Was it his imagination or did she not quite look him in the eyes?
“This will sound corny, but one of my favorite books was set in Montana. I was between jobs and did some research. This town was advertised as the new and unspoiled Vail or Aspen. I wanted to check it out.”
“So, what do you think?” he asked.
“Words can’t describe how beautiful it is here,” she said sincerely.
That didn’t answer the question about whether or not she wanted to stay. “I need to be honest with you about my situation.”
“I would appreciate that, Dr. Flint.” The tone was firm, almost abrasively adamant, hinting that maybe someone hadn’t been truthful with her.
Justin could relate. “I brought my current nanny with me from Beverly Hills where my medical practice was.”
“Obviously there’s a problem or I wouldn’t be here.”
“If you call hating mountains, a lake, trees and blue sky a problem, then yes.”
She laughed. “I have nothing to say to that.”
“The issue has more to do with missing her grown children and the fact that one of her daughters is a month away from giving birth to her first grandchild.”
“That could distort your perception of the most majestic mountains ever and a lake and sky that are prettier than anything I’ve ever seen in my life.”
He thought so, too. “The thing is, I talked her into staying until either her replacement could be found, or two weeks prebirth. Kyle hasn’t known any other caregiver, and the change is going to be disruptive for him.”
“How old is he?”
“Ten months.”
She glanced at a photograph on his desk. “May I?”
“Please.” He handed her the frame.
“He’s a cutie. Just like his father.” She caught herself, then met his gaze. “I swear that wasn’t flirting. What I meant was, he has your eyes, and the shape of his face is all you.”
He took the photo back from her and smiled at the baby, pleased she thought Kyle had inherited something good from him. Hopefully his son would have better judgment in people, specifically women people, than his old man.
“He’s little and doesn’t understand what’s going on. I’d like the change to be as easy as possible for him.”
“I can understand that.” She folded her hands in her lap.
“If I decide to hire you, what assurance can you give me that you’ll fulfill your obligation?”
In truth, there wasn’t anything. If the sacred vows of marriage didn’t stop his wife from ignoring her responsibilities, what could this stranger say to convince him? Kyle’s mother had put her own interests over what was best for her son, their son. Since her death, Justin found that buying the best child care possible was the only guarantee he had.
“Dr. Flint—” She leaned toward him, earnest in her defense. “There’s nothing I can say to convince you of my sincerity, but I’m well qualified. I have a degree in early childhood development and the references I provided might help ease your mind. A short-term contract would probably be best. If either of us isn’t satisfied with the bargain at any time, a suitable notification period should be spelled out. Enough time for either or both of us to make other arrangements.”
That seemed fair to him, but he wasn’t ready to say so just yet. Instead, he asked, “What about your life in California?”
“I’m not sure what you want to know.”
“Do you have family? Friends? A house to be sold or closed up?” Someone special?
Justin found himself most interested in the answer to the question he hadn’t asked out loud. She was pretty. He was a guy and couldn’t help noticing. She must have a boyfriend and, if not, candidates were probably lined up around the block waiting to apply for the position.
Emma sat back and crossed one slender leg over the other. “I don’t have family. On top of being an only child, my father died when I was ten and Mother passed away a little less than a year ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Her mouth pulled tight, but it looked like more than grief. “She left me the house, but I have a friend who will take care of it.”
He wanted very much to know if the friend was a man, but asking wouldn’t be professional. Before he could say more, there was a knock on his office door just before Ginny Irwin, the clinic nurse, poked her head into the room. “Dr. Flint, your first afternoon appointment is here.”
Since she could have relayed that information by intercom, Justin suspected she hiked upstairs to the second floor in order to get a look at the nanny applicant.
“Thanks, Ginny. I’ll be right down.”
“Okay.” She stared curiously at the young woman across the desk from him, then backed out, closing the door behind her.
“All right,” he said, “I guess we’re finished.”
“There’s just one more thing I’d like to say.” Emma picked up her purse from the floor beside her, then stood.
“What?” he asked.
“I want this job very much. And I’m very good with children.”
He would check that out for himself. “All right. I have one more interview.”
“Will you let me know one way or the other?”
“Yes.” He stood up and felt as if he towered over her, then hated that it made him feel protective. There was something vulnerable and fragile about this woman, but getting sucked into the feeling was a bad idea. “I’ll do a thorough background check and personally contact all the references you listed.”
“Good. I’d expect nothing less. And I’ll do the same for you.”
“Oh?”
“It’s a live-in position, right?”
“It is. And light housekeeping will also be required. But my primary concern is the well-being of my son. If I get called for an emergency in the middle of the night, trying to find child care could be a problem. I need someone there.”
“So if I’ll be living under your roof, it would be a good idea for me to know something about you. That way, everyone feels better.” She shrugged then held out her hand. “It was very nice to meet you, Dr. Flint.”
Justin wrapped his fingers around hers and felt a sizzle all the way up his arm. That was enough to make him want the next job applicant to actually be Mary Poppins. He needed to hire someone right away. His current nanny was very close to leaving him in a real bind when she headed back to the Sunshine State.
So far, Emma Robbins was the most qualified applicant, if her references checked out. That made her the leading candidate. On the downside, he was too aware of her as a woman.
Nothing about that made him feel better.
* * *
Emma drove up the hill to Justin Flint’s impressive, two-story house. After parking, she took a good look. The place was big and located in the exclusive, custom-home development of Lake View Estates. She took a deep breath and exited the car. The wraparound front porch had a white railing that opened to double front doors with etched glass. Light danced through it and was like a beacon of welcome.
“Homey,” she whispered to herself. The warmth was unexpected. Maybe she’d been expecting pretentious from the renowned