Page 103 of Marrying the Nanny

She had mentioned once that inviting them might be a way to mend fences with her family, but the openings Trystan had had in the booking schedule hadn’t lined up with the kids’ school vacation. This one might.

“I can help with airfare,” Reid added.

“I have enough in savings.” She still wasn’t looking at him but glanced at Trystan. “If you give me the exact dates, I’ll talk to my mom.”

“I could lead that tour, give you a break,” Reid suggested to Trystan.

“About the guiding—” Trystan began, but Logan arrived in time to overhear.

“Are you serious? You think we’ll still be here in July? That’s another contract I can’t take. That’s my business.”

Reid’s tension level was already at eleven. He was feeling guilty and frustrated that Emma was angry with him. He never enjoyed airing his dirty laundry, so he was trying to pretend nothing was wrong, but he had had it with Logan acting as though he was the only one with a career on the line.

“Until we sell this place, this is our business,” Reid said with more annoyance and aggression than was strictly necessary. “We can’t sell until we can get our money out. Remember? So yeah, we’ll be here another month. Until July at least.”

“Oh, you’re fine. You’ve got the house, the wife, and the baby. You have no incentive to leave.”

“You think any of this was on my Christmas wish list? I have a business that’s falling apart faster than I can put this one together. I don’t want to be here any more than you do.”

“You’re the one who wouldn’t sell the marina,” Trystan cut in with a point at Logan, dropping cutlery onto the table with a clatter. “If I don’t finish my series, I don’t get paid.”

“That’s my fault? Get a real job like the rest of us grown-ups.”

“Stop it,” Emma hissed. “Look what you’re doing.”

Storm was crumpling up and starting to rain.

“It’s all right, sweetheart.” Reid reached to take her from her chair.

She reached for Emma, crushing his soul as she began to bawl in earnest.

Which made him zero for two on meeting the needs of the females in his life. Hardly a surprise. Every woman he’d ever known had hit the wall of his emotional limitations and walked away disappointed. The ironic thing was, he was extending himself far more with Emma and Storm than he ever had with anyone else.

And failing even more spectacularly.

“I’ll take her to Sophie’s,” Emma said tightly, rising without having touched her own dinner. “Go ahead and keep throwing knives at each other, but might I remind you that this baby lost her parents? I’m so very sorry that not one of you has been able to capitalize on that. It’s a real shame that your father’s death has forced you to come together and act like anyone matters but yourself.”

“Emma.” Her words kicked Reid in the stomach. Judging by the gutted look on his brother’s faces, they were just as shocked.

She stood a minute with the baby on her hip, face turned to the side while her eyes welled.

“This is exactly what my family did. They were so worried that my divorce would impact their business interests, they forgot I had feelings about it. That I was hurt. Or they flat out didn’t care. Either way, they pushed me away so they could maintain those things. Don’t do that to Storm. It’s mean.”

His brothers were staring at her, motionless with shock. Reid’s mouth was too dry to form words.

“You’re all she has,” Emma scolded with tears in her eyes. “All she’ll ever have. I can’t give her brothers and sisters.” She set her hand on her chest, and Reid was pretty sure her heart was shattering to pieces inside it. Her expression made it seem so. “You’re it,” she said huskily. “You’re her family. Do you get that?”

She looked at each of them, face full of angry despair before she started toward the stairs.

“I’ll keep her,” Reid said, chastened into going after her even though his joints ached with rust as he moved. “You’re right.” He was pretty sure her blowup was as much about earlier as the way he and his brothers were behaving, but it didn’t change the fact she was right. Storm was their sister.

Emma sniffed once and handed over the baby, then hurried down the stairs.

Storm fussed and Reid stayed on his feet to rock her and pat her back. After a moment, she stuck her two fingers in her mouth and let her head rest on his shoulder.

Once the sound of the basement door slammed, Trystan asked in a low voice, “She can’t have kids? Did you know that?”

“Yeah.” It hadn’t been his secret to tell, but Reid was weirdly relieved he didn’t have to keep it from them anymore. He wasn’t sure why. It was still a thorny knowledge inside him but sat a little less sharp and hard now.

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