Twelfth Night Proposal

When Verity glanced at him, there were questions in her eyes, but he didn’t want her to ask them.

They hadn’t gone very far when a little whirlwind came barreling toward Verity. It was Heather, all smiles and giggles and excitement.

Wrapping her arms around Verity’s legs, she looked up at her with the exuberance of a three-year-old. “Looky. Looky. I got painted.”

Without hesitation, Verity sank down onto one knee before Heather who had a cluster of daisies painted on her cheek.

“You look beautiful,” Verity exclaimed, and Leo’s chest tightened at the sight of this nanny and his daughter bonding. It was evident Heather absolutely adored Verity.

Heather grabbed Verity’s hand. “You get painted, too.”

Rising to her feet, Verity began, “Oh, I don’t know…”

“Let yourself go today,” Leo advised her, guessing that wasn’t something Verity did often.

Jolene and her two boys had come up behind Heather. Jolene’s hair was blonder than his. At five-four, she was about twenty pounds overweight, but she was his sister, so Leo simply didn’t care. Jolene liked to cook and bake. Everything she did, she did with gusto.

Now she told Verity, “They’ll paint whatever you want—from flowers to kittens to parrots. And it washes off.”

“Are you going to do it, too?” Verity asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“I could be talked into it. But my boys won’t stand still long enough for me to have it done.”

“I can take the boys and Heather over to the clown with the balloons if you really want to,” Verity offered.

Jolene’s two boys, Randy and Joe, seemed to like the idea. Randy, the eight-year-old who was three years older than his brother, Joey, added, “And if Mom’s not done until we get the balloons made we can play croquet. Kids are doing it over there.” He pointed to an open area at the southern end of the lake.

“You’re going to have your hands full,” Leo warned her.

“They’ll be fine as long as we keep busy.”

Leo cupped Verity’s elbow. Again, he felt a longing inside. But he realized it wasn’t only desire.

Trying to ignore whatever it was, he decided, “First, you get your turn getting painted, then I’ll help you look after the kids.”

When Verity gazed up at him, everyone else around the lake seemed to disappear. The overwhelming desire to kiss her overtook him once more.

Releasing her elbow, he decided to keep his distance and concentrate on the kids.

Something had happened to him since Verity’s call yesterday. He felt as if he was reacting and responding and living again.

All of it had something to do with this nanny. He just had to figure out where she fit into his life…if she fit in at all.

Chapter Three

Before Verity turned in for the night, she decided to make herself a cup of cocoa. Her mind was racing and she knew sleep wouldn’t come quickly…not tonight. She’d enjoyed the afternoon with Leo and Heather so much she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

She was stirring the mixture of chocolate and milk in the saucepan on the stove when she heard the sliding glass doors in the dining room open and close. Her heart rate sped up, and when Leo came into the kitchen, she told herself to calm down. This afternoon had meant the world to her. She’d had fun for the first time in a long time. However, she’d also realized her attraction to Leo wasn’t something she could ignore easily.