Page 23 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

Brad slipped out while Josie was reading to Jillian and the two were giggling in delight, knowing everyone would be feeling hungry by now. Poking around the kitchen for a moment, he decided to make a tray of sandwiches for everyone.

When he got back into the room, he found Josie wrapped in Jillian’s arms, both of them crying, the book forgotten on the sofa beside them.

He was getting ready to back out of the room when Josie spotted him.

“Dad,” she sobbed. “We’re going to miss each other.”

“I know, honey,” he said, his own heart breaking.

“But we’re all going to be okay,” Jillian said, leaning back and cupping Josie’s cheek in her hand. “Right?”

“You can’t go,” Josie said simply.

“I have to go,” Jillian told her. “But not yet. We still haveallour Christmas traditions to do first.”

Brad turned on the radio to WCCR and was grateful to hear an upbeat carol instead of a sad ballad. Slowly, they all got back to work and before long there was laughter in the small cottage living room again instead of tears.

By the time the sandwich tray was empty, the books had all been sorted into a box for keeping, a box for the sale, and a big box for the children’s library.

“Wow, that was a lot of books,” Jillian said, shaking her head as she looked at the fruits of their labor. “I’ll seal them up now, and we can take them into town tomorrow.”

“I’ll clean up the food stuff,” Brad said. “And then I can run the library books over at least, so we get back part of our living room.”

“That would be amazing,” Jillian said.

“I’ll come too, Dad,” Josie said.

“You’ve got to get your bath and ready for bed,” Jillian told her. “Tomorrow is a school day.”

Josie’s face fell, but she didn’t argue.

“Good night, Dad,” she said instead.

“Good night, Junebug,” he told her. “I love you.”

She headed upstairs with Jillian as Brad carried the tray to the kitchen. The old-fashioned cottage didn’t have a dishwasher or any of the modern gadgets the penthouse had. If he wanted hot water for tea, Brad would have to boil it in a kettle, not pour it straight out of a special tap. And if he wanted clean dishes, he had to hand wash them.

He didn’t mind much. He’d done the same growing up, and it made him happy to think he wouldn’t be raising a helpless daughter. Josie would learn to live a simpler life, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

When the dishes were done, he dried his hands and headed back into the living room.

Jillian must have popped back down to seal the boxes at some point, because they were all closed up nicelyagain. He pulled on his coat, and grabbed the box for the library, impressed at the weight as he carried it out to the car thinking about how generous it was of his little girl to give away so many of her books. She was growing up bit by bit, whether she realized it or not.

Outside, the night was cold and still. When the box was safely stowed in the back, Brad stood for a moment, stretching and taking in the fresh air and the utter darkness that surrounded him under the twinkling stars.

This was something he had missed profoundly during his city years. The wild tangle of nature all around him was more beautiful than any tower or museum he could ever dream up. He knew to his bones he would be happier out here designing horse barns and mudroom additions than he could ever have been in the city.

But he had plenty left to do tonight, so he hopped into the SUV and took it down the driveway and out onto Providence toward Trinity Falls.

He reached the library just in time, grateful that there was always plenty of parking in the little village when the sun was down. He grabbed the box out of the back and headed toward the warm glow of the library.

“Brad Williams,” the head librarian said in greeting. “Is that a donation box?”

“Hi, Helen,” he said, nodding. “It’s for Caroline. And if there’s anything here she doesn’t want, I’ll come back for it and take it to the community center.”

“Ah, Winter Wonderland is coming up in a few weeks, isn’t it?” Helen said. “Well, I know Caroline will be happy to get first pick.”

“Did someone say my name?” his sister-in-law asked, poking her head out of the office. “Oh, hey, Brad.”

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