by Baird, Ginny
Ventura drew a breath. “I don’t know.”
Mary stared out the window for a prolonged beat, as if considering something. “Ventura,” she finally said, “there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”
“Go on.”
“There’s a new opening at the Daily Globe.”
“Really?”
“I’ve hesitated in mentioning it because you’ve been so happy at Richard’s.”
For the first time in the past few hours, Ventura felt hopeful. “But it’s in journalism, right?”
“In a way.” Mary grimaced. “Actually, I’m hiring my replacement.”
Ventura blinked. “Mary,” she said with quick understanding. “You’ve been promoted?”
“To Editorial Assistant,” Mary said, smiling proudly.
“That’s terrific.”
“Thanks. So you’ll consider it?”
Ventura stared at her as the weight of Mary’s words sank in. Ventura might finally have an opportunity to break into journalism. While working as an administrative assistant certainly wasn’t ideal, it would be a start. Still, she felt conflicted about leaving Ricky and Elisa. She’d truly grown attached to those kids…and, obviously, far too attached to their father.
“How soon do you need to know?”
Chapter Nine
Nanette stood in the foyer, dressed in a white-and-blue top and bright red hot pants that showcased her varicose veins. “Are you girls sure you won’t change your minds?” she asked as they scurried toward the door with a picnic basket. “Kevin has some really nice friends.”
“I’m sure,” Mary whispered to Ventura with a giggle.
Ventura smiled brightly. “We already have dates, Nanette. Remember?”
“Oh, that’s right,” she said with a pleased purr. “One of them’s on account of me.”
Yes. Ventura amazingly owed it to Nanette that she’d met Charles. And Mary had Ventura to thank for meeting Jason. Now the four of them would be double dating for the Fourth. Mary had packed supper for her and Jason, while Charles had promised Ventura a special picnic. She was looking forward to this day and getting far away from thoughts of working for the Blakes. She was still considering Mary’s generous offer and was nearly certain she would take it. Of course, she’d need to apply and likely compete against others. It wasn’t a done deal, but having Mary influence the hiring would certainly help.
“We’ll see you later,” Mary told Nanette, hurrying out the door. It was a short walk to the Capitol, where they’d be meeting the boys. Ventura could hear the National Symphony tuning up already. The weather was pleasantly warm, with a light breeze blowing as dusk closed in. Ventura hadn’t seen Richard since their night on the Ferris wheel. It had been nearly a week now, but somehow, between downtown meetings and stints at the office, he’d managed to keep himself hidden. Well, maybe that was for the best. She needed time to forget about being in his arms, and space to explore her budding relationship with Charles. He’d texted her all week in anticipation of this event, wanting to ensure that his plans for homemade pesto, wine, and cheese suited her taste. Ventura felt lucky to have met someone as nice as Charles and was sure that—given the chance to know him better—she would like him even more.
They circled the Capitol building, heading for its West Lawn. “Ready for our big date?” Mary asked with a grin.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ventura said, nudging Mary’s basket.
The sun sank low as purple and orange ribbons of color streaked the horizon. Beyond the Reflecting Pool and the long expanse of lawn dividing the various museums, the Washington Monument rose proudly in the sky, its single red eye blinking like a beacon. A crowd of Capitol Hill staffers in khaki shorts strode by, mixing in with family groups representing different nationalities and kids waving miniature American flags. A light wind picked up as twilight fell. Ventura pulled a sweater from her bag and slipped it on.
“How’s your wine doing?” Charles asked, motioning to her paper cup. “Care for some more?”
“Just a bit,” she said with a smile. A group of Indian women in saris strolled by, the colorful fabric fluttering in the breeze. As the last swath of cloth sailed by, Ventura caught her breath. It was Richard, sitting not that far away with his two darling kids and a gorgeous, dark-haired woman. The adults sat on portable lawn chairs, smiling happily as the twins played on a blanket by their feet. Richard raised his cup to take a sip, his gaze locking on Ventura’s.
“Have either of you seen the fireworks here before?” Jason asked the girls.
“Only on TV,” Mary answered.
“Then you’re in for a treat.” He followed Ventura’s gaze across the lawn. “Well, what do you know? There’s Richard.”
Ventura bit her bottom lip. “Yes.”
Charles looked at her pleasantly. “Do you want to go over and say hi?”
Ventura returned her attention to her date. “Not just yet.”
The National Anthem began to play, and everyone rose to their feet. After the dramatic ending, the sky behind the Monument suddenly exploded in color, accompanied by huge booms and spiraling squeals. “It’s gorgeous,” Ventura said in awe.
Charles took her hand. “I was hoping you’d like it.”
Jason stood with his arm around Mary, holding her close. “Anybody up for champagne?” Mary asked.
Ventura stole a glance in Richard’s direction but couldn’t spy him through the crowd. “Champagne sounds great,” she said.
Mary took the chilled bottle from its carrying case, dried it off with a towel, then unscrewed the wire holders that bound the cork. She struggled to work it free with all her might, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Here, let me,” Ventura offered, flashing the boys a grin. Who wanted to be the weak woman asking guys to open the bubbly? She was strong enough to do it herself.
She laid the towel over the cork and gave it a sharp tug. Pop! Whoosh! The cork rocketed out and hit Ventura smack in the forehead. “Ow!”
“Oh my gosh, Ventura,” Charles said, leaning over her. “Are you all right?”
She slowly raised her hand to her forehead, then winced at the pain. A huge knot was forming already.
“Let me get you some ice,” Charles offered.
“No, I’ll get it,” she said, handing him the bottle and standing. “The rest of you go on and get started.”
Ventura walked back from the drink vendor, clutching a bag of ice to her brow as lines snaked from the refreshment stands.
“Look, Dad!” Ricky called. “It’s Ventura.”
Richard turned from where they stood in line, his face registering concern. “Ventura? What happened?”
“It was just a little thing with a runaway cork.”
She lifted the ice pack, revealing her welt.
“Does it hurt too badly?”
“I’ll be all right.”
“I thought I saw you sitting over there with your boyfriend but wasn’t sure.”
“Charles?”
“Isn’t he the one who picked you up at the house? The one who took you boating?”
“Yes.”
He studied her a moment before speaking. “I guess it’s good we ran into each other this way. I’ve been trying to catch you all week.”
“You have?” she asked with surprise.
“But between meetings and your running the kids’ schedules, we always seemed to miss each other.”
Ventura swallowed hard, fearing some sort of bad news was coming.
“I wanted you to know I’m taking some time away.” Ventura glanced at Ricky, whose face hung long.
“Away?” she asked, not understanding.
“I thought it would be good…” He met her gaze. “For the best, I mean, if I took some time to get reacquainted with Gloria.”
“Gloria,” Ventura said, thinking of the pretty brunette.
“Daddy always goes away with Gloria,” Ricky said with a pout. “He never takes us.
”
Richard thumbed his nose. “Now you know that’s not true. You’re just not coming this time, all right?”
“How long will you be gone?” Ventura asked.
“A week. Maybe two.”
“I see.”
“Jason will help keep everything under control.”
“When are you leaving?”
He held her gaze a prolonged beat.
“In the morning.”
Ventura returned to the picnic blanket, where the other three toasted to the country’s birthday with paper cups. Mary shot her a worried glance. “Are you okay?”
Ventura sat and put down the ice pack. “I’ll live.”
Charles warmly patted her shoulder.
“It’s too bad that happened,” Jason said kindly. “But it will heal up.”
“I ran into Richard.” Ventura met Jason’s eyes. “He said he’s going away tomorrow.”
“You mean you didn’t know until now?” Jason asked with alarm. “I thought for sure Richard had…” He twisted his lips in thought. “That’s weird.”
“Who’ll look after the kids?” Charles asked.
“I’ll stay with them at night,” Jason said. “And Ventura will still be there in the daytime.”
Mary shot Ventura a pointed look, and she returned it.
After a beat, Ventura tilted her champagne toward the others. “To birthdays and new beginnings.”
Charles’s expression warmed. “I’ll drink to that.”
“Another one. Come on,” Ricky pleaded.
“Yeah!” Elisa gazed up at her with big brown eyes. “Pu-leeze?”
Nearly two weeks had gone by and Ventura had run through the kids’ regular stack of storybooks days ago. So, she’d turned to inventing stories for them instead, which they seemed to like even better.
The kids were dressed in their pajamas and snuggled up beside Ventura on Elisa’s bedroom window seat. “What will it be tonight?” she asked them. “The sequel to the castle saga, or something spooky… Say, Mystery of Magic Mountain?”
“The sequel,” Elisa chirped.
“Ghosts!” Ricky demanded.
Ventura laughed, hugging them both warmly. “How about one of each, then?”
The children nodded, appearing cherubic, and Ventura’s heart sank. She’d applied for the job at the Globe yesterday morning. With any luck, she’d get an interview and land the position, which would mean her starting there in a couple of weeks. While Ventura hated leaving the children, she understood that being a nanny wasn’t her chosen career long-term. She’d studied for something specific. She needed to test those wings and see if she could soar.
“I’ll bet Daddy would like these,” Elisa said, snuggling under her arm.
“When’s he coming home?” Ricky asked.
“Soon,” Ventura said with a smile.
“We like you a whole lot better than those other nannies,” Elisa informed her.
“Yeah,” Ricky said, grinning sweetly. “We think Daddy does too.”
Ventura felt her cheeks warm in spite of herself.
“Somebody having a pajama party in here?”
Ventura looked up to see Richard standing in the threshold. He appeared more handsome than ever with his skin burnished in a bronze cast that said he’d been spending lots of time outdoors.
The kids leapt from the window seat and raced to him. “Daddy!” they cried, hugging him soundly as he bent low to scoop them into his arms. “We missed you!”
“Well, good,” he said, thumbing each of their noses, “because I missed you.” He glanced in Ventura’s direction. “All of you.”
Ricky gave his dad an earnest gaze. “Ventura tells the best stories.”
“She does, does she?” Richard asked, standing.
Ventura hung her head with a blush. “Oh no, they’re not really—”
“Yes, they are!” Elisa assured her dad, giving his hand a tug. “The very best.”
“About castles and monsters…”
“Princesses,” Elisa chimed in.
“And ghosts,” Ricky added, lowering his voice in an eerie tone.
Richard chuckled, then met Ventura’s eyes. “Sounds like I’ll have to hear one of these stories.”
“We were just about to hear one now,” Ricky said.
“Two,” Elisa corrected.
Richard raised his brow at Ventura. “Mind if I stay?” he asked, taking a chair.
Ventura saw there was no way out of this now. “Of course not,” she said, smiling tightly.
Twenty-five minutes later, Richard leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and just as engaged as his children.
“And with that,” Ventura finished, “Andorra the warrior knight knew she held the silver key. The key to the kingdom she’d only known—up until then—in her dreams. Now, all she had to do”—she shot Ricky and Elisa a wink—“was open the door.”
“Yeah!” the kids shouted with glee.
Richard clapped his hands in applause. “Wonderful, Ventura. I don’t know how you did that.”
She felt her cheeks warm. “It was only a story.”
“No,” he told her. “It was more than that. You managed to capture us all and completely carry us away.”
Ventura beamed. “Thanks.”
“How many do you have?” Richard asked her.
“Stories? Oh I don’t know.” She gave a light laugh. “I can’t really put numbers on my imagination.”
“Fascinating,” he said. “Have you thought of writing any of them down?”
Ventura stared at him. “Like, for…?”
“Publication.” He looked at Ricky and Elisa. “What do you think, kids? Don’t you believe Ventura could make her own storybooks?”
“Yeah,” Ricky said.
“And better than the ones over there,” Elisa agreed, pointing across the room.
Richard turned his expectant gaze back on Ventura.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Well, I know good storytelling when I hear it. I’m an editor, aren’t I?” He rubbed his palms together and stood from his chair. “But for now, I see two little munchkins who’ve stayed up past their bedtimes.” He glanced at Ventura. “You’re here a bit late yourself.”
“I’ve been staying on to help Jason,” she told him. “The kids asked for me to be here at bedtime.” She shrugged. “I hated to disappoint.”
“No. I’m sure you wouldn’t do that.” He eyed her thoughtfully. “You could never disappoint any of us.”
A little while later, Ventura was about to sneak out the front door when Richard stopped her. He’d apparently relieved Jason the moment he got home. And Jason, being eager to finally spend an evening with Mary, had quickly taken off.
“I want to thank you for all you did to help with the kids while I was gone,” he said as they stood in the foyer.
“I was happy to do it,” she answered honestly. “Elisa and Ricky are very special.”
“I agree.”
“I’m glad you had a good vacation.”
He met her eyes with a soulful gaze. “I needed some time to think.”
“I’m sure Gloria helped.”
“Absolutely. Nothing clears my head like spending time on the water.”
“Water?”
Richard stared at her dumbfounded. “Gloria’s my boat.”
“Boat?”
“Didn’t anyone…? Why, of course, why would they have… What I mean is…” He blinked hard. “You didn’t know?”
Ventura shook her head. “I thought Gloria was the woman you were with on the Fourth?”
“You mean Jenny?” Richard slapped his forehead. “I’m so sorry, Ventura. I haven’t been very clear about any of this. Gloria’s the sailboat I keep on the Chesapeake Bay. I’ve referred to her as a she for years. It never even occurred to me. Oh gosh. You thought that Jenny was Gloria and that she and I…?” He sputtered a laugh. “Ventura, Jenny’s
my sister.”
Ventura’s mouth hung open. “Sister?”
“The kids’ aunt. She’s in law school in New York but was visiting for the holiday.”
“Oh,” Ventura said, feeling the blood drain from her face. She felt suddenly weakened, as if she might faint at any moment from sheer information overload. “Then, you and she…?”
He vehemently shook his head. “I’m sorry about Gloria. I should have explained.”
“You don’t really need to explain your personal life to me.”
He stepped toward her. “Don’t I?”
“Richard, I have something to tell you.” She felt she should let him know she’d applied for another job and that he might soon need to shop for a new nanny. But could she really do that tonight? His first night home, when he looked like sin in a suntan and was close enough to kiss her once again? She involuntarily licked her lips, aching to taste his. He wasn’t taken after all. Had no other woman on the horizon, just some silly old boat. She imagined him helping her aboard and sailing her away to some faraway place that was made for just the two of them. Four of them, counting the kids.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice husky.
Ventura felt herself losing her nerve.
“Maybe we should talk about it tomorrow.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Ventura’s cell buzzed, and she checked it, seeing it was Charles. He was letting her know he’d arrived to pick her up and was parked by the curb outside.
“I’ve got to go.” She broke away from Richard’s gaze, hoping she was doing the right thing. Leaving the life she’d built here and embarking on another one. But inwardly, Ventura knew she couldn’t stay at the Blakes’ forever. The more she was around Richard, the harder it was to resist him. Instinct told her that he was growing attracted to her too. But what did that mean in their current state, especially when she was still seeing Charles?
Ventura hurried toward Charles’s car, her head swirling and her heart pounding. She’d once believed twenty-five was the age at which one knew everything. Now she saw it was a time when she knew nothing at all. Except for how to make a great big mess of everything. She had a chance for happiness with Charles, and he clearly wanted to spend time with her. She didn’t need to go chasing some silly dream about the one man who’d already told her he couldn’t become involved.