Gift from the Heart. Irene Hannon

      When she declined, he filled a coffee cup and joined her at the table. “I know I said I’d call you tomorrow, but frankly, I didn’t see any reason to wait. Seth Mitchell has confirmed your story. You seem sincere. I trust Jo’s judgment, and I desperately need help with Nicole.” And you need Jo’s legacy. He didn’t voice that reason. But it had been a definite factor in his decision.

      Coils of tension deep in the pit of Clare’s stomach began to unwind. “Then you’re willing to take me on as nanny?”

      He took a sip of his coffee and looked at her steadily. “To be honest, I’m still not entirely comfortable with this. It doesn’t seem right for me to accept your services at no cost.”

      “That was the stipulation in Aunt Jo’s will. So there’s no choice. And I’m fine with it.”

      Adam put his mug on the table and wrapped his long, lean fingers around it. “I talked to Nicole about this. Well, I tried to, anyway,” he amended. “I didn’t get much more than a few grunts, but at least she didn’t throw a fit. So I took that as a good sign. I don’t think she’ll fight you the way she has every other sitter I hired. But I could be wrong. It could be miserable. For everyone. So what I’d like to propose is that we try this for a month. If everything works out, we can commit to the remaining five months. But this will give us both a chance to test the waters and back out if things don’t go well. How does that sound?”

      Clare had no intention of backing out. She was determined to make this work. So she had no qualms agreeing to Adam’s terms. “It seems like a sensible plan.”

      “Good. As for your duties, I’m open to suggestions since I’ve never had a nanny before. I thought you could just make sure Nicole gets ready for school on time so she doesn’t miss the bus, and be here when she gets home. During the school day your time would be your own. Nicole could also use some help with her schoolwork. Even though her standardized test scores are always high, her grades have been marginal at best since she came to live with me. With your teaching background, I’d appreciate any help you could provide. Most of your weekends should be free, other than Saturday mornings if I have patients in the hospital and need to do rounds. Ellen James, our housekeeper, comes on Thursdays. She has a key and doesn’t need any supervision. Mostly I just need you to keep an eye on Nicole. Does that sound reasonable?”

      “Very. And I’ll be happy to do some tutoring.”

      “That would be great. So when can you start?”

      “As soon as I find a place to live and get settled in. I hope within a few days.”

      Suddenly an idea began to take shape in Adam’s mind. Considering Clare’s current accommodations at the Evergreen Motel, her finances probably wouldn’t allow her to upgrade very much when it came to a more permanent place to live. And he had a small, furnished apartment above his garage. Maybe he couldn’t pay her, but there was nothing in Jo’s will that would prevent her from accepting housing.

      “As a matter of fact, I may be able to help,” he said. “There’s a furnished apartment above my garage that I always planned to fix up and rent out, but I’ve never gotten around to it. You’re welcome to live there. It’s the least I can do, considering you’re providing your services free of charge.”

      Clare looked at him in surprise. “Well, that would certainly be convenient.” And easy on her tight budget, she silently added.

      “Would you like to take a look?”

      “Sure.”

      After retrieving the key from his office, Adam led the way out the back door and down a cobblestone path toward the garage. When they reached the door, his first couple of attempts to pull it open failed. Finally, after he exerted a bit more force, the door swung out.

      “I’ve only been up here a couple of times since I bought the place,” he apologized. “The door probably needs to be sanded.”

      He preceded her up a narrow set of stairs to a small landing where he inserted the key in another door. This one opened easily, and since there wasn’t room on the landing for both of them, he stepped inside first. He switched on the harsh overhead light—and immediately regretted his offer.

      He’d known the apartment wasn’t in great shape, but it was even worse than he remembered. The walls were painted a dingy, muddy beige. The green shag carpeting had seen better days. The garishly upholstered sofa sagged in the middle, and the shade on the lamp beside it was ripped. Even from the front door, he could see that the countertop in the tiny galley kitchen was badly chipped at the edges. A small wooden table and chairs in the tiny eating area were nicked and worn. And he didn’t even want to look at the bathroom or bedroom. As near as he could recall, the furnishings in the bedroom included a lumpy bed and a nondescript dresser with a cracked mirror. There was no way he could offer this space to anyone in its present condition. Especially to Clare, with her obvious elegance and breeding.

      “Adam?”

      He knew he was blocking the door, but he didn’t budge. “Listen, this wasn’t such a good idea after all. I forgot that this place was in such bad shape.”

      “Can I at least look around?”

      He hesitated. “I’m not sure you want to. This apartment makes the Evergreen Motel look good.”

      He heard her laugh—a musical sound that he found extraordinarily appealing.

      “That bad, huh?”

      At least she had a sense of humor. And she was certainly going to need it, considering what she was walking into, literally and figuratively, with him and Nicole. “Let’s just say that I think a four-legged creature would be more at home here than a two-legged one.”

      “Okay, now I have to see it.”

      “Just promise me one thing.”

      “What?”

      “You won’t quit before you even start.”

      She laughed again. “There’s no chance of that.”

      Hands planted on his hips, Adam surveyed the room once more, then shook his head and moved aside. “Okay. But trust me, you won’t hurt my feelings if you take one look and run right back down the stairs.”

      Clare stepped into the apartment, walked slowly to the middle of the room, then pivoted, making every effort to keep her face impassive. Okay, so it was bad. But it was free. And she was pretty handy with a hammer and a paint brush. She completed her perusal of the living room and kitchen area, then peeked into the bathroom. At least it was serviceable. The bedroom, however, didn’t fare as well. She would definitely take the lumpy mattress at the Evergreen over this one, which seemed to have a crater in the middle. She returned to the kitchen, opened a few cabinets, checked out the small refrigerator, silent all the while.

      Adam watched Clare as she went from room to room, admiring her natural grace even as he berated himself for showing her the apartment. In her slim, black wool skirt and elegant blue silk blouse she looked completely out of place in the run-down apartment. He couldn’t possibly let her live here.

      “Look, this was a bad idea and I’m sorry for even suggesting it,” he apologized as the silence lengthened.

      “Actually, this isn’t so bad,” she said gamely.

      He looked at her incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

      “No. I’m serious. Mostly what it needs is a cosmetic makeover. I assume the appliances and heat work?”

      “Last time I checked.”

      She shrugged. “Why don’t you let me tackle it? I think I can make this livable.”

      He raked his fingers through his hair as he skeptically eyed the room again. “I’m not sure it’s even salvageable, let alone livable.”

      “At least let me try.”

      When