The Nanny Proposal. Donna Clayton

      Guilt solidified in the pit of Greg’s stomach. He hadn’t the right to make his friend feel the need to defend himself like this. But before he could apologize, he discovered Sloan had more to say.

      “And I do have a housekeeper. With three pre-teens running rampant in my house, I’d be a lunatic not to.” Sloan ran his finger absently along the corner of the counter as if he was debating how to word what was on his mind. Finally, he said, “But there’s a big difference between having a housekeeper come in a few times a week and having live-in help. Especially when you just met this woman.” He raised his eyes, locking gazes with Greg. “I’m going to say something you’re not going to like.”

      Instant wariness had Greg steeling himself.

      His friend sighed. “Travis and I both know that this past week has been hard on you. Dealing with fatherhood has really thrown a monkey wrench into the cogs of your life. And we also realize that finding out about Joy…finding out that a casual affair you had made you a dad…has, ah—” he stammered for the first time “—done something radical to your thinking.”

      “Now, wait just a minute—”

      “This has to be said,” Travis softly interrupted, the step he took closer to Sloan clear evidence that he agreed with whatever revelation the man was about to make.

      Sloan plowed ahead. “You’ve taken this woman into your home—”

      “Her name’s Jane,” Greg said, his hackles rising. “Jane Dale.”

      “Okay, Jane Dale.” This time when Sloan continued, his tone was gentler. “I think your hiring her has a great deal to do with what happened to you. Your thinking about women has become…confused. You think you can save this woman. This Jane. You found out she was needy. So you gave her a job and a place to live. You’re somehow trying to make up for your behavior in the past.”

      This was the truth. Greg had known it. He’d thought that very thing himself this morning when he was examining Jane in his office, hadn’t he? But why did his motivation for hiring Jane sound so blasted twisted coming from someone else’s mouth?

      “We want you to know,” Travis added, “that we don’t believe you’ve done anything to make up for. It’s not a crime to date women. Pricilla was a consenting adult, right? And it’s your habit to practice safe sex, right?” Lifting his hand, palm up, Travis said, “Mistakes happen. Yes, you have to take responsibility for your actions. And you’re doing that. But you don’t have to try to save the world.”

      But I never called Pricilla, the silent lamentation screeched across Greg’s mind like fingernails on a blackboard. I never reached out to her afterward. If I had, I’d have found out about my daughter sooner. All I thought about was getting away from a bad situation. All I thought about was myself.

      Shoving the thoughts aside, he decided not to allow himself to get sidetracked with these dark recriminations regarding what he should have done. He needed to stick to the topic at hand.

      “B-but,” he stuttered lamely, “I’m not just helping Jane. She’s helping me, too.” Then he let his eyes slide from one friend to the other. “Do you guys really think I’m a nutcase for hiring her?”

      Both men remained silent for a moment. Travis shifted his overstuffed briefcase from one hand to the other. Then leveled a steady gaze at Greg.

      “My friend,” Travis said, “just think about what you’ve done, and how out of sorts it seems with your usual actions. When we wanted to hire a new nurse for the practice, you refused to let the woman near the patients until we had three letters of recommendation from her previous employers. Three. Like Sloan said, you don’t know this Jane Dale.” He bit his bottom lip a moment. Quietly, he pointed out, “This is your daughter we’re talking about. Your daughter.”

      A cold shiver clawed its way up Greg’s spine as revelation struck. “And I’ve left her with a complete stranger all day. A woman I know nothing about.”

      Without another word, Greg snatched up his valise and headed for the front door.

      Jane could not believe her good fortune. She’d actually lied her way into a job as Joy’s nanny. She was once again with the light of her life. Nothing could have made her happier.

      When she’d arrived in town, she’d had no idea what she meant to do other than to throw herself on Greg Hamilton’s mercy, beg him for information about where Pricilla and Joy might be. During the days since her sister had disappeared with the baby, Jane had called every friend Pricilla had ever talked about. When a week had passed with no word from her sister, Jane felt she simply couldn’t hang around the apartment any longer. She wasn’t eating. Wasn’t sleeping. Couldn’t keep her mind on her work. She’d reached the end of her rope. She simply had to find Joy. However, when Jane had gone to her boss to ask for some time off to search for her family, she’d been told that if she walked out the door, she’d be walking away from her job. For good.

      Jane had walked out the door without a backward glance.

      She’d been that desperate to find her niece. She’d been that desperate to somehow heal the aching hole the baby’s disappearance had left in her heart. In her soul. She’d been that desperate to put to rest the worry she’d felt for Joy’s welfare. Pricilla had proved time and again during the past ten months that she wasn’t a good mother. Heck, Pricilla hadn’t wanted Joy. Who knew what her sister might do? Jane had been terribly anxious for Joy’s well-being.

      Once she’d left her job, Jane had visited all Pricilla’s friends, hoping against hope that one of them had lied about harboring her sister and niece. Jane had questioned each of them. None of them had known where Pricilla might be. A few of them had told Jane that surely Pricilla would show up. Eventually.

      Jane couldn’t take that chance. Not with Joy’s health and safety at stake.

      It might have sounded strange, but little Joy always seemed to feel discomfited by her own mother’s presence. The baby would fidget and cry and reach for Jane. Jane suspected the child sensed Pricilla’s lack of mothering instinct.

      To be absolutely honest, Jane loved Joy as if she were her own daughter. She felt like Joy’s mother. She loved the child to distraction. And that’s why she was willing to give up everything in order to find her.

      And she had!

      Jane had hardly believed her ears when the doctor mentioned needing a nanny for his daughter. She’d nearly toppled right off the examining table onto the floor.

      Images of her appointment with Dr. Greg Hamilton this morning swirled, unbidden, into her brain like the heated waters of some tropic flood, invading and filling every nook and cranny of her thoughts. His hands had been so warm, so gentle on her skin as he’d listened to her heartbeat. She’d been certain that her pulse had accelerated. And she’d been utterly mortified when the silky touch of his fingers brushing her chest had caused her nipples to bud to life. However, she’d noticed that his gaze had been averted, and for that she’d been terribly relieved. Even now, as she thought about the way his mahogany hair fell in thick waves, the way his forest-green eyes studied her with concern, her heartbeat pounded, her face flushed.

      “Stop.” She whispered the word aloud and Joy looked up at her from where she sat on the floor, gnawing happily on a teething ring.

      How Joy came to be in Greg’s care, Jane couldn’t be sure. But there could only be one answer. Pricilla had given the baby to Greg.

      Jane had no idea if Pricilla planned to return for Joy. Or if her sister simply meant to give Greg all parental rights to the baby.

      The mere idea made Jane tremble with fear. She couldn’t imagine her life without this baby in it. She just couldn’t.

      The lies she’d told Greg were wrong. She’d known that even as the grand stories had come rushing from her. However, she had good cause. And she reached for that cause, a big smile spreading across her face.

      “Are