the seat to close over hers. “You can do it, Lucky. Just relax and remember everything I told you.”
“Yeah, relax.” She took a deep breath and suppressed the disappointment when he returned his hand to the wheel. “I can do this,” she said more for herself than him. “It’s not as if I’m totally clueless when it comes to educating a child.”
“It’s just one night,” he reminded her. “You won’t be educating anyone.”
“I do have some college under my belt,” she went on as if he’d never said a word. “Liberal arts with a minor in education.”
“You’re not going to be a real nanny.”
“I’ve had child psychology and all the basics. That’s something.” She glanced at him. “Isn’t it?”
He nodded and smiled. “Let me guess, underneath that rough exterior lurks the heart of a kindergarten teacher.”
“More like an auto-shop teacher. I’ve always liked cars and kids.”
“So why are you driving a cab in Houston instead of teaching mechanics to some rowdy kids back in Chicago?”
She shrugged. “My granny. She was originally from Texas, and when she got sick with Alzheimer’s, Dad moved her here from Chicago. He wanted to come himself, but I was going to college and working part-time as a mechanic, and he didn’t want to leave me. Then he died, the nursing-home payments fell to me, and so did his cab.” She blinked away the sudden moisture in her eyes. “Granny is my number-one priority right now. I’ll finish school eventually.”
“What about a student loan?”
“Do you know how much shop teachers make? I make more driving my cab. I couldn’t swing a new career, nursing-home payments and loan payments. It’s better to pay as I go, even if it takes a while.” She turned on him then. “Would you stop looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you feel sorry for me.”
“I do feel sorry for you.”
She stiffened. “Don’t. I don’t need your pity.”
He grinned. “Oh yes you do. You, sweetheart, are about to meet my mother-in-law. I guarantee, fifteen minutes into it, and you’ll be begging for my pity.”
“Gee, you’re doing wonders for my confidence.”
His grin disappeared. “Tell me the story again.”
She banged her head against the window. “ Ugh . Not again.”
“Again.”
She took a deep breath and tried to focus her thoughts. “Okay, I’ve been in Scotland. The oilman got a divorce, his wife got the kids, which ended my assignment. Then the agency sent me here.”
“Exactly. And remember, whatever you do, don’t encourage any questions. Just give the barest answers, and I’ll pick up any slack in the conversation. Dinner will fill up some of the time, then you can pretend a headache and escape to your room. After that, we’ll have tomorrow morning to get through, which shouldn’t be too difficult. Merle, that’s my father-in-law, is expected at a nine o’clock meeting in San Antonio, which means they’ll be in a hurry. Thirty minutes for breakfast, then I’m off the hook and you’re on your way back to Houston.”
Simple. Then why did she have the unconscious urge to start chewing even though the nearest piece of gum was in the glove compartment of her cab?
Geez, her cab. “Where’s my Chevy?”
“It’s hidden away in the garage near the barn. I sent Jed and one of my part-time hands to pick it up.”
“But no one drives my cab but me,” she blurted out before she could think about how silly it sounded.
“I thought men were the only ones territorial about their cars.”
“I’m not territorial. Not exactly.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, maybe a little, but that cab is all I have.” All I have left of my father.
“I’m sorry,” he said as if he sensed her sudden melancholy. “I should have asked your permission first, but I’m sure Jed didn’t hurt it. If so, we’ll take him out back and have him whipped.” He flashed her that all-too familiar naked-stranger smile, and she couldn’t
“Yeah, relax.” She took a deep breath and suppressed the disappointment when he returned his hand to the wheel. “I can do this,” she said more for herself than him. “It’s not as if I’m totally clueless when it comes to educating a child.”
“It’s just one night,” he reminded her. “You won’t be educating anyone.”
“I do have some college under my belt,” she went on as if he’d never said a word. “Liberal arts with a minor in education.”
“You’re not going to be a real nanny.”
“I’ve had child psychology and all the basics. That’s something.” She glanced at him. “Isn’t it?”
He nodded and smiled. “Let me guess, underneath that rough exterior lurks the heart of a kindergarten teacher.”
“More like an auto-shop teacher. I’ve always liked cars and kids.”
“So why are you driving a cab in Houston instead of teaching mechanics to some rowdy kids back in Chicago?”
She shrugged. “My granny. She was originally from Texas, and when she got sick with Alzheimer’s, Dad moved her here from Chicago. He wanted to come himself, but I was going to college and working part-time as a mechanic, and he didn’t want to leave me. Then he died, the nursing-home payments fell to me, and so did his cab.” She blinked away the sudden moisture in her eyes. “Granny is my number-one priority right now. I’ll finish school eventually.”
“What about a student loan?”
“Do you know how much shop teachers make? I make more driving my cab. I couldn’t swing a new career, nursing-home payments and loan payments. It’s better to pay as I go, even if it takes a while.” She turned on him then. “Would you stop looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you feel sorry for me.”
“I do feel sorry for you.”
She stiffened. “Don’t. I don’t need your pity.”
He grinned. “Oh yes you do. You, sweetheart, are about to meet my mother-in-law. I guarantee, fifteen minutes into it, and you’ll be begging for my pity.”
“Gee, you’re doing wonders for my confidence.”
His grin disappeared. “Tell me the story again.”
She banged her head against the window. “ Ugh . Not again.”
“Again.”
She took a deep breath and tried to focus her thoughts. “Okay, I’ve been in Scotland. The oilman got a divorce, his wife got the kids, which ended my assignment. Then the agency sent me here.”
“Exactly. And remember, whatever you do, don’t encourage any questions. Just give the barest answers, and I’ll pick up any slack in the conversation. Dinner will fill up some of the time, then you can pretend a headache and escape to your room. After that, we’ll have tomorrow morning to get through, which shouldn’t be too difficult. Merle, that’s my father-in-law, is expected at a nine o’clock meeting in San Antonio, which means they’ll be in a hurry. Thirty minutes for breakfast, then I’m off the hook and you’re on your way back to Houston.”
Simple. Then why did she have the unconscious urge to start chewing even though the nearest piece of gum was in the glove compartment of her cab?
Geez, her cab. “Where’s my Chevy?”
“It’s hidden away in the garage near the barn. I sent Jed and one of my part-time hands to pick it up.”
“But no one drives my cab but me,” she blurted out before she could think about how silly it sounded.
“I thought men were the only ones territorial about their cars.”
“I’m not territorial. Not exactly.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, maybe a little, but that cab is all I have.” All I have left of my father.
“I’m sorry,” he said as if he sensed her sudden melancholy. “I should have asked your permission first, but I’m sure Jed didn’t hurt it. If so, we’ll take him out back and have him whipped.” He flashed her that all-too familiar naked-stranger smile, and she couldn’t
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