“I’m more than capable of taking care of your children. I just thought—”
“I don’t pay you to think. Please just do the job for which you were hired.”
Stacey nodded, her enthusiasm dimming slightly. She gave him a polite smile when what she really wanted to do was bop him on the head. Turning away, she studied the sleeping boys for a moment. They looked angelic. And while their spirits had been high at the airport, she didn’t sense any malice or mischief in either.
Knowing they would land very early in the morning in Madrid, she leaned back and tried to sleep. She’d made transatlantic crossings before, and knew the first day or so in Europe was tiring due to the time change and lack of sleep. Not that these little guys would have that. They’d be wired with excitement. She’d better catch some sleep while she could.
Before drifting to sleep, Stacey imagined Luis having a change of heart and wanting to spend time with his sons. Thinking back over all the families she’d worked for over the years, only one or two came to mind who actually put their children and family fun above all else on a vacation. She really wished that would change.
When they landed in Madrid, the boys were cranky. That set the mood for the next stage of the journey. The connection to their next flight was tight and going through customs wasn’t as fast as Stacey wished. Still, they made the next plane and were soon airborne again on the one-hour flight to the coast. Once they landed in Alicante, Luis had Stacey watch the boys while he went to get their luggage and pick up the rental car he’d had reserved.
Tired from their flight, a bit scared with all the commotion at the foreign airport and not understanding the language around them, the boys clung to Stacey and said they wanted to go home. She explained everything around them, and then asked about their great-grandmother, trying to divert them from focusing on what they didn’t like.
“Have you ever met her?” she asked.
“She came to visit when we were little,” Juan said.
She smiled. To her these boys were still little.
“She always smelled nice,” Pablo added.
“So visiting her at her house will be fun, right?” she asked cheerfully.
“I want to go home,” Pablo said yet again.
“You’ll have fun this vacation, we’ll make sure of that. Then when you go home you can tell Hannah all about your trip!” she said, trying to keep him from dwelling on his wish to return home.
Once in the rental car, Stacey sat in the front beside Luis and the boys sat together in the back.
“It’s still about an hour’s drive,” Luis said, pulling out of the airport and getting on the highway. The traffic was heavy as people made their way to work. Soon, however, Alicante was left behind them as the car headed north.
Stacey gazed out the window as he drove. She saw glimpses of the sea from time to time. Anticipation rose. She hoped the weather would be good for the children’s sake. It was so much easier to play by the water than inside a strange place in inclement weather. She was prepared for either eventuality, however.
Luis drove on autopilot. He was tired, not having slept long on the plane. But as soon as he could get an internet connection, he’d send the office the work he’d done and then catch a nap.
He glanced at Stacey. She was restful to be around and didn’t talk needlessly. Didn’t flirt, didn’t try to charm him. He frowned. Where had that thought come from? He was immune to women who were looking for a relationship, as his sister often said. Maybe he was, but he’d been in love with Melissa and when she’d died, a part of him had died as well.
Besides, if he ever did become interested in another woman, it wouldn’t be someone like Stacey Williams. Melissa had been tall, blonde, a bit reserved and definitely sophisticated. While the coloring wasn’t too different, Stacey was totally the opposite of Melissa.
Sophisticated wasn’t the word he’d use for her. She bubbled with life. Everything seemed like an adventure. Though she had connected instantly with his sons.
His wife had been a real asset when he’d been courting investors for the new firm he was starting. She’d known how to entertain all levels of society. She’d always had the right word, the right clothes. Not that he was thinking about marriage or a new wife. He’d had his shot. Now he had his company—and his boys.
Still, Stacey was young, carefree and fun—just what his sons needed. He looked at her again. She turned and met his gaze, her eyes alight with delight.
“It’s beautiful along here. I can’t wait to see where we’ll be staying.”
“The villa’s larger than most. My grandmother had six children. My father is third from the oldest. There’s a guest cottage that sleeps ten as well. Plenty of room for all.”
He wondered where his grandmother would put them. Would she get servant quarters? He hadn’t thought about that. He hoped she wouldn’t get all upset if that was the case.
He drove through the small village of Alta Parisa, the place he’d known so well from his childhood visits. They were almost at his grandmother’s. Soon he turned into the familiar drive, curving around until the villa came into view. He was surprised by the feeling of homecoming. He’d spent many summers here with his sister while his parents had been off doing their own thing and he’d wondered as a teenager why they’d had two children if they didn’t want to spend time with them.
The villa was surrounded by flowering plants. Purple bougainvillea trailed from the upper balcony down the columns surrounding the ground-level veranda. Gardenias scented the air with their sweet fragrance. Dahlias and zinnias and roses were artfully arranged to offer contrasting colors and textures against the cream color of the walls.
The tall windows on each floor were flanked by dark shutters that were rarely closed. The stucco gleamed in the sunshine. Beyond he saw the guest cottage a short walk from the main house through the gardens. To his right was the sea.
The boys were straining to see everything, curiosity finally erasing crankiness and homesickness. They’d be ready for a nap in the early afternoon, but Luis hoped they’d greet his grandmother without any attitude.
“We’re here,” Luis said needlessly. He glanced at his new nanny, wondering what she thought of the place. Melissa had only come once and had been out of her element not speaking the language and not knowing anyone. That had been the only time she hadn’t fit in perfectly, whatever the circumstances.
How would Stacey fare? Not that it mattered that much, she was only a temporary nanny after all. She’d be perfect for the boys, which would leave him free to spend time with his grandmother, cousins, and parents when they arrived. And to work.
“It’s lovely,” she said, still taking in everything.
He looked at the villa again, remembering racing around the upper balcony, chasing Isabella. They were only two years apart and except when the cousins had come to visit had had only themselves to play with those summers. There’d been no other children living close by. They’d had the run of the place and known every nook and cranny.
He hoped his sons would have happy memories of this visit. He glanced again at Stacey. She’d proved competent on the trip, keeping the boys entertained and under control. She’d been especially helpful at the airport in Madrid. She looked as fresh as she had when he’d first seen her at JFK. She turned to look at him and he was struck anew by how blue her eyes were. He stared a moment, time suspended. He could feel his interest intensify. If he let himself forget for a second she was in his employ, that she was there for his kids, would he do something foolish?
“Welcome to my grandmother’s home,” he said in Spanish.
“Thank you. I can’t wait to see everything,” she