Page 62 of Marrying the Nanny

“We are a necessary service, so I will provide what you need even though I don’t want to. Umi, call Sophie. Tell her we have a POD situation and I would view it as a personal favor if she could get this yacht on its way as quickly as possible.”

“Oh, that makes me think of your father,” Umi said with a pang of amused nostalgia.

“POD? What’s that?” the man asked.

“Sophie knows.” Reid went back to his office, picked up his wallet and phone, and came back as Umi was hanging up. “Text me if you need me,” he told Umi. “I’ll be at the pub.”

“Hey!”

“You got a problem with a woman installing your fuel filter? It’s that or swim,” Reid said as he brushed by the man. In an aside to the woman, he warned, “If Trystan doesn’t think it’s seaworthy, I wouldn’t stay on it.”

“Fuck you, you—”

Reid let the door close on the man’s shouted expletives.

As he entered the pub a moment later, he saw his brothers through the windows, sitting on the patio, squinting at the glance of sunshine off the water. Logan had peeled his coveralls down and tied his sleeves around his waist, exposing his T-shirt. Trystan was in his black T-shirt and jeans. He set down his coffee and said something that made Logan chuckle and shake his head.

Reid pushed through the doors. “The season hasn’t even started yet.”

“Beg to differ.” Trystan sat back. “When the first Prick of the Day shows up and fails to see his shadow, the season has officially arrived.”

“Don’t say it’s too early to call it,” Logan said. “Not until you hear what he said.”

“I know what he said,” Reid grumbled as he yanked out a chair. “And I swore I would never take a job where I had to play this game again. Congratulations.”

He threw his credit card on the table and asked Quinley to bring him a coffee and a menu.

*

Emma had a busy few days with Storm. She cut her second tooth and ran a low-grade fever after her shots. Miserable, she refused to go to her brothers and clung to Emma, fussing, sleeping fitfully, and not eating much.

This morning she smiled at Reid, though, when he came back to the house with empty boxes from the store. He brought them up to his former bedroom at the top of the house where Emma was trying to get a start on the closet.

“Are you going to come to the office with me?” Reid lifted Storm from the playpen where she was rolling and pushing up to her hands and knees among her soft toys. “Or are you going to scream blue murder the minute Emma is out of sight?”

She blew spit bubbles at him, feet kicking energetically.

“She looks better. Cheeks aren’t red,” Reid noted.

“She’s feeling a lot better, not complaining about being in there unless she scoots herself into a corner. I’m finally making some headway.” Aside from throwing out expired lotions and emptying the drawers in the headboard so the men could remove the waterbed, she hadn’t had much time to sort through Wilf’s and Tiffany’s belongings.

“No hurry. We have plenty to keep us busy outside.”

Emma had closed the door because the buzz of a chainsaw hadn’t let up, but it was quiet at the moment so Reid carried Storm onto the balcony to survey the faller’s work.

Emma followed. It was a pleasant spring day, the air laden with the scent of cedar and pine, salt and moss and damp sunshine. The horizon was wide open now, revealing islands and ocean, drifting clouds, and soft blue sky.

“I’m a tree hugger at heart. I feel sad they had to come down, but the real estate professional in me is having multiple orgasms.” It was the sort of off-color remark she and her old colleagues would have said about an infinity pool or other feature that would allow them to demand top dollar.

The fact Reid let a beat of surprise pass before he asked, “Should I give you some privacy?” made heat climb from her chest into her throat.

“Sorry,” she muttered. Maybe not the most professional thing to say after all.

“It’s fine. You’re right. That increase in property value will put you through university,” he told Storm.

She couldn’t care less. She was trying to climb the mountain of his shoulder.

Reid kept a firm grip on her leg but let her get to where she was dangling her arms down his shoulder blade.

---