Page 2 of The Nanny's Homecoming
While he contemplated what the unexpected death could mean to his company, Kylie stopped in front of A.J. A trim brunette, she was the fiancée of one of his new employees, Vincent Clayton. She always made a fuss over A.J.
“What a big boy you are. You ate up every bite of that sandwich.” She felt A.J.’s muscles and received a giggle in return.
Fork paused at half-mast, Gabe said, “My job offer is still open.”
“Sorry, no. I’d love to nanny A.J., but I’m getting married soon.”
Gabe didn’t know what getting married had to do with his offer, but he let the comment pass. “Got any other ideas for me? I need to find someone soon.” Like yesterday.
Her brown ponytail swung side to side. “I’ve been asking everyone who comes in. So has Erin, and your sign is still up.” She pointed to the fancy graphic-enhanced poster stuck to the front door. “So far, no luck. Who’s looking after him now?”
“Me, mostly.” That’s what made the situation desperate. A job site, especially a construction zone, was no place for a curious toddler. Gabe sweated bullets every time he had to go to the mine. As work progressed, he’d need to be there more and more.
“Let me know if you hear anything, okay?” He took out his wallet and tossed a bill on the counter. “Keep the change.”
Kylie’s eyes widened at the size of the bill. “Wow, thank you, Mr. Wesson. I’ll keep asking.”
With a nod toward the cowboy and a wave toward the redhead, Gabe and A.J. pushed out into the summer sun as the last of the funeral cars crawled by. A pretty woman with wavy blond hair gazed bleakly through the passenger window. Something in her expression touched a chord in him. He knew he was staring but couldn’t seem to help himself. A.J., tired of standing still, yanked at his father’s hand. The woman, stirred by the motion, looked up. Their eyes met and held. Sensation prickled Gabe’s skin.
The car rolled on past and she was gone. But the vision of those sad blue eyes stayed behind.
Brooke Clayton gazed around at the collection of Clayton grandchildren gathered in the conference room of the Clayton Christian Church like a bunch of errant school-children sent to the principal’s office. Not one of them wanted to be here at the reading of their grandfather’s will. Yet, five of the six had come out of blood loyalty, not for Grandpa George Clayton, but for their cousin Arabella. It was her phone call, her need, that had brought them together again after more than four years.
Brooke’s gaze rested on each beloved face. Her intense cop brother, Zach. Her sophisticated sister, Vivienne. Mei, the adopted sister of the only absent grandchild, rebel Lucas, and of course, darkly pretty Arabella. With a clutch of emotion, Brooke acknowledged she’d missed them, though she hadn’t missed the painful memories of living in the tiny town that bore her family name.
Only family and a few close friends had attended Grandpa George’s funeral services, although plenty of townspeople had stared at the procession on its journey to the cemetery. She wondered what they were thinking. Good riddance? Was there anyone who’d miss George Clayton, Sr.? None of the grandchildren had it in them to pretend what they didn’t feel, and silly as it sounded, the lack of grief had made Brooke sad.
As they’d driven down Railroad Street, a man had stepped out of the Cowboy Café. A tall, handsome stranger with a very small boy.
That’s when she’d begun to weep. Small children had that effect on her.
She’d once known everyone in this town of less than a thousand, but she hadn’t recognized the man. They’d made eye contact, and something—some indefinable something—had passed between them. She’d thought about him and his beautiful brown-haired son off and on during the graveside service. Who was he? Why had that particular stranger’s image been stamped on her memory?
“We need to begin.” Pencil thin in an appropriately black suit, attorney Mark Arrington had already waited more than an hour for the sixth and final grandchild to arrive.
Calls had been made and letters sent, but no one was certain their rebellious cousin had received the summons. Even if he had, only one person in the room was confident of Lucas’s attendance. His sister.