The Nanny Clause

He returned to looking for summer-camp selections for his girls at the community college. He hoped it wasn’t too late to enroll. As he began reading the selections, his cell phone buzzed. Picking it up, he saw on the screen that the caller was E. Alvarez. His heart began beating just a little faster.

“Mr. Sutton?” she asked.

“Call me Daniel,” he suggested. That wasn’t too informal, right? He always told his clients that, didn’t he?

Emma hesitated and then said, “All right, Daniel. The calico tested negative, and we’re taking care of her. I named her Fiesta because of all of her colors. She needs good nutrition for her babies.”

“I’m so glad she has a place where she’ll be safe,” Daniel responded.

“She’ll be safe for a time. Momma cats with babies aren’t very adoptable. The kittens will be, though, once they’re born.”

“I don’t think I’m going to tell Pippa, Penny and Paris that.”

“We can’t give Fiesta a whole lot of attention at the shelter because of all of our animals. I’ll do my best to keep an eye on her. It really would be better if she could go home with you and your girls, though.”

“No.” The word popped out of Daniel’s mouth before he even thought about the idea.

“Can I ask why?” she inquired gently.

After a moment, he told her the truth. “I’m a divorced single dad with three girls who are active, smart and sometimes needy. I really can’t see adding a pet to that mix.”

She paused, then said quietly, “I see. If you can’t adopt Fiesta, why don’t you bring your daughters back to the shelter for a visit. I’m sure they’d enjoy it and so would she. I’m certain she’ll want all the attention she can get. She’s a very friendly feline.”

“I’ll consider a visit,” he assured her, maybe because he wanted to see Emma Alvarez again and not the cat.

“Whenever you have time. Do you know our hours?”

“I do. I looked them up before we came to the shelter. Are you always on the same shift?”

“My schedule varies depending on when the shelter needs me to be here.”

He hadn’t thought about that.

“We hope to see you soon at Furever Paws,” she said politely. “You have a good night and say hello to your girls for me.”

“I will.”

After Daniel ended the call, he wished it had gone on a little longer. Should he visit again with her at Furever Paws when he was attracted to her?

His better judgment told him no.

Chapter Two

Whole Bean, the coffee shop in Spring Forest, was a popular local gathering place, even on a Saturday. Daniel was grateful for his sister, who had come over to the house to take care of the girls for the day so he could catch up on client appointments at the office. She was making them breakfast and since she didn’t drink coffee...

The coffee shop was near his office so it was an easy stop. He went to the counter and ordered a double-shot espresso. Checking his watch, he saw that he had about ten minutes before he wanted to start at the office. It wouldn’t hurt to relax a bit before the workday began. Sometimes getting the girls up and dressed and their hair fixed was like running a marathon. He wanted his sister to do the fun things with them and didn’t intend to burden her with any more than was necessary.

He’d turned and headed to the main part of the café to find a table when he stopped cold. There was Emma Alvarez, sitting alone at a bistro table for two. Could she be waiting for someone?

It didn’t look like it. She’d spread the newspaper on the table in front of her and had a pen in her hand.

So much for relaxing. His heart had started pulsing faster the moment he’d spotted her.

Crossing to the table, he stood there for a moment. She must have felt his presence because she looked up and her eyes widened.

Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Do you mind if I join you?”

She looked flustered but she folded the newspaper and laid her pen on the table. “I don’t mind.”

He checked the coffee she was drinking. It looked like a latte.

She saw him studying her coffee and she studied his. “Yes, I drink lattes—vanilla. How about you?”

He nodded to his cup as he sat. “It only looks like black coffee. It has shots of espresso in it.”

“Enough to get you through the day?” she teased. “Or will you need more about noon?”

“I’m limiting myself to the two shots of espresso a day. If I have them both in the morning, that’s it. I have enough trouble sleeping at night.”

“Because of your daughters?” she asked, and then blushed. “I’m sorry. That sounded like prying.”

“I opened the conversation, and yes, my daughters do keep me from sleeping at night. Pippa often calls out in her sleep. It’s been that way since my wife left.”

“You said you’re divorced?”

His gaze landed on her hand. No ring there. “Yes, I’m divorced. Two years now. You’d think I would have gotten used to being mother and father by now.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t think it works that way. I lost my mom to cancer when I was twelve. I’ll never forget those last six months or the years after, when I missed her so much I didn’t know what to do. I still miss her.”

They’d jumped into heavy waters awfully fast, and it was time to back up. Except, when he tried to remove himself emotionally, he got caught up in Emma’s beauty—those dangling curls, her pert nose, her full lips. Backing away from her would be downright difficult.

Clearing his throat, he nodded to the newspaper. “You looked serious when I came over.”

“I’m looking for a job. I have a business degree. In Pennsylvania before I moved here, I was an office manager. I’m hoping that the grapevine surrounding the shelter will reveal a position somewhere nearby. Lots of folks go in and out of there in a day.”

“I imagine so. I thought maybe you were training to be a vet tech since you were working at the shelter.”

“Oh, I love animals. But I don’t think vet tech is in my future—the medical side isn’t for me. During my shift I help out wherever’s necessary. What I like most is giving the animals attention. They are so much like children. When neglected, they act out. If we play with them to release energy, and they know someone’s caring for them, they behave much better.”

When he was at the shelter with his daughters, he could easily see that Emma had a soft spot for children and animals. He took a few sips of his coffee. “Have you been in North Carolina long?”

“About a month now.”

“You said you worked as an office manager in Pennsylvania. Did you come here looking for work?”

Appearing uncomfortable for a moment, she brushed her curls behind her ear before answering him. “Not exactly. It’s a very long story. My trip down here ended up being a little different than I expected. Now I’ve decided to stay for a while to see if Spring Forest is where I might want to settle. It is a beautiful little town.”

Emma sipped more of her coffee. It was about half-finished. It must have still had foam because it edged her upper lip. He smiled.

“What?” she asked, probably because he was studying her so intently.

What he wanted to do was touch that foam and find out exactly how soft her skin was. The notion was absolutely crazy. So instead he took his forefinger and edged his own upper lip.

She laughed and caught on right away. “You don’t have to worry about that with espresso.”

She wasn’t at all embarrassed and he liked that about her. She was natural, unaffected, genuine.

The lawyer in him took the other side of the argument. You don’t know her. You have barely spent any time with her. How could you possibly know she’s all those things?

Yes, how could he possibly know, and why would he want to know? He had a full plate as it was. He didn’t need an entanglement to upset an already rocky boat.

Although he was reluctant to leave, he made a point of checking his watch. Then he said, “I hope you find what you’re looking for. I really need to go now. I have a client coming in first thing this morning.”

She nodded, “I understand. You have a good day.”

He stood, even though something was telling him to stay. He waved his hand at her coffee cup. “Enjoy the rest of your latte.”

She was smiling at him when he left. That smile stayed with him all the way to his office.

* * *

Tied up with clients who wanted to make out a will, close on a house sale or draw up powers of attorney, Daniel hardly had time to breathe the rest of the morning. At some point the espresso would let him down, but hopefully not until the end of the afternoon. Raina knew he liked to see clients in the morning and deal with paperwork later in the day.

He’d started reading the history of a neighborly dispute over land boundaries between two properties when his cell phone buzzed. Cell phone rather than office phone meant it was a personal call.

“Hello,” he said. “Busy lawyer here.”

“Oh, Dad, you’re always busy,” Paris complained. “I have a problem. Aunt Shannon wants me to eat a sandwich and a salad. I don’t want to. She’s so vehement about it, I’m afraid she’ll force-feed me.”

Just where had Paris learned the word vehement? She wasn’t studying for her SATs yet, he thought wryly. However, when Paris was in a snit he did his best to calm her. “Do you want me to talk to your aunt? You can put her on the phone.”

“No. You have to come home. I’ve got to lose weight before school starts in September. She doesn’t understand that. Oh, and Penny missed her last soccer game of the season this morning because you didn’t tell Aunt Shannon about it.”

Daniel rubbed his hand over his brow. “Why didn’t Penny tell her about it?”

He could almost hear the shrug in Paris’s voice when she answered, “I guess she forgot, too. It was scheduled at the last minute.”

He had a decision to make—whether to be honest or patronizing. Paris didn’t take patronizing well. “I do have to work. Are you sure you can’t settle this yourself?”

“I didn’t tell you the worst part.”

Now Daniel held in a breath, then let it out. “The worst part?”

“Um...” Paris hesitated. That was unusual and worried Daniel even more.

“Just spill it, Paris. It won’t get any easier if you turn it around in your mind ten times.”

“Pippa got into something you’re not going to like.”

“Is this going to be twenty questions?” He really was losing patience. Maybe he should take up meditation.

“There was this shoebox in your closet. It had all of mom’s makeup in it. Now it’s all over Pippa’s face.”

Pushing aside the papers on his desk, Daniel faced the problem head-on. When Lydia had left, he’d hoped she’d return to her family, so he’d kept all of her things. When she hadn’t, he’d packed everything up and then forgotten about that box in the deepest recesses of his closet.

“What made Pippa go in there in the first place?” he asked Paris.

“I don’t know. Honest. Maybe she saw you put it in there and she remembered.”

More than once Pippa had asked why her mommy had left. He’d never been exactly sure what to tell her. Lydia sent the girls birthday cards and she’d written them a couple of short notes, but that had been the extent of her communication since the divorce. No wonder they felt abandoned.

What had Emma said just this morning? Animals are so much like children. When neglected, they act out.

So much for working at his office on a Saturday. “I’ll be home in about ten minutes, Paris. Do you think the three of you would like to visit Fiesta at Furever Paws?”

“Dad’s coming home,” Paris announced to her sisters, who must have been standing right there.

He heard the “yay” that filled the kitchen. Then Paris asked Pippa and Penny, “Do you want to go visit Fiesta at Furever Paws?”

Their yeses were loud and clear. So were their needs. Shannon was great with them but they needed somebody full-time who concentrated just on them. They needed a nanny.

An idea zipped through his mind. Emma needed a job. Maybe she’d consider coming to work for him as a nanny. However, he wouldn’t hire her on a whim. He needed to speak to Rebekah Taylor, the shelter director, to see what Emma was like as a volunteer. This visit to Fiesta could suit more than one purpose.

* * *

Emma saw them coming. She had just finished the paperwork and handed over the cutest black toy poodle to his adoptive parents. The woman, who was about sixty, stood back until Daniel’s daughters entered, then Daniel waited for her to leave with her dog.

When Penny and Pippa spotted Emma, they ran right over to her. Paris proceeded more slowly. Pippa looked up at her with her big chocolate-brown eyes. “We came to see Fiesta. Can she have visitors?”

Emma smiled. “Sure, she can have visitors. We gave her a special little home with her own litter box and a plastic bin with shredded newspaper that she can use when she feels her babies are going to be born.”

Now Paris gave her attention to Emma, too. “Why shredded newspaper?”

“Because it can be replaced easily. Cats also like to lie in paper for some reason.”

Daniel eyed Emma, and when he did, she felt herself blush. What was it about this man that made him so attractive? Sure, he was tall. He was handsome. He cared about his daughters and an animal he’d found under his porch, too. But none of that proved he’d be a good romantic prospect.

No more impulsive decisions, Emma told herself fiercely. Her last impulsive decision had landed her here in Spring Forest without a job or a place to stay. Living in a studio apartment with a month-to-month lease, she’d used up most of her savings. She needed to find a job fast...that is if she was going to stay in Spring Forest.

If she didn’t find a job soon that paid her a decent wage, she’d have to return home. She really didn’t want to do that because it would prove her father had been right.

She motioned the girls down the hall. “Turn left at the first door.”

Daniel walked beside her and she was totally aware of him. His navy striped tie was tugged down and the top two buttons of his royal blue oxford shirt were open. Suddenly he touched her elbow and they both paused. Her arm felt as if he’d touched her with fire.

“You must be a miracle worker,” he said.

She felt stunned by his touch and immobilized by the admiration in his eyes. Somehow she found her voice. “Why do you say that?”

“Because Paris doesn’t talk to anyone unless she has to. And she never asks questions. She acts as if she knows everything about everything. With you, she’s different.”

“I’m just a new person in her life. I love animals, and maybe she does, too.”

Daniel was still looking at her as if he was debating something in his mind. Finally he said, “You’re good with Penny and Pippa, too. Pippa has had a hard time. She’d rather I hug her and keep her with me rather than doing anything else.”

“Daddy’s little girl?” Emma asked, knowingly.

“Maybe. Or maybe she’s just holding on to her only remaining parent for dear life. I don’t know if you noticed, but she still has the stain of lipstick under her nose.”

“Lipstick?” Emma asked, confused.

“When I got home today, she’d gotten into Lydia’s old stuff that I’d dumped into a shoebox and stored in my closet. She had a thick coat of lipstick all around her mouth, eye shadow on her eyes, blush on her cheeks, and she looked like a clown.”

“You didn’t laugh, did you?” Little girls usually looked to their dad for affirmation as well as attention.

“No. I was too disconcerted to do that. But I didn’t tell her she looked beautiful, either.”

“What did you tell her?” She knew whatever Daniel had told his daughter would stick.

“I told her she was much prettier with nothing at all on her face.”

Emma couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a very smart dad.”

“Penny doesn’t think so. We both forgot about her soccer game.”

Emma tried hard not to widen her smile at his adorably sheepish tone. He was a dad on his own, doing the best he could. “I think you’re too hard on yourself.”

“You don’t know me,” he reminded her with a frown.

“I can see you want the best for your daughters.”

Again Daniel eyed her as if he was debating with himself. However, he changed the course of their conversation. “I hear the director of the shelter is Rebekah Taylor.”

“Yes, Rebekah’s the director.”

“Do you think I could meet with her?”

“She has a board meeting this morning over at the Whitakers’.” The Whitaker sisters, Bunny and Birdie, had invested their money in this shelter to set it up. Although she’d seen them around the shelter, she’d never met them officially. But she’d heard a lot about them.

“I can leave a message for Rebekah with your number. I’m sure she’ll call you back.”

“I’d like that. Thank you for offering.”

Emma could get lost in Daniel’s green eyes, but she knew she wouldn’t. She absolutely wouldn’t.

During the next half hour, Daniel and his daughters gave Fiesta some of the attention she deserved.

Penny marveled at her colors. “She’s so pretty—white, and black, and brown. I’d never seen a cat like her.”

“I wonder what color her babies will be,” Paris commented.

“They could be a variety of colors,” Emma explained. “It will be exciting to see them, won’t it?”

Pippa came over to Emma and leaned against her leg. “Will we be able to play with the kittens?”

“I don’t know, honey,” Emma said. “It depends if someone adopts her before she has her babies.”

Pippa leaned her head against Emma’s waist. “Daddy doesn’t want a cat and babies.”

Emma couldn’t help but put an arm around Pippa and pat her shoulder. Then her gaze met Daniel’s and she was hard-pressed to look away.

After Daniel and his daughters left, Emma couldn’t forget how his touch had made her feel. She also couldn’t forget how his daughters had warmed her heart. She wondered again why Daniel wanted to talk to Rebekah. She’d left his message on the director’s desk. But since Rebekah had come back from the board meeting, she’d been busy around the shelter.

Emma almost ran into her as she came out of her office, cell phone in hand. She’d apparently just ended a call.

“Something important?” Emma asked.

“It was Grant Whitaker,” Rebekah told her. “He just...” Rebekah shook her head. “I’ll take care of it. Nothing to worry about. I saw the message you put on my desk from Daniel Sutton. He’s the lawyer around here, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. He and his daughters brought Fiesta in yesterday.”

“Does he want to adopt the cat?”

“No. I don’t know what he wants.”

“I’ll get back to him as soon as I can, but the way this day’s going, that might not be until this evening.”

“He said whenever you have time would be fine.”

“Good. No pressure. That’s what I like from a man.” She sighed. “I’m going to check the work on the expansion porch for the cats. That’s where I’ll be if anybody needs me.”

After Rebekah turned in that direction, Emma returned to Fiesta. She hadn’t told Daniel and his daughters but Fiesta wasn’t eating as she should. Emma hoped she just needed to become acclimated, but she’d ask the vet, Doc J, to check her again when he made his rounds tomorrow morning.

She would keep her focus on the cat, not on Daniel Sutton.

* * *

Daniel didn’t like the atmosphere when he and his daughters exited Furever Paws. They were quiet—much too quiet. Maybe he should consider adopting Fiesta. Paris had seemed more outgoing around the cat. Penny and Pippa were obviously affectionate with her. One thing he had to be with his kids was flexible.

He could check YouTube for cats, pregnancy and delivery.

That evening he did just that. He’d never looked into the care of animals that much, and now he realized the extent of the volunteers’ work at Furever Paws. They had to love what they were doing. In many ways it was similar to running a day care for kids.

There was a light rap on his den door. When he turned, he saw Paris. That was a surprise. She usually didn’t seek him out. “What’s up?” he asked nonchalantly.

“I want to keep practicing with the swim team this summer. Are you going to let me? I need the exercise and swimming is one of the best ways to get it.”

He knew Paris was correct in her assessment that swimming was great exercise, but he wished she wanted to be part of the team for the sportsmanship and camaraderie. Lydia had used exercise for weight control and had become almost obsessive about it. He didn’t want Paris to emulate that behavior.

“I’ll consider it, but I want you to consider attending one of these educational camps this summer.”

Wrinkling her nose, Paris frowned. “Are you serious? Is this a negotiation?”

He didn’t know if becoming a lawyer was in the genes, but Paris sure had some of his. “I guess you could say that, or you could call it a compromise. What do you think?”

“If that’s the only way I get to be on the summer swim team, okay.” With that she turned and left his office.

He thought about going after her and furthering their discussion, but his landline phone rang. He scooped it up from the desk and saw the caller ID—R Taylor was calling. “Hello, Miss Taylor. I see you received my message.”

“I did. How can I help you?”

“It’s about Emma Alvarez.”

“Yes?” she asked, prompting him.

“I’m thinking about hiring her. Would you give her a recommendation?”

“I’d give Emma five stars in everything she does. She’s an enthusiastic volunteer, and she doesn’t just do the work, she feels the work. She has a connection to the animals.”

“Did she give you references?”

“Certainly. I wouldn’t have taken her on if she hadn’t. Even volunteers go through a background check and vetting process. Her references are stellar. If I had to sum it up, I’d say she’s reliable, prompt and a problem solver, besides being patient with animals.”

That was all Daniel needed to know. Those recommendations would be a perfect résumé for a nanny. “Can you tell me if she’s volunteering tomorrow?”

“Actually, yes. She’ll be here after ten.”

Daniel knew exactly where he’d be headed after church tomorrow—to Furever Paws to find a solution to one very big problem.

Chapter Three

The next morning after church, Daniel stopped at Furever Paws with Paris, Penny and Pippa. They’d been less restless in church today because they’d known they would be coming here afterward.

After they went inside, it took a volunteer a bit of time to find Emma. They were finally told that she was in the dog room, cleaning cages. Daniel and his girls went that way.

He rapped on the window and Emma saw him. She smiled and came out.

Penny asked, “Can we go in and play with a puppy?”

“I’ll let two out of their cages,” Emma said. “We have beagle puppies, who are adorable.” After she did that and the girls were engaged, Emma returned to Daniel. “I understand you wanted to speak with me.”

“I do. I’d like somewhere more private, but I know you have to keep an eye on the girls.”

“Yes, I do. If the puppies become overexcited or your daughters get too rambunctious, I’ll have to step in.”

Daniel had pulled a folded paper from his back pocket. He could see in Emma’s eyes that she was wondering what it was. “Let me begin by saying I talked with Rebekah about you.”

Emma’s mouth opened and she immediately asked, “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, no! Nothing like that.” He reached for her and clasped her elbow. “You’ve done everything right according to Rebekah. You’re a five-star volunteer.”

Emma smiled but gradually her smile slipped away. “I still don’t understand why you needed to talk with her about me.”