Urgent: One Nanny Required (Crimson Romance) (18 page)

Maybe it would have been better if he’d never asked her to come to LA at all. Jeez, she even shook his hand at the airport, as if they were strangers who had just met. Like the night before — or even earlier that day — had never happened.

Anger rose through him. Fine; if that was how she was going to be. He was very tempted to let her know that he was the one who had forced Lee Harrow into making good on his chocolate delivery. Then she’d be grateful and … what … want to stay? He had a bitter taste in his mouth at the thought. If she didn’t want to stay, then he wasn’t going to force or coerce her.

Nudging Theo awake, he pulled his son’s beaten up rucksack onto his shoulder and held his hand while leading him off the plane. The slow conveyor belt annoyed him further, the low drone of its movements making him want to jump onto it and look for his bag himself. His heart leaped as he thought he saw Rania. The dark hair, red sweater, and blue jeans combo made his heart leap, only to crash back down to earth as the woman turned around and it wasn’t her.

The journey in the once-comfortable limo was too bumpy. The leather too sticky. Everything was just too … blah. Chastising himself for his sudden limited vocabulary and wishing he had Theo’s ability to sleep anywhere, he flicked through his emails.

Switching his phone off, he rested his head back, letting the sights of London wash over him as the gray buildings finally faded, to be replaced by green fields and little village shops. His gut clenched as he spied the sweet shop and he turned his face away, eyes resting on the sleeping form of his son. There was no point thinking about that any more. He’d asked and she said no. That was it, he told himself sternly, ignoring the way his heart dipped in response to the final decision.

Traffic was light and they whizzed through the village toward his house. Backing carefully out of the car, he gently lifted Theo into the house, negotiating the stairs with cautious steps and plopping him in bed. Bed. That might be a good idea for him too, though he seriously doubted he’d be any good at sleeping.

• • •

“Nia, please. I beg you. Go back to bed!”

Rania looked up from the order booklet as Tanya swept in, hair sticking out in every direction after her fight with the early March weather.

“It’s 9:30 in the morning. How can I go back to bed? I’ve got things to do,” she managed to croak out. Damn this wet weather and her cold. She refused to compare this to the sunny shores of LA. She refused even to think about that place anymore.

“Yes, but this time go to bed and actually sleep. Your Dad’s coming here tomorrow. Do you really want him to see you like this?” her friend asked, moving around the counter to take the book away from her. “I’ll look after all this. Did you call Becca to help you?” And seeing her nod, continued, “Good, so between us you’ve got no excuse to not rest. We’ll tidy up and everything.”

“But what about your work, Tan?” She reached for yet another tissue as she blew her nose.

“Being a part time film reviewer is just that; part-time. Just think of it as me taking on extra hours here, and … ” she said, putting her hand up just as Rania opened her mouth to argue. “You won’t have to pay me extra.”

Swallowing back the tears at her friend’s kindness, she turned to grab the rest of the order forms to hand over.

“I forgot to mention, Theo came by again yesterday looking for you.” Rania’s hands stilled at her friend’s words. She turned to find Tanya had stopped any pretense of ordering and was now staring at her. “You can’t hide forever, Nia. You loved that little boy, I know you did and it’s not fair to him what you’re doing.”

Nodding, she felt the tears slide down her cheeks. “I know Tan but it’s easier this way. There’s no point in him getting attached to me. When Nick remarries, what then? I don’t know many women who like the idea of the old nanny hanging around. Especially when said nanny used to sleep with her husband,” She grabbed yet another wad of tissues and began wiping at her face.

“Yes I know, but what makes you think he’d ever get remarried? From what you told me, he seems crazy about you. He found your father, for heaven’s sake. What does that tell you?” At Rania’s tearful shrug, she continued, “And I wasn’t going to tell you this, especially after you came back swearing how much you hated him but I will. I heard from Tim, the order rep from Fox’s that Mr. Lee Harrow himself signed off on our order after receiving a very curt phone call from an LA number. Now, unless that was you, I seriously think you’ve misjudged this guy.” Tania finally stopped, her face red from her heated monologue.

Pulling over the chair behind her, Rania sat down hard. Maybe it was the shock of the news, or just the effects of her cold, but suddenly she couldn’t stand up. She’d suspected it was him, not knowing why he’d do something like that. Why hadn’t he said something to her? The questions going around and around her brain made her dizzy.

“I have to go to bed. Thank you so much for doing this, Tan. I owe you,” Rania hugged her friend and turned to make her way up the stairs.

“By the way, this came for you,” her friend said, pulling an envelope out of her bag and pushing it toward her. Reaching for it, her hand shook as she recognized the embossed black font. Ripping it open, she found herself staring back at a check. A very large check with her name on it from one Mr. N. Trenton.

Tanya’s low whistle behind her jerked her out of her reverie. Sliding her hands to the side of the check, she ripped it into pieces. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse.

“Want me to get rid of that for you?”

Shaking her head at her friend’s softly whispered question, she felt a comforting rub on her shoulders as she made her way back up the stairs, the ripped check scrunched up in a tight fist.

Slipping between the comforting cotton sheets, she lay back after letting the scrunched up ball of paper roll over the sheets. Thoughts of Nick made her bite down hard on her lower lip at the onslaught of fresh tears. She was done crying over that man.

Picking up her phone, she opened up her emails, smiling at one from Claudia. She had to respect that woman’s ingenuity. Almost immediately after arriving back, she’d received a phone call from a man, asking if this was Rania George’s residence. Within seconds of saying yes, she could hear a familiar southern drawl in the background demanding the phone, followed by Claudia screeching at her over the phone line, chastising her for running away without leaving a contact number.

Clicking it off, she dragged the duvet over her head. She’d reply later, her mind veering from blond gods to windy weather as she slept.

Her eyes flew open as she felt someone gently shake her shoulder. Jerking up, she turned to find her room darker than when she’d gotten into bed and her bed lamp on. How long had she been asleep? Gasping in surprise, she saw her father sitting in the chair next to her.

Shaking her head to get rid of the fuzzy cobwebs, she blinked, positive she was seeing things. “Dad. What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet tomorrow,” she said, her voice scratchy from sleep.

“We were,
habibi
. I was going to surprise you. Your friend let me up. I did not know you were unwell.” His voice was soothing as his hand patted hers.

She frowned at the unfamiliar word. “
Habibi?
”

“It means ‘my love.’ If you think it is too soon to use such a word, then you only have to say so. Forgive me, I am still quite overwhelmed to have actually found you.” Tears were starting to shimmer in his eyes.

“No, please carry on. That’s a lovely word,” she murmured, her own tears starting to prick at her eyes.

“Good. Now, little one, I am sorry to see you so unwell. Tell me all that has happened since I last saw you in LA.”

It was too much. The loving endearment, the sympathy and now the mention of LA. Dropping her head in her hands, she let the tears flow, unable to hold back any longer.

“What is the matter? Are you hurt?” His voice rose as he rubbed her back, pulling tissues out of the nearby box and shoving it in front of her face.

Hiccupping on a smile at the comical image of all the tissues spread in front of her, she turned to look at him. The poor guy. Only their second visit and his long-lost daughter was having a break-down on him. Welcome to parenthood.

Breathing slowly through her nose, she pressed her lips together.
Okay, Rania, time to get a grip …
“I’m sorry. It was just … ”

“The mention of LA?”

She inhaled sharply at the direct question. His golden eyes were clear as they looked at her and she nodded.

“Come on, tell your
Abb
everything.” At her frown, he smiled and smoothed the tear-wet hair from her face. “
Abb
means ‘father’ in Lebanese. Or just … Dad?”

“
Abb
. No, I like it.” Picking at the corner of the duvet cover in front of her, she took a deep breath. “So … ”

• • •

The constant pealing of the bell shook him out of his latest Rania-fueled daydream. Only this time instead of the dream being in his room in LA, they were in the swimming pool.

Pushing his chair back, he stood up, draining his glass of whiskey. Nowadays, the night-cap routine had become more of a regular occurrence after he put Theo to bed. Thoughts of Rania kept him up most of the time. He had no idea how to answer Theo’s questions about why Rania was not at work anymore.

After the first two times he’d asked, Nick had placated him by saying she was probably busy, and then made sure to arrange things for Theo so he didn’t have to go past the shop. After the third time, he was highly tempted to go down himself and find out. Crazy thoughts of her running away with Ricardo Suarez flew through his brain and he’d nearly gone off the deep end, only calming down when he’d seen Ric on TV with yet another starlet. That left him with the conclusion she was avoiding them.

The bell started again and he slammed the glass down. God help that person if they woke up Theo with all that noise. Marching to the door, his mouth dropped open at the sight of Nasim Charles.

“Good evening, Mr. Trenton. May I come in?” His clipped tone brokered no argument.

Moving aside to let the older gentleman in, he pointed toward his office, pressing his other finger to his lip as he gestured upstairs. At Nasim’s understanding nod, he gently shut the door, leading the way to his office.

“Can I offer you a drink, Mr. Charles?” Nick gestured at the open cabinet.

At the icy stare, he sat down behind his desk, motioning the other man to make himself comfortable.

“Mr. Trenton, I am not here on a social call. I am here about my daughter.”

Two feelings coursed through him. The first was happiness that Nasim Charles had come through for Rania and was calling her “daughter.” The second was total panic.

“What’s happened to her?” His voice was sharp with panic as he stood up quickly, wondering what was the best way to grab Theo and drive down to the shop.

“Mr. Trenton, please sit down.” The older man’s calm voice did nothing to soothe his frazzled nerves. “There is nothing wrong with Rania that some aspirin, water, and a few good nights of sleep won’t cure. Though I must say, I’m pleased to see you react this way. It makes what I have to say even easier.”

What the hell was he going on about
, Nick wondered, sitting down heavily.

Seeming to take his silence for agreement to listen, Nick watched as the other man leaned forward, his golden gaze — so like Rania’s — locked on him.

“I have just come from my daughter and in addition to suffering from the common cold, she is heartbroken. Over you.” He paused, waiting for the information to sink in. “And furthermore … ”

He stopped as Nick help up a hand. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I think you have it wrong. Rania couldn’t wait to leave us.”

“After offering her the position as a nanny when there was far more to it than that? Of course she would leave.” the older man retorted.

Nick stood up, needing to move. “I offered her what I thought she wanted. She loves Theo. Or at least I thought she loved him enough to stay. No, Mr. Charles, I hate to tell you this. Rania took the job because I told her I’d pay double the wage she would have earned at her shop for babysitting my son. I wrote a check and that was it,” he finished, running a hand through his hair.

“You mean this check?” the older man asked, standing up and dropping a ball of crumpled paper on his desk. Walking past him toward the door, he stopped, placing a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Mr. Trenton, unless I am very much mistaken, I believe you love my daughter and I know she loves you. Life is too short to waste such a precious gift. Believe me, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll let myself out,” he said, leaving Nick standing in the middle of the room, eyes fixed on the ball on his desk.

Hearing the front door click shut, he walked across the room, snatched the crumpled ball up and unfurled it. The paper scraps floated softly to the table. She hadn’t taken it, and she’d ripped it up as well.

“Dad?” His son peered around the door. “That was the man from the picture, wasn’t it? Belle’s dad?”

Pocketing the bits of paper, he walked around the desk toward the couch. He patted it, motioning for his son to join him and moved aside as Theo bounded across, landing with a bump and curling his legs in front of him.

“How’d you know that, schmoo?” he asked, not bothering to deny it. Where his son had got his keen insight and vision from, he’d never know.

“I heard voices and then I heard someone in the corridor so I went to have a look,” Theo replied, his small brow puckering into a frown. “Does that mean Belle’s not coming back at all?” His eyes stared down steadily at his toes.

“I know you miss her, kid, but Rania’s got her own life. And you’re happy with Mrs. Stowe, right?” Not even slightly reassured by his nod.

“It’s just that, I kind of hoped … I mean, Will said … ” His voice trailed off as he looked up at his dad under his mussed hair.

“Will said … ”

“Will said that you two were going to get married,” he finished, biting his lip.