Page 24 of Knocking up his Nanny

CHAPTER 16

JUNE

“And I want a science laboratory,” Hazel is saying as she sits on the edge of the bed. “So, I can do experiments.”

“Okay,” I say, making a note on my phone. “I will see what I can do. Any other requests?”

“I want to go to space camp, so I can get ready for going to outer space someday,” says Holly.

“For now, I can offer some painting classes where we can draw scenes from outer space,” I negotiate with them. “How does that sound?”

“I wanna draw the first house on Mars,” Hazel says.

“That sounds lovely,” I tell her.

“We also want a puppy and a bunny and a lizard.”

“That—we will have to discuss with your parents. Or Auntie Willow, I guess.”

I’ve been living in the Wintergreen Mansion for a week, and I haven’t met anyone except the staff and Willow. The parents of the twins have never been to the house, and it’s starting to worry me. They clearly have no problem writing fat checks, but why can’t they spend time with their wonderful daughters?

If I was lucky enough to have children as smart and lovely as these girls, I can’t imagine wanting to ever be away from them for very long.

Luckily, the nanny job has kept me so busy that I haven’t had time to think about my personal life. And the gorgeous man that I slept with, who seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. He said he would be traveling for business, and I believe him—but it’s still not easy to deal with the distance so early in a relationship. If it evenisa relationship.

“So where is your mother?” I ask the girls as I get them ready for bed.

“We don’t have a mother,” Holly explains. “But we have Daddy and he’s the best. He’s just very busy sometimes when he has to travel. Then he’s never at home.”

Usually, I am not given so much free rein with parenting. Especially with wealthy clients. They usually have a strict set of rules and direction for what books they would like their kids to read, and what lessons they would like us to study. This house is basically ours to explore, with perpetual playtime.

But I have noticed some odd things… like how family portraits seem to have been removed from the walls.

Some rooms are locked so I can’t enter. It’s almost like a lot of care has been placed into me not finding out some things. And I don’t want to pry or dig for information that isn’t given to me, but sometimes I can’t help being a little frustrated, and just searching for a tiny bit more…

One day, I remembered something strange. I was checking out all the cars in the garage, and I saw this familiar black Escalade. I suddenly remembered something sweet that happened months ago. I was working at the daycare, and Holly and Hazel were being picked up by someone driving that same vehicle. And then one of the girls ran back to give me a rose.

It was such a lovely gift.

But then I walked over to the Escalade and peeked inside, and I noticed the oddest thing.

A tiny, empty Starbucks espresso cup. The sight of that cup made my heart ache so much, and hope so much. I don’t know many people that drink espresso from Starbucks. In one shot. I haven’t been able to get the image out of my mind.

Could it be? I hope it is.

Maybe it’s just a dumb coincidence.

“Miss June! Can you read us the bedtime stories we asked for?” Hazel asks.

“Uh—you mean the entire set of The Chronicles of Narnia?” I ask weakly.

“Yeah!” Holly says cheerfully. “Books 1-7. We’re gonna read itall.”

Merciful Zeus. They never run out of energy. Now I see why I’m getting paid the big bucks for this. My voice is going to be very sore after all these books. Oh, well. It’s totally worth it.

“Sure, come on, bring the books and get cozy,” I tell them.

They do as I request, and take positions on either side of me in the bed.

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