The Nanny's New Family

Tears filled Annie’s eyes. She’d forgotten about the candle that day at the cabin because she’d been too busy moping and missing her boyfriend.

The memory of that day when she had been fifteen and the family had been staying at their grandparents’ cabin on Grand Lake inundated her with feelings of regret. The fire that had destroyed the vacation home had also nearly killed her when a burning beam had pinned her down. Part of her body was burned. The pain swallowed her into a huge dark hole that had taken a year to crawl out of. But the worst part was her mother had never made it out of the cabin. Her dad had managed to get to Annie, but when he’d tried to go back in, the building had been engulfed in flames.

“You have four brothers and two sisters who can help you with the money. We all have jobs. Even Charlie works, and he’s still in college.”

“He has to pay for his classes. And each of you has a family to support and your own expenses. Amanda, let this go before I get up and leave.”

Amanda harrumphed. “You’re stubborn.”

“So are you. Remember, I know you better than anyone, probably even Ben.”

Amanda narrowed her brown eyes. “And the same goes for me. Annie, it was an accident. The family doesn’t blame you for Mom’s death. You need to forgive yourself and let the past go or you’ll never have the life the Lord wants for you. When are you going to figure that out?” Her twin raised her voice above a whisper.

“Annie, what do you need to figure out?” her father asked from the other side of the table.

“Nothing, Dad. Amanda and I are just arguing.”

“What’s new?” Ken, her older brother who sat across from Annie, picked up his hamburger to take a bite. “Ouch! Which one of you kicked me?”

The twins pointed at each other.

* * *

Emotions clashed inside Annie when she turned into the McGregors’ driveway and drove to the large white stone house set back from the road on the outskirts of Cimarron City, Oklahoma. She was excited for a new opportunity to help children in need, but it had been several years since she’d been challenged with a grieving child. The Hansen kids’ drama had been normal teenager or preteen stuff for quite some time. What if she’d lost her touch?

Annie glanced in her rearview mirror and saw her brothers’ vehicles at the entrance of the driveway. Parking in front of a three-car garage, she inhaled a deep breath, then climbed from her red Honda, hefted a large box with her pots and pans from the backseat and headed toward the stairs on the side. Dr. McGregor had told her yesterday he would leave the apartment unlocked.

She carefully started her climb up the steps, her view partially blocked by the carton. A giggle from above drifted to her. She lowered the box and gasped.

Grinning at her, Joshua stood on top of the upstairs railing wearing a red cape that flapped in the breeze.

“I have special powers. I can fly.” The four-year-old spread his arms wide as though he was going to demonstrate.

“Don’t!” Annie shouted as Joshua wobbled.

Chapter Two

I shouldn’t have shouted. Annie sucked in a breath.

Joshua regained his balance.

Heart thumping, Annie dropped the box on the stairs, jumped over the cardboard box and scrambled up the steps. “Joshua, it’s great to see you again,” she said in the calmest voice she could muster. “I sure could use a big, strong superhero like you to help me bring my stuff upstairs. How about it?”

By the time she reached the landing, the four-year-old had turned his body so he could see her better, but the motion caused him to wobble again on the six-inch-wide railing. He flapped his arms to catch his balance. This time, Annie lunged toward him as an ear-piercing scream from below split the air.

She grasped his ankle as the little boy fell backward and held his leg with both hands. Annie leaned over the railing as she heard footsteps behind her and the wailing sound still coming from the bottom of the stairs. While Joshua dangled two stories above the ground, someone pounded up the steps.

Muscular arms came around her and gripped Joshua. “I’ve got him. Let him go, and I’ll bring him up.”

Relief washed over her as she released her fingers. Annie dropped down between Dr. McGregor’s arms and moved to the side so he could hoist his son up to the landing. While she watched, she took deep, fortifying breaths to calm her racing heartbeat.

Giggling, Joshua hugged his dad. “That was fun. Can I do it again?”

“No.” Thunder descended over Dr. McGregor’s features as he put down his son and glanced at Annie. “Thanks. One second he was playing in the den and the next he was gone. I figured he’d come out here since I told him to give you and your family time to unload your possessions.” He picked up Joshua and held him tight as though afraid the child would somehow wiggle free and try again to fly from the railing. “Young man, you and I are going to have a talk in the house about following directions.”

“But, Dad, I wanna help Annie. That’s why I’m here wearing my cape.”

The first time Joshua had seen her when he had awakened from his nap a few days ago, he’d called her Annie, which was fine with her, but Dr. Hansen and his wife had insisted on “Miss Annie” when she’d worked for them. She was quickly sensing the McGregors’ household was much more laid back.

Her employer started down the stairs. “I’ll return in a while, Annie. And by the way, you can call me Ian.”

As her brothers mounted the steps with boxes, including the one she’d dropped, and furniture, she watched Ian and Joshua exchange a few words with Ken and Charlie, then disappear around the corner followed by a little girl, who had to have been the one who’d screamed.

“That one is going to be a handful.” Ken waited for her to open the door. “Reminds me of someone I know.” Her eldest brother looked pointedly at Charlie, who was bigger and more muscular than Ken.

“I grew out of wanting to be a daredevil.” Her youngest sibling poked Ken in the back with two cartons he held.

“Boys, let’s try to be good role models for the McGregor children.” Annie trailed them into her new apartment. “And, Charlie, the only reason you quit, no doubt temporarily, was because you broke an arm and leg performing that death-defying skateboard trick.”

The bantering between her brothers continued as they brought up all the boxes and furniture from the three vehicles while Annie tried to decide which boxes to open first and where to put the ones she wouldn’t have time to empty today. Annie paused to look at her first real apartment. When she’d gone to college, she’d lived at home to save money, then she’d moved into the homes of her employers after that.

Excitement bubbled to the surface as she walked to a door and discovered her bedroom with a double bed, a chest of drawers and one nightstand. Her grandmother’s cushioned chair would look good in here. She checked the closet and smiled when she found it was a walk-in with plenty of storage space.

Then Annie moved on to the only other door and went into the bathroom, a pale-green-and-ivory color scheme. It had a tub with a showerhead, so she had a choice. She liked that because sometimes a hot bath worked the kinks out of her body on a particularly active day, and with Joshua she’d probably have a lot of them. She wouldn’t have to exercise much with him around if that stunt was any indication.

When she went back into the main room with a living area at one end and a dining table with four chairs and a small kitchenette taking up the other half, her brothers stood in the middle of the stack of boxes, arguing.

Annie put two fingers in her mouth and gave a loud whistle. They stopped and stared at her. “Are you all through bringing up my belongings?”

“Yes. We were just waiting to see if you want us to do anything else. We were discussing the merits of our favorite basketball teams and as usual our little brother has it wrong. The Thunder will win the NBA championship. If you’re from Oklahoma, you have to root for them.” Ken shot Charlie a piercing look.

Annie needed a few minutes of peace before she was introduced to the rest of Ian’s children, especially after that incident with Joshua. “I think I can handle this. Thank you for your help.” She grinned. “Try not to hurt each other on the way down the stairs.”

When they left, Annie sat on the tan couch and laid her head against the cushion. Quiet. Tranquil. She’d better cherish this moment because tomorrow she officially started her new job. The memory of Joshua standing on the railing revved her heartbeat again. Then she remembered Ian leaning over her and clasping his son. Remembering the brush of his arms against her gave her goose bumps.

Ian was strong. Capable. Caring.

Annie quickly shook the image from her thoughts. They were employer/employee, and that was the way it would stay. She remembered the scars on her body, a constant reminder of the tragedy that had taken her mother away.

If only I could relive...

But there were no do-overs. She had to live with what was left. She was damaged goods.

A knock at the door roused her from her thoughts. Annie pushed off the couch and weaved her way through the stacked boxes to the entrance. Maybe having quiet time wasn’t the answer right now. When she let Ian inside, she spied a very contrite child trudging behind his father. Head down, Joshua chewed on his thumbnail.

She wanted to scoop the adorable little boy into her arms and tell him everything was okay, but she wouldn’t. Ian’s stern expression spoke volumes about a serious talk with his son, and rightly so. But he was so cute with blond curly hair, big dimples in his cheeks, the beautiful brown eyes and long, dark eyelashes that any girl would want.

“Joshua, don’t you have something to say?”

The child mumbled something, but Annie couldn’t make out what it was. She knelt in front of the boy. “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

Joshua lifted his head enough that she had a peek at those beautiful eyes that told the world what he was thinking. “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.”

She hoped not, but she knew Joshua still had to be watched carefully until he developed a healthy respect for dangerous activities. “I’m glad to hear that. I noticed some cushions on the ground. Did you put them there?”

He nodded. “They’re soft.”

“But not soft enough to break your fall.”

“I know. Daddy told me. I have to put the cushions back—by myself.”

Annie rose. “That makes sense.” She glanced at Ian and saw that, like his son’s, his eyelashes were extralong, framing crystalline green depths. She took in his disheveled dark brown hair that looked as though he’d raked his fingers through it when he’d talked with his child. She could just imagine how he’d felt when he’d seen her gripping Joshua’s leg, his only safety line. Her heart went out to him. In the past two years Ian had buried two loved ones, and she suspected he was still dealing with his grief like Jeremy.

“Joshua, I’ll watch you from the landing,” Dr. McGregor said. “You need to put the cushions back exactly like you found them.”

“Yes, sir.” With slumped shoulders, the little boy made his way out of the apartment. The sound of his footsteps on the stairs resonated in the air.

Annie went out onto the landing with the doctor. Looking at the ground twenty feet below reminded her all over again about how tragic today could have been. She saw a flower garden with stones around it that Joshua could have hit his head on.

“Thanks, Annie, for grabbing Joshua. I went into the kitchen to make sure I had all the ingredients for dinner tonight. When I returned to the den five minutes later, he was gone. At first I’d thought he’d gone to his room, then I remembered all his questions about when you were going to show up. Something told me he went to see you. I was coming to bring him back inside so you could get settled without stumbling over him. He can get underfoot.”

While Joshua wrestled with a two-seat cushion from the lawn furniture, finally deciding to drag it, Annie took in the beautifully landscaped yard with spring flowers bursting forward in their multicolored glory. The air smelled of honeysuckle. She leaned over and saw a row of bushes below the staircase. “I like your yard. Is gardening a hobby of yours?”

“More like a means to keep my sanity. When I’m troubled, I go outside and tinker in the yard. My wife got me hooked on it. She started this, and I’m just keeping it going. How about you?”

“Can’t stand to garden, but I love to look at a beautiful one. I’m a great spectator—not such a good participant.”

Ian turned toward her, not a foot away, and smiled.

“How about your children?” she asked. “Do they help outside?”

Watching Joshua finish with the last cushion, Ian pressed his lips together as though weighing what he said. “Joshua loves to, but his assistance isn’t quite what I need. Jasmine helps often. She takes after her mother, but Jade and Jeremy will do anything to get out of work—whether outside or inside.” He frowned. “In fact, if Jeremy joins the family at all it’s an accomplishment.”

“Will he be at dinner?”

“Yes, for as long as it takes for him to eat. I used to make him sit there until we were all ready to get up. Finally, I decided the hostile atmosphere he created wasn’t fair to the other children.”

“How was Jeremy with the other nannies?”

“He had as little to do with them as possible. The only one who seemed to get through to him was Aunt Louise. When she died, he took her death doubly hard.”

“He’s old enough to understand the losses he’s had,” Annie said over the stomping of Joshua’s feet as he came up the stairs. “Can I help you with dinner?”

“Nope. You aren’t officially on the clock until tomorrow.”

“What time do you want me to come to eat tonight?”

“Six-thirty, and I hope to have the food on the table shortly thereafter.” Dr. McGregor clasped his son’s shoulder to keep him from going into her apartment. “No guarantees, though. Joshua, we’re leaving. You have a room to clean.”

“Do I hafta? I told Annie I’m sorry.”

“Yes, but it has nothing to do with your room. It’s Sunday, and it’s supposed to be done before you go to bed.”

Joshua huffed and raced down the stairs, jumping to the ground from the third step.

“If he doesn’t give me a heart attack, I’ll be surprised,” Ian said with a chuckle.

But Annie had spied the tense set to his shoulders and the clamp of his jaw as his son had made the leap. “I imagine my parents felt the same way about some of my brothers.”

“But not you?”

“Well...probably so.” Some of Annie and Amanda’s antics could rival her siblings’. “But nothing like my younger brother.”

Ian grinned. “What is it about the youngest in the family?”

Annie smiled and shrugged, then watched Ian descend the steps. He moved with an ease and confidence.

Her new employer was easy to talk to. He was nothing like what she had expected. Tom had told her yesterday Dr. McGregor could work anywhere he wanted and make a ton of money. His reputation as a plastic surgeon was known throughout the United States. He chose to stay in Cimarron City, his wife’s hometown, and to donate part of his time to the free clinic. Annie couldn’t deny that the man intrigued her.

As she entered her apartment, she remembered an article she’d found on the internet when she’d applied for the nanny position. Recently, a world-renowned model had gone to Dr. McGregor to erase the effects of a car accident. Even with the scars from the wreck she’d been beautiful, but once the surgery had been performed and she’d recovered, there wasn’t a trace of what had happened to her.

Annie had an hour until dinner and decided to take a long, hot bath. As she stood in front of the counter in the bathroom, she pulled her turtleneck off. She usually didn’t look at herself in the mirror, but her gaze lit upon her reflection—zeroing in on her pink-and-white scars. She’d learned to accept them, but she recalled once when one of her nieces had glimpsed them, wide eyes glued on the scarred tissue, she’d clapped her hand over her mouth in shock. Annie wouldn’t forget that look—ever.

* * *

The door in the kitchen from the utility room opened, and Ian glanced at Annie entering the house. Dressed in jeans and a black turtleneck, she looked more relaxed since the scare with Joshua earlier. Her shoulder-length blond hair framed her face and emphasized her expressive dark brown eyes. She wasn’t classically beautiful, but she was cute and pert. And those eyes were so appealing and mesmerizing.

Suddenly he realized he was staring at her. He dropped his attention to the pot on the stove and stirred the sauce. “I hope you’re hungry. I think I went overboard.”

Annie inhaled and smiled. “It smells delicious. Italian?” She bridged the distance between them. “Spaghetti. I love it. From scratch?”

“Yes, that’s the only way. It’s one meal all of my kids will eat. That’s not the case with a lot of food. Their palate hasn’t expanded much beyond pizza, macaroni and cheese and hamburgers.”

“I saw some hope the last few years with the Hansen children.”

“Oh, good. I have something to look forward to. There are a lot of recipes I’d like to try, but I know they won’t go over with my kids.” Ian continued to stir the sauce.

“I have a niece who is five and loves snow crabs. She will crack the shells and eat them until you think there couldn’t possibly be any more room in her stomach. I’m usually right there with her, but the last time she kept going when I couldn’t eat another bite.”

Ian laughed. Annie was easy to talk to, nothing like the other nannies. Earlier, when she’d caught Joshua, she’d been calm and efficient. He remembered when the second nanny had freaked out when Jeremy was cutting up an apple and sliced his finger. Thank goodness he’d been home to take care of the wound because the woman had frozen when she’d seen the blood then yelled for him. He imagined Annie would have handled it and had the bleeding stopped before he came into the kitchen.

Ian put the spaghetti noodles on to cook then glanced around to make sure everything else was ready.

Those beautiful eyes connected with his. “Can I help you? Set the table?”

“It’s already set in the dining room.” Ian swung back to the stove, stirring the sauce when he didn’t need to. He had to do something. Looking at her was distracting.

“Do you usually eat in the dining room?”

“No—” he waved toward the table that sat six in the alcove “—usually in here, but this is a special occasion. We’re welcoming you to our home. I want this evening to be a nice calm one. Now, if only my children cooperate, it might be.”

“The least I can do is help you carry the food to the table.”

Ian made sure he had eye contact with Annie then said, smiling, “What part of ‘you are our guest’ do you not understand? Guests are supposed to relax and enjoy themselves. Nothing more than that.”

A grin twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Aye, aye, sir. I’ve got that. It’s awfully quiet. Where are the children?”

Ian frowned. “Come to think of it, Jade was the last one in here. That was fifteen minutes ago. I haven’t heard a peep out of them since.” He walked to the intercom and pressed a button. “Time for dinner, everyone. Don’t forget to wash your hands.”

“I like that. Does it work?”

“Yes. Saves me yelling or going in search of them, if you meant the intercom. Otherwise, not always about washing their hands.”

A few minutes later, the first to appear in the kitchen was Jade quickly followed by Jasmine, exact replicas of each other down to the clothes they wore. “You two can help put the food on the table. Where’s Joshua? He was with you in the den doing his homework.”

Jasmine put her hand on her waist. “He was coloring. He doesn’t have any homework.”

“You and I know that, but since you, Jade and Jeremy do, he thinks he should. Did you leave him in there alone with the crayons?”

“No, he left to go to the bathroom.”

“How long ago?”

Jade looked at the ceiling and tapped her chin. “I guess a while ago.”

“Jade, Jasmine, this is Annie, your new nanny.” Ian turned off the oven then headed for the hallway. “Annie, would you remove the pasta when it’s done? I’ll be back after I find Joshua. He marches to his own music.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help your girls get everything on the table.”

Ian paused at the doorway, started to tell her she didn’t have to and then decided instead that he’d give her an extra day of pay. He was afraid she would earn every bit of the money and more by the end of the evening. For starters, his daughters dressing alike didn’t bode well.

Ian went to the downstairs bathroom and checked for Joshua. It was too clean and neat for Joshua to have been there. He mounted the stairs two at a time. He knew Joshua was still in the house because he’d set the alarm to beep twice when someone opened an outside door. The last time it had gone off was when Annie had come in.

The children’s bathroom on the second floor was empty, so Ian made his way to the one connected to his bedroom. No Joshua. He returned to the hall and looked into his youngest son’s room. Empty.

Maybe he got outside somehow. Giggles wafted to him. He marched down the hallway to where Aunt Louise used to stay and turned the knob. More laughter pealed. Quickly Ian crossed to the bathroom and found Joshua in the big tub, washing himself.

Sitting in a foot of water, Joshua beamed up at him. “I’m washing my hands.”

“I see. Why did you come in here?”

“I miss Aunt Louise. Jeremy was asleep, so I came in here. Is Annie here?”

Joshua’s sometimes-disconnected thoughts could be hard to follow. “Yes, she is and hungry.” Ian held a towel open for his son. “Time to get out, get dressed and come downstairs.” At least this time Joshua had taken off his clothes before getting into the bath.

Joshua jumped up, splashing the water, and stepped out onto the tile floor. “Okie dokie.”

Ian waited at the doorway for his youngest to dress himself. When Joshua ran past him and toward the stairs, Ian made a detour to Jeremy’s room and knocked on the door. No answer. He decided to make sure Jeremy was there, so he pushed the door open and found his eldest curled on the bed, his eyes closed.

Ian sat next to Jeremy and shook his shoulder to wake him up.

His son’s arms lashed out at Ian. “Get away.” Blinking rapidly, Jeremy pushed away as if he was coming out of a nightmare and didn’t know where he was.

“What’s wrong? A bad dream?”

Jeremy looked around him, then lowered his head.

“Dinner is ready.” Ian spied Joshua in the doorway and waved him away.

His eldest son clenched the bedcovers. When he didn’t say anything, Ian rose, not sure what was going on. “I expect you downstairs to meet the...Annie.”

Jeremy flung himself across the bed and hurried out of the room—leaving Ian even more perplexed by his behavior. Not sure his son would even go to the dining room, Ian hastened after him.

Chapter Three

Annie took the seat at the end where the twins indicated she should sit. All the food was on the formal dining room table, and Jade and Jasmine sat on one side, constantly looking over their shoulders toward the foyer or staring at Annie.

She checked her watch. “Maybe I should go see if your dad needs help.”

“Knowing Joshua, he’s probably hiding. He does that sometimes,” the girl closest to Annie said.

Jasmine? They were both wearing jeans and matching shirts and ponytails. According to Ian, they didn’t dress alike anymore. Obviously, tonight they had other plans.

The other sister grinned. “We should go ahead and eat.”

Annie shoved her chair back. “Wait until the others come. I think I’ll go see what’s keeping them.” Something didn’t feel right. She started for the hallway and found Joshua coming down the staircase, his lower lip sticking out. She hurried to him. “Is something wrong, Joshua?”