The Nanny. Judith Stacy

to adjust to this place.”

      Josh turned to her. “Why’s that?”

      Annie stifled a gasp. Why had she mentioned her family? She hadn’t meant to. In fact, the very last thing she wanted to discuss with Josh was her family. She was lucky that he didn’t already know about them…about the scandal.

      “She was worried about moving out here, so far from a large town,” Annie explained. “Worried about the Indians.”

      Josh shrugged. “We’ve had no trouble with Indians in years. After the war with the Sauks back in ’32, most of them headed west to Washington. A few stayed behind. One of them is my friend, Night Hawk. Besides, there’s a large contingency of soldiers at Fort Tye.”

      “My cousin Angus said there was no need to worry,” Annie said. “But my mother, well, she worried anyway. It’s been difficult for her since my father died.”

      “They were in love, your mother and father?”

      She was a little surprised by his question. “Well, yes, I suppose they were. I mean, they were married for years. Wouldn’t they have been in love?”

      Josh grunted and turned away.

      “Isn’t that what marriage is all about?” Annie pushed her straw hat off her head and stretched her legs out in front of her. “When I marry it will be for love. Love and passion. Enough to last two lifetimes.”

      Josh fell silent for a few moments, so long, in fact, that Annie turned to him. A vacant look had come over his face and she realized how thoughtless her comments were.

      “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything about marriage, with your wife gone.”

      Josh shook his head but still wouldn’t look at her. “No, it’s all right.”

      “I won’t speak of her again.”

      Josh turned to her then. “I don’t mind. Really. I don’t want the children to think they can’t talk about their mother.”

      For a man who seemed determined to spend as little time with his children as possible, Annie was surprised to hear Josh say those things.

      “Mrs. Flanders speaks highly of your wife,” Annie said.

      “Lydia brought Mrs. Flanders with her from Philadelphia when we married.”

      “Your wife wasn’t from here?”

      Josh glanced down at his hands. “No,” he said softly. “We met when I traveled East on business. Hers was a very fine, well-established family. I was…fortunate…she agreed to the marriage.”

      Josh sank into his own thoughts, making Annie feel like an intruder. Yet she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

      Was this the face of a man still in love with his dead wife? Is that what his expression meant?

      A little knot squeezed her chest tight, and for some reason, Annie couldn’t bear to sit here beside him another moment.

      “I’m heading back,” she said, and got to her feet.

      He came out of his reverie and rose beside her. “I’ll give you a ride.”

      “Not necessary,” Annie insisted. “I’m sure you have more important matters to attend to.”

      “Believe it or not, Miss Martin, insuring that my children’s nanny doesn’t succumb to heatstroke is an important matter to me.”

      Putting it that way made Annie’s refusal sound a bit silly. Still, she didn’t want to ride with him, didn’t want him—or anyone who might see them—to get the idea she was interested in anything more than his children.

      Because she wasn’t. Was she?

      Annie backed away. “No, really, Mr. Ingalls, I’d rather walk.”

      He followed as she backed away. “It’s too far and too hot.”

      “No, it isn’t. I’ll be fine. Really.”

      Josh stopped a pace in front of her. “Is there some…other reason you don’t want to ride with me?”

      The breath went out of Annie as Josh gazed down at her. What was it about this man? Sometimes when he looked at her—simply looked—he caused the most peculiar reaction.

      “Well?” he asked, inching closer.

      Annie managed to look up at him. “I—I don’t want anyone to get the idea I’m…”

      “You’re…?”

      What was it Georgia had said about the other nannies? “I don’t want anyone to think I’m sniffing around after you.”

      A little grin tugged at his lips. “Sniffing around?”

      “Yes,” she said, and felt her cheeks grow warm. “That I’m interested in you because of your wealth or…other things. Because I certainly don’t—”

      He kissed her on the mouth. Looped his arms around her, pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers, blending them together. Stunned, Annie hung in his embrace, unable to stand, unable to breathe. His thighs touched hers. His chest brushed her breasts. And he tasted delightful, like—she had no idea what, for she’d never before tasted anything so fine.