Here I was in the middle of Manhattan sitting at a park with two sleeping babies while Louisa asked me to confide in her. My wish had come true. Maybe my luck was turning around. Maybe all my efforts hadn’t been for nothing. Even if I had to start from square one on the boyfriend front. At least I still had a job, well sort of, and my sister was willing to give us a shot.
“Okay.” I glanced up and silently apologized to Declan. “You can’t tell anyone. Especially not the UK tabloids.”
“What? Of course not. Poor guy. Spill.” She gestured for me to go on.
“Long story short, Joey—” I pointed toward the sleeping baby parked next to me, “—was dropped off at Declan’s door almost three weeks ago. There was no note, only a birth certificate. Apparently, Declan slept with a woman named Harper eighteen months ago and now they have a baby together.”
“Omigod.” She shifted her gaze toward Joey and reached out to arrange his blanket. “That’s terrible. Poor baby. Does he miss his mom?”
“He was fussy at first. But he’s fine now. Maybe I look like her. Or he’s used to having a nanny.”
“Wow. How can we help? Is he looking for Harper?” Her brows shot up in surprise. “Now I get it. That’s why he asked Nicolas for a private investigator. He’s looking for her.”
“He said he was. But it’s been a while. She could be anywhere by now.”
“I hope she’s okay.”
“Yeah, me too.” My phone beeped. Our stroll time was over. If I didn’t get home in time for snack and a real nap, Joey was going to get really cranky. I smiled thinking of the other cranky man in my life. Wait, no, I had no other man. This wasn’t my baby, and most definitely, Declan wasn’t my man. “Hey, I have to go before the baby wakes up.”
“Yeah, sure. It was nice to see you.” She beamed at me.
“Same here.” I stood and waved them good-bye.
The whole way home, I couldn’t stop smiling. Louisa and I were friends. Okay, more like conspirators. But that was a good start. She was interested in making a connection. For the first time ever, she didn’t spend her time pretending I didn’t exist. I was still on cloud nine when I got back to Declan’s condo.
Before I put my key in, Declan swung the door open. God, he was hot. Shaking my head to clear all the dirty thoughts already invading my mind, I pushed the stroller inside. “Thank you. I didn’t know you’d be home so early.”
“Right. I have some news.” He closed the door behind him.
He’d just taken a shower and the smell of his bodywash was everywhere. I inhaled deeply before I turned around to face him. “Good news, I hope. You found Harper.”
“Well, no. Better actually. I found a nanny. A more permeant one who is actually willing to fly back to the UK with me in a few months.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his gray joggers. “Good news, right?”
Damn that was a good look for him—causal pants and wet hair. Yeah, I went there. Before I could stop it, an image of him in the shower popped into my head. Stop it. I focused on his words instead and the implication of this new development. I had to go.
“So yeah, you’re fired.” He chuckled.
I glanced down at my hands, pursing my lips. “Wow.”
“Oh, no. I meant it as a joke. You know from before. Of course, you’re not fired. You can now go do the work you actually signed up for.” A sexy half-smile pulled at his lips. “Before I hijacked your time, that is.”
“I got that.” I nodded. “So, when does this new person start?”
“Monday. She can move in as soon as Monday.”
The way he slowed down as he stated the obvious made me wonder if maybe he was sad to see me go. No, that couldn’t be. Since the beginning—since our hot kiss, really—Declan didn’t feel comfortable having me in his home. A hot lump churned in my stomach when I considered that another woman would get to share this space with him and take care of his baby. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with me? I didn’t want to be a nanny. I wanted to be a programmer and manage high-profile projects for a billion-dollarcompany like Noble Consulting.
This was the best news. This was the best news. This was the best news.
“Say something.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you have a place to stay? I realize I didn’t even ask what you ended up doing with your Brooklyn flat.”
“I still have it,” I lied. I wasn’t his problem. And with the money he had paid me, I had more than enough to find a new apartment. Maybe not in the city, but closer than Bensonhurst.
“You don’t have to leave right away.” He stepped closer. “I’ll leave for the Hamptons in the morning with Joey so can you take your time. Frank will help with your luggage and arrange for a car to take you home.”
The last time we were this close was my first week here when we ran into each other out in the hallway. I had just finished washing up after putting Joey down for the night. I thought of how warm his body had been against mine and how hard his chest felt under my touch.
“Isla.” He whispered so low, I wasn’t sure he’d said my name.
