“No. Most of the time I eat out. Occasionally I fix something in the kitchen and sit at the island. While you’re here, feel free to order whatever you want from downstairs. All you have to do is pick up the house phone and dial one for the chef’s office, or two for maid service. They come in every morning. Your job is to take care of Jamie, nothing else.”
“Understood.”
“You’re welcome to fix your own meals whether I’m home or not. Tomorrow there’ll be time for you to look around the pantry and compile a list of groceries you’d like to have on hand. Dial three for the concierge. Give him the list and he’ll see they’re delivered.”
He pushed himself away from the table and stood up to take the baby out of the swing. “Come on, Jamie. Let’s see how long it takes your old man to put that mobile together.”
“You’ve been given a reprieve on that one,” Reese said, bringing up the rear. “The only thing you have to do is fasten it to the end of the crib and turn on the music. There’s a small sack of batteries somewhere, but give me a minute to make up the crib first.”
He moved fast on those long, powerful legs. She had to hurry to keep up with him. When they reached the nursery, she found the item for him, then quickly got busy. After she’d tied the last part of the bumper pad, she reached for Jamie.
“I’ll feed him while you set up the mobile.”
She darted into Nick’s bedroom and got a bottle of formula out of the diaper bag, sat down on the end of his bed and fed Jamie.
“You’re a hungry boy.” He drank noisily. His burps were noisy, too, making her laugh. When he’d drained his bottle, she wandered back into the nursery where she found Nick watching the mobile turn while it played a song.
He glanced at her as she walked in. “I know I didn’t have one of these when I was growing up.”
She nuzzled Jamie’s neck. “I think you’re going to like what your daddy just put up.” When she lowered him to the mattress, the tune drew his attention, as did the plush animals going around and around.
“Look, Nick—his cute little body is squiggling with excitement. He loves it!”
“I think you’re right.” When she looked up, their eyes caught and held. The intensity of his gaze made it difficult to breathe. “If you want to call it an early night, go ahead. I’ll get up with him during the night. Tomorrow will be soon enough to take care of everything else and set up a schedule.”
Then he looked back at Jamie with so much love, Reese was spellbound. She got the hint. He wanted time alone with his son. Nothing could be more natural or more reassuring to Jamie who, would be spending tonight in brand-new surroundings.
“I’ll say good-night then and see both of you in the morning.” As she reached the door, she turned around. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’m very grateful. He’s a precious boy.”
Without waiting for a response, Reese slipped out of the nursery to the bedroom across the hall. After taking a shower and getting ready for bed, she climbed under the covers and reached for her cell phone to call her parents. It was an hour earlier in Lincoln.
“Reese? I’ve been hoping you’d call, honey.”
“Sorry about that, Mom, but I’ve been so busy today, this has been my first chance to call. I’ve gotten myself a nanny job.”
“Of course I’m happy for you, but everyone misses you.”
“I miss them, but with the salary I’ll be making here, I can concentrate my time on studying for the Series 7 and the Series 65. I have to take the test at the end of July before classes start again at the end of August. It shouldn’t be a problem putting in the hours I need and still work around the baby’s schedule.” But she needed to get busy right away, which didn’t give her much breathing room.
“You only have one child to look after?”
“Yes. He’s ten weeks old. Oh, Mom, Jamie’s the most beautiful child you ever saw.” That was because his father was the most arresting male Reese had ever laid eyes on in her life. The byplay of muscles beneath his T-shirt revealed a fit masculine body. Working out in his gym on the roof every day was the reason he was so buff.
“What are his parents like? I hope they’re nice. Do you think you’ll all get along?”
Reese bit her lip. “There’s just the father. His wife died during the birth.”
“Oh, no—”
“It’s very sad.”
“What’s his name?”
“Nick Wainwright. He’s the CEO at Sherborne-Wainwright. It’s the kind of brokerage company every student at Wharton would kill for in order to be able to work there. Would you believe I’ve been installed in his penthouse on Park Avenue? If Jackie Onassis were alive today, she would gobble it up in a second.”
Her mom chuckled. “Be serious.”
“I am. Who ever dreamed I’d be an honest-to-goodness nanny in a household like his?”
“How old is he?”
“It’s hard to tell. Thirty-three, thirty-four maybe.”
“Well…you’ve got a terrific head on those shoulders and broke off with Jeremy for a reason. I don’t have to worry about you losing sight of your career plans just yet, do I?”
“Nothing could make me do that.”
“I believe you. Destiny has already singled out my brilliant daughter for something special. Tell me more about this financial prince of Park Avenue.”
“Mom—” Reese laughed. “Financial prince…what a thing to say.”
“Tell me the truth. Is he as gorgeous as Jackie’s son was?”
Her mother would keel over if she ever got a look at Jamie’s father. “There are no words.”
“Well. Coming from you, that says it all.”
Reese was afraid it did.
“Still, if I know my daughter, you won’t let anything get in the way of your goal. I happen to know you’re going to be a big name to contend with in the business world one day.”
Reese’s eyelids prickled. “Thanks for believing in me, Mom.”
“Oh, I do! Just don’t let those mothering instincts make you too attached to the baby. It can happen.”
Reese knew it was one of the hazards of the job, but she’d deal with it. Jamie was an adorable little boy and it would be so easy to get attached to him, but Reese reminded herself that she would only be here for three months. “I love you. Give Dad and everyone else my love. I’ll call you soon.”
Once she’d hung up, she checked her phone messages. One was from her roommate, Pam, who’d gone home to Florida for the summer. Reese would call her sometime tomorrow.
The other call came from her study partner, Rich Bonner. He’d asked her to phone him back as soon as she could. He’d flown home to California for a break before returning to Philadelphia. Like her, he was preparing for his exams. They’d done a lot of studying together. Reese knew that Rich wanted more than just a platonic friendship with her, but she wasn’t interested, not that way.
If she didn’t return his call for a while, he’d hopefully get the hint. One of the problems with Rich was that he was highly competitive. As long as they remained friends, he had to be nice to her when she got higher grades than he did.
But Reese wagered that if she were ever to become his girlfriend, he’d start telling her how to live her life. Heaven forbid if she landed a better job than he did after graduation. Worse, what if she were married to him and he expected her to stay at home? Another