Page 2 of Holiday Promise

They hurried inside and spent the next thirty minutes doing just that. It wasn’t even five minutes after Melody had gottenMax settled at the counter with his beverage when the front door opened.

Max’s head shot up, his eyes meeting Melody’s with excitement. Without missing a beat, he jumped down from the stool where he’d been perched, and he raced toward his father. “Dad!”

Melody followed, drying her hands with the towel she held. She couldn’t help but smile at the relationship these two had. Normally, she didn’t have any complaints. But this was the final year before Max would head off to school, and more than anything, he needed his father.

Blake listened to Max chatter on about their day, not bothering to look up at Melody for even a second, but that was who he was. Blake Metcalf was a self-made man who could afford a huge house in Hollyberry Harbor while working two hours away in the city. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t heard the helicopter drop him and his assistant off. But now that they were here, she’d have to get up the courage to tell her boss what needed to be said.

Max took his father’s hand and practically dragged him toward the counter. “Melody made the best hot chocolate. She said the secret is adding cinnamon.”

That statement garnered a courtesy glance from her boss, but it was so brief she might have missed it. Thomas winked at Melody, staying just far enough away to appear invisible to Max. As far as assistants went, he was as good as they came.

“Do you want some, Dad?”

Blake had shifted his focus to the mail in his hands. “I can’t right now, sport. I have a few phone calls I have to make.” He moved away from the counter and Thomas followed on his heels.

Max’s lips puckered into a pout, but he quickly covered it up as he moved back to his stool. he stared forlornly at his beverage.There was no time like the present. Melody needed to tell Blake what was what before she lost her nerve.

Melody tossed the hand towel on the counter. “I’ll be right back, buddy.” She ruffled his hair before charging after Blake and his assistant. She caught up with both of them in the hallway.

“Oh, good. I wanted to speak to you about something.” His voice was low, almost monotone.

Melody was caught off guard for a moment, then nodded, her eyes flicking to Thomas who only shrugged. “What do you need?”

“Next week I have several meetings that will run late. I’ll need you to take some extra hours in the evenings. I gather that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Taken off guard, she didn’t respond right away. Blake turned his attention once more to the mail and continued toward his office.

Melody sent a shocked look at Thomas. “Did you know about this?”

He shrugged again. “I mean, what did you expect? He’s the head of the company.”

“Thomas, we have to go over a few things before supper,” Blake called.

Startled, Thomas took a step in that direction, then paused. “It’s really too bad. I was hoping I’d get to spend more time here. It’d be nice to get that second date.” His lips lifted into a half-smile, but when Blake called after him again with more impatience, he grimaced. “Rain check.”

Melody’s fury erupted. She’d thought Blake had planned on spending the holiday with his son. He couldn’t do this to Max. That little boy needed his father more than he needed anything else. How could Blake rationalize spending so much time away from his son?

Her face felt hot with the indignation she felt. She couldn’t just let this behavior go unchecked. It didn’t matter that he was her boss. He was a father first, and she could see how he was damaging his family.

Hands balling into fists, she charged down the long hallway toward the office. She reached the room, the door left ajar. Then hesitation hit her like an arrow through the heart. What if he decided to fire her? She didn’t have the credentials necessary to take care of Max. She’d been hired because he’d wanted to be done with the interviews. She was more than aware that she’d gotten the job by default.

Shaking her head, she reached for the door. That didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to let her concerns for her own job trump what she knew was right for Max.

Melody pushed the door open to find Blake still looking through his mail while Thomas was seated, his laptop open while he took notes. She straightened her back, took a deep breath, then cleared her throat.

Blake’s dark eyes locked with hers and instantly, she regretted her decision.

TWO

The mail in Blake’s hands was forgotten as he met his nanny’s gaze. He’d never seen her agitated like this before in the nearly full year she’d worked for him. Her green eyes flickered with a fire he couldn’t place.

“I’m sorry, Melody. Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there’s a problem.” She moistened her lips and glanced to Thomas briefly before returning her fiery gaze to him. “You can’t.”

“I… can’t.” He mulled the words over. “What exactly is it I can’t do?”

“You promised,” she stammered, her face flushing. “You promised you’d spend more time with Max this month.”

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