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Sophie read a couple of stories to Sienna, scooping the little girl onto her lap and persuading her to join in with some of the words. And when she made a tremendous pause before the last repetition of a refrain in one particular book, she was finally rewarded with a giggle from Sienna.
‘What would you like for dinner tonight?’ she asked when they’d finished the story.
‘We always have chicken nuggets on Monday,’ Sienna said.
Sophie remembered seeing the menu plan in Cindy’s file. Just to check that her suspicions were correct, she asked, ‘Does Daddy have chicken nuggets, too?’
‘Daddy doesn’t have dinner with me. He’s usually still at work.’
‘So Cindy has dinner with you?’
She nodded. ‘In the kitchen.’
‘Well, Daddy’s home today, so he can eat with you and me. And we don’t have to stick to eating chicken nuggets just because it’s Monday. Let’s go and see what’s in the fridge, shall we?’
Just as Sophie had hoped, Jamie clearly had either asked the temporary nanny to do a grocery shop the previous week or he had his groceries delivered. The fridge was half-full of fruit and vegetables; there were a couple of chicken breasts and a packet of minced beef. There were also a couple of supermarket ready-prepared meals, which told her that Jamie didn’t bother cooking for himself in the evening and just shoved something into the microwave to heat through.
‘Do you like spaghetti Bolognese?’ she asked.
Sienna nodded.
‘Good. That’s what we’ll have for dinner tonight. Daddy, too. Cindy’s file says you have dinner at six?’
‘Yes.’
‘Great. You can help me cook dinner.’
Little girl’s eyes were round. ‘Can I? Really?’
Sophie’s suspicions deepened. ‘Do you cook with Cindy?’
‘No.’
‘Not even cupcakes or cookies?’
Sienna grimaced. ‘They’re messy.’
So who was the neat freak? Cindy the nanny? Or was this an extreme reaction by Sienna, wanting to be super-neat and tidy so her father would approve of her? ‘Mess is exactly what aprons are for. And vacuum cleaners,’ Sophie said firmly. ‘I make cupcakes with my niece Hattie all the time. She’s the same age as you.’
Sienna looked shocked.
Oh, honestly. Sophie had to bite her tongue. Right at that moment she wanted to shake Jamie Wallis until his teeth rattled. The whole point about childhood was to have fun while you were growing up and learning about the world. And, yes, she could understand that not everyone was comfortable living in total chaos, but if Sienna made a mess she could also learn how to clear up again.
‘We’ll make cupcakes tomorrow afternoon,’ she promised. ‘With sprinkles.’
‘Chocolate sprinkles?’ Sophie asked hopefully.
‘Absolutely yes.’ She’d pick them up tomorrow, together with a few other things she enjoyed doing with Hattie and Sam. She smiled at Sienna. ‘Right, I need you to do a very important job for me—can you show me where the pots and pans are?’
While she was directing Sienna to help her get the ingredients, she texted Jamie.
Dinner at six. You are eating with us in the kitchen. No arguments.
He ignored her text.
Well, fine. She wasn’t daunted.
Just before she was going to serve up, she rang him. ‘You have three minutes.’
‘I’m in the middle of something.’
She didn’t care. She’d already given him prior warning about when dinner would be ready. If he hadn’t paid attention, that was his problem. ‘I’m serving up now. Come and wash your hands for dinner.’
He hung up on her, and she wondered if she was going to have to go and drag him out of his study. But then she heard the door open and he strode into the kitchen.
Sienna beamed. ‘Daddy, you’re sitting here between me and Sophie. I laid the table. And I helped cook the bisgetti.’
‘Spaghetti,’ he corrected. ‘Did you?’ He gave Sophie a speaking look.
‘She was a brilliant sous-chef, just like my niece Hattie,’ she said.
Conversation during dinner was like pulling teeth. Jamie seemed to have no idea whatsoever how to talk to his daughter. Was he just hopeless with children in general, or was there something else going on here?
Sophie did the best she could to include both of them. Once they’d eaten, she said, ‘It’s bathtime, now, Sienna. Perhaps Daddy can do your bath and read you a bedtime story while I do the washing up.’
* * *
Bathtime.
Water.
Jamie had to dig his nails into his palms as a picture flashed into his head. Fran, her golden curls wet and plastered to her head. Her face so swollen and puffy, just like her throat had been inside, so no air could get through.
Fran, dead.
He’d avoided bathing his daughter ever since, leaving the job to Cindy. Sienna looked so much like Fran that he just couldn’t handle seeing her with wet hair and getting those flashbacks, the dreams that had had him waking in tears for weeks after it had happened.
Okay, so it had been two years and anyone would think he’d come to terms with it by now—he was overreacting. But he couldn’t bear it. He just couldn’t.
And Sophie really expected him to do bathtime?
Jamie looked horrified. ‘Cindy—’ he began.
‘—isn’t here. And you have a special question to ask Sienna which needs to be with just the two of you together,’ she reminded him.
Oh, God. There was no way round this. He was just going to have to face his demons.
‘Let’s choose a story,’ he said, desperately hoping that maybe if he dragged his feet a bit, he’d either be able to think of an excuse or Sienna might decide she didn’t want a bath after all.
But it didn’t work out that way.
He had to go through with it.
He made the bath as shallow as he possibly could.
‘Cindy puts more water in—and more bubbles,’ Sienna said.
‘Well, we haven’t got time tonight,’ he said, hating himself for lying to his little girl but not wanting her to know about the nightmares in his head.
‘And she washes my hair.’
No. Just no. ‘Not tonight,’ he said. ‘And we need to talk about Sophie. Would you like her to be your nanny until Cindy’s leg is mended?’
To his relief, it headed his daughter off the subject of her bath and hairwash.
‘I like Sophie. She’s funny. And she does all the special voices in a story,’ Sienna said. ‘And she let me help her cook bisgetti. I was her sushi.’
He couldn’t help smiling at that. ‘Sous-chef.’
‘Can she stay? Please?’
‘Yes,’ he said. Even though Sophie Firth was pushing him into doing things he normally avoided. Because the alternative meant taking time off and doing everything for Sienna himself until the agency sent a replacement—which could take a couple of weeks.
He hauled his daughter out of the bath and dried her swiftly, before helping her into her pyjamas. ‘Story,’ he said. ‘And then I need to talk to Sophie.’
* * *
Jamie had gone absolutely white when Sophie had suggested that he did Sienna’s bedtime routine. What was the problem? she wondered. She was starting to think that there was more to it than Jamie being a cold workaholic. But what? She could ask him straight out, but she had the feeling he’d avoid the question. If Sienna agreed to let her stay, then maybe she’d have enough time to find out exactly what was going on—and help.
She’d just finished the washing up when he came downstairs.
‘Well, you were a hit,’ he said. ‘I asked her, and she says she’d like you to stay until Cindy comes back.’
Though she noticed he didn’t look too pleased about it.
‘So I’m looking at my new sleeping partner, then?’ she asked.
His pupils dilated slightly and she realised how her words could’ve been interpreted; she felt a tide of colour surge into her face. ‘I mean my business partner who invests but lets me get on with running things and doesn’t interfere,’ she clarified.
‘Business partner. And you’re my new temporary nanny.’
‘Right. I’m glad. Sienna’s a lovely little girl. I’m going to enjoy looking after her. So I guess your solicitors need to talk to mine about the buyout, assuming you agreed with the figures in my proposal.’
‘Uh-huh.’ He paused. ‘Plus I need to give you the car keys. Hang on a sec.’ He fished a set of keys out of a drawer and handed them to her. ‘And the spare key for the front door. I was thinking you might find it more convenient to stay here overnight in future. Cindy’s staying at her boyfriend’s flat until her leg mends, so you can use her suite—or the guest suite, if you’d prefer.’
Staying overnight? That hadn’t been mentioned before. It wasn’t part of their agreement. And she wasn’t giving him another excuse to avoid his daughter. ‘Ah, no,’ she said. ‘You’ll be getting Sienna up in the mornings. Though I’ll be here before you have to leave for work.’
He blinked. ‘But Cindy—’
‘—does things slightly differently than I would.’
‘She’s a trained nanny.’
Meaning that she was supposed to follow Cindy’s instructions? Sophie wanted to rip that ridiculous file into little pieces and jump up and down on it. ‘Well, I’m not,’ she reminded him. ‘As I said, I’ll be here before you have to leave for work.’
‘Right. And once you’ve dropped Sienna off, your day is your own until nursery school pick-up. I’ll give you the code word, and I’ll give the nursery school manager your details so she knows who you are,’ he said. ‘Would you mind if I took a photo of you for their records?’
‘Sure.’ She had something similar in place with Hattie’s nursery school.
He took a photograph of her on his phone. ‘Thank you.’
‘And you make sure you’re home in time to eat with us in the evenings.’
‘I have to w—’ he began.
‘Of course you have to work—I realise you have an empire to run.’ She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ‘But you’re the boss, so you can choose where you work. It doesn’t have to be in the office all the time. You have an Internet connection here.’ She folded her arms and gave him a challenging look. ‘So I want you here in time for dinner with us at six, and if you’re late I’ll make you eat cold, soggy, overcooked Brussels sprouts. And you won’t be able to refuse because it’ll be in front of Sienna.’
He looked utterly shocked. ‘Oh, my God. Eva didn’t tell me—’
‘—that I was even bossier than your mother?’ she finished.
His eyes widened. ‘How do you know my mother’s bossy?’
‘What’s sauce for the goose is most definitely sauce for the gander,’ she said. ‘You asked Eva about me—which meant I could ask Eva about you.’
‘I think,’ he said, ‘maybe I should have tried a different agency for Cindy’s temporary replacement.’
‘Tough. You’ve already asked Sienna and she’s made her decision.’
‘I want you to go by Cindy’s rules. Sienna needs structure and continuity.’
She needed love and laughter, too, Sophie thought, but didn’t say it. ‘Let’s try just a couple of tiny, tiny changes,’ she said. ‘Humour me. Spaghetti was all right tonight, wasn’t it?’
‘Well, yes,’ he admitted.
‘Good. Is there anything you really don’t like to eat?’
He said nothing, but she could guess what he was thinking and grinned. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t make you eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers with shaped potato products, peas and tomato ketchup. Hattie and Sam eat what Will and Mandy eat, so Sienna can eat what we eat. Plus, if she’s involved in making dinner, she’s more likely to eat it without a fuss.’
He frowned. ‘How do you know?’
‘My sister-in-law Mandy is a health visitor. I guess chatting to her, plus working at Anna’s nursery school, means I’ve picked up a few things along the way.’
‘I see. And I’m guessing you’ll be the first to see the new baby, too.’
She looked at him, eyes narrowed. ‘What new baby?’
‘I know about the IVF,’ he said.
She blew out a breath. ‘Eva blabbed.’
‘I made an educated guess and she filled in the gaps. Which I admit was probably underhand of me—I kind of let her think that you’d told me everything. But I like the fact you didn’t try to manipulate me with a sob story.’
Sophie wasn’t sure whether to be cross or relieved. ‘So now you know the circumstances, do you agree you would’ve done the same for your siblings?’
‘Of course I would.’ He paused. ‘Do they live near?’
‘We all live in London. Not in each other’s pockets, but no more than half an hour’s Tube journey away from each other—and that includes Mum and Dad.’
He looked slightly wistful, and she guessed that maybe he missed his sisters. But asking him might be a question too far.
‘Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said.
‘Sure. Though I have a couple of questions first.’
He looked wary. ‘Which are?’
‘Do you have a housekeeper?’ she asked.
‘A cleaner who comes in twice a week,’ he confirmed. ‘She does the ironing but not the laundry.’
‘So laundry’s part of my duties?’ she checked.
‘I guess I can handle that until Cindy’s back,’ he said.
‘Fine. What about your grocery shopping?’
‘I order online, and Cindy picks up any top-up things during the week.’
‘I’ll do the same. Obviously I’ll make sure I have receipts for everything,’ she said. ‘And I’ll give you a list of what I need you to order.’
He frowned. ‘Aren’t you using Cindy’s menu?’
‘Not unless you want to eat chicken nuggets,’ she said sweetly. ‘I thought we could have sticky salmon tomorrow. My sister-in-law Mandy has a gorgeous recipe, and Hattie and Sam absolutely love it. I can pick up the ingredients on the way to nursery school tomorrow afternoon.’
‘Okay. Anything else?’
‘That’s it for now.’ She smiled. ‘Goodnight, new business partner.’
‘Goodnight, new business partner and temporary nanny.’
Sophie closed the front door behind her and headed for the small car parked on the gravel outside the house. There was a child’s safety seat in the back, as she’d expected, so she’d be ready to take Sienna to nursery school tomorrow. She sat behind the steering wheel and closed her eyes for a moment. If anyone had told her first thing this morning that her life was going to be turned upside down for the next couple of months, she would never have believed it.
Right at that moment, she felt slightly daunted.
Sienna was so like the little girl that she herself had once been, desperate to please her dad and trying to be the perfect daughter. And it was heartbreaking, seeing the distance between Sienna and Jamie. They were all each other had. Okay, so maybe this was none of her business; but on the other hand how could she just stand by and let the situation get worse, when she knew first-hand the sort of damage it could do?
Why did Jamie avoid his daughter? Did he doubt his ability as a father? Or was Eva right and he was so wrapped up in his grief that he couldn’t think of anything else?
She had two months with them, maybe.
Would that be enough time to fix things?
* * *
This morning, Jamie had expected to have a short business meeting with Sophie Firth and politely turn down the opportunity of investing in her company.
And then he’d met her.
She was bright and she thought on her feet. She stood by her convictions and she wasn’t afraid to say no. She’d practically glowed when she’d spoken about the new direction for her business. He’d liked her energy and warmth.
Maybe his nanny crisis was the answer for both of them.
Except now he was in a really weird situation: she was his business partner and sort of his employee at the same time.
He remembered the way she’d blushed when she’d called him her sleeping partner and then obviously realised how the phrase could be taken. And it felt as if his temperature had just spiked along with his pulse rate.
Oh, for pity’s sake. He couldn’t be attracted to her. It would be way too complicated. Okay. This was simply a physical response due to abstinence, he reminded himself. He was not interested in what might make Sophie Firth blush all over.
And he wasn’t going to let himself think about the fact that she was single. Available. Because he didn’t have time for a relationship. He didn’t want a relationship. He didn’t deserve a relationship, not after what had happened to Fran. And no way was he letting himself lose control and fall for someone.
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