Jack’s eyebrows rose. ‘Impressive. Do you offer lessons? Diplomacy is also something that doesn’t come naturally to me.’
‘Not to me either,’ she confessed. ‘I’ve had to learn.’
‘And you can work from here, you said?’
‘It’s not usual, but as it’s the summer I managed to make some arrangements. And I’m mostly taking the time off. It’s been a long time since I was in Polhallow. I could do with a proper holiday and really get to know it again.’
‘Any plans while you’re here?’
‘Actually, I am enjoying being plan free. I was a bit overstretched when I arrived, hence the time off. I had some tough decisions to make, so time and space is exactly what I need.’
‘Personal or work?’
‘Both, they get a little intermingled.’ That was the understatement of the century. But at least she’d managed to step back enough to see that and to put right her misstep with Akil. She hadn’t imagined the relief in his voice when she’d spoken to him a couple of days ago and suggested they stay friends and pretend her clumsy attempt at a proposal had never happened. She’d done her best to encourage him to see Clem again but hadn’t heard anything since from either of them—which was either a really good sign or she’d completely misread the vibes she’d been getting from them.
‘Tricky.’
She looked out at the view, as always, her anxiety abating at the sight of the sea. ‘It is amazing what having the time and space to think does. Already I’ve made a really important decision and I feel so much better. But I really want to put work and home out of my mind and just enjoy being here—the only thing I want to worry about is the amount of clotted cream I’m consuming.’
He laughed then, warm and deep and toe-curlingly masculine. ‘Yes, I’d forgotten how good food is here. London has every cuisine you can imagine but nothing tastes as good as Polhallow pastries and scones. If this carries on, I’ll have to up my exercise time, which won’t be easy with no nanny for the rest of the summer and all the work piling up.’ He grimaced. ‘Obviously, exercise is the least of my worries. This is a crucial time for the theatre renovation...’ He slanted a quick glance in her direction as if waiting for a reaction. ‘And my other businesses and interests need attention. But the girls can’t just sit around and wait for me all day. I could try a temp agency to find a summer nanny, but they’ve been through so much change I don’t want to risk a mismatch.’
‘I could watch them sometimes,’ she offered impulsively. It wasn’t just that she had the time, although she did, something about Tansy still bothered her, even though she could see what a safe and loving home the girl had. She understood what it was like to feel responsibilities at a young age in a way that not many other people did. She also knew how important it was to let those responsibilities go and to have fun. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to make any difference to the girl’s life, but Arrosa felt an overwhelming urge to try.
It didn’t hurt that she was enjoying spending time with Jack either, that she was all too aware of his every shift and movement, how the light moved across the planes of his face, the way his eyes darkened to navy when he was moved, the shape of his mouth.
‘I can’t ask you to do that!’ But she could see he was tempted, relief clearing some of the cloud from his expression.
‘You didn’t. I’m not offering to be a stand-in nanny, I’m not at all qualified and Iamon holiday. But I would be more than happy to take them around a little bit, go to the beach, organise some play dates with Sally, go to the cinema—they’d be a great excuse for catching up on all the summer releases.’
‘I am really tempted...’ At the word their gazes caught and locked, and she felt again that odd sense of knowing him, feeling the attraction building between them, unlike anything she’d experienced on so short an acquaintance—or even a longer acquaintance—before. ‘But I’d be totally taking advantage of your good nature.’
‘We could take it on a day-by-day basis. If I have free time and you need a hand then great, but I will be absolutely comfortable saying no if I have plans, and if you decide you need something more structured I won’t be offended.’
‘It sounds too good to be true. Look. Before you make a decision you should see them at their overtired worst. Stay for dinner and if at the end of it the offer is still open we’ll discuss payment and other issues then.’
Arrosa would of course turn down the offer of payment, she had no need of money. But nobody had ever offered to pay her before. She had an allowance—a generous allowance—but it wasn’t a salary. It was nice to be thought worth a wage.
She had no idea what Jack did but he was clearly well-off. It was obvious from the house and furnishings, in the way he dressed, even in a casual linen shirt and jeans, both top quality and fitting as if made for him, the linen almost—tantalisingly—translucent, the jeans clinging to narrow hips and strong, lean thighs. She swallowed, mouth dry.
‘What’s for dinner?’
‘Lasagne. I’ve only got a few dishes in my repertoire and lasagne is near the top.’
‘With salad and garlic bread?’
‘Of course!’’
‘That sounds delicious. Thank you, I’d love to have dinner with you.’
But as she sat down and accepted the glass of white wine he handed her, Arrosa couldn’t help wondering if she was completely mad. She should be heading out of the door as fast as she could go, not offering to babysit Jack’s children. She might be inexperienced with relationships in the real world but even she could feel the chemistry sizzling between them. She was a princess, and he was a widower with two small girls. Neither should indulge in summer flirtations, no matter how tempting.
But, on the other hand, she had promised herself a summer off. A summer of being just Rosy. This was just dinner—and a dinner chaperoned by his daughters. What harm could one evening do?
As June continued the British summer started to live up to its flaky reputation. The long, hot early summer days had been replaced by intermittent rain and drizzle, interspersed with moments of blazing sunshine. It was the kind of weather that meant leaving the house without a bag packed with suntan cream, wellies, sunhats and raincoats was ill-advised. Jack was seriously considering investing in a mule to help with the baggage even a brief walk entailed. Worse, the weather made entertaining the girls even more tricky and he couldn’t help but think his decision to give them an extra-long summer had been ill thought through: weeks filled with adventure and time to explore was idyllic on paper but, in reality, less than practical, especially now he was looking after them alone.
This was where being a single parent was so hard. There was nobody to sense check his ideas with. But, then again, Lily had always preferred to leave all responsibility to him. She would probably have enthusiastically supported the thought of a long summer, come up with a dozen impractical plans and whipped the girls up into a frenzy of expectation before disappearing off for a summer of house parties and social events, leaving the girls to their nanny. As for the autumn, she would have wanted Tansy away at boarding school, not at a private day school just a few towns over. After all, she’d first suggested sending her when their eldest had been barely eight. He could hear her now, those languid upper-class tones caressing and yet repelling him at the same time.
‘But darling, girls of that age are tricky. I should know!’ Tinkling laugh. ‘She’d be much happier with girls of her own age, don’t you think?’