Finding Family...and Forever?

“Okay.”

Mission accomplished, he thought, before she’d even had a chance to get downstairs. He looked into his son’s gray eyes and smiled ruefully. “So, this is the new normal, kid. We just have to get used to it.”

And by “we,” he meant himself.

He settled the baby on his forearm and carried him downstairs and into the kitchen. There was a steaming mug of coffee sitting on the long, beige-and-black granite beside the pot.

That was something Sylvia had never done for him.

“Thanks,” he said, grabbing it with his free hand.

“You’re welcome.” She glanced up from the bowl of raw eggs she was stirring with a wire whisk. “I’ll put Kyle in his high chair.”

“That’s all right. I’ve got him and your hands are full.”

The chair was set up beside the oak table in the kitchen nook that had a spectacular view of Blackwater Lake below. It was one of the things he liked best about this house. He put his mug down and settled his son, then belted him in before adjusting the tray for comfort. On the table beside it was a plastic dish of dry cereal and he set it in front of the little guy, who eagerly dug in. This was the established routine that he’d learned worked best. Keep Kyle happy so Justin could get breakfast in before work. After he left, Emma would feed him other appropriate nutritional stuff to balance his diet.

Right now she was scrambling eggs in a pan and folded in sliced mushrooms, tomatoes and grated cheese. There was a blueberry muffin sitting by his plate. Obviously she’d been downstairs already to prepare everything before Kyle was awake.

“You’re very organized,” he commented. “Did you get up before God to do this?”

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Almost. It doesn’t take long without interruptions. And this morning your son slept like a baby and made me look good.”

“I just want to say that grabbing breakfast on the way to work is never a problem if he needs anything. The schedule is flexible.”

“Understood,” she said. “But there’s always a contingency plan so you shouldn’t have to.”

“Like this tantalizing muffin on the table?”

“Exactly. I hope you like it.”

He lifted the small plate and sniffed. “Smells good.”

“I baked them yesterday afternoon while Kyle was napping.”

“From scratch?”

“Yes.” She used a spatula to lift the eggs onto a plate and brought it to him. “I hope this passes the taste test, too.”

He sat beside his son’s high chair and cut the muffin in half. Although there was butter on the table, the cakey inside was so moist he didn’t think it would need any. The bite he took told him he was right. In silence, he chewed and savored the sweet, moist flavor.

Emma hovered close, waiting. “Okay. I can’t stand it. Silence makes me nervous. If you hate it I need to know. I prefer honesty.”

“Hate it?” He looked at her. “This is quite possibly the best blueberry muffin I’ve ever had, and I can’t believe you didn’t use a mix.”

“I wouldn’t lie.” Her smile slipped and a sort of bruised look slid into her eyes.

Again he thought that something or someone had made the truth very important to her. “I was teasing, Emma. This is so good that if you wanted another career as a pastry chef I’d lose a very good nanny.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She smiled. “Hopefully, the eggs will hold up to the same scrutiny.”

“I’m sure they will.” He could already tell by the smell that they’d be delicious.

“Sylvia gave me lots of pointers and I took notes about your preferences. And what Kyle currently likes best. She also made sure I have her cell number and email address in case there are any questions. I’m doing my best to make the transition as seamless as possible.”

“Mission accomplished.”

So far she was superbly fulfilling all the objectives for which she’d been hired. His son was happy. Her cooking was really good. It wasn’t her fault that the changeover could have been more seamless if she looked like Mrs. Doubtfire. If not for his blasted fascination with her, she’d be the perfect nanny.

But he’d learned the hard way that there was no such thing as the perfect woman.

* * *

Justin would be home any minute and Emma was carrying Kyle around the kitchen on her hip because it was the time of day when he was too fussy to play independently. He just wanted to be held and nothing would distract him.

“I don’t mind telling you that I’m a little nervous about this first dinner on my own with you and your daddy.”

Kyle looked at her then rubbed his eyes, a sure sign he was nearly at the end of his rope.

“I know, sweetie. Even after a good long nap, a busy boy like you is just plain tired.” She hugged him a little closer and her heart melted a little more at the way he burrowed against her. “The thing is, my man, your dad hasn’t seen you all day and he works pretty hard. All for you, although you should never feel guilty about it. If you could hang in a little longer so he can spend some quality time with you before your bedtime, that would be pretty awesome. Okay?”

He grinned a gooey, wet grin, then babbled two syllables that sounded suspiciously like, “Okay.”

Emma glanced around the kitchen and ticked things off the list in her mind. The chicken was in the Crock-Pot, a recipe that included vegetables and potatoes all together. She didn’t want to tackle anything too time-consuming and labor-intensive in the final prep stages. With the little guy constantly on the move, it was a scenario with disaster written all over it.

The table was set for one adult and the high chair was ready for one baby. While Sylvia was there, they’d all eaten together, but without the older woman’s presence Emma was concerned that it would feel too intimate. Justin Flint wasn’t her first employer, but he was the only single dad she’d ever worked for and the dynamic was awkward. At least for her.

She found him charming and attractive and under different circumstances would probably have flirted, even though she’d sworn off men. Discovering that your fiancé was a cheating weasel tended to make a girl do that. The thing was, she wanted to flirt with Justin, but that was completely unprofessional. It was a constant strain to suppress the natural inclination.

Every time he was in the room, butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She was clumsy and tongue-tied. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she was also a big fat fraud. Even though her mission in Blackwater Lake was delicate and intensely personal, it seemed wrong not to give Justin all that information before he’d made the decision to hire her. She would do her very best for this child and hope Justin wouldn’t regret his decision. This job was vital in order to buy her time to decide how to handle her private situation.

The front door opened and closed, telling her that the employer she’d just been thinking about was here. A small twist of anticipation registered before she could shut it down.

She smiled at Kyle. “Your daddy’s home.”

“Da— Da—” He bounced in her arms and squirmed to get down.

Emma set him on the floor and instantly he got on all fours and crawled out of the kitchen as fast as he could go. She followed, not to intrude on a private father-son moment, but to make sure he made it to the safety of his dad’s strong arms. Getting sidetracked on the way by something potentially harmful was always a possibility. She wouldn’t let him out of her sight until she knew this house and all its baby hazards like the back of her hand. Assuming, of course, that she was here long enough to know it that well.

“Hey, buddy.” In the entryway Justin had set his laptop case on the table, then grabbed up his son for a hug and kiss. “How are you?”

He lifted the baby high over his head in those strong arms she’d just been thinking about. Emma knew Kyle was sturdy and solid and holding him up like that took a lot of strength. Justin made it look easy. And the obvious love he had for his son would soften a heart harder than hers.

He settled the boy on his forearm and smiled at her. “Hi.”

Some part of her brain was still functioning and she came up with a brilliant response to his greeting. “Hi.”

“Something smells good.”