The Nanny's Secret Baby--A Fresh-Start Family Romance by Lee Tobin McClain

Author:Lee Tobin McClain
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-05-09T19:23:40+00:00

* * *

“So, did you have a good time with Branson?” Arianna asked Penny. The older woman had come over shortly after Jack had texted her to ask her to stay late. Now she was trying to avoid Penny’s perceptive questions about what was going on between her and Jack.

They were sitting in Jack’s kitchen, watching the sun set over the Sangre de Cristos. Sammy had been exhausted from a trip to the Esperanza Springs library’s baby lap sit followed by a TSS appointment, so Arianna had put him to bed half an hour early.

“Branson’s a very nice man,” Penny said. “He brought flowers and a side dish—this couscous salad,” she added, pointing to the dish she’d brought, “that he’d made himself.”

“Which is really good,” Arianna said, taking another bite of it. “I mean, how many guys would use fresh dill and oregano?”

“How many men even know what couscous is?” Penny asked, chuckling. “I had to sneak off to the bathroom and look it up on my phone so I didn’t seem like too much of a country bumpkin.”

Arianna laughed. “That’s not the image I have of you, believe me. And that’s also not what I asked. I asked if you had a good time.” This was good. Looked like she’d be able to grill Penny for a little while here, help her figure out what was obvious to Arianna—that she preferred Willie to the banker—and, in the process, keep her own romantic issues off the table.

“I don’t know. It’s just not...comfortable, you know? I feel like he’s trying to prove himself to me.”

“As he should. You undersell yourself. You’re a very attractive, smart, successful woman.”

Penny snorted. “Who’s barely gotten the ranch out of the red, and whose husband left her for the secretary. Not even his secretary, my secretary. But I don’t want to talk about me.”

“Let’s talk about these kebabs, then. They’re so tender. And not even fattening.”

“Why you worry so much about your figure, I’ll never understand.” Penny sipped her iced tea. “Believe me, there will come a day when you’ll look back on that smooth, perfect skin and those hourglass curves and wish you had them back.”

“Doubtful,” Arianna said. And then their conversation moved to the art therapy group Arianna was doing at the ranch, and how well the veterans were responding, and whether it was time to start a second group.

“Jack’s keeping pretty late hours,” Penny said finally, glancing up at the clock.

Arianna clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh no, he’ll be home any minute, and the place is a mess.” She stood and started clearing plates. “Please stay, Penny, if you don’t mind my doing a little cleaning while we talk.” She hurried a load of dishes to the sink and then turned back for more.

Penny was looking at her, head cocked to one side. “Are you always this paranoid about the state of the house?”

“Oh, well, my mom was really a clean freak. So is Jack. And I’m more the slob type.”

Penny stood and carried the serving dishes to the counter.

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