Spellbound By The Single Dad

“You’ll have to reveal the secret sometime,” Kristen said.

“I know.” And, despite knowing how disappointed her parents would be in her, she still longed to hear her mother’s voice, to see her father’s face.

“What can I tell them this week?” Kristen asked, breaking into Jenna’s thoughts.

“Tell them...” What exactly? She chewed on her lip. That she was scared she was falling for the wrong man? That she wished she was a normal woman who could simply fall in love and not have to consider her duty in every situation, even when she was AWOL? “Tell them I’m fine,” she said wearily.

“You know they won’t be satisfied with that.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s the best I can do.” Without a doubt she was going to have to find a way to fix the situation she’d caused, and soon. “Kristen, I’m sorry again—”

“Don’t worry about it. I can handle this. It’s no worse than that day when we were eight and you pushed me into the mud. My mother was furious I’d ruined my dress before the party.”

Jenna laughed at the memory. “I was such a brat, even if you had just called my ringlets stupid. But you never told anyone it was me.”

“That’s not my way,” Kristen said in her trademark matter-of-fact tone.

A ball of emotion welled up in Jenna’s throat. “I miss you.”

“Then come home.” Jenna sensed an exasperated smile in Kristen’s voice.

“I will,” she promised, hoping to heaven that was true. “I just don’t know when.”

* * *

Liam walked through the back door and paused. Jenna was on her cell phone talking in her native language. The accent was light and musical, and without realizing it at first, he was smiling. The language suited her. Made him want to hear her whisper those musical words near his ear, to kiss the mouth that sang its sentences, to run his fingers through her blond hair as she spoke. He adjusted his collar, which was suddenly too tight.

Jenna looked up and saw him, and her face fell in unmistakable guilt. He stilled. Why? She was using her own phone, and he didn’t doubt Bonnie was sleeping or taken care of or she wouldn’t be relaxed and chatting. What else could she feel guilty about?

Was it a boyfriend? He shook his head as he dismissed the idea. One thing he knew—Jenna Peters wasn’t a woman who would kiss him if she was already involved with a man.

Jenna ended the call and smiled at him, but it was a thin mask. Perhaps it had been what she was discussing that made her feel guilty. Had she forgotten the conversation wasn’t in English so he had no idea what she’d said?

“Liam,” she said overly brightly. “I didn’t expect you home in the middle of the day.”

He watched her face for any telltale signs as he spoke. “I thought I’d take Bonnie for a walk in the baby carrier. Maybe keep her with me for a while.”

“That’s a great idea,” she said and slipped her cell phone into her pocket.

“Were you talking to someone from home? Your family?” He knew he had no right to pry, but still, he couldn’t resist prodding just a bit.

“Er, no.” Her eyes slid to the left. “Well, yes—a friend from home.”

He prowled a few steps closer. “Is your friend in America now? I don’t mind if you have visitors here at the house.”

“Um, no. She’s still in Larsland.” Her voice was even, but the pulse at the base of her throat was rapid, her pupils too large.

“Do your family ever come over?” he persisted. “You’re more than welcome to offer them the spare room next to Katherine’s.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.” But her expression said she wouldn’t. “I’ll just get the baby carrier and Bonnie,” she said, edging out of the room.

Liam watched her go, his gut in knots. Obviously more was going on with Jenna’s family and homeland than she was prepared to admit. It shouldn’t feel like a slap in the face that she hadn’t shared that with him—she was under no obligation to tell him her life story.

But it felt uneven somehow.

He’d trusted her by letting his guard down and being open with her on more than one occasion—about Rebecca, about his fears of being a father, even about work and the Midnight Lily, which was still a secret from most people. Yet Jenna hadn’t let him in on pretty much any level in return. Meg was the only person in her life that she talked about. Why was that?

And why did it sting like hell?

He raked his hands through his hair, swore under his breath and followed her up to Bonnie’s room. Maybe they’d both be better off if he stopped obsessing about his nanny and let her have her damn secrets.

From this moment on, Jenna Peters was an employee, no more.

* * *

Two days later, Liam pushed away from his desk and pocketed his cell. His parents were about to board a flight that would take them to Oslo—the first leg of their journey home. He’d managed to track them down a day ago in the Faroe Islands to tell them about their new grandchild and they’d immediately cancelled the rest of their trip and bought new plane tickets. They were thrilled with the news and his mother was already planning presents and a belated baby shower.

He walked out of his office building into the sun and through the garden beds, on his way up to the house. Jenna would want to know that his parents were planning to visit as soon as they’d landed and been home to drop their bags and freshen up. He could have rung up to the house, but he was happy for the excuse to see his daughter.

As he walked across the back patio and neared the door, he could hear Jenna’s clear, sweet voice; she was singing in her own language. When he reached the doorway, he could see her in the living room, sitting on the floor in front of both babies, who were propped up on the sofa, so their faces were all at the same height. And she was singing something enchanting.

Jenna glanced up, paused in her song and smiled. “Hello, Liam. There’s a little girl over here who will be delighted to see you.”

Unable to resist either his daughter or her nanny—despite his promise to himself only two days earlier—he ambled over to the little group, picked Bonnie up and sat on the sofa with her on his lap. He’d done so well for those two days, keeping things professional with Jenna—though part of him had suspected he was only fooling himself, and any semblance of control would snap with one little crook of her finger. Still, another part of him clung to the belief that he was one hundred percent in control.

Jenna followed his lead, sitting beside him on the couch with Meg in her lap.

“Well, we’re lucky, aren’t we, girls?” she said, her voice playful. “A visit from Bonnie’s dad during the day.”

“Don’t let me interrupt what you were doing with them,” he said, putting his fingers out for Bonnie to grab with her little fists. “I only dropped by to tell you that my parents will be coming by tomorrow to visit.”

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I thought they were in Europe.”

“They have been. It’s taken me a while to track them down because they’ve been moving around so much, but they’re coming home early to meet their first grandchild.” He’d told them he didn’t mind if they wanted to finish their trip, but they wouldn’t hear of it. They could visit Europe again, they said, but only see Bonnie at this age once.

“Oh, that’s lovely.” Jenna smiled broadly. “And you weren’t interrupting—I was just singing them a lullaby from Larsland.”

Something deep inside him wanted to hear her sing again...whether he was happy about that or not. He’d been charmed by her Scandinavian accent from the start, but hearing her sing had now taken his fascination with her voice to another level.

“Don’t mind me,” he said as mildly as he could. “Feel free to do whatever you’d be doing with them if I weren’t here.”

“All right then.” She looked from Bonnie to Meg. “Where were we?”

As Jenna crooned the lullaby again, the babies stilled, transfixed. And Liam was just as affected. She smiled softly as she sang, looking at each girl in turn. And when she finished, she kissed each baby on the cheek.

“That was beautiful,” he said once he could get his voice to work again.

She turned her bright smile—as dazzling as spring’s first blossom—to him. “They like to hear singing, especially if it’s our voices. You should try it.”

He shifted in his seat. Her expression was so earnest that he hated to disappoint. “I don’t know any lullabies. Well, I know fragments, but I can’t say I remember any the whole way through.”

She tickled Meg’s sides, eliciting a giggle. “I’d sing one with you,” she said, “but I only know them in my own language and that might be a bit hard for you to sing along with.”

He tried not to seem thrilled that he couldn’t be expected to sing. “You just go ahead on your own, then, and I’ll listen.”

“Bonnie would adore hearing you sing her something.” Jenna tucked some of her silky blond hair behind her ear. “What about a song instead? How about ‘California Girls’? No, something simple to start with. Do you know ‘Edelweiss’?”

He nodded, resigned. “My childhood was filled with my mother watching musicals, so I could probably manage that one.”

“What do you say, girls?” Jenna asked, tickling a baby with each hand. “Shall we give it a go?”

Jenna’s hand brushed his thigh and his heart skipped a beat, but no one else seemed to notice. Meg squealed her delight and Bonnie’s little legs started pumping.

“I think that’s a yes,” Jenna said.

She began the song, and after a few words, Liam joined in, uncomfortable at first, but once they reached the chorus he became more confident with the melody. Jenna moved into a harmony and his eyes strayed from Bonnie to her nanny. He’d never sung in front of anyone before, let alone in a duet, but it felt natural and...strangely, good with Jenna.

Her face shone and her angelic voice wrapped around him, lulling him into a magical place where anything was possible. She smiled when their last note faded away, so obviously enjoying having sung together that he closed the few inches separating them and kissed her.

At first, she didn’t kiss him back, but she didn’t pull away either, just let herself be kissed, and he was more than happy to oblige. Her lips were sweet, sensual, but not enough. He’d never get enough

Meg squealed in glee and they both froze, then quickly broke apart.

As he tried to regain his mind, Jenna blinked, then a fleeting frown marred her forehead and she turned to Meg and Bonnie.

“Did you know he could sing like that?” she asked them in a breathless voice. “We’ll have to encourage him to sing more often, won’t we, girls?”

It took him a bewildered moment to realize she was going to ignore the fact that they’d kissed. He should have been pleased that she wasn’t making a big deal out of it, but, for some reason, he wanted her to make a big deal, to be more affected. As affected as he was.

He drew in a breath, trying to get some oxygen to his brain. “I’m not so sure—”

“Bonnie loved it,” she said, smoothly cutting him off. “While I’m thinking of it, you should take some photos of Bonnie soon too. You take such gorgeous, professional shots and you should capture this age. She’ll grow up quickly.”

“What do you mean by professional shots?” he asked, trying to catch up on the conversation. “I can take some snapshots of her.”

“If you use the camera you use in your work, you could get some lovely portraits. We could hang one or two on the wall in here.” She swept an arm, taking in the pale walls of his living room.

He shook his head. As a diversionary topic that she’d pulled out of thin air, it wasn’t bad, but he needed to set her straight. “I don’t have any experience in photographing people, but feel free to call a professional out, and make sure you get some of Meg for yourself, too.”

“Liam, those photos on the bedroom walls aren’t just snapshots. The lighting, the angles you’ve chosen, the whole package—they’re good. Really good. You might see yourself as a scientist, but you’re more than that. You have a creative soul. And deep down, I bet you know that.”

For long seconds, Liam couldn’t talk. Could barely think. Jenna had seen him in a way no one else ever had. Perhaps she’d seen through his façades more than anyone. Being with Jenna while he was with his daughter and learning about fatherhood meant he’d let his guard down. Kissing her was dangerous. He should never have done it once, let alone twice.

If he let his guard down and fell in love with someone who saw the real Liam and she rejected him—rejected the real him, the man he hadn’t shown another woman—that would be a thousand percent worse than anything he’d suffered in the past.

Which was the reason he’d always kept things superficial with women. And one more reason he needed to back away from his nanny. Quickly.

“About that kiss,” he said, his voice heavy with the emotions pulling at him. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

The corners of her mouth twitched. “You said that last time.”

“And I meant it last time. I’m sorry for both times.”

She sighed. “So am I. We have good reasons not to do it again.”

“Your life is in disarray.” Though he still didn’t know what that meant exactly. “How about we don’t bother with the reasons, and we simply agree that it’s not a path forward that either of us is interested in exploring.”

“That might be best,” she said softly.

The aching sadness in her voice tore at his heart. “Jenna, just because I don’t think we should repeat the experience doesn’t mean that wasn’t an amazing kiss.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “It was. Amazing.”

“It was,” she agreed, then wrenched her gaze away.

He stood, gave Bonnie a hug and laid her back in the position she’d been in on the sofa when he’d arrived. “I’d better get back to work.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Then he turned on his heel and strode from the house.

* * *

The next day Jenna was sitting cross-legged on the floor in her bedroom playing blocks with Meg when Liam appeared in the doorway.

“My parents are here early,” he said with an apologetic glance. “I should have expected they wouldn’t be able to wait and would come straight from the airport.”

Jenna jumped up, her mind clicking into gear. “Bonnie’s asleep, but she shouldn’t be for too much longer. I can bring her down when she wakes up.”

Liam nodded. “I thought she might be. They said not to wake her if she was sleeping, but they’d like to meet you.”

“Oh, right.” It was reasonable they’d want a chance to assess the person looking after their granddaughter. She’d met them in passing when she was Dylan’s housekeeper, but she’d never had a conversation with either of them. And now a proper introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Hawke took on more meaning—after all, she’d never kissed Dylan....

Liam scooped Meg up and tickled her under the chin. “What do you say, Meg? Want to meet my mom and dad?”

Thrilled to be in Liam’s arms, Meg squealed and babbled, probably telling him about her day. It made Jenna’s heart ache that Meg would never know Alexander and would lose Liam from her life when they left his house.

“Are you ready?” he asked, turning to Jenna.

She looked down at what she was wearing—a long floral skirt and a red tank top. She wanted Mr. and Mrs. Hawke to think their granddaughter was in safe hands. Would these clothes make a good impression? She had splatters on her skirt from the finger painting she’d done with Meg earlier, and her top was covered with creases from where Bonnie had gripped it in her little fists, but she figured because she was trying to make an impression as a good nanny, the look was probably appropriate.

She smoothed the skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Picking up the baby monitor, she followed him down the stairs, blowing Meg a kiss as her daughter watched her over Liam’s shoulder.

When they entered the living room, Liam’s mother came over and grasped Jenna’s hands. “It’s so lovely to see you again, Jenna.”

Pleasantly surprised at the familiar greeting, Jenna squeezed the older woman’s hands. “You too, Mrs. Hawke.”

“Please, call me Andrea.” She swept her arm towards her husband. “And this is Gary.”

“All right. Andrea. Gary.” She nodded at each one as she said their names, relieved that they already seemed to approve of her as their granddaughter’s nanny. “I’m sorry that Bonnie’s still asleep, but I don’t think it will be long before she wakes.”

“That’s okay,” Andrea said. “We can wait. In the meantime, we can keep ourselves busy with this beautiful girl. You must be Meg.” She put her hands out to the baby in Liam’s arms, then hesitated. “Do you mind, Jenna?”

“No, please feel free to hold her. Meg loves new people.”

Andrea took the baby from Liam, and Meg looked around with quick movements until she spied Jenna, then smiled. Jenna gave her a little wave. Satisfied, Meg turned back to the new person she’d found.

Liam dug his hands into his pockets. “Do you want to freshen up while you wait?”

“No, we won’t be here long.” Andrea sank down onto the sofa with Meg, playing a game on the baby’s fingers. “We just wanted to meet Bonnie, then we’ll get out of your hair.”

Gary turned to Jenna, his hands in his pockets, mirroring his son. “You’re from Scandinavia somewhere?”

“Larsland,” she said, nodding.

Gary broke out in a smile. “Ah, Larsland. That was on our itinerary, but we missed out when we heard about Bonnie and cut our trip short.”

Jenna thanked the stars that Larsland had been one of the countries they’d missed. If they’d made it and seen her photo somewhere, they might have recognized her today. “It’s a shame you missed it,” she said, “but Bonnie will be more than worth it. She’s an adorable baby.”

Gary’s eyes softened. “I’m really looking forward to meeting her. Perhaps we’ll make it to Larsland next time. We’d even booked a tour at the royal palace. Have you been there before?”

Jenna froze. “Um,” she said and swallowed. “Yes. Most people in Larsland have been at least once.” She hated lying, but both statements were technically true.

Soft crying sounds came through the baby monitor. “I’ll go,” Liam said.

Jenna would have welcomed the opportunity to escape from a conversation that was veering into dangerous territory, but Liam was already gone. Besides, it was probably important to Liam to be the one who introduced his daughter to his parents, and she wouldn’t want to deprive him of that.

Once Liam left, his father wandered over to the huge sliding glass doors at the back that looked over the flower farm and let out a deep, contented sigh. “The stock is looking good,” he said.

His wife rose, Meg on her hip, and joined him. “There’s nothing quite like that view.”

Jenna followed them and gazed out at row after row of bright flowers that she’d come to think of as her own personal garden. “I don’t know how you ever left it. I love waking up and seeing the flowers from my window.”

Meg reached for her and Jenna put her arms out so Meg could monkey-crawl from Liam’s mom across to her. Andrea smiled softly as she watched the baby. “After years of having the responsibility of a farm, we’d been dreaming of an apartment with no garden maintenance. No lawn, even.”

Gary chuckled. “That sounded like freedom to us.”

“I can see that,” Jenna said, thinking of the times she and her brothers and sisters had talked about the freedom of a different life. “Sometimes responsibilities can feel overwhelming.”

“The grass is always greener,” Gary said, heavy on the irony.

Jenna cocked her head to the side. “It’s not working out that way?”

Andrea shrugged delicately. “Oh, we’re more than happy. And the change has probably been good for us. But I have to admit that, at heart, we’re farmers. We’re happiest with the feel of the soil between our fingers.”

Gary draped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “There’s nothing like tending to a seedling that grows and flowers into something bursting with color.”

Liam’s parents glanced at each other, and a look of sweet nostalgia passed between them. Jenna swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. They so clearly had a deep love for each other, and their love for their career was inspiring. Had she ever felt that way about stepping into royal duties? Had her parents? When she’d been growing up, she’d taken it all for granted, which seemed such a waste now. If she had her time over, she’d look for the aspects of her role to love, find the joy.

She glanced up as Liam came through the door with Bonnie cradled in his arms. The sight made her breath catch, as it always did. He was so tall and broad that the tiny baby appeared even smaller, even more delicate, and the care he took as he held his daughter made Jenna’s heart swell. In a few long strides, Liam crossed the room and passed Bonnie to his mother, the pride in his features unmistakable.

“So precious,” Andrea whispered in a voice clogged with tears as she took her granddaughter. His father swiped at his own eyes, then hugged Liam tightly.

Touched by the private moment, Jenna held Meg closer and slipped toward the archway that led to the kitchen. Liam tracked her movement with his eyes. “Where are you going?”

“I thought I’d give you some family time together,” she admitted.

“Oh, don’t leave,” Andrea said. “You and Meg are a big part of our granddaughter’s world.”

“Yes, don’t leave on our account,” Gary said. “Unless you have something else to do, of course.”

Jenna readjusted Meg on her hip, torn. As Dylan’s housekeeper, she would have melted into the background long before now. The thing was, she was still an employee, not a friend or family member. Yet part of her—the part that missed her own family with such aching sadness—longed to stay with the Hawkes a little longer, even if only as an observer.

Giving in to that feeling for once, Jenna sat down on the end of the sofa.

Seemingly satisfied, Andrea went back to inspecting her granddaughter, kissing her cheeks, rubbing her little arms. “Such a tragedy about her mother,” she said. “For herself and her family, but also for Bonnie.”

“It was,” Liam said, his voice tight. Jenna knew that he’d do anything to be able to give Bonnie her mother back.

Andrea smoothed the dark hair on Bonnie’s head as she looked up at her son. “What about her other grandparents? Have they been to visit?”

Liam’s gaze flicked to Jenna for a split second, then back to his parents. “It’s complicated. They’re getting ready to file for custody. My lawyers tell me it should be any day now.”

“They’re what?” his parents said in unison.

“Apparently, they’ve been collecting evidence to prove I’m an unfit parent.” He held up a hand to forestall their outrage. “Don’t worry—my lawyers are on it.”

“I should hope so,” his father said indignantly.

Meg squirmed in Jenna’s lap, so she put her on the floor and the baby crawled straight to Liam. As if without thought, Liam hoisted her into the air while still talking to his parents, explaining his meeting at the hospital with Rebecca’s parents. His mother watched the move, then her appraising gaze swung to Jenna before a ghost of a smile flittered across her face.

Her stomach clenching at what Liam’s mother thought she’d seen, Jenna abruptly stood. “I’ll just get a bottle ready for Bonnie.”

Liam nodded. “I’ll help you.”

Andrea Hawke broke out in a proper smile and asked her husband to take Meg from her son. “Don’t hurry back. We’ll enjoy our time with Bonnie and watch Meg for you.”

Jenna felt the heat rise up her neck to her cheeks. Now she wasn’t just hiding who she was from the world, but also how she felt about her boss. As she made her way down the hall, she cursed the tangled web she’d woven.

Eight

When they reached the kitchen, Liam noticed Jenna’s cheeks were pink. “Are you okay? You look flustered.”