Three kids. One pregnant cat. And one perfect nanny...

When Daniel Sutton’s daughters rescue an abandoned calico, the hardworking attorney doesn’t expect to be sharing his home with a litter of newborns! And the adorable kittens aren’t his only houseguests. Animal shelter volunteer Emma Alvarez is transforming the lives of Daniel and his three girls. The first-time nanny is a natural with kids and pets. Will that extend to a single father ready to trust in love again?

USA TODAY bestselling author KAREN ROSE SMITH has written over ninety novels. Her passion is caring for her five rescued cats, and her hobbies are gardening, cooking and photography. An only child, Karen delved into books at an early age. Even though she escaped into story worlds, she had many cousins around her on weekends. Families are a strong theme in her novels. Find out more about Karen at karenrosesmith.com.

Also by Karen Rose Smith

The Maverick’s Snowbound ChristmasThe Maverick’s Holiday SurpriseFortune’s Secret HusbandThe Cowboy’s Secret BabyA Match Made by BabyWanted: A Real FamilyRiley’s Baby BoyThe CEO’s Unexpected ProposalOnce Upon a Groom

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Nanny Clause

Karen Rose Smith

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09097-1

THE NANNY CLAUSE

© 2019 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

To my dad, who brought me my first pet.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Daniel Sutton studied the stack of file folders on his desk. Since he was the only lawyer in Spring Forest now, he hardly had time to schedule all of his appointments, let alone interview prospective nannies.

If only his wife and his law partner hadn’t run off together. It had been over two years and that amount of time certainly should have settled any regrets he had.

Raina Clark, his secretary, knocked softly on his office door and then opened it. Raina kept his schedule on track. A widow in her late thirties, she was a good role model for his girls. She was always pleasant even when he added to her workload.

In the doorway, she announced, “Your daughters are here.”

The next second Paris, Penny and Pippa burst into his office. Even his oldest, Paris, who was hitting puberty and was usually moody and sullen, seemed to be bubbling with excitement. Since he was standing, she made a beeline for his office chair and swung herself around into it. Her dark brown ponytail swayed across her shoulder.

Penny, his middle daughter who hated school and loved softball and soccer, announced with her arms spread out before her, “We’re done, Dad! We’re done. School’s over for three whole months and I can go outside as much as I want.”

Penny’s light brown hair was always disheveled when she wasn’t wearing her baseball cap. Yes, their private school was over for the summer, but he would have to remind Penny that she would have to choose a summer camp to keep her occupied during the day.

His youngest, Pippa, ran to him with her blond pigtails flying and wrapped her arms around his legs. “Can you come home now, Daddy, can you?”

Pippa had finally stopped crying herself to sleep at night, but she still needed a night-light. Their mother’s abandonment had affected his sweet girls in so many different ways. He had to start interviews to find another compassionate nanny/housekeeper who was willing to deal with all of them. It was hard to hire a nanny who could keep up with his daughters.

In the meantime, he was becoming an expert at negotiation and compromise with his kids. They were all staring at him, waiting to see if he would leave work for them. He wished the decision was that easy.

Since all three were focused on him, he had their attention. That was rare. “How about if you give me five minutes to make a call before we go home?” Immediately he could see the disappointment on their faces so he added, “You can hang out with Raina or go outside to the yard.”

The choice was easy for Penny. “Let’s go to the yard. Come on.”

A door at the back of the offices led outside. Penny opened it and ran down the three steps. Pippa quickly followed her. Paris begrudgingly went along.

As Daniel made the call and waited for his client to come on the line, he considered Paris and her sullenness. She was eleven. Were hormones her problem? He certainly hoped not. And Penny, at nine...when would her tomboy days end? Or would they? And darling Pippa, at seven, just seemed lost sometimes. He never thought he was doing enough. He felt he had to be a mom and a dad, whether he liked it or not. Sometimes that just didn’t work.

Fifteen minutes later, he was ending his call when Penny rushed in. “Dad, you have to come. You have to come right now.”

He jumped to his feet and ran to the door. “Has someone gotten hurt?”

“No, but come on.” She took his hand and dragged him outside and around the side of the porch of the craftsman-style house where his offices occupied the first floor. On a side street, he was a short distance from everything in the historic district of Spring Forest. His daughters—even Paris—were on their knees trying to stretch inside the broken latticework surrounding the porch.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice louder than he intended. If there was a raccoon or something worse under there—

“It’s a cat,” Paris said with a little more excitement than he’d heard in her voice in a long time.

“She’s a calico, Dad. She must be scared because she ran under there,” Penny added.

“Of course, she’s scared,” he said. “The three of you are strangers to her.”

Penny looked up at him, her hair flopping over her eyes. “Really, Dad? Do you think we scare her?”

Leaning closer to him, Paris whispered, “I think she’s pregnant.”

“You can tell that she’s pregnant?” he asked in a tone matching his daughter’s.

Pippa backed out from the latticework, too. Sitting cross-legged, she rounded her arms in front of her. “She’s this fat. She has to be pregnant.”

So much for keeping that fact quiet. Daniel knew nothing about cats. He imagined the feline could have some disease that caused swelling in her stomach. But if she was pregnant...

Just what was he going to do with her if she did come out of hiding? Looking at his three daughters, who were so eagerly staring at him, hoping he’d find a solution, he remembered the animal shelter on the edge of town. He sent a check to them every year so the least they could do was take this cat. But he’d have to capture her first. If she wasn’t friendly and fought him, he’d need something to confine her.

“I think I have an idea,” he answered. “I’ll find food in my refrigerator to tempt her out. I’m sure there’s a carton in the storage room that we can poke holes into so she can breathe and we can put her in that to take her to the animal shelter.”

“Furever Paws?” Penny asked.

“Yes. They’re good to animals and have adoption events, so I’m sure they can find her a good home.”

Pippa piped up. “We can keep her, Dad.”

He quickly stomped down that idea. “No, we can’t. I know nothing about cats, especially not pregnant cats. The shelter will know how to care for her best. But the first thing you have to do is back off a little and talk to her softly, to try and lure her out.”

“What should we talk about?” Penny asked.

“Just tell her you want to make sure she’s all right, and we’re going to take her to a place where she’ll be cared for. I’ll find food and that box.”

So much for getting work finished today. On the other hand, he’d be spending much-needed time with his daughters before he tackled the problem of hiring a nanny.

* * *

Emma Alvarez loved volunteering at Furever Paws Animal Rescue. The problem was...she needed a real job that paid. She’d made an impulsive decision and recently relocated to North Carolina from Pennsylvania—a wrong decision. She’d come because of a man. But she’d stuck around because she liked Spring Forest and the people here. The other reason she’d stayed had to do with her pride.

Emma smiled as she passed a blue-gray wall that was decorated with framed paintings from local artists. Their subjects were all breeds of cats and dogs. She headed to the front desk for a list of the latest foster parents who were available. After removing a colorful scrunchie from her shoulder-length curly dark brown hair, she refastened her ponytail. The North Carolina humidity curled her hair until she couldn’t control it. Around the shelter and working with animals, keeping it tied back seemed to be the best style.

Glancing at the desk in the front lobby, Emma noticed the chair was vacant. Possibly the volunteer had gone into the gift shop off the lobby to help a patron.

Suddenly Emma’s attention swerved toward the double-glass front doors. Three children charged through the door in front of a tall man carrying a carton. A tall handsome man. She diverted her attention to the holes that had been cut into the sides of the box. Emma suspected an animal was contained inside.

The newcomer, with dark brown hair cut short and neat, wearing a businesslike white oxford shirt, had a commanding presence as his deep voice advised the girls, “Slow down until we know where we’re going.”

His daughters, perhaps?

Emma suspected he might be a professional man, not only because of the crisp button-down shirt—though he’d rolled up the sleeves—but also because of the pressed charcoal-gray slacks he wore along with the leather loafers. She hadn’t seen him here before.

Two of the girls were chattering away. The middle one, who looked about nine, wore a baseball cap backward and pulled on her dad’s elbow. “What will they do with her? Where will they put her? How long will they keep her?”

The smallest child seemed to be enamored with the paintings on the walls. “Isn’t that cool?” She was pointing to a photo of a cat that had been color-blocked with digital photography.

The oldest child didn’t seem to be reacting to anything. Eleven or twelve, maybe, Emma guessed. All three girls were dressed in colorful skirts and blouses.

The man raised his gaze to Emma’s. His eyes were green. To her dismay, she couldn’t seem to look away.

Thank goodness, he finally did, as he moved toward her. “Are you the person in charge?” His gaze ran down her outfit—a white T-shirt with the red logo of the shelter that was a profile of a dog and a cat in a heart—and jeans. Her wardrobe was minimal because she’d come to Spring Forest on an impulse, a very bad impulse. When she remembered that, she knew she couldn’t let herself be mesmerized by a man’s eyes or his words or his smile. Not ever again.

“I guess you could say I’m in charge at the moment. How can I help you?”

The three girls crossed to her. The smallest explained eagerly, “We found her at my dad’s law office under the porch. We think she’s pregnant.”

“It’s a cat,” the middle child explained. “She’s white with spots of black and gold and brown on her back.”

“Then she must be a calico,” Emma suggested.

Finally, the oldest spoke. “That’s what my dad’s phone said. I researched photos of cats.”

The smallest one again piped up. “Paris can’t have a phone ’til she’s twelve, and that’s only if she’s ree-spon-si-ble.” The little girl drew out the word as if it was very important.

“Girls, let’s introduce ourselves before you overwhelm this nice lady. I’m Daniel Sutton,” he said. “And these are my daughters—Paris, Penny and Pippa.”

“I’m Penny,” the middle child added, raising her hand.

“I’m Emma Alvarez,” Emma returned.

“Who painted these pictures hanging on the walls?” the youngest one asked.

Emma smiled at the child, who looked totally interested. “They’re all done by local artists. Do you like to draw?”

“Yes. But I’m not very good. I like to look at paintings.”

With a smile—a smile that really did make her stomach quiver a bit—Daniel Sutton asked, “Where would you like me to take the cat? I don’t know much about your facility. This is the first I’ve been here since the tornado hit in March.”

From what Emma understood, the shelter had been renovated since the tornado. Some renovations were still in progress. “Are you sure the cat you found doesn’t belong to a neighbor?” Emma asked.

“I checked with neighbors on both sides before we brought her in. They don’t have cats and didn’t recognize the description of this one. You are going to take her, aren’t you? I’ve made donations over the years...”

Donations were important, Emma had to admit, but that had nothing to do with whether they took an animal or not. “I’ll have to take her back to the quarantine area.”

Pippa asked, “What’s quarantine?”

Paris didn’t give Emma time to answer. “That’s a place where the animal has to stay all alone to see if she has any diseases.”

“I don’t want her to stay all alone,” Penny said with a scowl.

“She won’t exactly be all alone,” Emma explained. “She’s separated from the other animals so that we can make sure she’s healthy. We’ll scan her, too, to see if she’s microchipped. If she is, that would help us find her owner.”

Daniel Sutton’s eyes held a myriad of questions, probably tough ones about what they’d do if the cat was seriously ill. Emma didn’t want to answer them around his daughters.

“Can we go with her?” Pippa asked.

Emma crouched down to Pippa in order to make eye-to-eye contact. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you and Paris and Penny come part of the way with me. You can look through the glass wall at the other cats we have who are waiting to be adopted.”

“Do you have pups, too?” Paris asked.

“We do. You can see those also. Meanwhile, I’ll take this calico back to the quarantine area and I’ll talk to our vet tech. She’ll have to check her and see what might have to be done to care for her.” Emma’s gaze returned to Daniel’s. “I have paperwork you’ll have to fill out. If you want to wait with your daughters, I’ll collect it and bring it out.”

She reached for the box that the lawyer held in his hands. It looked as if it had once held reams of paper and it had handles on either side. After she took the box, she set it on a nearby table. “I just want to take a peek. I’m sure your girls probably want to wish her well, too.”

Pippa, Paris and Penny all gathered around the box as Emma removed the lid. “Oh, aren’t you a pretty girl,” Emma said. Her white fur was a bit dirty but her colors were vibrant.

“Are you going to give her a bath?” Pippa asked.

Emma laughed. “I doubt that. When she’s cared for and has enough to eat, she’ll groom herself. That’s what cats do. My guess is she’s tired from running here and there, trying to find a place out of the weather and get something to eat.”

The girls seemed to be hanging on her every word.

When Emma glanced up at Daniel Sutton, he was watching her. His expression was...curious, if she had to put a word to it. She was curious about him, too, but had no right to be. He was probably married.

There wasn’t a ring on his finger, but she knew better than most that the symbol of marriage might not mean anything.

Reminding herself that her only interest was the cat in front of her, and maybe the girls, she asked, “Did she give you any trouble when you handled her?”

Daniel shook his head. “She was compliant, even purred a little when Penny petted her.”

“Did you give her anything to eat?”

“I had roasted chicken in my office refrigerator. I cut off a piece and chopped it up. She gobbled it down.”

“Really fast,” Pippa added.

Paris said quietly, “She rubbed against my legs, too, over and over again, like she wanted to be friends.”

The cat was looking at Emma as if asking what was going to happen next. Emma wished she knew and hoped for the best.

* * *

Daniel felt shaken after Emma Alvarez walked away. He hadn’t been attracted to a woman since Lydia had left. What was this?

Obviously, Emma was compassionate, not only with animals, but also with children. Before Lydia left, he hadn’t even seen that compassion in his ex-wife toward her own offspring, much less strangers.

Don’t compare anything. Don’t be interested in anyone, he charged himself. He finally felt as if he was whole again and that had taken two long years.

The other stray thought he’d had about Emma Alvarez was that she’d make a wonderful nanny. He’d interviewed two women last week and neither of them had given him the impression they’d be this good with his girls.

Too picky...or too cautious? Both were true on many fronts. But Emma gave him a feeling he just couldn’t ignore, especially as he watched his daughters respond to her. Yeah, he was definitely going with his gut on this.

He watched Emma speak with a volunteer, who was caring for the cats behind the plexiglass window. That woman asked Pippa, Penny and Paris if they wanted to come in and pet a few. They did. He watched them curiously as he waited for Emma. Paris obviously had a caring streak, too. He hadn’t seen that side of her since Lydia had left.

Emma returned from the office down the hall with papers that were attached to a clipboard in hand. She said, “Why don’t we sit in the lobby while you fill these out. If you have any questions, I’ll be here to answer them.”

Daniel gently rapped on the window and Paris looked his way. He pointed to the clipboard and to the lobby, and she gave him a thumbs-up sign to indicate that she understood.

As they walked toward the lobby, Emma said to Daniel, “The feline you brought in was not microchipped. She will have to have an FIV and a feline leukemia test. I didn’t want to say anything around your girls.”

“What do you mean? What if one of the tests is positive?”

Emma gave him a sad look and he knew what that meant.

“Why?” he asked, surprised that he cared.

“There’s research being done to determine if an FIV-positive cat can be included in a multi-cat family, but for now FIV and feline leukemia are both considered highly contagious.” She gently touched his arm.

He couldn’t believe the heat that simple touch generated. When he glanced at her, he saw an almost surprised look on her face. Was she affected, too?

They’d reached the lobby and Emma cleared her throat and motioned to two chairs. After they sat, she handed him the clipboard and pen. They were sitting side by side, his knee practically touching hers. He didn’t move it away because that would be too obvious. Obvious that he was attracted? Or obvious that he wanted to remove himself?

He rested the clipboard on his thigh. The realization brought on by Emma’s words struck hard. “If you can’t save that cat and her kittens, my daughters are going to be heartbroken.”

“I do understand,” Emma empathized. “And you shouldn’t lose hope—the tests might come back negative. As soon as the vet tech is free, she’ll draw blood. The test will take about twenty minutes. I suggest you take your daughters home and I’ll call you later with the results.”

He made a quick decision. “Let me give you my cell number, then you can reach me no matter where I am. Do you have your phone on you?”

She did. She plucked her phone from her belt and tapped Daniel’s cell number into her contacts.

Thinking he should be filling out the forms, not watching Emma tap in his contact information, he felt startled when she raised her gaze to his and didn’t quickly turn away.

He did look away. The forms had become more important than Emma Alvarez.

* * *

Daniel sat in his study that evening listening to his girls play a video game in the family room across the hall. The floor plan of this house was one of the reasons he and his ex-wife had bought it after Penny was born. The house had been on the market for over a year without a buyer. The owners, a couple whose family had grown and left, had wanted to move closer to their children. He’d gotten a great deal, and he knew that. Lydia had been over-the-moon pleased.

Pippa’s laughter rang out from the family room. He glanced around his man cave at the bookshelves, at the massive desk, at the computer-and-printer setup. Neither his house nor his law degree would mean anything to him without his daughters.

He returned to looking for summer-camp selections for his girls at the community college. He hoped it wasn’t too late to enroll. As he began reading the selections, his cell phone buzzed. Picking it up, he saw on the screen that the caller was E. Alvarez. His heart began beating just a little faster.

“Mr. Sutton?” she asked.

“Call me Daniel,” he suggested. That wasn’t too informal, right? He always told his clients that, didn’t he?

Emma hesitated and then said, “All right, Daniel. The calico tested negative, and we’re taking care of her. I named her Fiesta because of all of her colors. She needs good nutrition for her babies.”

“I’m so glad she has a place where she’ll be safe,” Daniel responded.

“She’ll be safe for a time. Momma cats with babies aren’t very adoptable. The kittens will be, though, once they’re born.”

“I don’t think I’m going to tell Pippa, Penny and Paris that.”

“We can’t give Fiesta a whole lot of attention at the shelter because of all of our animals. I’ll do my best to keep an eye on her. It really would be better if she could go home with you and your girls, though.”

“No.” The word popped out of Daniel’s mouth before he even thought about the idea.

“Can I ask why?” she inquired gently.

After a moment, he told her the truth. “I’m a divorced single dad with three girls who are active, smart and sometimes needy. I really can’t see adding a pet to that mix.”

She paused, then said quietly, “I see. If you can’t adopt Fiesta, why don’t you bring your daughters back to the shelter for a visit. I’m sure they’d enjoy it and so would she. I’m certain she’ll want all the attention she can get. She’s a very friendly feline.”

“I’ll consider a visit,” he assured her, maybe because he wanted to see Emma Alvarez again and not the cat.

“Whenever you have time. Do you know our hours?”

“I do. I looked them up before we came to the shelter. Are you always on the same shift?”

“My schedule varies depending on when the shelter needs me to be here.”

He hadn’t thought about that.

“We hope to see you soon at Furever Paws,” she said politely. “You have a good night and say hello to your girls for me.”

“I will.”

After Daniel ended the call, he wished it had gone on a little longer. Should he visit again with her at Furever Paws when he was attracted to her?

His better judgment told him no.

Chapter Two

Whole Bean, the coffee shop in Spring Forest, was a popular local gathering place, even on a Saturday. Daniel was grateful for his sister, who had come over to the house to take care of the girls for the day so he could catch up on client appointments at the office. She was making them breakfast and since she didn’t drink coffee...

The coffee shop was near his office so it was an easy stop. He went to the counter and ordered a double-shot espresso. Checking his watch, he saw that he had about ten minutes before he wanted to start at the office. It wouldn’t hurt to relax a bit before the workday began. Sometimes getting the girls up and dressed and their hair fixed was like running a marathon. He wanted his sister to do the fun things with them and didn’t intend to burden her with any more than was necessary.

He’d turned and headed to the main part of the café to find a table when he stopped cold. There was Emma Alvarez, sitting alone at a bistro table for two. Could she be waiting for someone?

It didn’t look like it. She’d spread the newspaper on the table in front of her and had a pen in her hand.

So much for relaxing. His heart had started pulsing faster the moment he’d spotted her.

Crossing to the table, he stood there for a moment. She must have felt his presence because she looked up and her eyes widened.

Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Do you mind if I join you?”

She looked flustered but she folded the newspaper and laid her pen on the table. “I don’t mind.”

He checked the coffee she was drinking. It looked like a latte.

She saw him studying her coffee and she studied his. “Yes, I drink lattes—vanilla. How about you?”

He nodded to his cup as he sat. “It only looks like black coffee. It has shots of espresso in it.”

“Enough to get you through the day?” she teased. “Or will you need more about noon?”

“I’m limiting myself to the two shots of espresso a day. If I have them both in the morning, that’s it. I have enough trouble sleeping at night.”

“Because of your daughters?” she asked, and then blushed. “I’m sorry. That sounded like prying.”

“I opened the conversation, and yes, my daughters do keep me from sleeping at night. Pippa often calls out in her sleep. It’s been that way since my wife left.”

“You said you’re divorced?”

His gaze landed on her hand. No ring there. “Yes, I’m divorced. Two years now. You’d think I would have gotten used to being mother and father by now.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t think it works that way. I lost my mom to cancer when I was twelve. I’ll never forget those last six months or the years after, when I missed her so much I didn’t know what to do. I still miss her.”

They’d jumped into heavy waters awfully fast, and it was time to back up. Except, when he tried to remove himself emotionally, he got caught up in Emma’s beauty—those dangling curls, her pert nose, her full lips. Backing away from her would be downright difficult.

Clearing his throat, he nodded to the newspaper. “You looked serious when I came over.”

“I’m looking for a job. I have a business degree. In Pennsylvania before I moved here, I was an office manager. I’m hoping that the grapevine surrounding the shelter will reveal a position somewhere nearby. Lots of folks go in and out of there in a day.”

“I imagine so. I thought maybe you were training to be a vet tech since you were working at the shelter.”

“Oh, I love animals. But I don’t think vet tech is in my future—the medical side isn’t for me. During my shift I help out wherever’s necessary. What I like most is giving the animals attention. They are so much like children. When neglected, they act out. If we play with them to release energy, and they know someone’s caring for them, they behave much better.”

When he was at the shelter with his daughters, he could easily see that Emma had a soft spot for children and animals. He took a few sips of his coffee. “Have you been in North Carolina long?”

“About a month now.”

“You said you worked as an office manager in Pennsylvania. Did you come here looking for work?”

Appearing uncomfortable for a moment, she brushed her curls behind her ear before answering him. “Not exactly. It’s a very long story. My trip down here ended up being a little different than I expected. Now I’ve decided to stay for a while to see if Spring Forest is where I might want to settle. It is a beautiful little town.”

Emma sipped more of her coffee. It was about half-finished. It must have still had foam because it edged her upper lip. He smiled.

“What?” she asked, probably because he was studying her so intently.

What he wanted to do was touch that foam and find out exactly how soft her skin was. The notion was absolutely crazy. So instead he took his forefinger and edged his own upper lip.

She laughed and caught on right away. “You don’t have to worry about that with espresso.”

She wasn’t at all embarrassed and he liked that about her. She was natural, unaffected, genuine.

The lawyer in him took the other side of the argument. You don’t know her. You have barely spent any time with her. How could you possibly know she’s all those things?

Yes, how could he possibly know, and why would he want to know? He had a full plate as it was. He didn’t need an entanglement to upset an already rocky boat.

Although he was reluctant to leave, he made a point of checking his watch. Then he said, “I hope you find what you’re looking for. I really need to go now. I have a client coming in first thing this morning.”

She nodded, “I understand. You have a good day.”

He stood, even though something was telling him to stay. He waved his hand at her coffee cup. “Enjoy the rest of your latte.”

She was smiling at him when he left. That smile stayed with him all the way to his office.

* * *

Tied up with clients who wanted to make out a will, close on a house sale or draw up powers of attorney, Daniel hardly had time to breathe the rest of the morning. At some point the espresso would let him down, but hopefully not until the end of the afternoon. Raina knew he liked to see clients in the morning and deal with paperwork later in the day.

He’d started reading the history of a neighborly dispute over land boundaries between two properties when his cell phone buzzed. Cell phone rather than office phone meant it was a personal call.

“Hello,” he said. “Busy lawyer here.”

“Oh, Dad, you’re always busy,” Paris complained. “I have a problem. Aunt Shannon wants me to eat a sandwich and a salad. I don’t want to. She’s so vehement about it, I’m afraid she’ll force-feed me.”

Just where had Paris learned the word vehement? She wasn’t studying for her SATs yet, he thought wryly. However, when Paris was in a snit he did his best to calm her. “Do you want me to talk to your aunt? You can put her on the phone.”

“No. You have to come home. I’ve got to lose weight before school starts in September. She doesn’t understand that. Oh, and Penny missed her last soccer game of the season this morning because you didn’t tell Aunt Shannon about it.”

Daniel rubbed his hand over his brow. “Why didn’t Penny tell her about it?”

He could almost hear the shrug in Paris’s voice when she answered, “I guess she forgot, too. It was scheduled at the last minute.”

He had a decision to make—whether to be honest or patronizing. Paris didn’t take patronizing well. “I do have to work. Are you sure you can’t settle this yourself?”

“I didn’t tell you the worst part.”

Now Daniel held in a breath, then let it out. “The worst part?”

“Um...” Paris hesitated. That was unusual and worried Daniel even more.

“Just spill it, Paris. It won’t get any easier if you turn it around in your mind ten times.”

“Pippa got into something you’re not going to like.”

“Is this going to be twenty questions?” He really was losing patience. Maybe he should take up meditation.

“There was this shoebox in your closet. It had all of mom’s makeup in it. Now it’s all over Pippa’s face.”

Pushing aside the papers on his desk, Daniel faced the problem head-on. When Lydia had left, he’d hoped she’d return to her family, so he’d kept all of her things. When she hadn’t, he’d packed everything up and then forgotten about that box in the deepest recesses of his closet.

“What made Pippa go in there in the first place?” he asked Paris.

“I don’t know. Honest. Maybe she saw you put it in there and she remembered.”

More than once Pippa had asked why her mommy had left. He’d never been exactly sure what to tell her. Lydia sent the girls birthday cards and she’d written them a couple of short notes, but that had been the extent of her communication since the divorce. No wonder they felt abandoned.

What had Emma said just this morning? Animals are so much like children. When neglected, they act out.

So much for working at his office on a Saturday. “I’ll be home in about ten minutes, Paris. Do you think the three of you would like to visit Fiesta at Furever Paws?”

“Dad’s coming home,” Paris announced to her sisters, who must have been standing right there.

He heard the “yay” that filled the kitchen. Then Paris asked Pippa and Penny, “Do you want to go visit Fiesta at Furever Paws?”

Their yeses were loud and clear. So were their needs. Shannon was great with them but they needed somebody full-time who concentrated just on them. They needed a nanny.

An idea zipped through his mind. Emma needed a job. Maybe she’d consider coming to work for him as a nanny. However, he wouldn’t hire her on a whim. He needed to speak to Rebekah Taylor, the shelter director, to see what Emma was like as a volunteer. This visit to Fiesta could suit more than one purpose.

* * *

Emma saw them coming. She had just finished the paperwork and handed over the cutest black toy poodle to his adoptive parents. The woman, who was about sixty, stood back until Daniel’s daughters entered, then Daniel waited for her to leave with her dog.

When Penny and Pippa spotted Emma, they ran right over to her. Paris proceeded more slowly. Pippa looked up at her with her big chocolate-brown eyes. “We came to see Fiesta. Can she have visitors?”

Emma smiled. “Sure, she can have visitors. We gave her a special little home with her own litter box and a plastic bin with shredded newspaper that she can use when she feels her babies are going to be born.”

Now Paris gave her attention to Emma, too. “Why shredded newspaper?”

“Because it can be replaced easily. Cats also like to lie in paper for some reason.”

Daniel eyed Emma, and when he did, she felt herself blush. What was it about this man that made him so attractive? Sure, he was tall. He was handsome. He cared about his daughters and an animal he’d found under his porch, too. But none of that proved he’d be a good romantic prospect.

No more impulsive decisions, Emma told herself fiercely. Her last impulsive decision had landed her here in Spring Forest without a job or a place to stay. Living in a studio apartment with a month-to-month lease, she’d used up most of her savings. She needed to find a job fast...that is if she was going to stay in Spring Forest.

If she didn’t find a job soon that paid her a decent wage, she’d have to return home. She really didn’t want to do that because it would prove her father had been right.

She motioned the girls down the hall. “Turn left at the first door.”

Daniel walked beside her and she was totally aware of him. His navy striped tie was tugged down and the top two buttons of his royal blue oxford shirt were open. Suddenly he touched her elbow and they both paused. Her arm felt as if he’d touched her with fire.

“You must be a miracle worker,” he said.

She felt stunned by his touch and immobilized by the admiration in his eyes. Somehow she found her voice. “Why do you say that?”

“Because Paris doesn’t talk to anyone unless she has to. And she never asks questions. She acts as if she knows everything about everything. With you, she’s different.”

“I’m just a new person in her life. I love animals, and maybe she does, too.”

Daniel was still looking at her as if he was debating something in his mind. Finally he said, “You’re good with Penny and Pippa, too. Pippa has had a hard time. She’d rather I hug her and keep her with me rather than doing anything else.”

“Daddy’s little girl?” Emma asked, knowingly.

“Maybe. Or maybe she’s just holding on to her only remaining parent for dear life. I don’t know if you noticed, but she still has the stain of lipstick under her nose.”

“Lipstick?” Emma asked, confused.

“When I got home today, she’d gotten into Lydia’s old stuff that I’d dumped into a shoebox and stored in my closet. She had a thick coat of lipstick all around her mouth, eye shadow on her eyes, blush on her cheeks, and she looked like a clown.”

“You didn’t laugh, did you?” Little girls usually looked to their dad for affirmation as well as attention.

“No. I was too disconcerted to do that. But I didn’t tell her she looked beautiful, either.”

“What did you tell her?” She knew whatever Daniel had told his daughter would stick.

“I told her she was much prettier with nothing at all on her face.”

Emma couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a very smart dad.”

“Penny doesn’t think so. We both forgot about her soccer game.”

Emma tried hard not to widen her smile at his adorably sheepish tone. He was a dad on his own, doing the best he could. “I think you’re too hard on yourself.”

“You don’t know me,” he reminded her with a frown.

“I can see you want the best for your daughters.”

Again Daniel eyed her as if he was debating with himself. However, he changed the course of their conversation. “I hear the director of the shelter is Rebekah Taylor.”

“Yes, Rebekah’s the director.”

“Do you think I could meet with her?”

“She has a board meeting this morning over at the Whitakers’.” The Whitaker sisters, Bunny and Birdie, had invested their money in this shelter to set it up. Although she’d seen them around the shelter, she’d never met them officially. But she’d heard a lot about them.

“I can leave a message for Rebekah with your number. I’m sure she’ll call you back.”

“I’d like that. Thank you for offering.”

Emma could get lost in Daniel’s green eyes, but she knew she wouldn’t. She absolutely wouldn’t.

During the next half hour, Daniel and his daughters gave Fiesta some of the attention she deserved.

Penny marveled at her colors. “She’s so pretty—white, and black, and brown. I’d never seen a cat like her.”

“I wonder what color her babies will be,” Paris commented.

“They could be a variety of colors,” Emma explained. “It will be exciting to see them, won’t it?”

Pippa came over to Emma and leaned against her leg. “Will we be able to play with the kittens?”

“I don’t know, honey,” Emma said. “It depends if someone adopts her before she has her babies.”

Pippa leaned her head against Emma’s waist. “Daddy doesn’t want a cat and babies.”

Emma couldn’t help but put an arm around Pippa and pat her shoulder. Then her gaze met Daniel’s and she was hard-pressed to look away.

After Daniel and his daughters left, Emma couldn’t forget how his touch had made her feel. She also couldn’t forget how his daughters had warmed her heart. She wondered again why Daniel wanted to talk to Rebekah. She’d left his message on the director’s desk. But since Rebekah had come back from the board meeting, she’d been busy around the shelter.

Emma almost ran into her as she came out of her office, cell phone in hand. She’d apparently just ended a call.

“Something important?” Emma asked.

“It was Grant Whitaker,” Rebekah told her. “He just...” Rebekah shook her head. “I’ll take care of it. Nothing to worry about. I saw the message you put on my desk from Daniel Sutton. He’s the lawyer around here, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. He and his daughters brought Fiesta in yesterday.”

“Does he want to adopt the cat?”

“No. I don’t know what he wants.”

“I’ll get back to him as soon as I can, but the way this day’s going, that might not be until this evening.”

“He said whenever you have time would be fine.”

“Good. No pressure. That’s what I like from a man.” She sighed. “I’m going to check the work on the expansion porch for the cats. That’s where I’ll be if anybody needs me.”

After Rebekah turned in that direction, Emma returned to Fiesta. She hadn’t told Daniel and his daughters but Fiesta wasn’t eating as she should. Emma hoped she just needed to become acclimated, but she’d ask the vet, Doc J, to check her again when he made his rounds tomorrow morning.

She would keep her focus on the cat, not on Daniel Sutton.

* * *

Daniel didn’t like the atmosphere when he and his daughters exited Furever Paws. They were quiet—much too quiet. Maybe he should consider adopting Fiesta. Paris had seemed more outgoing around the cat. Penny and Pippa were obviously affectionate with her. One thing he had to be with his kids was flexible.

He could check YouTube for cats, pregnancy and delivery.

That evening he did just that. He’d never looked into the care of animals that much, and now he realized the extent of the volunteers’ work at Furever Paws. They had to love what they were doing. In many ways it was similar to running a day care for kids.

There was a light rap on his den door. When he turned, he saw Paris. That was a surprise. She usually didn’t seek him out. “What’s up?” he asked nonchalantly.

“I want to keep practicing with the swim team this summer. Are you going to let me? I need the exercise and swimming is one of the best ways to get it.”

He knew Paris was correct in her assessment that swimming was great exercise, but he wished she wanted to be part of the team for the sportsmanship and camaraderie. Lydia had used exercise for weight control and had become almost obsessive about it. He didn’t want Paris to emulate that behavior.

“I’ll consider it, but I want you to consider attending one of these educational camps this summer.”

Wrinkling her nose, Paris frowned. “Are you serious? Is this a negotiation?”

He didn’t know if becoming a lawyer was in the genes, but Paris sure had some of his. “I guess you could say that, or you could call it a compromise. What do you think?”

“If that’s the only way I get to be on the summer swim team, okay.” With that she turned and left his office.

He thought about going after her and furthering their discussion, but his landline phone rang. He scooped it up from the desk and saw the caller ID—R Taylor was calling. “Hello, Miss Taylor. I see you received my message.”

“I did. How can I help you?”

“It’s about Emma Alvarez.”

“Yes?” she asked, prompting him.

“I’m thinking about hiring her. Would you give her a recommendation?”

“I’d give Emma five stars in everything she does. She’s an enthusiastic volunteer, and she doesn’t just do the work, she feels the work. She has a connection to the animals.”

“Did she give you references?”

“Certainly. I wouldn’t have taken her on if she hadn’t. Even volunteers go through a background check and vetting process. Her references are stellar. If I had to sum it up, I’d say she’s reliable, prompt and a problem solver, besides being patient with animals.”

That was all Daniel needed to know. Those recommendations would be a perfect résumé for a nanny. “Can you tell me if she’s volunteering tomorrow?”

“Actually, yes. She’ll be here after ten.”

Daniel knew exactly where he’d be headed after church tomorrow—to Furever Paws to find a solution to one very big problem.

Chapter Three

The next morning after church, Daniel stopped at Furever Paws with Paris, Penny and Pippa. They’d been less restless in church today because they’d known they would be coming here afterward.

After they went inside, it took a volunteer a bit of time to find Emma. They were finally told that she was in the dog room, cleaning cages. Daniel and his girls went that way.

He rapped on the window and Emma saw him. She smiled and came out.

Penny asked, “Can we go in and play with a puppy?”

“I’ll let two out of their cages,” Emma said. “We have beagle puppies, who are adorable.” After she did that and the girls were engaged, Emma returned to Daniel. “I understand you wanted to speak with me.”

“I do. I’d like somewhere more private, but I know you have to keep an eye on the girls.”

“Yes, I do. If the puppies become overexcited or your daughters get too rambunctious, I’ll have to step in.”

Daniel had pulled a folded paper from his back pocket. He could see in Emma’s eyes that she was wondering what it was. “Let me begin by saying I talked with Rebekah about you.”

Emma’s mouth opened and she immediately asked, “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, no! Nothing like that.” He reached for her and clasped her elbow. “You’ve done everything right according to Rebekah. You’re a five-star volunteer.”

Emma smiled but gradually her smile slipped away. “I still don’t understand why you needed to talk with her about me.”

“You need a job, and I need a nanny-slash-housekeeper.”

Emma studied him for a long moment, and he saw wariness in her eyes. He didn’t blame her.

“Since my last nanny left, my sister Shannon has been watching the girls when I need her to. But the problem is... I’m taking advantage of her. She has a three-year-old and it’s hard for her to watch her toddler and my three kids. With the girls out of school now, she’s coming over to my house to watch them. She does her best, but it’s too much to ask her to keep track of everything going on in my house and in hers, too. Paris called me yesterday, and I had to run home to settle a few issues. My daughters are more important to me than any work, but I have to work to sustain us all. I’ve interviewed people for the nanny position,” he went on, “and I just can’t find anyone I like.”

“Why me?” Emma asked, maybe looking a bit interested now.

“Because from the first day I walked in here with Paris, Pippa and Penny, they related to you. You’re compassionate and caring and seem to be able to handle them better than I do. I know expertise when I see it.”

“I’ve never been a nanny. I was an office manager.”

“If you throw in compassion, kindness and firmness, there’s not much difference between an office manager and a nanny, don’t you think?”

Emma smiled at his wry tone. “I don’t know, Daniel...”

He handed her the paper in his hand. “This is a list of my references. You can check them all.”

When she still seemed hesitant, he added, “The job includes room and board. There’s an in-law suite. You’d have privacy when you need it.”

Emma studied the paper. “I’ll check your references and I’ll think about your offer. That’s all I can tell you right now.”

“At least you didn’t say no, so that’s progress for me.” He grinned at her, hoping she’d realize he was an okay guy.

They couldn’t shake on it since they hadn’t made a deal yet, but he nodded. “We have a little time before we have to be at Shannon’s for lunch. Maybe you could spend it with my daughters?”

With no hesitation whatsoever, Emma nodded to the dog room. “I suggest we play with the beagle puppies with the girls.”

Knowing that could be a bonding experience, he opened the door to the room and let Emma precede him inside.

* * *

Standing in the cleaned-up and almost spotless kitchen on Monday, Daniel realized how happy he was that Emma had agreed to be his daughters’ nanny. She’d called him last evening to accept his offer. Daniel was ready for her...at least, he thought he was. The girls certainly were. Pippa and Penny were dancing all around, chattering with excitement. Paris wasn’t as noisy but she didn’t have a solemn look on her face, either.

He’d made sure there weren’t any dirty dishes in the sink. He’d made sure the great room was as straightened up as it could be. He’d told his daughters to at least give the room a half hour after Emma arrived before they messed it up again.

They’d laughed. They hadn’t thought he was serious.

He’d looked out the front Palladian windows for at least the tenth time when his cell phone buzzed. Taking it from his belt, he was concerned it was Emma telling him she’d changed her mind. But it wasn’t. It was his sister.

Without preamble, she said, “I still think you’re crazy to hire a stranger.”

He could imagine Shannon’s red curls flying and her lips, which were usually turned up in a smile, pointing downward.

“Good morning to you, too, sis.”

“You should have used an agency.”

“As I told you before, I tried an agency. The applicants they sent never could have kept up with the girls. You know how much energy they have.”

His sister was silent until she said, “Yes, they have energy, but they need it to be channeled in the right way. What makes you think this woman can do that? It’s not like she was a schoolteacher or worked in day care.”

“Working with animals is like working in day care,” he muttered.

“Don’t try to snow me,” Shannon protested.

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll invite you to dinner as soon as Emma’s settled in. How would that be?”

“Sooner,” Shannon demanded.

“You know, you always were a bossy kid sister.”

“And you were always a know-it-all older brother.”

They both laughed. Thank goodness they could laugh. It kept them sane when the world turned upside down.

Suddenly he heard a car in the driveway. It was a compact blue sporty model. Just like Emma, he supposed—full of class and energy. “I gotta go. She’s here.”

“You can always call me if she doesn’t work out.”

“Bye, Shannon.” He ended the call and replaced his phone on its dock.

He watched as Emma stepped out of her car. He felt his pulse race a little faster as first one bare leg appeared and then the other. As she closed the driver’s-side door, his breath actually caught. She’d worn pale pink shorts—a respectable length—and a puff-sleeved gauzy white blouse. Her curly hair blew in the wind. He noticed her sandals had little jewel-like beads on them. Pippa would love that.

Emma stepped to the back door of the sedan and pulled out a messenger bag.

He told his daughters, “I’m going to help Emma bring her things in.” He hurried out the front door and down the walk then took the side path to the driveway. When Emma saw him, she smiled.

That smile.

Maybe he’d made a huge mistake. He was attracted to her even more than he’d realized.

On the other hand, he needed a nanny. He’d keep that attraction in check.

“Welcome to the Sutton abode.” As soon as he said it, he thought it sounded lame.

Emma didn’t seem to notice. “It’s good to be here. You can’t imagine how thankful I am that I found a job.”

“If you have other suitcases, the girls can help.”

The smile left Emma’s face. “One suitcase.”

He knew Lydia never went anywhere, even for just a weekend, without three suitcases. This was Emma’s life...in one suitcase?

His thoughts must have shown on his face. “I suppose you’re wondering why I didn’t bring many belongings to North Carolina.”

“You travel light?” he joked.

Silence fell over them until a mower at a neighbor’s house started up. Then Emma responded, “I impulsively moved to Spring Forest, intending to have other items shipped later. But since I only had a small studio apartment, that just didn’t happen. I wanted to wait until I was settled somewhere.”

“Is taking this position another impulsive decision on your part?” After all, he had to ask questions if he wanted to get to know her and her personality. That was important when he saw her interacting with his girls. It was the only way he’d know if this was going to work out. He had to be protective of his daughters.

“I’m not sure how impulsive it is,” she said, looking directly into his eyes. “I made this decision out of necessity. I needed a job and I really didn’t want to return to Pennsylvania.”

When she didn’t explain further, he decided to let the discussion go for now. There would be time aplenty to get to know Emma Alvarez. After all, they would both be living under the same roof.

* * *

A short time later, after Daniel reluctantly left for work, Pippa, Penny and Paris took Emma on a tour of the house. It was a large house with a covered entry in the front leading into the foyer. The room to the left, the girls explained, was Daniel’s home office. It was easy to see that when Emma peeked in. Across the foyer on the right was the living room. Straight ahead Emma could see the great room with a vaulted ceiling. There was also a stairway that led upstairs.

The kitchen and the dining room were off the great room and there was a mudroom and a laundry room, as well as a bathroom.

Penny looked at her older sister, Paris, and said, “Let’s show her her room.”

Emma was anxious to see where she’d be staying.

The girls led her down the hall past Daniel’s study and turned left. When Emma stepped inside, she realized the suite resembled a studio apartment. There was a double bed, a sitting area and a kitchenette. A full bath off the room meant she’d have complete privacy if she wanted it. When she was done for the day and came in here for the night, there was no reason for her to have to go into the rest of the house. She liked that, and already felt more comfortable about being here. The house was in order but Emma could easily see it needed a good dusting and a sweeper run over the carpet.

She asked Paris, “How long has it been since your nanny left?”

“Two weeks,” Paris responded but didn’t explain further.

“The first thing we need to do,” Emma told them, “is to clean. Can you show me where the cleaning supplies are?”

“I thought you were going to spend time with us,” Penny complained.

“Oh, I am. You’re going to help me clean.”

“No way,” Paris mumbled. Pippa and Penny looked as if they were going to revolt, too.

“I’ll tell you what. We’ll make a game of it. And your reward for helping will be a visit to Fiesta. What do you think?”

“We can really visit Fiesta?” Pippa asked.

“Sure. I’m certain she’d like the company. I’ll put each chore on a slip of paper in a bowl. We’ll draw them out one at a time. When we finish one, we draw another and start on that. How does that sound?”

Penny asked, “Can we switch papers if we don’t like what we get?”

“If you can find someone willing to switch with you,” Emma agreed.

“Can we put on music?” Pippa asked.

“I have a playlist on my phone, or if you have a radio we can find a station you all like.”

Penny and Pippa seemed enthused. Paris didn’t. In fact, as they went about their chores, then stopped to make lunch with food in the stocked refrigerator, and eventually finished vacuuming and dusting, Paris seemed unnaturally quiet compared to her more vibrant sisters. Emma wasn’t exactly sure what to do about that. How would one get through to an eleven-year-old?

To Emma’s surprise, Daniel’s vehicle came rolling into the driveway around four o’clock. After he came in the door, Pippa ran to him and jumped into his arms. He hugged her and then set her down, but she was already chattering. “Emma says we can go see Fiesta since we finished the chores.”

“She did, did she?” Daniel asked.

Emma stepped forward. Daniel’s face was blank and she couldn’t tell if he approved or not. “The girls helped me clean and dust, so I told them we could go see Fiesta. Do you want to come along?”

“Give me five minutes to change. We can take my SUV because we’ll all fit.”

True to his word, Daniel was back in five minutes in jeans and a red T-shirt. Emma felt that tingle inside of her when their gazes met. She couldn’t help but notice his muscles under the T-shirt, his long legs, the way his hair fell over his brow.

Before she could notice anything else, she said, “Are we ready?”

They all piled into Daniel’s SUV, with Emma sitting in the front and Daniel’s daughters in the back. At first silence reigned but then Penny informed her dad, “Emma says we need to dust at least once a week. If we don’t, we might sneeze and get a runny nose.”

Daniel chuckled and glanced at Emma. “I know dusting is important, but it’s the last thing on my to-do list every week.”

“I can certainly understand that,” Emma responded. “I’m sure you’d rather spend the time with your daughters.”

“The thing is,” Daniel said in a lower voice, “sometimes work interferes with that, too.”

Soon Pippa was telling Daniel about the music they’d played while they were working and how they’d danced to it. Then she amended, “Penny and me did. Paris didn’t dance. She didn’t sing along, either.”

Yes, Emma needed to talk to Daniel about Paris—about more than her quietness.

Once they’d parked in the shelter’s parking lot, all three girls jumped out of the car and ran inside.

“I don’t think they really want to be here, do you?” Daniel asked with a grin.

Emma unfastened her seat belt. Maybe the time to talk was now, when they were alone.

“That’s the most excitement I’ve seen from Paris all day. She seems to really care about Fiesta. But there’s more going on than her being quiet and reserved. I was a bit worried at lunchtime. I made sandwiches for them all but Paris only ate the lettuce and the ham and left the bread.”

“She believes she has to watch her diet,” Daniel said.

That didn’t sound right to Emma. A girl Paris’s age who kept active shouldn’t need to watch what she ate, especially not if the food was good for her. However, Daniel didn’t seem concerned, so maybe she should let the issue drop.

Daniel unfastened his seat belt and Emma couldn’t help but notice he had large hands and brown hair on his way-too-masculine forearms. She switched her thoughts away from Daniel and back to Paris. “Paris was quiet all day. As Pippa said, she didn’t join in while we were enjoying ourselves. I know maybe she’s just quiet but I also wondered if she doesn’t like another woman in the house.”

Now Daniel turned to look at Emma. His jaw was set and his eyes held no warmth. “Nannies, housekeepers and babysitters have never bothered Paris, and basically, that’s what I’ve hired you to be. Not a dietician or a psychologist. Just be their nanny, Emma, and we’ll all get along just fine.”

When Daniel opened his door to climb out, Emma told herself she shouldn’t feel hurt. However, she did feel put in her place. She knew exactly what she had to do about that.

* * *

Emma waited until that evening, when Daniel’s daughters were in bed on the second floor, to do what she had to do. Leaving her suite, she didn’t hesitate to go to Daniel’s office. The door was partially open and she rapped on it, making sure she had a good grip on her tablet in her other hand.

“Come in,” Daniel called, with obvious surprise in his voice. “Are you a night owl, too?” he asked with a smile, apparently forgetting the annoyance he’d seemed to feel toward her that afternoon.

“No, not a night owl. I just wanted to talk to you without the girls around.”

He stood, his eyebrows raised in question. “Are you feeling overwhelmed already?”

She came just inside the door and stood her ground. “No, I don’t feel overwhelmed, but I do have a question.”

“Ask away,” he said in that deep baritone that practically made her toes curl.

She swallowed hard and held up her tablet. “I’d like to know exactly what my nanny duties are. I wouldn’t want to overstep the boundaries again.”

Daniel’s expression changed. At first it was stoic and then understanding seemed to dawn on his face. “Emma—” he began.

However, she made herself clear again. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”

Daniel took a few steps closer to her. He was standing right in front of her. She noticed the curling chest hair at his neck in the V of his shirt, the way the shirt was tucked into his slim waist, the way his belt buckle hit a spot just below his navel.

“I’m sorry that your feelings were hurt with what I said about Paris. I don’t want you worrying about her. That’s not your job, it’s mine.”

“I’m probably going to be spending more time with her than you will,” Emma reminded him.

He grimaced. “I know that, and every day I wake up planning to spend more time with them and something interferes. It’s usually work-related, and I feel guilty.”

“As long as you do the best you can and love them, you shouldn’t feel guilty.”

He ran his hand up and down the back of his neck. “I guess I wasn’t raised that way. My father and mother taught me a sense of responsibility. They were strict but usually fair. That’s ingrained in me.”

“And you want to raise your daughters the same way.”

“Not exactly the same way. I’d like to be less rigid.”

“I don’t think you’re rigid,” Emma said.

He laughed. “You’ve only spent a short time with me and the girls.”

“Yes, but I noticed how caring you were about Fiesta. And today when I suggested you go along with us to the shelter, you readily agreed. There’s nothing rigid in that.”

Daniel was looking down at her so intently that her breath caught. In fact, she had the vague impression that he was leaning toward her and she was leaning toward him. If she raised her head and he bent his—

“No.”

She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud until Daniel asked, “No?”

She cleared her throat and prattled, “No parent knows if he’s doing exactly the right thing. But this is your family, and you are the one who decides how it’s run. And I want to make sure I follow your rules. So can you tell me what my duties are?”

Then she was going to run back to her room and lock herself in. There were too many vibrations between her and this man, too much chemistry, and she was not going to do anything impulsive. She’d promised herself that, the day she’d found herself in Spring Forest, North Carolina, with no place to go and no one to help.

Daniel didn’t step away but he did lift his hand with one finger raised. “Look after Paris, Penny and Pippa’s physical needs. If a problem crops up or you think there’s something to worry about, I do want you to tell me.”

“You didn’t appreciate me telling you about Paris,” she reminded him.

“I know.” He rubbed his fingers across his jaw—a very chiseled jaw, with a small cleft in the center. “I think I acted defensively because I’ve noticed the same things, but I don’t know what to do about her. She’s not eating as much as she should for a girl of her age. She wants to take part in summer swim-team activities so she doesn’t gain weight.”

“Are you going to let her be part of the team?”

“Yes, and that’s something I’d like you to schedule. I negotiated with her. She’s also to choose one of the camps at the community college. They have them for kids every summer. I’ll give you their website address and maybe you can set that up, too. So the second point on my list of your duties would be arranging activities and chauffeuring them back and forth from the camps to home.”

“When you say camps, do you mean like camping outside in tents?”

He chuckled. “No, not at all, though I suppose there is one that does that. These are educational camps. Someone qualified teaches them. The college accepts only so many children in each camp so the girls might not get their favorites. It’s late to sign them up. Just do the best you can with it. I’ll print out the info you need and give it to you in the morning.”

She pointed to her tablet, where she’d typed in what he’d said. “That’s only two duties.”

“Chauffeuring is going to take up a good bit of your time. The third duty would be to keep the house in order, but that’s a lower priority. If the girls would rather do some activity and you want to do it with them, I’d rather you do that than clean. They’re off school for the summer and have a few chores to do. But mostly I want them to enjoy it. If actually cleaning the house becomes a problem, I’ll hire someone to do that.”

She was close enough to Daniel that she could easily see the lines around his eyes. Were those lines from looking into the sun or from laughing with his girls? From working too hard, poring over legal papers? Or from his divorce? That was too personal to comment on so she thought about the next thing she wanted to ask him. “I’d like to still volunteer at the shelter, if you think that’s possible.”

“I want you to make time for that if that’s what you want to do. When I’m home, don’t feel you have to spend time with my daughters. If there’s something else you’d rather do, even if it’s just reading in your room, then that’s what you should do. I don’t want to be rigid with you, either, Emma.”

She felt her face getting warm because they were gazing into each other’s eyes. Her heart seemed to be beating so loud she wondered if he could hear it. He had a look on his face that made her want to move closer to him, but she didn’t. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

Starting tomorrow she’d ignore his attractiveness. She’d try to forget what she felt for him and his life here without his ex-wife and with his girls to raise on his own. Starting tomorrow, she’d truly be starting over. That’s exactly what she wanted.

Chapter Four

Emma was surprised the following day when her cell phone buzzed and she saw the caller was Rebekah.

She answered. “Hi, Rebekah. Do you want me to come in? I could probably do an evening shift. I’m working as a nanny for Daniel Sutton now.”

“So you got the job! Congratulations.”

“I moved in yesterday. What can I help you with?”

“I’d like to talk to you about Fiesta. She needs more TLC than the shelter workers can give her. The vet examined her again when we saw her limping. He thinks her back leg was injured at some time. It has healed as much as it’s going to—it still could bother her, though. And the worst part is, she’s not eating as she should. She needs nourishment for herself and those kittens. Is there any way you could take her?”

“I just don’t know. I’d have to talk to everyone here about Fiesta. Daniel isn’t too keen on bringing a pregnant cat in.”

“I understand. See what you can do and then give me a call.”

“Thank you, Rebekah. For everything.”

When Emma put her cell phone back in her pocket, Pippa, Penny and even Paris were standing there looking up at her.

Should she tell them or shouldn’t she?

Paris was the first to speak. “You mentioned Fiesta. Is something wrong?”

“You look upset,” Penny added.

Pippa took hold of Emma’s hand. That simple gesture brought tears to her eyes.

“The situation is that Fiesta needs extra care. The vet says she’s not eating like she should. I’m not sure what to do. Do you think any of your friends would want to take in a pregnant cat?”

Penny jumped up and down. “We want to take her in. We want Fiesta.”

“Your dad doesn’t,” Emma reminded them.

“But if we ask him real nice, he might. And if you back us up, that would clinch it,” Paris added.

Emma wasn’t sure that Paris’s plan was the route to take, but the three girls cared about the cat and she did, too. There was no harm in asking. At least that’s what she thought...until they asked.

* * *

That night no one said anything until after they’d finished dinner. Daniel had appreciated the meat loaf, macaroni and cheese and green beans. They both watched Paris as she nibbled, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

When Emma served fresh strawberries over vanilla ice cream, Daniel grinned at her. “I haven’t had anything like this in a long time.”

“Then enjoy it,” she said as Pippa, Penny and Paris all gazed at her as if asking, “Can we ask him now?”

Emma gave a little nod.

As the oldest, Paris started. “Dad, we want to talk to you about something.”

He took another bite of ice cream. “Sure. Anything.”

Penny chimed in next. “Emma got a phone call today and it upset her. It upset us, too, when she told us about it.”

Daniel’s gaze shot to Emma’s. “Did you have bad news from home?”

“No,” Emma said softly. “It was Rebekah from the shelter. Fiesta is having a few problems.”

Pippa explained exactly what those problems were. As she did, Daniel frowned, and then he scowled. That scowl was meant for Emma.

“Won’t you let us bring her home, Dad?” Paris begged.

Pippa went to her dad and gave him a hug. “Please, Daddy. We’ll get to see her kittens born.”

Penny sounded like an old soul when she said, “It would mean a lot to us, Dad.”

Daniel studied each of his daughters, one by one. He didn’t look at Emma. “We do have a spare room upstairs. We could keep her in there, at least until after the kittens are born.”

All three of his daughters cheered, high-fived and gave Emma wide smiles. Then Daniel said, “Why don’t you go up to your rooms for a while. I’d like to talk to Emma.”

His daughters were now ready to do anything he said. They ran off talking about preparations for Fiesta and exactly what they’d put in her room.

As soon as Daniel heard all three girls run up the stairs, he pointed his finger at Emma. “You ambushed me.”

“I didn’t,” Emma protested, feeling defensive. “It happened exactly as your daughters said. What were they supposed to do, write you a letter so you didn’t feel ambushed?”

“You could have called me at work to warn me that this was coming. Instead, all three came at me at once with you managing in the background.”

“I wasn’t managing anything. The girls have felt strongly about Fiesta ever since they found her.”

He shook his head, scowling again. “You shouldn’t have talked to them about the cat until you consulted with me. They’ve had enough loss. What if Fiesta or one of the kittens dies? On the other hand, if the kittens are healthy, I have to find homes for them and the mom. I don’t want a houseful of cats.”

Emma had kept her temper even up until now. But suddenly his words lit a match to it. She pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “If I’m going to be involved in your daughters’ all-day care, then that means I’m going to be involved in their lives. I wasn’t going to tell them what the phone call was about but they heard Fiesta’s name mentioned. I wasn’t going to lie to them when they asked me about it. And as we talked about it, I realized a pregnant cat could teach them about birth and responsibility. It could also bond you with your daughters more than they are now. Did you ever think of that?”

Before she cried in front of him, she tossed her napkin to the table. “I’ll clear this mess later. I’m going to my room for a little while.”

She hurried from the kitchen before more of her feelings leaked out.

* * *

Daniel cleaned off the table and ran the dishwasher. Action was his defense against unsettled feelings. Emma Alvarez had unsettled quite a few. When he’d finished all the kitchen chores—he was not going to leave them for Emma—he knew what he had to do.

Apologizing wasn’t something that came easy to him. Maybe that was one of the reasons Lydia had left, along with many others. Unfortunately, Emma’s actions had stirred up the past. It was a hornet’s nest he didn’t usually disturb. Possibly, that’s why he still felt empty sometimes. After Lydia had left, he’d had to focus on the girls and work. That was it. It was called putting one foot in front of the other and he’d done that for two years.

However, suddenly Emma’s presence had thrust him back into thoughts of his marriage and the aftermath of it. He was uncomfortable. That’s why he’d argued with Emma.

Walking down the hall to her room, he knew there was a possibility that she could be packing to leave. Did she run from arguments? Did she stay and fight? Did she resolve them and go on? He didn’t know how she would respond to their current problem. To his surprise, he wanted to find the answers to all of those questions.

Knocking on Emma’s door, he tried to prepare himself for the scene ahead. After all, that’s what lawyers did. Don’t ask a question you don’t know the answer to. At least that’s what his friends who were criminal-trial lawyers had told him.

When Emma opened the door, her eyes went wide. She obviously hadn’t expected him. She’d changed into a sleeping tank and shorts that had little multicolored paws all over them. That almost made him smile. But the discussion they had to have was too serious.

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