The Summer Nanny

by Holly Chamberlin

  Will’s lips compressed into a thin line, and Amy wondered if she had gone too far. And if she had, so what?

  “It’s not ideal,” Will said after a moment. “I try to counter her influence on the children. And she’s not always so critical. There are times when . . .” Will shook his head and said no more.

  “She doesn’t have any friends, does she?” Amy asked.

  Will frowned. “No.”

  “Why do you . . .” And then, sympathy for the man seated across from her made Amy stop. “Sorry,” she said. “Never mind.”

  “You want to know what’s in it for me?” Will gave her a wry smile. “I’d tell you if I knew.”

  “Do you know that your wife uses cocaine?” Amy asked.

  Will frowned down at his coffee mug and was silent for a moment. “Yes,” he said then. “I know.”

  “Why don’t you do something about it?”

  Again, Will smiled wryly. “What, turn her in to the police?”

  “You could demand she not keep drugs in the house where your children can find them!” Amy realized that she had spoken more loudly than intended and quickly glanced around the coffee shop. No one was staring at them; she hoped no one had heard her outburst.

  “It’s not as easy as you think,” Will replied, “getting someone to stop using. Anyway, she’s highly functional. She’s not addicted. It’s not hurting her like it does some people.”

  Of course it’s hurting her, Amy thought. It had to be. Will Prior was indeed in denial, and probably about more than just his wife’s use of recreational drugs. She wanted to ask Will if he had ever even liked his wife but wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.

  “Look, I know I’m not an expert,” Amy went on, “but I think that Cressida might have a narcissistic personality disorder or something. Maybe you could get her some help.”

  “She doesn’t want help. She doesn’t see that anything is wrong. She can’t. Look,” Will said, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, “I want you to accept this check. You earned it.”

  Amy took the check without hesitation. Before putting it into her wallet she noted that it was drawn on an account in Will’s name alone. Did he have his own money? Did Cressida give him an allowance? There was so much about the Priors’ relationship she just didn’t know or want to know, like how two such seemingly different people had come together in the first place.

  “I have something for you, too.” Amy reached into her bag and withdrew the vintage compact. “Here,” she said. “Cressida gave it to me and she shouldn’t have. I know that Jordan bought it for her. And I shouldn’t have taken it, but at least I’m giving it back.”

  Amy thought she saw a flicker of anger cross Will’s face as he accepted the compact, but she couldn’t be sure. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.

  “I’d ask you to tell the children I said hello,” she said, rising from the table, “but I spent so little time with them this summer I’m not sure they’ll remember me by this time next week.”

  “Take care of yourself, Amy,” Will said, ignoring her remark.

  “I will,” she said. It was a promise to herself.

  Chapter 132

  Leda looked at her watch. An hour earlier Amy had gone off to meet Will Prior. Leda had been trying not to worry—what so terrible could happen in a coffee shop?—but to no avail. The deepest traumas could easily be caused by words instead of deeds, and though as far as she knew Will had never treated Amy badly, he might feel it was time to start.

  Suddenly Leda remembered a passage from a book that had belonged to her grandfather, and she went to the living room to hunt it down. She found it on the third shelf from the top of the bookcase, where it had sat untouched for years. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It took only a moment or two before Leda found the passage she was seeking.

  If some people are so hungry for a feeling of importance that they actually go insane to get it, imagine what miracle you and I can achieve by giving people honest appreciation this side of insanity.

  Leda wondered. Did Cressida Prior’s need for a feeling of importance run so deep that it had sent her crazy seeking notice, alienating people in the process by her bullying and self-regard? It seemed likely. And how did the need for a feeling of importance differ from the need to feel appreciated? By winning the FAF’s prize for Best Emerging Talent, Leda had been granted a nod of recognition from her fellow craftspeople, and that was enough. She didn’t need to feel important, but she did need—everyone needed—to feel genuinely appreciated for her efforts.

  At the sound of the front door opening Leda hurriedly returned the book to its place on the shelf. A moment later Amy appeared in the living room.

  “How did your meeting with Will Prior go?” Leda asked quickly.

  “Okay,” Amy said, flopping into an armchair. “He gave me a check. And he apologized for Cressida’s behavior, but I don’t think anything is going to change in that marriage. I didn’t get the sense that he was willing to make change happen.” Amy smiled. “But what do I know? The worst judge of character ever.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Leda advised, sitting in a chair close to Amy’s. “At least you’re learning.”

  “I hope so.” Amy leaned forward. “What I can’t figure out is why I was so in awe of Cressida’s power and position. I’ve never cared about those things in the past. Why now?”

  “Cressida is a bit of a celebrity,” Leda noted. “You did tell me you’d first heard about her in that business class.”

  “Yeah,” Amy admitted, “but I’d almost forgotten all about her. I didn’t even recognize Cressida’s name when I applied for the job. But the minute I saw her face-to-face and realized who she was, well, I was hooked.”

  “Keep in mind that people like Cressida—bullies and narcissists—are powerful but not all-powerful,” Leda said. “You can learn skills that will allow you to shut them down.”

  “I know. Remember all those workshops I had back in middle school about bullying behavior? But you forget that adults can be bullies, too. I don’t think bullying is something people grow out of all that easily. Oh,” Amy said, “and speaking of bullies, I forgot to tell you that Hayley thinks it might be a good time for you to reach out to her mother again, now that she’s stood up to Mr. Franklin.”

  Leda nodded. “Nora could use a friend. Hayley’s moving on is going to be tough on her.”

  “I so hope Hayley gets that job working for Marisa Whitby’s professor friend.”

  “That would be fantastic,” Leda agreed. “I wish I had a magic wand so that I could make it happen.”

  Amy smiled. “You don’t need one. Marisa turned out to be Hayley’s fairy godmother.”

  “More reliable than a knight in shining armor.” Leda smiled slyly. “Not unless his name is Noah Woolrich.”

  “Mom!” Amy cried but with a twinkle in her eyes. “You’re impossible!”

  Chapter 133

  One of the longtime librarians at the Yorktide branch of the public library had been more than happy to allow Hayley a small office in which she could conduct an early-morning FaceTime interview with Professor Roseveare. There was no possibility of attempting the interview at the Franklins’ apartment, not with the threat of Eddie Franklin knocking noisily about the place. He might be on good behavior at the moment, but that didn’t make him entirely civilized. Besides, Hayley knew that her mother hadn’t yet told her father that their daughter was leaving home. Nora Franklin needed to make that announcement in her own time; it would be an announcement that would bring with it very great change for the family.

  Hayley had been more nervous about the interview than she had been about anything else in her life, but with an encouraging word from Marisa Whitby and another from Ms. Cumming, the librarian, she had handled herself professionally. After ten minutes or so she had found herself relaxing enough to ask an excited question about the full scope of Professor Roseveare’s projected book
. Another ten minutes later and Hayley had emerged from the library office beaming with relief and happiness. She had gotten the job. As Marisa had anticipated, the pay wasn’t fantastic but Hayley knew she could find another job easily enough to help make ends meet. And she had liked Jillian Roseveare, young and eager to make a prominent mark in her field of study. More important, a woman eager to extend a helping hand to another woman.

  When Hayley got back to the apartment at the end of the workday, she found her mother in the living room reading a paperback romance. Nora Franklin looked up eagerly.

  “Did you get the job?” she asked, putting the book aside.

  “I did,” Hayley said. “I can hardly believe it, but I did.” She sat next to her mother on the old couch. “Are you sure you’re okay with my leaving Yorktide?” she asked. “I can always say that I changed my mind.” Changing her mind was the very last thing Hayley wanted to do, but her habit of service and duty was not one to be broken overnight.

  “You’ll say nothing of the sort,” her mother said firmly. “You’ll go to Boston and you’ll be a great success.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Hayley demurred. “Mom? There’s something I’ve always wondered about. Back in grade school when my class took that trip to D.C., the one we couldn’t afford, I remember overhearing you on the phone with someone. I got the impression the person was offering to pay my way. And I heard you say no. What really happened?”

  Nora looked down at her hands folded in her lap and sighed. “The teachers had taken up a collection among themselves to fund your taking part,” she said. “And I turned them down. I was too proud to accept what I saw as charity. But for your sake I should have put my pride aside and accepted the gift.”

  Hayley felt an uncomfortable mix of emotions sweep through her—anger, self-pity, regret—but they quickly subsided. The past was the past. It was over and done with. Hayley put her hand over her mother’s clasped hands. “Don’t worry about it, Mom,” she said. “I’ll get to D.C. and lots of other places, too.”

  Her mother looked up to Hayley with a watery smile. “I know you will,” she said.

  Heavy footsteps in the hall alerted Hayley that her father had come home. Her mother sat up straighter as her husband inserted his key in the door to the apartment. Eddie Franklin appeared a moment later, and Hayley immediately noticed that he was sober and that his hair had recently been trimmed. He looked at his wife and daughter with what Hayley thought was the tiniest bit of trepidation. But maybe that was wishful thinking.

  “Hayley and I will be going out for dinner tonight,” Nora Franklin announced. “There are makings for a sandwich in the fridge.”

  Hayley sat perfectly still as her father took in this bit of startling information. “All right,” he said. Then he cleared his throat and made his way to the bedroom he shared with his long-suffering wife.

  “Why are we going out?” Hayley asked when her father had disappeared behind the closed door.

  “To celebrate!” Nora laughed. “It’s been so long since we’ve had something to celebrate!”

  Hayley reached over and gathered her mother in a tight hug. “Thank you, Mom,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 134

  Amy pulled up outside the Meadtown Brewery. Her stomach was home to butterflies. Lots of them.

  The other day her mother had referred to Noah as a knight in shining armor. Whether he would turn out to be her own personal hero she didn’t yet know. Of course, much would depend on whether Noah wanted her to be his own personal hero in return.

  As luck would have it Noah was just coming out of the brewery as Amy approached.

  “Hi,” she called. “I hope you don’t mind my dropping by.”

  Noah smiled. His shoulders had never looked so broad. His beard was nicely trimmed, and his thick blond hair was pulled back into a neat bun. Amy had a sudden desire to undo that bun and run her fingers through Noah’s hair. Instead she took a deep breath.

  “Not at all,” he said. “I’m between projects and wanted some fresh air.”

  “Okay. Good.” Amy suddenly found she didn’t know what to do with her hands. She stuck them in the pockets of her sundress. She took them out. She folded them in front of her. “How are your parents?” she asked.

  “Okay,” Noah said. “They’re the most optimistic people I know, so that’s a real blessing.”

  Amy smiled. “I remember the time there was that really bad storm and a massive oak crashed through the Hendersons’ roof. They had no insurance and everyone was worried they would lose the house, but your mother came to the rescue. Before you know it she had managed to collect enough money in donations to repair the roof with a little left over.”

  Noah laughed. “That’s Mom.”

  “And your uncle?” Amy asked.

  “Feeling better, actually,” Noah told her. “Now that he’s got me to take over the heavy lifting as it were, he’s been able to get the rest he needed.”

  “I’m so glad. He’s such a nice man.” Enough small talk, Amy told herself. It was time to get to the important matter. “I came here for another reason, actually,” she told Noah. “I mean, not just to ask about your family. I’m sorry I didn’t go to your gig that night. When my boss asked me to stay over I should have told her that I had previous plans.”

  “Boss from hell,” Noah stated, sticking his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Word gets around. I’m sorry you had to put up with her.”

  “Thanks. But it was totally my fault for not quitting before I did. At least I finally came to my senses.”

  Noah smiled. “I’m glad you did.”

  “Me too. Look, I was wondering if you would like to go somewhere with me, maybe take a picnic to the beach one evening or go for a walk or something? I totally understand if the answer is no,” Amy finished hastily.

  “I’d love to,” Noah said. “A picnic sounds like fun. I’ll bring some of the new mead we’ve just perfected.”

  “Cool,” Amy said, feeling a great surge of relief. “Great. Is tomorrow okay?”

  “Perfect. So, what’s this I hear about you not moving to Boston?”

  Amy nodded. “Yorktide is where I belong. It’s where I’ve always been happy.”

  “Me too,” Noah agreed. “I knew that after graduation I’d be back, and I don’t regret my decision.”

  “Noah!”

  “Gotta go,” Noah said, nodding in the direction of the colleague who had called for him. “Pick you up at seven tomorrow?”

  “Do you still like Swiss cheese on your sandwiches?” Amy asked.

  Noah smiled again. “You remember that?”

  “I remember a lot of things,” she assured him. “Like the note you wrote me in first grade.”

  Noah leaned down and gave Amy a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he hurried off into the brewery.

  Amy felt tears of happiness pricking at her eyes as she walked to her car. She was so very pleased that Noah had agreed to a date after the careless way in which she had treated him. She remembered what Cressida had said about the wedding rings Will had given her, how she had called them pathetic. If one day Noah were to slip a ring on her finger she would never, ever belittle such an important gift from the man she had sworn to love for the rest of her life.

  Amy had one more stop to make before going home, and that was to Over Easy. She found Vera in her tiny office off the kitchen.

  “Coffee?” Vera offered. “I just brewed a pot.”

  Amy declined the offer.

  “So,” Vera went on when Amy had taken a seat across from Vera’s desk. “You want to work in my new restaurant.”

  “If you’ll have me,” Amy said. “I’ll work hard, I promise.”

  Vera smiled. “That’s job requirement number one.”

  “What’s it going to be called?” Amy asked.

  “I’m thinking of calling it Seasonings,” Vera told her. “Or maybe The Butternut. I don’t know, something will come to me.”


  “How about Vera’s Place?”

  “No. That sounds like a diner. Not that there’s anything wrong with diners.”

  Amy smiled. “Doughnuts and coffee.”

  “Now I’m hungry again and I just ate lunch.” Vera laughed. “Anyway, you need to understand that the restaurant industry isn’t glamorous. It’s challenging and often frustrating. But the payoff can be good. Not that I’ll be giving you Cartier watches I no longer want or Hermès scarves I’ve tired of,” Vera warned.

  “Don’t worry. All I want from you is what you can teach me. And a salary.”

  “Good,” Vera said with a nod. “You’re learning already. Requiring proper compensation for a job well done is a sign of self-respect.” Vera looked at Amy then with compassion. “You had a tough go of it this summer. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Amy told her. “Everyone has to grow up at some point. You know, it’s funny. When I started to work for Cressida Prior I looked at her life and thought, Wow, this woman has it all, a great career, a husband, kids, tons of money. But I was so wrong. She doesn’t have it all. She doesn’t have love.” Amy hesitated for a moment before going on. “I asked Noah Woolrich on a date. He said yes.”

  Vera smiled. “Good for you! I’ll let you in on a little secret. When I made the decision to open a second place I did so partly because being single again gave me all this time on my hands. Now that I might—and I only say might—have someone in my life, well, it will be a scramble.”

  “You’ll handle it all beautifully,” Amy assured her. “I know you will.”

  Vera abruptly got up from her desk. “It’s your fault, Amy,” she said. “I can’t fight it any longer. I just have to have a doughnut with my coffee. Let’s go to the kitchen and see what the guys can whip up.”

  Laughingly, Amy followed.

  * * *

  It has been quite a day all in all, Amy thought as she sat cross-legged on her bed, her back resting against a pile of pillows her mother had made from velveteen, calico, and linen. First, she had made peace with Noah. Then she had gone on to meet with Vera to discuss working at her new restaurant. The best part about that meeting, of course, had been the cinnamon doughnuts one of the sous-chefs had made for them.