by Jenny Frame
“Then what happened?” Trent asked.
To Wendy’s surprise, Trent started to play alongside her. She played too?
“I worked with families that were struggling because of parents working hard and having no time and kids acting out because of it, and I wanted to make things better if I could. I didn’t want them to be like my family.”
“Your family…I always assumed you had a great, loving family because you’re so good with children.”
Did she really want to talk about this? If she wanted Trent to open up, then yes. Trent was doing well with the kids, but she was holding back a big part of herself, almost like she was scared to let them fully in.
“My parents were scientists. They worked for a drugs company. I was an unexpected inconvenience. Mum and Dad never wanted children, and in fact I don’t know why they were married. You know, I never saw them give each other a peck on the lips? They were more like lab partners. Anyway, I would come home from school and we’d all eat dinner in different rooms.”
“I know how that feels,” Trent piped up.
Wendy was encouraged. Telling her story was getting Trent to think of hers.
“But I had two saving graces, my grandma and grandpa on my dad’s side. I don’t know how my dad ended up an emotionless, socially awkward person because they were the most loving people you could find. I stayed with them as much as I could. It broke my heart when they passed away.”
Wendy’s voice cracked on that last sentence, and Trent covered Wendy’s hand on the keys. “That’s why you want to mend families.”
“When I was young, I always wished that Peter Pan would come and rescue me, like he did for my namesake. It was my favourite book, and I used to have dreams I would escape to Neverland. It never happened, though. I didn’t want the children I looked after to feel like that, so I helped and counselled the family as much as I could.”
Everything had gotten intimate all of a sudden. The room was lit only by the lamp in the corner, giving the room a romantic feel, and the touch of Trent’s fingers as they came close on the piano keyboard was sending electricity all over her body. This was not the hard, emotionless lawyer that Kira and the press talked about.
“You haven’t met your Peter, Wendy Darling?” Trent covered Wendy’s hand on the keyboard and the music stopped, but her heart beat like a drum. You, her heart answered, but she knew not to trust her heart. Love brought nothing but hurt.
“Anyway, it wasn’t all bad,” Wendy said, trying to tone down the intense atmosphere. “I was lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa. Other children have no one.”
* * *
Trent didn’t let go of Wendy’s hand. She didn’t want to. Since Wendy had come into her life, everything that was black and white was now in colour, and every unshakable rule she had didn’t seem to matter any more. Was she really falling for Wendy?
But she was so much younger than Trent, and to make things more extreme, Wendy was going to be a university student before long. She wished she had Becca to talk to, the only other woman who had made her heart ache.
“Who taught you to play?” Wendy asked.
“My nanny beat it into me. I haven’t played in a long, long time.”
Wendy brought her hand to her mouth. “Your nanny hit you?”
Trent’s stomach started to roil. This was something she never talked about. It made her feel hurt and weak.
“Yes, both she and my father. My mother, on the other hand, was the gentlest, kindest woman you could meet. Father was a terrifying man. It was only when I grew older and stronger than him that he couldn’t push me around any more. It’s sad, but the day he died was the first time I felt truly free.”
“I understand.”
Wendy turned in her seat and Trent flinched when Wendy touched her fingers to the scar above her eyebrow.
“How did you get this?”
Wendy’s touch was tender, gentle, and Trent didn’t want it to stop. She didn’t want to think about how she got the scar. She wanted to study Wendy’s beautiful face, and she found herself getting closer and closer to her lips. She wanted to feel Wendy’s lips, to taste them, but all of a sudden Wendy pulled back and jumped up from the seat.
“I’m sorry. I’ve done it again, being too hands-on and touchy-feely. I shouldn’t be invading your space and touching your scar.”
Trent stood up and reached for her hand. “No, you don’t have to be sorry. I feel—” She was about to say she wanted Wendy to touch her, that she could feel something growing between them, when Wendy stopped her and put her hand up between them.
“No, it’s not right for me to do that. You’re my boss and it’s not appropriate. I’m sorry for being overfamiliar and making you uncomfortable. It won’t happen again. It wouldn’t be good for the children to see me so familiar with you. They’d be confused.”
Wendy said it in such a way that Trent felt she was telling her there could be nothing between them, without hurting her feelings.
Who was she trying to kid? Of course a young, free-spirited woman like Wendy wasn’t interested in an older, bad-tempered person like her. Wendy probably got this kind of attention all the time in her nannying jobs.
“Of course, of course, you’re right,” Trent stuttered. “I’ll leave you to it, and I’ll be in my office.”
* * *
Trent hurried off to her office and shut the door quickly. She slapped herself on the forehead. “What the hell are doing, you idiot? You don’t seduce the nanny.”
Then the memory that had eluded her lately came crashing into her mind. When her mother was quite ill with cancer, and was getting distressed by the pain, she had ran from her bedside to find some help and found Nanny Wilson and her father William in a heated clinch.
They broke apart when they heard her gasp, and she ran. It was after that things got a lot worse.
Trent was in shock at the new memory. How could her father have an affair while her mother was lying in bed, ill and dying? She felt tears come to her eyes, tears for her mother’s betrayal by her father. Had her mother known about it? She hoped not.
She went over to her desk and sat down, trying to calm herself. She shouldn’t have been shocked—cheating and betrayal were the stock-in-trade of divorce lawyers. When her clients told her their stories, it never bothered her one jot, even as emotion overcame them in her London office.
But putting her own mother in their shoes made her see the real pain and distress betrayal could cause. In her own personal life, she had never cheated on anyone, despite her reputation for enjoying the company of women. Trent had never cheated on Becca, never even thought about it. Becca had been all she needed.
Since they broke up, Trent had always been up front with the women she met—she didn’t want a relationship. She’d thought her heart wouldn’t ever want to love again after Becca, but Wendy was making it wake from its slumber.
But Wendy had made things quite clear out there. Their relationship would have to remain professional.
Chapter Thirteen
On Saturday Trent took Alice to her child psychologist appointment while Wendy went to a dental appointment. Both she and Wendy didn’t think it wise to take Noah along to the appointment, so Wendy had arranged for Kira to look after Noah at her flat.
Trent parked outside Kira’s block of flats and got Noah out of his car seat.
“I won’t be long, Ali,” Trent said.
She held Noah’s hand and they walked to the front door of the flat, Noah holding tightly to his new favourite dinosaur that Trent had bought him. Kira was waiting for them with a big smile and open arms for Noah.
“Hello again, Noah,” Kira said.
She hugged him as warmly as Wendy did. Trent had expected Wendy’s friend to look like her, straight from a summer folk festival, but Kira dressed more like the sophisticated lawyers she mixed with every day. She was very good looking but not in the way that made Trent’s heart race like Wendy did.
Kira offered her han
d. “Hi, I’m Kira.”
“Nice to meet you. It’s very good of you to look after Noah for me. We were in a bit of a bind with Wendy’s dentist appointment when it was.”
Kira stroked Noah’s head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to spend more time with this cute boy.”
“Thank you,” Trent said.
She crouched down, as she had learned to do, and spoke to Noah face to face. “I’m going to take Ali to the doctor now, but Wendy will pick you up from here soon, and I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.” Noah threw his arms around her neck and hugged her. She was starting to get used to hugs and kisses and it was actually nice to be missed.
“Be a good boy, okay?” Trent said.
“Uh-huh, bye, Trent.”
Trent walked back to the car and got in. She looked back and saw Ali was looking tense. Wendy had said that Ali clammed up when they went to see the doctor.
“Ali? Do you want to sit in the front with me?” Trent said.
Alice nodded vigorously, got out of the car, and jumped into the front seat. She sat quietly and Trent was unsure what to say. The silence was awkward.
Why am I not better at this?
“Shall I put on some music?”
Alice nodded but said nothing.
“You pick the station, then. Show me what kind of music you like,” Trent said.
She picked a pop station and Trent forced herself to smile. It was the kind of noisy music she imagined Dale enjoying.
“Sounds good, let’s go.”
They arrived at the car park just a few minute’s walk from Harley Street. Trent parked and turned off the engine, then looked at her watch.
“We’re here in plenty of time. Are you ready?” Trent asked.
“I don’t want to go,” Alice said and started to cry.
Oh no. How was she going to handle this without Wendy? She took Alice’s hand. “Don’t upset yourself. Why don’t you want to go? Is the doctor not nice to you?”
“She’s nice, but she makes me talk. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to remember what happened to Dad.”
Alice was getting really upset and was in danger of going into a full-on panic attack, and now Trent was starting to panic. She had to get Alice into the appointment.
Then it came to her. Negotiation. Trent’s career was built on negotiation, and that was something she could understand. She got a packet of tissues out of the glovebox. “Look at me, Ali.”
She did and the girl’s tear-stained face broke her heart. She knew exactly how Alice felt, and it wasn’t pleasant to remember. She wiped Alice’s tears and said, “Take big breaths for me and we’ll talk about it. Breathe with me.”
Alice breathed along with her, calming with each breath. Trent was surprised by her intense feelings of protectiveness. These children were worming their way into her heart.
When Alice was calmer, Trent said, “Listen, I’ll make you a deal. If you go to see the doctor today, and give it one last try, I won’t make you go back if you don’t want to. We’ll find another way.”
“Do you promise?”
Trent had an idea. She took a small notepad and pen from the centre console of the car.
“Why don’t we do this. I’m a lawyer, I deal in contracts, and I see to it that people follow contracts to the letter. Why don’t we write out a contract and we both sign it?”
Alice wiped her eyes and gave her a small smile. “Okay.”
* * *
Wendy trudged up the stairs to Kira’s flat, laden down with bags. She had taken the opportunity of having no children with her to pick up some things for Trent’s birthday dinner. The kids had made a list of items, and Wendy wanted to make it special. It would be a chance for them to bond even more.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Trent and Alice, worried how they were both getting on together. Alice’s appointment with the psychologist was always a stressful and emotional day for the little girl, and she hoped Trent was handling it okay.
Trent was coming on leaps and bounds with the children. The change in her had been remarkable, but there was still so much of Trent she was hiding inside, and going by the stories about her father and nanny, she wasn’t surprised. Her childhood had bred a woman who prized emotional control, strength, and showing care through money, presents, and taking care of people financially.
Then there was her own heart that seemed determined to fall for the troubled lawyer, despite the harm that love had brought to her life in the past. Wendy stopped at Kira’s door and tried to catch her breath. “No, I can’t.” She knocked on the door before using her key and stepped into the flat. “Knock, knock, it’s me,” Wendy said.
“Wendy!” Noah shouted and ran over from the couch to hug her.
Kira followed him and took some of her bags. “You’ve been busy.”
“It’s things for Trent’s birthday next weekend.” Wendy looked down to Noah. “We want it to be special, don’t we, little man?”
“Uh-huh. You get balloons?” Noah asked.
“Lots.”
Kira gave her a questioning look then said, “Noah, I’ll bring you some juice. Why don’t you finish watching your cartoons?”
“Okay.”
He ran off, and Wendy went to the kitchen table and put her bags on the floor. Once Kira returned from giving Noah his juice, Kira asked, “Tea?”
“That would be lovely. Thanks for looking after Noah,” Wendy said as she took a seat.
Kira got out two cups and switched on the kettle. “It’s no trouble at all. He’s a great boy. So, what’s this about Trent’s birthday?”
“She asked me to organize a dinner party for her fortieth birthday. She didn’t want anything, but her friends persuaded her.”
Kira poured the tea and said, “Are you going?”
“What? No. I’m just doing the cooking and organizing. Look…” Wendy rummaged through her bags and pulled out a canvas picture and a photo of the children in a nice silver frame. “The canvas is for her home office. I got the shop to fit all the nice photos of her and the children I’ve taken, and the smaller frame is for her office. So she has pictures of the children in each place.”
Kira raised an eyebrow. “And what are they for?”
Wendy gave her an incredulous look. “They’re a gift for her birthday from me and the kids.”
“From you and the kids.”
“What?” Wendy said, “You said that as if it had some significance.”
Kira shrugged. “It seems as if you’re close to her, that’s all. I mean making so much effort for her party and giving her a gift. She is your employer.”
Wendy was starting to feel a bit defensive. “It’s for the children, Ki. I’m trying to bring them together. I don’t want to leave them without helping them make bonds that will last. Trent is Alice and Noah’s only hope for family.”
“And that’s all?” Kira asked.
“Of course it is. You must have seen how far Trent has come from the way I first described her?”
“I did see the way she talked to Noah when she brought him, but you have to remember that she’s a ruthless lawyer with a vicious reputation. There’s a reason why people pay fortunes to hire her.”
Wendy didn’t like that description of Trent. “That’s work, and besides, she’s changing.” She whispered so that Noah wouldn’t hear. “Trent didn’t want to be in the same room as the kids at the start, and now she’s spending every Sunday with them on her own and taking Alice to see her psychologist—besides…she had a horrible childhood, Ki. She’s damaged.”
Kira placed her fingers on her forehead and shook her head. “Damaged? Now I know you’re into her.”
“I am not into her, Ki. She’s my boss. Besides, why do you say damaged like that?”
“Ki, every woman you’ve ever had the hots for was damaged. You have this Mary Poppins syndrome where you want to fix everyone. Every family you’ve worked for you’ve tried to fix too. Remember, I’ve seen you
r family photo album on your phone.”
Wendy was feeling exposed. That’s not what she did, was it? “I just try to help the families I’m with, and I don’t have the hots for damaged women.”
“Oh, please, Dee. You know you do. You’re a sucker for a hard luck story. Remember, I know the women you dated at uni, and then Bailey came along with the best hard-luck damaged story going. You fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”
“She had a lot of problems, yes, but—”
Ki leaned forward and took Wendy’s hand. “Every time you nearly saw the light and were going to break up with her, she came up with a new set of problems to hook you in.”
Wendy saw that was true with hindsight, but things were different now, weren’t they?
“Maybe in the past, but I went away from home to heal and change. I haven’t, and I will never let anyone back into my heart, but this is different. I’m helping a family, not Trent. We’ve talked a lot after the kids have gone to bed, and it’s been nice to make such a difference in a family.”
“Evening chats? Was there wine?” Kira asked.
“Wine? Yes, she offered me a glass or two. What difference does that make?”
“It’s part of the seduction. You know how people have a thing about nannies. First comes wine, then the sympathy stories, my wife doesn’t understand me, my mummy and daddy didn’t understand me. You know this—besides she’s a lot older than you,” Kira said.
Kira said that like it was a problem, but Wendy liked that about Trent. The thought of being with an older woman attracted her. She wouldn’t have to feel the pressure of being the grown-up all the time. But was Kira right? Was she being seduced?
She thought back to sitting at the piano with Trent. They’d talked, and the feelings Trent expressed were raw—she couldn’t be faking them. But Kira was right. Trent was a very different person in her work life and a tough negotiator. Was she being negotiated into bed? If she hadn’t gotten up from the piano when she did, they would have kissed.