Marrying Matty by Emilie Richards

Author:Emilie Richards [Richards, Emilie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488078439
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 1997-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Nanny chewed on her pipe and glared at Matty, her bony arms folded across her chest. Matty had the grace to look guilty. She had been warned.

Nanny’s foot began to tap, and the pipe disappeared into her pocket. “What’d I tell you about taking that baby with you this afternoon, Matty Quinn?”

Matty dug her toe into the scatter rug outside Heidi’s room. “I’m not sure….”

“You know. You know, no question about it.”

“Nanny, I just can’t help myself.”

Nanny’s eyes narrowed into slits. “That’s the problem, you know. You don’t help yourself. That’s the problem.”

Matty folded Heidi closer in her arms. Nanny was perfectly capable of snatching the baby from her. “Look, please don’t be mad. It’s just such a beautiful afternoon. And she loves to be outside.”

“Not’ing you love?”

“Well, sure. I love being here. I love Heidi.” Matty offered her warmest smile. “I love your red snapper with peppers and mushrooms.”

“You trying to git out of this. You t’ink I don’t know.”

“Nanny, I’ll be fine, really.”

Nanny looked as if she wasn’t completely convinced, but her pursed lips unfroze one bit at a time until she was no longer frowning. “Just don’t come to me, you git so tired you don’t know what’s what….”

“I promise.”

Nanny marched off. Matty hoped that no one and nothing got in her way.

“I think she’s beginning to like me,” Matty whispered to Heidi. Heidi lit up the hallway with one of her ear-to-ear grins.

As impossible as it seemed, in the weeks since the wedding, Nanny had begun to warm up to Matty. The signs were subtle. The food had gotten better, and at times it was absolutely inspired. Morning coffee had improved, too, and no offers of medicinal teas had been forthcoming.

Best of all, Nanny no longer huffed and puffed around the house, looking for excuses to tell Matty she wasn’t wanted there. She never missed an opportunity to give her opinion, but more and more often the opinion was not something calculated to set Matty on her ear.

“She thinks I’m doing too much,” Matty told the beaming Heidi. “She wanted me to take the afternoon off. She doesn’t know what my life used to be like, does she?”

Heidi wiggled her whole body in answer. Apparently she didn’t think Matty was doing too much. In fact, she had thrived under Matty’s care. And as each day passed, Matty fell more in love with her new stepdaughter. In fact the word “step” had disappeared from her vocabulary.

“Let’s go, pumpkin. I know a perfect spot for a little girl’s nap. Sea breezes. The sound of waves. If you ever move to the mainland, you won’t be able to fall sleep.”

“Matty, have you seen—” Damon stopped at the head of the stairs and peered at the two females as if they had materialized from the very air. “What was I looking for?”

“Now that I can’t help you with.” Matty took stock of her husband. He was wearing khaki shorts and a T-shirt advertising a George Town hotel. The right

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