Page 16 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

“She’s… well, she’s been everything to us,” Brad said, suddenly feeling lost himself. “It’s hard to imagine life without her.”

“I think it’s good that she’s here to share the holidays,” Principal Tucker said. “But you should be sure that you change up those traditions. Make room for yourself and your family in them so that Josie is ready for a fresh start when Jillian heads back to the city.”

“That’s a great idea,” Brad said, thunderstruck. “We were planning for me to just sort of learn how they do everything.”

“Something new might be enough to help Josie feel some of the good that comes with a new home,” the principal suggested.

Brad nodded, his mind already filling with ideas.

“So, if I asked you right now if I saw Josie at her best today, what would you say?” the principal asked.

“Absolutely not,” he told her. “She’s normally bright and kind and enthusiastic. Nothing like she was thismorning. If she didn’t ride here with me, I’d think she was someone else completely.”

“I’ve got her file from her old school,” Principal Tucker said, patting her laptop. “And that makes sense with all they had to say about her. I know we’ve had some rowdy Williams kids in this school, but I don’t expect Josie to have any trouble in that regard.”

“I agree,” Brad said. “She’s behaving out of character today, but I don’t think she would ever be loud or disruptive.”

“Excellent,” the principal said. “Well, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on her here at school. I suspect a good academic challenge will be enough to cheer her up. And I know you’ll do all you can to help her feel at home here in town.”

“Thank you,” Brad said, wishing he could truly express to this wise woman how much he appreciated her. “Thank you for giving Josie the benefit of the doubt.”

“I’ll bet she’s her father’s daughter,” the principal said, standing with a smile. “Curious and smart as a whip. We’ve been very proud to follow your career here, you know?”

“Thank you,” Brad said, surprised and gratified. “The whole foundation started here.”

“Well now that’s the best compliment an educator can hear,” the principal said. “I’ll walk you out.”

Brad felt a tug in his chest. It didn’t quite feel right to leave Josie here when she wasn’t at her best.

“We’ll keep a sharp eye on her, sweetheart,” Principal Tucker told him, taking his arm as if she had just read his mind. “I’m going to pop up and have a quick word withher teacher now, so she knows Josie isn’t feeling herself today. We’ll do all we can to help her let her hair down.”

A few hours later,Brad stood on the second floor of one of the big buildings on Ambler Road during his second big task of the day.

Though he had expected the space to be dark, the large windows on the front of the building let in brilliant light as well as a view over Ambler. If he looked to the right, he could see the train station, and the fields of the community college campus.

Turning back, he took in the massive open floor plan. It was empty, so he could see every imperfection in the wide pine floors and every lump in the plaster walls. But he had worked enough projects to recognize a space with potential when he saw one. And if there were a few dark corners, that was nothing a few lamps and some flowers couldn’t fix.

Fresh-cut flowers always brighten up a dark space.

How many times had he heard Jillian say that over the years?

And why had it taken him so long to realize it was never the flowers that had brightened the dark spaces in his life?

“I like this better than the others personally,” his real estate agent said quietly. “To me, it’s worth climbing stairs to be right in the town center. And Pura Vida doesn’t make a lot of noise.”

“Agreed, Sloane,” he replied, smiling at the idea of thelittle dress shop below making a lot of noise. “And you’re sure the floor above is included?”

“It sure is,” Sloane said. “The owner expected that the tenant might want to live above their business. Though of course I know you have your own space at the homestead.”

The apartment above was really nice and would have been perfect if he and Josie didn’t already have a home waiting for them.

“Honestly, for me it’s better to try and leave work at work,” he said, chuckling.

“I agree,” Sloane said, nodding.

Brad wasn’t so sure though. He’d seen her sitting in the window of that real estate office so early in the morning and so late at night that he wondered if she ever got home at all.

“Knock, knock,” someone said from the stairwell.

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