Page 34 of Working For A Billionaire

"Please take a seat," Harrison instructs before he begins. "How long have you been a nanny?"

"Almost ten years," Penelope answers, smoothing out her knee- length skirt.

"For the same family?"

"Yes, the Reynolds are a wonderful family. They asked me if I would consider moving with them, but my family is here."

"You're hired," I say with a smile before Harrison can speak.

A smile spreads across her face and she says, "Thank you. I look forward to helping you raise your son."

"So do I," I respond as Harrison watches in confusion. "Gloria can show you where your room is, and we can figure out the details later."

"Yes, ma'am," she responds with a nod, "I will go ask her.""

I nod and she springs up from the couch, eager to tell her cousin. Harrison shoots me a look of bewilderment as she walks out of the office.

"That’s not how this is done," he tells me, sounding still surprised. "We need to make sure she’s a right fit. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," I state firmly, "If she is anything like Gloria, she will be perfect. Plus, your mother is threatening to hire someone for us if we can't find one ourselves."

"Enough said," Harrison responds, his face changing to a smile, "That does make sense."

After lunch, we wait for my midwife, Hannah to arrive. She is a sweet woman, and I am hopeful that Harrison will see she is also an exceptional medical prof as well.

Jasper shows Hannah to the office and closes the door as he leaves. Hannah smiles, reaching out her slender hand to shake Harrison's. Her dark blue jeans and a pink t-shirt make her look more like a soccer mom than a medical professional.

"Hello," she says in her Southern accent, "I'm Hannah. It's nice to meet you."

Harrison shakes her hand with a skeptical look and greets her with, "It's a pleasure, Miss Marshall."

Hannah nods her head and turns towards me and extends her arms for a hug. "You are looking well," she says as we embrace, "Is there anything new since we spoke last?"

I shake my head as we pull apart and reply, "No, everything has been fine."

"That's good," she says, before taking a seat.

"Riley says that you work at New York Presbyterian, is that correct?" Harrison asks in a professional tone.

"Yes, that's correct. I've been working there for five years now," she answers, clasping her hands together and laying them in her lap.

"How long have you been a midwife?" Harrison continues.

"About seven years. I started when I was still working at Lenox Hill."

"Do you have any special training?" Harrison asks, studying her closely. "What if an emergency happens? Will you be able to handle this?"

"Harrison—" I start to say when Hannah interrupts. She is obviously used to these kinds of questions.

"Mr. Rutherford, I understand your concern," she says calmly, keeping her tone friendly and reassuring. "These are the two most important people in the world to you, and you want to be sure they are safe. Rest assured, I am a licensed physician's assistant, and I graduated from John Hopkins with honors. I have been delivering babies for ten years, so you have nothing to worry about."

Harrison pauses, taking a second to digest the information she has just given him before speaking. I can tell he wasn’t expecting that, all the more so because of his next words. "I apologize, Miss—"

"Hannah," the midwife politely insists.

"Hannah," Harrison continues, "I have no doubt you are a very capable midwife. I am just a little apprehensive about the idea. I would feel more comfortable with our baby being born in a hospital. There are too many things that could go wrong."

"If that is what the two of you decide, I will support your decision. Can I leave some literature for you to look at when you have time?" She asks, pulling several pamphlets from her bag, "These explain the process of home birth. It will give you a better idea of what it entails, and you can feel free to call me if you have any questions."

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