Rags To Riches: At His Bidding. Rebecca Winters

was certain the primary reason for that was Coco.

      The nurse entered and administered the punishment. Emma screamed in fury and agony. His heart wrenched. He watched Coco wince then immediately turn into comfort mode. “There you go,” she said rubbing the baby’s arm. “What a brave girl. All over in no time. You’re such a good girl.”

      Emma quickly became distracted by Coco’s words of praise. Her cries subsided and she gave a few extra sobs then sighed.

      “You can give her a low dose of baby acetaminophen if she appears uncomfortable,” the nurse said. “She’s a beautiful baby.”

      Coco smiled. “Thank you. We think so, too.”

      They walked out of the office and Benjamin helped Emma into her car seat and escorted Coco into her seat. Emma sucked on her pacifier.

      “Poor thing,” Coco said. “They go through so much they don’t understand.”

      “Yeah, but it’s necessary to keep them alive,” Benjamin said. “I would be a rotten father if I didn’t protect her against the diseases she could get.”

      “That’s right,” Coco agreed. “And you’re nowhere near a rotten father.” She glanced behind her. “Besides, she’s sleeping now.”

      Benjamin felt something inside him ease. “Good. Just tell me we have that baby Tylenol ready.”

      “We do,” she assured him. “Along with your beer.”

      * * *

      The next day, the story hit the Dallas and Houston papers. The weekly Silver City paper wouldn’t be far behind. The house phone started ringing. Everyone from newspaper reporters to radio DJs to television reporters wanted to interview Coco about her association with the Devereau family.

      Sarah fielded the calls when Coco was busy with Emma, but she was getting antsy by late afternoon. “I don’t think I can do another day of this. These phone calls have totally interrupted my cooking and cleaning schedule.”

      “I’m sorry,” Coco said as the phone rang again. “Maybe we should let the calls go to voice mail.”

      Sarah scoffed and shook her head. “It’ll fill up in an hour. I swear, it must be a slow news day for everyone to get worked up over this.” She picked up the phone. “Garner Ranch.” She paused a few seconds. “Miss Jordan has nothing to say to the press. Pass that along to all your colleagues so they’ll stop calling. Goodbye,” she said and hung up the phone.

      “They’ll stop when they figure out I don’t know anything about the Devereaux. As long as I continue to be boring, they’ll get bored, too,” Coco said.

      Sarah snorted. “I don’t know what you’ve been drinking, but this is a great story. Pretty girl, orphaned by her adoptive parents, finds out she’s a princess—”

      “I’m not a princess,” Coco said. “I’m a nanny.”

      “Hmmph,” Sarah said. “Try telling that to the reporters.”

      “I have,” Coco said.

      The phone rang again and Coco reached for it. She didn’t want Sarah getting any more cranky than she already was. “Garner Ranch,” she said.

      “This is Annie Howell. I’d like to speak with Coco Jordan,” the woman said.

      Coco sighed. “Speaking.”

      “Oh, Your Highness. I’m so happy to talk to you,” the woman gushed. “I’m the president of the Silver City Ladies Society. We would love for you to come and speak to our group next month.”

      “Thank you for the kind invitation,” Coco said. “But I must tell you that I’m not any kind of highness and I’m very busy working for the Garner household right now.”

      “But you are from royalty,” the woman said. “We’re so excited to have royalty right here among us.”

      “But I’m really not royalty. A true royal person is raised to be royal from birth and, trust me, I was not. I’m sorry I can’t help you. Have a good day. Goodbye,” she said before the woman could respond.

      “These people really don’t get it,” she murmured.

      Emma’s cry vibrated through the baby monitor, interrupting her thoughts.

      Coco ran upstairs, scooped up Emma, changed her diaper and returned downstairs just as the doorbell rang.

      “I’ll get it,” Sarah said. “Might as well be Grand Central Station in here today with all these interruptions.”

      Carrying Emma, Coco wandered toward the front room.

      Sarah opened the door and looked surprised. “Eunice and Timmy, what brings you here?” she asked, drying her hands on the dish towel she carried.

      “May we come in?” the woman outside asked.

      “Of course,” Sarah said and stepped aside. “What can I do for you, Eunice?”

      An older woman with bright red lipstick and unrealistically black hair and a middle-aged man stood inside the door. The woman carried a fruit basket and the man cleared his throat and pressed down his hair.

      “We hear you have a princess living in your house and we wanted to welcome her to the neighborhood,” Eunice said.

      Coco took a silent step backward so she wouldn’t be seen.

      Sarah paused a half beat then sighed and reached for the basket. “That’s nice of you. I’ll be sure and tell Coco you dropped by.”

      “Oh, we were hoping to meet the princess,” Eunice said.

      “Well, she’s busy with the baby right now,” Sarah said.

      Emma looked down at the dog and made a loud gurgling sound.

      “Oh, is that them?”

      Emma let out another loud gurgle.

      “Coco,” Sarah called as if she realized it was no use trying to hide Coco any longer. “You have guests.”

      Coco entered the room and smiled. “Hello,” she said.

      “Coco, this is Eunice Chittum and her son, Timmy.”

      “Tim,” the man corrected and cleared his throat.

      “Tim,” Sarah repeated. “Well, the Chittums have brought you a fruit basket. I’ll take it into the kitchen for you.”

      “Thank you very much,” Coco said. “What a nice gift. It’s nice to meet you.”

      “Oh, our pleasure,” Eunice gushed and dipped in a curtsey. “Your royalness.”

      Frustration rippled through Coco. “Oh, no, please don’t do that. I’m just Coco Jordan. Really.”

      “There’s no need to be so humble with us. We’re very honored to meet you. I especially wanted you to meet Timmy.”

      “Tim,” the man corrected.

      “He would be a perfect escort and you should know that he is eligible.”

      “Mother,” Timmy said, rubbing at his hair self-consciously.

      Coco covered her dismay by shifting Emma to her left hip and extending her hand. “It’s nice to meet both of you and so friendly of you to stop by. I wish I could invite you to stay longer, but I need to bathe the baby.”

      “Oh, of course. We wouldn’t dream of imposing, but I do want to leave you with my phone number and Timmy’s,” the woman said with a bob of her head and handed Coco a floral card with several phone numbers on it. “That last one is Timmy’s cell and he always answers. Please call us for anything you might need. Anything at all.”

      Coco nodded and murmured her thanks again as she closed the