Page 71 of Nanny for the Bossy Billionaire

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I have met Vincent and Rose a few times over the years at social events, but I had no idea they were Naomi’s parents. I actually feel stupid because Naomi is the spitting image of her mother, just younger and with brown hair instead of Rose’s blonde.

“Reid?” Vincent’s eyebrows draw together. “What are you doing here?”

Now is probably not the right time to let him know that I’m dating his daughter.

So I say, “I am Naomi’s boss. I heard that she was in an accident, so I came down, but they won’t tell me anything.”

“You are the boss she’s nannying for?” Rose squints.

I nod.

“Why wouldn’t she tell us that?” Rose asks.

I shrug. “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me she was a Carlisle either.”

“She uses my maiden name,” Rose explains. “When she was younger, she insisted on changing her last name because of the scrutiny she was getting. We didn’t want to at first, but eventually agreed.”

Just as I’m about to say something an orderly appears. “Mr. and Mrs. Carlisle, please come with me, I’ll show you to your daughter’s room.”

“Can I come?” I ask, trying to sound as nonchalant as I can.

“Sure,” Vincent says, and we all follow the orderly to Naomi’s room.

When we walk into her room, the doctor is already there, but my eyes go straight to the woman I love who lies unconscious in a hospital bed.

My heart instantly breaks into pieces.

She is in a hospital gown. Her head is bandaged up and her face is swollen with scrapes and bruises. Her arms are all scratched up, and her right leg is in a cast that is suspended by a sling attached to the ceiling.

“Mr. and Mrs. Carlisle, welcome,” the doctor says, as he shakes Naomi’s parents’ hands. “We’ve been able to stabilize your daughter. She sustained some head trauma when she was thrown from the car. She broke her leg and has a few bruises and lacerations around her body. We are running some tests to see if she has any brain injury or internal bleeding, but everything looks fine.”

“How can everything be fine? She’s unconscious,” I say.

“That is not abnormal considering the circumstances,” the doctor says. “At the moment, I don’t see any reason to worry. The tests will give us a better idea of what’s going on. For now, I suggest you remain positive.”

He says a few other things but I’m not listening. Instead, I’m staring down at Naomi’s unmoving face. It’s weird to see her normally expressive face so still.

I take her hand as gently as I can. She’s warm to the touch. So I guess that’s a good thing.

As I’m praying that she’ll be all right, I can’t help it, but a tear slips out of my eye. I wipe it away.

By this point, the doctor is long gone and Naomi’s parents are staring at me.

I just may have given myself away, but I don’t care.

All I want is for Naomi to wake up and be fine. That’s what I’m choosing to focus on.

25

NAOMI

“You are not moving her!” a voice that sounds like Dad’s yells.

“Why not? It’s been over 24 hours and her eyes haven’t so much as fluttered.” Reid says. “We should get a second opinion. I have connections at UC San Diego. I think she’d be better off there. After all, it is the best hospital in the city.”

“Sir, I wouldn’t advise that,” says a voice I don’t recognize, but he speaks with authority. “She is stable now, but that could change if you move her. Trust me, here at Sharp Memorial Hospital we know exactly what we’re doing. All I ask is that you give it some more time. I promise she will come out of this just fine. Her test results show that she suffered a minor concussion. She’s probably still unconscious because of the shock of the accident.”

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