by Heather B. Moore, Kaylee Baldwin, Annette Lyon, Jennifer Moore, Shannon Guymon, Sarah M. Eden
And Brian. She pushed the painful thoughts away and cleared her throat, then turned toward Fitz and the conversation he was attempting. She was here, and she had to look to the future.
“You make California sound perfect. Tell me more about yourself,” she said, falling back on her go-to line when she realized she had nothing to say. “You’re a native. What else?” Getting people to talk about themselves was much easier than actually talking. Plus, it meant she got to sit back, relax and listen. Win-win.
Fitz shrugged and zipped over two lanes of traffic. She grabbed her heart and gasped as they came within a foot of hitting another car.
“I’m just a regular guy,” Fitz said casually. “I work for the Jameses during the day as a driver and go to school a few nights during the week. They pay well, and they’re flexible with my schedule, so I’m lucky. I even get to see my dad and two younger brothers who still live in Culver.”
Jo looked at him in confusion. “Wait, so you’re not a model?” she asked doubtfully.
He grinned back. “You thought I was a model?” He sounded delighted.
She blushed, wishing heartily she hadn’t blurted that out. Yet she couldn’t help but ask. “You’re not?”
Fitz laughed, and she glanced over, enjoying the deep, rich sound as it filled the car. “Flattering, but no, I told you— I’m going to school to be a civil engineer. What about you? Are you a career nanny?”
Jo let out a long breath and pressed her hands to her hot face. Talk. Right. I can be normal.
“I’m probably the farthest thing from a career nanny. I haven’t even babysat anyone in at least seven years. I have a degree in art. I’ve been trying to get a job as a graphic artist, but with the economy and everything, it’s a tough field to break into.” She automatically ground her teeth a little in frustration.
Fitz smiled with commiseration. “The movie studios are always hiring good artists. After you’re done being a nanny, you may decide you want to stick around.” He zoomed ahead then slipped between two cars with inches to spare, making her squeal and cover her face. She prepared for impact with the semi beside them.
“Relax. I take it this is your first time in California?”
Jo slowly lowered her hands as she gasped for air and stared at the seemingly millions of cars around them. “Yes, and I want to see the ocean before I die.”
Fitz laughed and turned up the radio. “We’ve got about a half hour to Santa Monica. Why don’t you take a little nap? The time will go by faster, and you won’t have to scream every few minutes.”
She glared at Fitz but decided to do as suggested since she’d rather have her eyes closed than stare death in the face. She covered her eyes with her arm and tried to get her breathing under control. The next thing she knew, she was being gently shaken awake.
“Hey, sleepyhead, we’re here. Home, sweet home,” he said as he pointed to the window.
Jo sat up, rubbing her eyes as she stared at the sprawling Mediterranean-style home. Fitz jumped out as she continued to stare at the huge house surrounded by sculpted bushes and bright flowerbeds with gorgeous palm trees that stood as tropical guards. She pushed the door open and got out, looking down at her black skinny jeans and vintage t-shirt that said Frankie Says Relax and the leather bracelets stacked up her left arm. She hoped the Jameses didn’t have a dress code.
“Tru and Nellie are excited to meet you.” Fitz got her suitcase and gestured toward the door. “Come on,” he said and walked toward the front door.
She cleared her throat nervously. Meeting the kids. Easy, peasy.
Fitz opened the door. She walked into the large entry and felt her mouth hanging open. Whoever designed this house had gone for big and bold. Everywhere she turned, there were bright splashes of reds and yellows with creams and bright blues. Warmth, light and color.
“Wow,” she whispered. She’d be living in this house? For the last nine years, ever since her dad had left them to live in Florida with his secretary, home had been a condo shared with her mom.
“You’ll get used to it,” Fitz whispered. He took her by the elbow and ushered her through the hallway into the family room with a spacious kitchen off to the right and an even more elaborate dining room, with the biggest chandelier she’d ever seen, to the left.
Jo swallowed another wave of nerves as she heard the sounds of bickering children.
“Shut up, Nellie. It’s my turn.”
Jo followed the sound of the voices to a small room off the side of the family room, which looked like a small theater, with a large screen on one wall and six large, red recliners. A boy and a younger girl sat together next to each other, and they did not look happy. The boy wore a scowl, and the girl had tears and a pout going strong.
“Typical,” Fitz whispered. “They fight constantly over whose turn it is to play Minecraft. It gets rather bloody sometimes. He’s eleven and she’s seven, so he feels it’s his right to hog the game.”
Jo frowned. “Well, that’s about to change.” She walked forward, clearing her throat. The two blond children jumped and turned around, looking surprised and wary at the same time. “You must be Truman and Nellie. I’m Jo, your new nanny.”
Truman wore tan pants and a white polo shirt. Nellie had on blue pants and a red polo. Typical school uniforms. Private school kids. She knew them on sight.
“You don’t look anything like Lindsey,” Truman said accusingly.
Jo laughed a little. It was true; she didn’t look anything like her cousin, who was tall and curvy, loud and happy and made friends easily. Jo was medium height, on the thin side, and more into books than people. These kids were in for a shock.
“You’re right,” she said, holding her arms out to her sides. “I’m not like Lindsey. Is that okay?”
Nellie stepped forward, revealing painfully tight ponytails. Jo winced. The poor girl looked as if someone had yanked every hair into place and glued it into submission.
“Do you give hugs like Lindsey?” Nellie asked, so softly that Jo had to lean forward to hear.
Hugs? No one had said anything about hugs. But at the yearning in Nellie’s voice, Jo decided that she did indeed give hugs. “I absolutely do. Free hugs for everyone,” she said with a nervous smile.
Truman narrowed his eyes suspiciously not buying it. Smart kid. Her mom had given Jo a brief hug that morning, but that was an anomaly. Jo hadn’t hugged or cuddled that much with her ex-boyfriend either, though they’d graduated to holding hands in public. Hugs had never been her thing.
“When is Lindsey coming back?” Truman asked as his shoulders slumped.
Fitz raised his eyebrows as he stepped toward Truman, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Dude, be nice. Give her a chance. Okay?”
Truman looked up into Fitz’s face and appeared to be close to tears. “But I miss Lindsey,” he whispered, then leaned his head against Fitz’s side as he put an arm around the boy’s shoulders.
The moment made Jo’s heart melt. Truman obviously loved Lindsey; losing her must have been hard.
Nellie stepped forward and put her hands on her hips. “I’ll give you a chance. What’s your name again?”
Jo cleared her throat to answer, but Fitz beat her to it. “Jolie.”
Nellie crinkled her nose. “What kind of name is Jolie?”
Fitz looked at Jo. “It means pretty in French. Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
Nellie smiled sweetly. “Yes. She has a fairy face.”
Jo blushed. A fairy face?
Truman glared at her. “I think she has a dwarf face,” he muttered.
Fitz narrowed his eyes warningly at Truman then turned to Jo. “I’ll take your suitcase upstairs. The children have an hour of free time while you get settled. Then I’ll give you their schedule so you can get familiar with it and look it over.”
Jo nodded and glanced back at Truman. “I’d like for you to call me Jo. And you’re right; I’m half-dwarf. That’s why your dad hired me. He knew you guys need
ed a nanny who knows how to throw an ax.”
Truman’s eyes widened with interest, and Nellie squealed in delighted surprise. Jo grinned at their reactions as she followed Fitz up a monstrous staircase then along an even longer hallway.
“You’re down here with me. The family’s rooms are on the other side of the house.” Fitz opened the door to a room and walked in, leaving her to follow. She walked in and took a moment to stare. The floor looked like painted concrete with swirls of different shades of purple and lavender. The room had a balanced and streamlined feel, although the bed looked comfortable, with a bright comforter with circles of pale lavender, and it was topped with bright purple throw pillows. One wall was covered with stacks of painted boxes. Some had pictures inside, others had vases.
I could use a few of them for my books, she thought, and smiled.
“Will it do?” Fitz asked. He looked at her with a half-smile, which did funny things to her stomach.
Jo blushed as she slipped her purse off her shoulder and tossed it on the bed. “It will do,” she said softly, walking over to the large window which looked out onto the backyard. She had to blink twice at the luxurious pool and hot tub. She felt Fitz move to stand beside her. She was suddenly aware of his body— even the heat from his arm.
“You’re welcome to use the pool whenever you want. The kids are great swimmers, so they spend a couple hours down there every day. I hope you brought a swimsuit.”
Jo cringed, thinking of her boring, black tankini. “I did. Thanks for picking me up and showing me around. I appreciate it.”
Fitz handed her a piece of paper. “Your instructions. Lila and Bax won’t be home until late tonight, so you’re in charge of dinner. If you have any questions, text me. My number’s on the list. I’ll be out running errands for Bax, but if you need anything, I’m just a call away. And if you need me to take you guys anywhere tomorrow, let me know.”
Jo nodded, grateful to have someone to turn to if she needed help. Fitz looked at her intently. “Nellie’s right. You do have a fairy face. Your mother was right to name you Jolie.” He gave her a warm smile before turning and walking out.
Jo was surprised that someone as good looking as he was would say something like that to her. She hurried to the mirror over the desk and studied her face. She ran her hands over her cheeks and smiled as a trickle of warmth filled her heart.
Pretty?
She’d never thought so, but if Fitz thought she was pretty, maybe she could be. Today was turning out to be surprisingly good.
Chapter Two
Be the Nanny
Jo walked downstairs an hour later to find the kids eating ice cream and watching Criminal Minds on a small TV in the kitchen. A gruesome scene came to view just as she turned the TV off, wincing.
“Wow. Okay, we’ll have to talk about appropriate shows for your age. That’s not one of them.” Hopefully Nellie wouldn’t have nightmares.
Truman rolled his eyes. “We can do whatever we want, including watch whatever shows we want.”
Jo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Be the nanny.
“Actually, your father said that I am in charge. What I say goes, and I say that this summer, we’re cutting down on the tech and going to explore.”
Truman looked intrigued. “School’s out in two days. What do you mean, we’re going to explore?”
“Fitz says he’ll drive us wherever we want to go, so I say we go everywhere— some national parks are nearby, so we can go camping.” She let her imagination run free and went on. “At the beach, we can build sandcastles and learn to surf. We can go to the Getty Museum. We can do anything. Each of us can pick a few things to do. Sound good?”
Nellie smiled and clapped. “We’re going on fieldtrips every day?”
Jo grinned. “We’re going to live, Nellie. And there’s more to life than sitting in a beautiful home and staring at different screens all day.” She heard a sigh and turned to look at the little boy. “What do you think, Truman?”
“Everybody calls me Tru… and I guess it sounds okay.” He didn’t sound excited at all.
Jo smiled and ruffled his pale-blond hair. “Good enough. I wonder what we should have for dinner.” She walked over to the subzero fridge and opened the door. Inside, she found everything she could have ever imagined asking for.
“Hummus and pesto,” she said looking at all of the different, colorful jars. “You guys have a very elegant diet.”
Nellie walked over and peeked under her arm. “Lindsey always made us macaroni and cheese. She didn’t like to cook.”
Frowning, Jo remembered her cousin’s addiction to Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and shut the door. Yuck. “Let’s take a field trip to a farmer’s market this week to pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables. I think you’ll like them as much as macaroni and cheese.”
“I doubt it.” Tru pushed his bowl away and leaned his chin on his arm. “Is Lindsey really not coming back? Ever?”
Jo felt her heart ache for the boy and walked over, putting a hand on his thin shoulder. “Now that she’s married, she goes wherever her husband goes. I’m sure she’ll come back for a visit, though.”
Truman’s face fell, and he looked at the counter, saying nothing. Nellie nudged Jo’s arm. “He needs a hug,” she whispered loudly.
Jo bit her lip and glanced at the miserable boy. He hadn’t denied his sister’s suggestion. Maybe he did want a hug. She leaned over and put her arms around Truman then laid her head against his. Within seconds, she felt his little shoulders begin to shake as he began crying. She sighed, pulled him more firmly against her, and rubbed his back.
“I hate it when life lets us down,” she said. “It hurts when people we love walk out as if our whole life didn’t revolve around them.” She closed her eyes as emotion welled up inside her. A moment later, she felt his two small arms wrap around her waist. She fell in love with the cranky little boy and knew she’d do anything to bring his smile back.
“If someone’s handing out hugs,” a voice across the room said, “then I want one too.”
Jo whipped around as Truman’s arms fell away. A tall, good-looking man leaned in the doorway, staring at her curiously. She blinked in surprise, not recognizing him. She’d Skyped with Baxter James, but this man was much too young. She looked at Truman questioningly.
“Hi, Haiden,” Truman said and wiped his eyes quickly on his sleeve.
“Well, what a tender moment,” Haiden said, walking into the kitchen and smiling brightly at the children before looking back at her.
As he walked closer and closer, Jo cleared her throat nervously. She couldn’t remember anyone mentioning a man named Haiden.
“I’m Lila’s brother,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “And you must be the nanny.” His eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. “You’re not what I expected.”
Jo laughed nervously and stepped back from Haiden, who was now standing very close. “What were you expecting?”
The man shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest, making his tanned biceps bulge. She might have been mistaken about Fitz’s job description, but this guy had to be a model or an actor. She’d bet all of her books on it.
“I guess I expected someone like Lindsey—soft and cuddly. You’re all angles and edges. But maybe you’re still cuddly?” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Jo blinked in surprise and then snorted. He has to be joking. No guy like him would ever come on to her. “You’re funny,” she said and held out her hand. “I’m Jo. Nice to meet you, Haiden.”
His eyes widened as a look of confusion came over his face. He recovered quickly, though, and smiled, showing very white, perfect teeth, which went nicely with his big, blue eyes, square jaw and blond hair. “Well, I’m sure Lindsey told you all about me,” he said, giving her a deep look. “I’m one of the up-and-coming stars of Beverly Hills Round-up. It’s a new drama on the WB. A critic said I was the best thing about the show.” His face glowed.
&nb
sp; Jo glanced at Nellie, unsure how to respond.
Nellie sighed and leaned her elbows on the counter. “Can we go swimming, Jo? I’m bored.”
Saved from having to respond to Haiden, Jo smiled. “Good idea.” She turned to Haiden. “Um, your sister and Bax aren’t here, but I’ll let them know you stopped by.”
Haiden walked over and opened the fridge. “No worries. I live here,” he said with a wink— and a leer.
Jo shuddered, nodded politely, and ushered the kids out of the kitchen, relieved to be escaping. She felt a pressure on her hand— Truman slipping his into hers— and smiled. She walked upstairs with the children and had them show her their rooms. While they were changing, she hurried to her room and slipped on her bathing suit then met them at the pool.
“This is nothing like my rec center,” she whispered, staring at the natural boulders and rocks surrounding the pool. It looked like a naturally occurring pond in the middle of Santa Monica. Some of the stones were smooth and made a perfect waterslide into the deep, royal-blue water.
She grinned as the two children jumped in the pool, laughing and splashing. She dove in and joined them, starting a game of tag that lasted over an hour. When she glanced at the clock hanging on the side of the pool house, she was shocked to see how much time they’d spent in the water.
“Time to make tacos!” she yelled, and vaulted out of the pool. She stood up, smiling but then gasped as someone held out a towel. “Mr. James. Hello,” she said, quickly wrapping the large towel around herself as she stared up at the tall, fit man with shaggy brown hair, an oversized nose and big smile.
Baxter smiled and waved at his children. “You’re a natural with the kids. I knew you had to be when you said your favorite series was Lord of the Rings. Lila will be pleased.” He sounded relieved.
Jo slicked her hair back from her face then hurried to hand towels to the two children, who were throwing their wet bodies against their father as he laughed and hugged them.