to her. It’s baffling, though. Tiffany had a lot of really nice clothes that I’m storing because… Who’s going to buy a purple cocktail dress from the thrift store if I donate it?”

“Hey, there are some eccentric characters around here.”

“That wear size two?”

“She had a killer figure, didn’t she? I wonder what Wilf saw in her.” Sophie lifted an ironic brow.

They carried their plates to the dining room. Sophie took a chair that faced the living room and the wall of windows.

“That view.”

“I know.” Emma pulled out the chair on the end, thinking this house alone was reason to marry Reid. Except he planned to sell it with the rest of the operation. “Can I tell you something that has to stay in the vault?”

“You have to now. Otherwise, I won’t sleep.” Sophie tilted her head to bite the end off her taco.

“Reid asked me to marry him.”

The guts fell out of Sophie’s taco, landing on her plate with a splat.

“To help me stay in Canada and share custody of Storm. Be her mom. Forever.”

“Wow.” Sophie tried to scoop the taco back together with a fork. She cast a thoughtful gaze toward the windows as she chewed. “What did you say?”

“Nothing. It’s just an idea we’re discussing.”

“Are you two—?”

“No! No,” Emma said more pensively. “I told him about Kevin, but I’m past thinking a crappy marriage is better than no marriage. I want to be smart enough not to settle.”

“But Storm.”

“You see my dilemma.”

“You’d be, like, really married? This isn’t for show? Would you go to Calgary with him when they sell? Because I suggest you check the average winter temperatures before you commit to that.”

“I don’t care where I live as long as I get Storm.”

“Is it going to be just you with her? Because raising a baby on your own is hard, Em. Glenda has always been generous with her time, and my grandfather deserves a medal, letting me move back in when I left Nolan. But even with all of them helping out, it’s hard. Reid knows how hard it is to have someone depend on you. Does he want you to do this with him or for him?”

“With,” she said firmly. “He’s been pretty open about his mother, if that’s what you’re asking. I know she depends on him and that could make things complicated. He wants to take custody of Storm anyway. He wants her.” That reason alone was enough to sway her.

“If you got all that out of him, I’m impressed.” Sophie lifted her brows. “Take my cynicism with a grain of salt. They didn’t have the best example, but I would say that Wilf’s behavior makes Reid less likely to cheat, not more. The part where he expects you to raise someone else’s baby? That’s classic Wilf.”

Emma didn’t laugh. She let her heart sit on the cuff of her jumper as she admitted, “I feel like Storm is mine. I want her to be.”

“I know.” Sophie sobered. “It’s a big step, though. Don’t rush into it, okay?”

“If I promise to think it through, will you tell me what happened between you and Logan?”

“Oh, look at the time.” Sophie consulted her bare wrist. “Lunch break is over.”

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