Page 5

His grin deepened as his gaze once more held her captive. “So, English, huh? I knew there was English in your accent but there also seems to be more and I—”

She shrugged off his comment. “I sometimes feel like I’m a citizen of the world, but yeah, I guess England is where I spent most of my formative years.”

“Your husb—”

Honestly, the timing couldn’t have been better.

Just as she was wondering how she’d navigate the questions she had a feeling were coming at her, Benny’s plaintive Mama , filled the room.

Hastily grabbing the baby monitors she stood and headed for the stairs.

“I need to get to him before he wakes Mia. He can get loud if I don’t immediately appear.

” Halfway up she called back, “Great room! Thanks for the tour.”

“Any time.” He made to follow her. “I should come up and check on Mia.”

On a sigh she paused; shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t Leo. That’s what I’m here for—just go do whatever it is you need to do.”

*

It should have annoyed her, but Ella knew she’d have been far more successful at coping with her adolescent reactions to her employer if he wasn’t always hovering.

After all, he was constantly peeking over her shoulder while she tended to Mia.

At least when he was home. She spent the first couple of days of awkwardly avoiding him whenever possible until she’d come to her senses and started acting like the adult she purported to be.

Leo seemed to have come to the same conclusion, unless his awkwardness had been all in her imagination.

The past week she’d thought things had settled into a more comfortable partnership, making it—for the most part—about the kids.

At first, his checking on her interactions with Mia every time he was home was understandable, but now it was starting to get weird.

Without taking her eyes off the task of dressing Mia after her bath, she said, “Are you sure you need a nanny, Leo? Or am I not making the grade? I do know what I’m doing, you know.” She’d kept her tone matter-of-fact, even though her patience was beginning to fray.

She didn’t have to see him pull back, or the rueful expression she’d come to know well, firmly settle in place. She shot Benny a deadpan look.

After a long moment Leo’s deep voice to rippled through the room. “I’m sorry. It’s just—”

“That dressing a squirming baby is a task that is beyond my skillset. Just like feeding her a bottle or changing her na—diaper?”

She lifted Mia from the changing table, bussed her noisily on the cheek, and turned to face him.

She’d been correct about the rueful expression, only she’d omitted to add the wry grin shaping his lips into something more, leaving her to wonder if he’d let it develop.

She also hadn’t imagined that both his hands would be held up in supplication.

“Permission to address the bench, your honor?”

“Ohhhh,” she replied with mock astonishment, “let me get this straight. You think I’m judging you ?” Handing him his daughter, she grabbed a brush and fussed with Benny’s still baby-soft hair.

“Irony. Funny. However, surely, I have the right to state my case?”

She pressed down the bubble of laughter that always jiggled to get free when he let his humor shine through, like now.

She’d been seeing more of it and hoped it was a sign of his building trust for her.

“Au contraire. I believe the court is well aware that you are a good father; a very concerned father—but one who is acting just a bit crazy right now.”

“ Crazy? Harsh.”

“You prefer weird ?”

“Weird?” His genuine bewilderment was almost endearing.

“What?” Hers, maybe not so endearing. “You think creeping around behind me, checking on everything I do is normal behavior?”

“You think I shouldn’t check to see if my daughter is being properly cared for?”

“Of course. You have that complete right and if you didn’t care I’d probably have bopped you on the nose by now. But the hovering , Leo. It is a bit weird.”

Those impressive shoulders slumped, doing nothing to detract from their impressiveness.

“Okay, okay… Point taken. It’s just that I’ve got used to doing those things for her myself and I guess it’s harder to hand over than I thought it would be.

And, in my defense,” he said, hands aloft, deflecting her response, “can I just say that the previous contenders for this position left me with a poor impression of nannydom.”

“Nannydom?” She shook her head, laughter bubbling. “But to address your point—and for the umpteenth time—I am not one of those nannies. For that matter,” she added somewhat flatly, “I’m not really even a nanny. I’m just someone who cares for these children—my own or not.”

He truly did look properly chagrined this time.

“I know. Thing is, that’s something I’m very grateful for.

I couldn’t ask for my daughter to be better cared for than she is with you.

” He dragged a hand through his hair. “And you’re right, so I promise I’ll try to back off.

” Passing Mia back to her he stepped back, turning to leave.

“And just so you know,” he called back to her, “I do realize you’re not like the other nannies.

For starters, not one of them backtalked me. ” His tone held amused exasperation.

A little snort escaped her as she put the baby down on her bottom to play with Benny, Ella busied herself picking up the damp towels and assorted clothing to toss into the laundry hamper.

“That’s life Leo,” she returned, loud enough so he didn’t miss it, “sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad.”

There’d been a comeback, but it was too low for her to decipher. Still, she was smiling as she checked the room over, tidying a few toys and books. Like the room on the lower floor, this room was fully furnished.

The first time she’d stepped into Mia’s room she’d allowed herself a rare tinge of envy—not for its frothy pink-and-white homage to fairy princesses, and not for the bright artwork, or the books and toys—but for the reminder of what they’d left behind when she’d fled.

Benny had had such a room once; a room, thanks to his father, that was extravagant and over the top—but it had been Benny’s space.

If Emile hadn’t died, he would still have all that.

The reminders of the life they’d left made her sad for her baby boy.

It had been a brief moment of wallowing though, because right on its tail came the reminder of why she’d left, and while it hadn’t been easy, she’d not once regretted doing so. Benny might not have those material possessions, but surely the love and security she provided were of far more value?

Emerging from Mia’s room into the corridor, she moved with her usual briskness, first ensuring the doors to the bathroom accessed from both her room and Mia’s were firmly closed before checking, too, that Leo hadn’t forgotten to latch the baby-safe gate at the top of the stairs.

It was in place before she’d arrived, so of course he ensured it was secured.

With both children happily playing for the moment and safe from all and any inherent danger, she slipped into the room she’d been allocated to make her bed and freshen Benny’s crib.

Leo had generously offered another room for her son, but she was happy to have him with her.

The man’s generosity hadn’t stopped there, but she’d assured him she had everything she needed for Benny—at least for now.

Her boy would be tall like his father, and she was becoming more and more aware that soon he’d need his first bed, something that the magnanimous wage she was being paid would easily cover when the time came.

As always, her heart squeezed at the thought of Benny growing older, becoming independent.

He was and would ever be her main focus.

She’d thought long and hard about accepting Leo’s offer to live in, wondered how it would affect Benny, but so far, she had to admit it hadn’t been as tricky to navigate as she’d expected.

Apart from Leo’s constant monitoring.

Actually, if she hadn’t already met Leo several times and learned of his backstory; it was possible she might have been completely creeped out.

But knowing the entire Halligan family, especially his sister Joanne, and soon-to-be sisters-in-law, Evie and Liberty, who were fast becoming more than friends to her, explained a lot.

But she did have that advantage, so his hovering was mostly an irritation.

Stories of his overprotective daddy behavior were legendary within the family circle, so she gave him another pass.

In fact, much to her vexation, the only vibes she picked up from him so far were more likely to have her running to him than away from him.

She was working on that.

But he wasn’t making it easy.

Up to now she hadn’t been able to find any sneaky little habits that would turn the dial back on her attraction. He didn’t pick at his toenails, or have the table manners of a pig, he wasn’t boastful or arrogant—and he respected women.

Really, it left her nowhere to go! Still, a girl could hope. A snort of amusement burst from her. She was wishing for her boss to be a jerk.

Having straightened her room, she looked around.

If she hadn’t seen the room downstairs—and Mia’s room—she’d have accused him of having no interior design instinct at all.

The room was very basically furnished, boasting no real style or color scheme.

Leo had apologized; given her cart blanche to make it her own, at his expense.

But she’d put that on the backburner, she was still acquainting herself with how the house ran, as well as Mia’s routine, and how it fit with Benny’s.

It was certainly a far cry from the rooms she’d once called her own—and which spanned both ends of the luxury/poverty spectrum. The latter experienced in these past eighteen months as finances had allowed.