The Holiday Nanny. Lois Richer

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      “I wondered if you had a suggestion for something Silver wants for Christmas,” Wade said. “Something she’s been really longing for?”

      “She wants a dollhouse,” Connie replied. “An original one that’s hers alone.”

      “Yes, now I remember her mentioning that. Maybe I could build one?” He began structuring it in his mind. It would be a replica of this house. “You’re quite something, Connie,” he said, admiration flooding him. “You’ve got all of us learning new ways to deal with each other. I appreciate your help.”

      “I haven’t done anything special.” Connie kept her head bent, but her red cheeks told Wade everything he needed to know. “I’m just the nanny.”

      “Hardly,” he said as he walked out of his office to find Silver.

      He realized how true it was. Silver’s nanny had become necessary to all of them. Connie wasn’t just doing her job. She was enriching their lives….

      LOIS RICHER

      likes variety. From her time in human resources management to entrepreneurship, life has held plenty of surprises.

      “Having given up on fairy tales, I was happily involved in building a restaurant when a handsome prince walked into my life and upset all my career plans with a wedding ring. Motherhood quickly followed. I guess the seeds of my storytelling took root because of two small boys who kept demanding, ‘Then what, Mom?’”

      The miracle of God’s love for His children, the blessing of true love, the joy of sharing Him with others—that is a story that can be told a thousand ways and yet still be brand-new. Lois Richer intends to go right on telling it.

      The Holiday Nanny

      Lois Richer

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      I am holding you by your right hand—

      I, the Lord your God—and I say to you,

      Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you.

      —Isaiah 41:13

      This book is dedicated to my dad. I love you.

      Contents

      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

      Letter to Reader

      Questions for Discussion

      Chapter One

      “Do you think Daddy got my letter yet, Connie?”

      Connie Ladden couldn’t bear to quash the hope shining in Silver Abbot’s glossy blue eyes, so she brushed the riot of blond curls away from her four—almost five—year-old charge’s face and eased onto the bed, next to the little girl.

      “Remember, I showed you on the map how far away Argentina is?”

      “Uh-huh.” Silver nodded solemnly.

      Too solemnly for Connie’s liking. Silver wanted her daddy, and after two months as nanny for the delightful child, Connie thought Wade Abbot needed to act more like a father and be here for his precious daughter. Still, her job was to help Silver with her life as it was, not the way they wished it could be.

      “Well, it’s only been about a week since we mailed it, sweetie. Argentina is a very long way for a letter to go.”

      Thanks to the courier’s emailed confirmation of delivery, Connie knew the package with Silver’s recorded message had safely arrived at its destination. But she didn’t want to say that. Connie hadn’t yet met Silver’s father, and she wasn’t sure how Wade Abbot would react to his daughter’s latest communication.

      “It’s been ten days. I counted.” Silver frowned. “David, at my preschool, told me email is very fast. Do you know how to do email?”

      “Yes.” Connie smiled at her serious look.

      “You could have sent my letter that way, couldn’t you, Connie?”

      “I guess I could have. But think how nice it will be for your daddy to get an envelope from home, from his own little girl.”

      David Foster, Mr. Abbot’s lawyer and Silver’s guardian, had made it clear when he hired Connie and provided Wade Abbot’s email address that Silver’s father did not want to be distracted by everyday minutiae. Wade Abbot was in Argentina on a very tight schedule. It was urgent that he bring in the project on time for Abbot Bridges, Inc., according to David. The way he’d phrased it had led Connie to deduce that the company stood to lose a substantial amount of money and perhaps forfeit future contracts with the Argentinean government if the deadline was missed.

      “Your daddy might not have had a chance to open it yet.”

      “’Cause he’s so busy.” Silver sighed. “I know.” Resigned, she snuggled into her bed and drew her puffy pink quilt up to her chin.

      Connie bent to kiss her good-night a second time, unable to resist the downy softness of Silver’s rounded cheek or the delight of another hug.

      “Can’t we have just one more story, Connie?” The chubby arms refused to release her neck. “Please?” The beguiling smile begged her to relent.

      “You’ve already had three stories, munchkin. Now it’s bedtime. You know my rules.” Connie rubbed her nose against Silver’s, unclasped her grasp and tucked her arms beneath the pink quilt patterned with fairy princesses. Tiny silver bells attached to princess shoes tinkled softly. “We have a lot to do tomorrow. It’s our bird-watching day. I want to find out more about the hummingbirds here in Tucson. You need to rest those baby-blue eyes so you’ll be able to point them out.”

      “You sure like hummingbirds.”

      “I sure do,” Connie agreed.

      “Hey, we forgot to say my prayers.” Silver grinned.

      “So we did. Okay, go ahead.” Connie knelt at the side of the bed, closed her eyes and waited.

      “Dear God, thank you for today. And for Connie. I love her lots.”

      Connie’s heart squeezed so tight that she could barely breathe. It’s mutual, kiddo.

      “We had fun flying our kites