Page 70 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

“Work on what together?” Josie asked, skipping up and looking happy.

Brad followed behind her, a stack of books in his hands.

“Our picture books,” Jillian told her. “If Susan’s agent’s friend thinks they ought to be published, then it will be our project together.”

“A mother-daughter project?” Josie asked, her eyes dancing.

“A mother-daughter project,” Jillian echoed softly, tears prickling her eyes as a wave of emotion rolled over her heart.Again. Josie sure knew how to push her buttons.

But the girl seemed to be pushing her own buttons too, because she came in for another tight hug.

“I’m going to be surrounded by authors,” Brad said.

“Getting some reading material made in-house ought to be good for your book budget,” Susan teased, eyeing the stack of books in his hands.

“Books keep kids out of trouble,” Brad said defensively. “That’s my mom’s motto.”

“I like that,” Susan said. “I think I’ll make it my motto too. Books keeppeopleout of trouble.”

Josie giggled at that.

“I’ll email you her info,” Susan said, turning to Jillian. “Get in touch as soon as the sale is over, okay?”

“Definitely,” Jillian told her. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Well, Sarah down at the bookshop gave me the push I needed to catch my second wind,” Susan said with a smile. “We have to help each other out.”

Josie scampered off after Zeke, who had just appeared in the kids’ stacks.

“And she’s gone,” Brad said, shaking his head.

“She was averyhelpful volunteer,” Jillian told him. “But she is only nine, and she hascousinsaround now. It’s everything you wanted for her.”

The rest of the sale went well, and Jillian enjoyed feeling like she was part of something in the town that was now her home.

That evening,Jillian tucked Josie in, as usual.

Moose leapt onto the bed and curled up on the blanket at Josie’s feet, as if he were exhausted too.

“Do you think we’re going to publish a book one day?” Josie asked for about the hundredth time, patting Moose’s silky fur for a moment.

The call with Susan’s agent’s friend, Billie, had gone well. There hadn’t been anything set down for sure, but Jillian felt confident that they had a new friend who was full of excellent advice, if nothing else.

“I don’t know,” Jillian told her honestly. “If we didn’t, would that matter a lot to you?”

“You wrote them just for me,” Josie said, shaking her head.

“Does it bother you to share them with other people?” Jillian asked.

“I really liked it when Aunt Caroline was reading them to the children,” Josie said, smiling at the memory. “I like the idea of sharing them with other kids.”

“Then we’ll do that somehow,” Jillian told her. “Whether it’s with a big publishing house, or we do it ourselves and give them out for free. Deal?”

“Deal,” Josie said.

“I love you, Junebug,” Jillian said.

“I love you,Mom,” Josie whispered.

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