A Nanny Under the Mistletoe. Raye Morgan

nose and stared uncertainly at Jess. “Is he making you go away?”

      “We were just talking about that.” She looked at him.

      “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to stay here by myself. Please, Aunt Libby—”

      When Morgan started to cry, Libby gathered her close. “It’s going to be okay, baby. It will.”

      “I d-don’t want you to g-go away.”

      Jess ran his fingers through his hair. “Don’t cry, Morgan. Your Aunt Libby isn’t going away.”

      “Really?” Libby said.

      Morgan lifted her head and looked at him. “Really?”

      “Really. I’m sorry. I didn’t handle everything very well. Your Aunt Libby is mad at me.” He shrugged when she lifted one eyebrow. Points to him for getting it. “The truth is that you’re both going to stay here with me and Aunt Libby is going to be your nanny.”

      “What changed your mind?”

      “You were right,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a good idea to let a stranger look after her. So I’d appreciate it if you’d stay on. Until she’s adjusted to the situation.”

      “Okay.”

      “Is that all right with you, Morgan?”

      “Yes.” She nodded eagerly.

      “Then we have a plan for the short term.”

      That was good enough for Libby. She’d take what she could get and figure out the rest later.

      “Seemed like a good idea at the time” was the best way Libby could describe her first week under Jess’s roof. Libby had been so sure the living arrangement would take the edge off her attraction, but not so much in the first week. Even when he wasn’t there, which was ninety-five percent of the time, the place was all about him.

      Pictures of him hiking in Red Rock Canyon. A carelessly discarded expensive silk tie in the family room. The spicy scent of him in every room made it feel like having his arms around her. Or was that wishful thinking? Not that it mattered. Or it wouldn’t if she could say the idea was unpleasant. Nothing could be further from the truth.

      “Aunt Libby?”

      “Hmm?” She pulled her thoughts back to tucking Morgan into bed. “Sorry, sweetie. I was thinking about something else.”

      “That’s okay.” The little girl pulled the sheet and blanket more securely over her.

      “Do you want me to finish the story?”

      “No.”

      Libby studied the serious little face. “Is something on your mind?”

      “Yes.”

      Libby suppressed a smile. When Morgan first came to stay with her this method of communication had taken some getting used to. Instead of blurting out whatever was going through her head, she worked her way to it with a series of questions. It wasn’t efficient, but eventually what she needed to discuss got discussed.

      “Is everything all right at school? Your kindergarten teacher says you’re one of her pet pupils and she’s not supposed to have favorites.”

      Twin dimples flashed on the child’s cheeks when she smiled. “Miss Connie is nice.”

      “She is very nice.”

      Nooks and Nannies Preschool had a kindergarten class and Morgan went there while Libby was working with her preschoolers. Charity and Ben had been supposed to come home before first grade to enroll the little girl at the school near their home. Now their child lived in a luxury penthouse condominium, a different home. Fortunately, Jess had agreed with her that changing schools right now wasn’t the best plan.

      “So if school isn’t keeping you up at night, what’s bothering you?”

      Morgan clutched her doll against her thin chest. “I don’t think he likes me.”

      “Who? A boy at school? Is someone being mean to you?”

      “No. That guy.”

      “Who?” Alarm trickled through Libby.

      “My daddy’s friend.”

      “You mean Uncle Jess?”

      She nodded. “I don’t think he’s very happy that we came to live with him.”

      Libby had hoped Morgan didn’t pick up on the signs that he was ignoring them, but no such luck. “Why do you think that, sweetie?”

      “He’s never here.”

      “Sure he is,” Libby protested. “In the mornings.”

      Her stomach tightened as she remembered just today he’d come into the kitchen to say goodbye before heading to his office. In his pinstriped navy suit and red tie he’d looked particularly handsome. Freshly shaven, with every hair in place, he’d set her female parts quivering with awareness. Darn him. He’d revved up her hormones, then raced out the door.

      “Two times he drank a cup of coffee while I ate cereal. But he doesn’t sit down with me. Not like you do, Aunt Libby.”

      Sometimes a smart and perceptive child could be worrisome and this was one of those times. At least she wasn’t perceptive enough to notice Libby’s insane crush on Jess, but that probably had more to do with her young age. There was still an ick factor regarding boys.

      Libby wished for the good old days because her current plan wasn’t coming together very well. Every exposure to Jess was supposed to be like a vaccination and living here should have been the booster. Should have being the key words.

      “Jess is a busy man, sweetheart. He has lots of people working for him and depending on him.”

      “Does he eat supper?” Morgan asked.

      “I’m sure he does.” If he didn’t, the impressive muscles that filled out his T-shirt would be fairly nonexistent. And they were definitely existent, positively thriving. In a mouth-watering way. Libby had no ick factor where he was concerned.

      “I’ve never seen him eat supper, Aunt Libby. He doesn’t like us.”

      Libby figured that was true enough for her, but he had no reason to dislike this sweet, innocent child who was right about him not coming home for dinner.

      “He doesn’t really know us yet,” she said. “Give it time. This is new for him. He’s not used to us, but that will change. Everything will be all right. You’ll see.”

      “Promise?”

      “Cross my heart,” she said.

      After a big hug and lots of kisses that made Morgan giggle, Libby turned on the world’s brightest night light. “Sweet dreams, love bug.”

      “Okay,” Morgan answered sleepily as she rolled to her side.

      With a full heart and troubled spirit Libby watched for several moments, then made up her mind to talk to Jess. It wasn’t long before she heard the front door open and close.

      Imagine that. We have touchdown right after the kid is in bed. Morgan wasn’t the only observant resident of the penthouse. Apparently Jess was aware of her bedtime and how to avoid it and her.

      Libby found him in the kitchen, where he was reaching into the refrigerator for a beer and the plate of food saved for him. The angle gave her a chance to admire his excellent butt. That thought was immediately replaced by a mental command for her hormones to back off.

      “Hi, Jess.”

      He straightened and turned to meet her gaze. “Hi.”

      “How was your day?”

      “Fine. Busy.” He shrugged. “You?”