by Lisa Scott
She paid the driver, took a deep breath, and tried to erase the image of seven beautiful children from her mind. This was her dream, and she’d finally made it. She walked into the restaurant and told the hostess she was meeting Mark Hunt.
“Right this way,” she said, leading her to a table.
This is really happening! She smoothed her hands down her skirt.
Mark stood up and introduced himself, and Shawna liked him immediately. He was in his thirties, and dressed in an expensive suit. She’d googled his company and read incredible things about Golden Egg productions.
She shook his hand, “It’s so mice to neet you,” she said, then plopped in her seat, mortified. “I mean, it’s so nice to meet you. I have to admit, I’m really nervous. This is such an incredible opportunity. I can’t believe how lucky I am.” She grinned at him, hoping she seemed more enthusiastic than desperate and pathetic.
He frowned for a moment, then forced a smile, and she wondered if she’d blown it. “I’m just glad you’re going to be able to fill in on such short notice,” he said. They ordered drinks, and he got right down to the details of the job—and the incredible salary—and the opportunities this would no doubt bring her.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
She twisted her napkin in her lap. “I’d have to leave a fantastic job I have right now. I’m a nanny to seven wonderful kids. I’d hate to leave them. They lost their mother last year, but how could I pass this up? I’ve been dreaming of this kind of opportunity since I was little.” She sat on her hands to keep them still. “One of my few memories of my mother is dancing with her. She was a ballerina, but then she developed cancer. She wrote me a letter before she died, telling told me I’d grow up to do great things.”
Mark looked down.
Maybe she was revealing too much, but she couldn’t stop now. Shaw pressed her eyes shut, hoping to keep back the tears. “She’d be so proud to see me on TV.” She blew out a breath and looked at him. Why was she hesitating? She had to take this job; but something was holding her back. “I just wish my father were still alive to talk this over with.” She stared out the window, wishing her heart would give her the right answer. Would she regret it forever if she passed this up?
Mark sighed and set down his drink. “Hell, I didn’t look horrible in that bustier,” he mumbled.
“Excuse me?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. The offer’s off the table.”
She sat up. “What? Why?” She shouldn’t have hesitated. He was probably questioning her commitment.
“I can’t do this to you, kid,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
He shifted in his seat, looking around the room. “You have to promise not to say anything to Veronica. She set this up, there is no job, she just wanted to get you away from the man you’re nannying for. I owed her a favor, and said I’d offer you a position that would force you to quit and leave town.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re too nice to do this to. Don’t tell her I tipped you off. Just tell her you wouldn’t take it, okay? I don’t know what you did to her, but watch yourself.”
Her heart tumbled, but luckily the anger in her gut kept the tears from falling, too. “Thanks for being honest with me. I’ll keep this between you and me.” She pushed away from the table, wondering why Veronica hated her so much.
***
Veronica showed up at Jeremy’s bright and early the next morning. Hopefully, Shawna had already packed up her things and left for Boston, and Veronica would be there to save the day.
But then Shaw answered the door.
Veronica felt her smile fall. “What are you doing here?”
“Nannying, like I always do. Why? Did you expect me to be somewhere else?”
“No. Not at all. Why would I think that? I was just stopping by. I thought you’d be taking the children to day care, that’s all.” Good recovery, she thought to herself.
“We don’t leave for another hour.” Shaw stepped aside so Veronica could come in. “Actually,” Shaw said, “I was offered a fabulous job touring the country as the host of a dating show. Just out of the blue! Imagine my luck.”
“What wonderful news! When do you leave?”
Shawna shook her head. “I just love my position here so much, I couldn’t take it.
Veronica froze, as an icy chill shot through her. “Why not? Why ever wouldn’t you take it? It’s everything you’ve ever wanted!”
Shawna folded her arms and smiled at her. “Maybe what I’ve wanted has changed. And it’s all thanks to you setting me up with this job. I really like the kids. And Jeremy, too. He’s out, by the way.”
Veronica pursed her lips, turned on her heel and marched down the hall.
She waited until she got home to scream. Then she composed herself. If she couldn’t get rid of the nanny, then she’d just have to out-nanny her. “A determined Midas woman is an unbeatable foe,” she said, repeating her mother’s words.
***
That Saturday night, with her hair in a ponytail (that she slaved over for half an hour to get just so) Veronica put on her yoga pants and a comfortable shirt so she could dance and sing and play and do whatever else the little hellions wanted to do. Maybe she’d wear the kids out so they’d go to bed early. No, I want Jeremy to see me interacting with them when he gets home. Panic swelled in her chest. What if he had fun with Shawna? What if they stayed out late? Jeremy usually rushed home before eleven to be sure the kids were okay.
Veronica showed up half an hour early, hoping for a little alone time before they went out. She shouldn’t be upset by this. He was being thoughtful by not inviting her to a place where she’d feel uncomfortable. She felt better as she waited to be let in.
But then Shawna opened the door in a stunning lilac gown with her hair pulled up off her slender neck. Someone who knew what they were doing had made up her face. Veronica forced a smile. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
Shawna looked down and smoothed her hands over her hips. “This isn’t good?”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be fine. No one will pay you any mind.” She pushed past her and walked into the apartment. “Now where are my favorite children in the whole wide world?
“I’m not sure, but Jeremy’s kids are in the playroom.”
Veronica narrowed her eyes at her then stalked off down the hall. “Kids? I’m here. Who’s ready to have some super-duper fun? We’re going to play games and make crafts and…” God. What else do people do with kids? She just hoped Jeremy was nearby to hear this interaction with the children.
“Good, you’re here,” he said, walking down the hall adjusting his cuff links. She sucked in a breath. The man was so handsome. That used to be her top priority in a guy—good looks. But then her job as a marketing assistant had her landlord pounding on her door every month because her rent was late. When he gave her the eviction notice she had three choices: find a cheaper apartment, which would be impossible—she was already at the bottom of the barrel; find a roommate—not gonna happen; or find a man to take care of her like her mother had advised her all along. God, she hated when her mother was right.
She’d thrown up the day she quit her job to marry her first husband. But then she’d never looked back. She’d been blessed with good looks and brains, but the brains hadn’t gotten her far enough. It was time for plan B—her mother’s plan.
And once she’d decided the working world wasn’t for her and her best chance was to land a man, she’d convinced herself looks didn’t matter. A handsome bank account was the important thing.
But Jeremy? Her mother would love Jeremy; he had both. She wondered if her mother had seen him in the building. How long was it going to take to land this man? Mother would be so proud of her once she did.
She straightened her shoulders and smiled at Jeremy. “I can’t wait to spend some time with the kids.”
“Good. I think they’re looking forward to it, too.”
She couldn’t help not
ice the way he escorted Shaw out the door with his hand on her lower back. He rarely did that to her. When he brushed a tendril of hair off Shaw’s face, Veronica marched into the playroom to show these kids the best damn time they’d ever seen.
***
“But I don’t want to color!” Jake stomped his foot, ran to his room, and locked the door.
She slumped against the wall. Fine. One less to watch. “Jenny? Maddie? How about those makeovers I promised?”
They dropped the dolls they were coloring with Sharpies and followed Veronica to the dining room where she’d set a big mirror on the table, along with lipsticks and nail polish, four different kinds of hair spray and all the other ammunition she had to look as good as she did. “You girls always say how pretty I am, how would you like to look like me?”
“Yes, yes!” they cried together.
Veronica sat down in front of the mirror to reapply her lipstick. “Let me show what I use, then we’ll put it on you, okay?”
“Okay,” they said in singsong.
She popped open her favorite berry-colored lipstick and swiped it across her top lip. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. “Who’s the prettiest lady in the whole wide world?” she asked. She loved hearing them say, ‘You are, you are!’ She went to work on her bottom lip while waiting for their answer.
Jenny looked at Maddie and shrugged. “Snow. Snow White is.”
The lipstick trailed off her lip. “You mean Shawna? Shaw?”
They nodded enthusiastically. “We like to call her Snow.”
She tried to force a smile, but couldn’t. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you, you naughty girls?”
The twins shook their heads.
Veronica gulped. “You think she’s prettier than me?”
“We used to think you were the prettiest, but Snow has prettier hair, and her face doesn’t have those lines around her eyes.”
What was she getting botox for if these twerps could still see her wrinkles?
“And she sings so pretty and we just like her a lot.”
Veronica slammed her makeup case shut and turned the mirror around. “I think we’re all done with our makeovers for tonight.”
“Aww. Please?”
“No.” And with that, plans to make cookies were canceled, as was story time, and the board game. She sat the children on the couch and gave them each a book to read while she raided the kitchen for chocolate.
Snow White. Ugh. They had a nickname for her! And this was all her fault suggesting Shawna work here.
After eating half a bag of ancient chocolate chips, she slumped on the couch, flicked on a movie for the children—without any popcorn—and fell asleep.
***
Shaw was so nervous being around so many beautiful, well-dressed people, she spent the entire night at Jeremy’s side. She wondered if any of them had known her father. Probably. This is the kind of event he went to from time to time. Hell, this is probably where he’d met the thief who’d convinced him to invest in the Magic Bean coffee company. He’d lost most of his money when the scam was uncovered two years later.
Jeremy looked at her and smiled. “This really isn’t your kind of thing, is it?”
She wrinkled her nose. “It’s not. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not my thing, either. But it’s a great place to meet new clients. I think I’ve done enough networking tonight, though.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go look at the animals.”
“Should I find some other people to line up and walk like a penguin?” She stuck her hands out at her side and shuffled a few steps.
He laughed. “No, just you and me this time.”
That sent her heart tumbling into her stomach. “Not the reptile house. That might freak me out at night.”
“Let’s go see what the polar bears are up to.” He set his hand on her lower back again, and that set off another round of shivers.
The moon was full and the night was chilly. Shaw tightened the shawl around her shoulders. Jeremy noticed and wrapped his arm around her. “This has been a really nice night. I love watching you with the kids, but getting to talk to you without cartoons in the background or three children hanging on my leg is nice for a change.”
“You’re going to have quite a few more busy years with those kiddos.”
He stopped and stared at her. “I certainly hope not all by myself.”
She beamed at him. “I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”
He ran his finger down her cheek. “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before you land one of those auditions.”
She shrugged, hoping he didn’t notice the shiver that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with his soft touch. “It would have to be something pretty special to get me to leave.” She knew that now, after Veronica’s little scheme. But would she say no to all offers?
“Good. We like having you around.”
She felt herself frown at the word ‘we.’
He noticed, tipping her chin up with one finger. “I mean, I like having you around. Even if I didn’t have the kids, I’d like having you around.” He sighed and looked up at the moon. “I’m so bad at this.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Is there anyway to make this work between us? Or is it too difficult because of the kids?”
“You’d be willing to take the risk? If it didn’t work out, I can’t imagine I’d be able to stay on as the nanny.” She looked down.
“I’ve thought about that. But I think finding someone to love is even harder than finding a nanny. Especially when you’ve got seven children to love, too.”
She raised her face to his. “I’d say it’s worth a chance.” And as her heart thudded, he bent down and brushed his lips against hers. She kissed him back, thinking of that couple smooching in the street. She’d kiss Jeremy in the middle of rush hour traffic. Then Shaw frowned, imagining a semi running her down.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Veronica,” she whispered. “She’s going to be livid.”
He sighed. “I was too stupid to see she was interested. I just thought she was being a good friend. I was too numb to notice anything. But she’ll understand, right?”
Shaw blinked a few times. “Sure. Maybe.” Never.
***
Jeremy kissed her one more time before they went in the apartment. “Let’s not tell her tonight,” Shaw said. She wanted to be sure all the knives in the house were hidden.
“Okay.” He unlocked the door and led her inside. “I usually don’t get home this late. It’s after midnight.” She followed him into the living room where Veronica was sprawled across the couch with the triplets asleep on the other end. John and Lizzie were snuggled up on a chair, and Jenny and Maddie were asleep on the floor.
“I guess they conked each other out,” Shaw said.
Veronica stirred on the couch and opened her eyes. “Oh, you’re home already.” She sat up, smoothing her hair and tugging down her shirt. “I guess we had so much fun we just dozed off.”
Jenny and Maddie woke up and rubbed their eyes. “Daddy!” They launched themselves at him and grabbed his legs.
“Did you have fun with Veronica?” he asked.
Jenny stuck out her lower lip. “No. She got mad and wouldn’t give us makeovers.”
He frowned. “What did you two do to her?”
“We said Snow was prettier than she is and she got really, really angry.”
Veronica popped up from the couch. “What? Oh, no, no, no girls. You must have misunderstood me.”
The twins glared at her with their hands on their hips. “Did not. You said—”
“Oh, who can remember what we said?” Veronica interrupted. “Now let’s get you into bed.”
“That’s okay, Veronica. We’ve got it.” Jeremy turned to Shaw. “I’ll get the triplets, you want to handle the rest?”
“Sure.”
Jeremy reached out and squeezed her hand. Veronica�
��s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Jeremy, I promised the children I’d make them dinner tomorrow. Shall I stop by at five?”
Jeremy looked at Shaw. “Sure. We have some things to talk about.”
“Good. It’ll be a dinner for the ages.” She scooped up her makeup in the dining room and let herself out. “See you tomorrow.” The door slammed behind her.
“We’ll tell her about us tomorrow after dinner, when the kids are in bed.”
“It won’t be pretty.”
He kissed her again and grinned. “No, not as pretty as you. I have to agree with the kids.”
She bopped him with a throw pillow from the couch.
***
Veronica could very easily panic over this, but she chose not to. She was moving on to another strategy: making Shaw look bad. She’d show off her cooking skills, and maybe even set up Shaw to have a few accidents with the children. Her mind was concocting all sorts of ideas—missed appointments, lost shoes, and hell, maybe even lost kids. Veronica wasn’t stupid. She’d graduated Magna Cum Laude from college. She’d told Shaw’s father not to invest in that Magic Bean company. The numbers just didn’t add up. But he didn’t listen to her, and he’d lost them almost everything.
But she was Veronica Midas. She would land another man, and that man was going to be Jeremy James.
***
Veronica remembered making a chicken potpie with the cook one weekend when she was a child. She’d make two of them, and then a big apple pie. She made a trip to the market to buy the ingredients, and tried on five different outfits before settling on a simple, but elegant dress. Then she splurged on a cab ride to Grimm Towers where she was in the fight of her life.
Shaw was playing Twister with the kids when Jeremy let her in. “You really don’t have to do this. You told me you hate cooking,” he said, taking the grocery bags from her.
She pressed her hand against her chest. “Oh, no. I meant I hate cooking for just me. But cooking for all these hungry little mouths? What a dream. I hope they like chicken pot pie and apple pie?
“You’re making pies for dinner?” Tyler asked. “That’s odd.”
“Just wait and see. Now run off and play with the nanny and let me get started on our delicious meal.”