frowned. “It’s possible. He’s spent a lot of time in his room lately. I’d try talking with him, but he would just say his brother and sisters bothered him. I can remember going through a stage like that when I was a kid, so I thought it was that.”
“It might be.”
“It could explain some of what’s been going on.”
Annie caught sight of the clock. It wouldn’t do for the nanny to be late with the kids the first day on her job. Jasmine would never let her forget it if she didn’t leave on time. “I’ve got to go. I might have to get up earlier tomorrow instead of Jasmine.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be taking Jeremy to school today or not. It’ll depend on what happens at the doctor. I’ll keep you informed of what happens.”
“Don’t worry about the others. I’ll take care of them.” Annie went to the intercom and announced, “Time to go to school, everyone.”
She heard a shriek from upstairs, then a few seconds later, Joshua and Jade hurrying down the steps, each trying to be the first out the kitchen door to the garage. If only she could get Jasmine to buy in to racing her siblings to the car.
With a deep sigh, Annie mounted the stairs. Jasmine came out into the hall carrying her shoes, her hair a wild mess as though she’d teased it. She’d changed her outfit.
“I need more time. I can’t go to school wearing this. There’s a stain on the blouse. I just saw it.” The girl’s voice rose to a shrill level.
“You have two minutes to make it down to the car in the garage.”
Jasmine stomped her foot. “I have to look my best.”
“Your choice. I can bring you back if you want to change, but I’m leaving in ninety seconds to take the other two. They have a right to be at school on time.”
Jasmine charged into her room then returned with a blouse clutched in her other hand with her brush. “I hate you. You just don’t understand.” Tears filled her eyes as she marched past Annie, grumbling the whole way down the stairs, through the kitchen door and to the navy blue Ford Explorer. After Jasmine flounced into the backseat, she glared at Jade sitting in front.
Ian stood near the door from the breezeway, trying to suppress his grin. “I think I needed that. You know she won’t get out of the car.”
“I figured. Even if she changes her blouse and puts her shoes on, she would never go inside the school with her hair like that. I’ll bring her home and let her get ready then take her back. She’ll have to explain to the office why she was late.”
“We’ll need to compare our day this evening. I’m not sure whose day will be more challenging. Thank you again.”
For a few seconds Annie felt as though they were in this together—but not just as employer and employee. With Ian’s casual manner, it was easy to forget their relationship was strictly professional. “Nothing I haven’t encountered before.” Annie walked toward the vehicle, feeling Ian’s gaze on her. It sent a shiver up her spine.
* * *
Later that night, after putting Joshua down, Annie went in search of Jasmine. Her door was closed while her twin’s was wide-open with Jade sitting on the bed, listening to music. Annie rapped on Jasmine’s door. Silence greeted her. She tried turning the knob, but it was locked.
She went to the entrance of Jade’s bedroom. “Why is Jasmine’s door locked?”
Jade waved toward her twin’s room. “She told me she would go to sleep when
she
wanted.”
Annie felt an urge to march down to Ian’s home office and get a key from him to unlock the door right that minute. She curbed that reaction and instead said to Jade, “Thanks. She might go to bed when she wants, but she will be up earlier tomorrow.”
“This is gonna be so much fun.” Jade giggled and returned to listening to her music.
Annie neared Jasmine’s room and said, “If you want your beauty sleep, you should go to bed soon. Good night.”
Annie made her way downstairs to retrieve a key from
“It might be.”
“It could explain some of what’s been going on.”
Annie caught sight of the clock. It wouldn’t do for the nanny to be late with the kids the first day on her job. Jasmine would never let her forget it if she didn’t leave on time. “I’ve got to go. I might have to get up earlier tomorrow instead of Jasmine.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be taking Jeremy to school today or not. It’ll depend on what happens at the doctor. I’ll keep you informed of what happens.”
“Don’t worry about the others. I’ll take care of them.” Annie went to the intercom and announced, “Time to go to school, everyone.”
She heard a shriek from upstairs, then a few seconds later, Joshua and Jade hurrying down the steps, each trying to be the first out the kitchen door to the garage. If only she could get Jasmine to buy in to racing her siblings to the car.
With a deep sigh, Annie mounted the stairs. Jasmine came out into the hall carrying her shoes, her hair a wild mess as though she’d teased it. She’d changed her outfit.
“I need more time. I can’t go to school wearing this. There’s a stain on the blouse. I just saw it.” The girl’s voice rose to a shrill level.
“You have two minutes to make it down to the car in the garage.”
Jasmine stomped her foot. “I have to look my best.”
“Your choice. I can bring you back if you want to change, but I’m leaving in ninety seconds to take the other two. They have a right to be at school on time.”
Jasmine charged into her room then returned with a blouse clutched in her other hand with her brush. “I hate you. You just don’t understand.” Tears filled her eyes as she marched past Annie, grumbling the whole way down the stairs, through the kitchen door and to the navy blue Ford Explorer. After Jasmine flounced into the backseat, she glared at Jade sitting in front.
Ian stood near the door from the breezeway, trying to suppress his grin. “I think I needed that. You know she won’t get out of the car.”
“I figured. Even if she changes her blouse and puts her shoes on, she would never go inside the school with her hair like that. I’ll bring her home and let her get ready then take her back. She’ll have to explain to the office why she was late.”
“We’ll need to compare our day this evening. I’m not sure whose day will be more challenging. Thank you again.”
For a few seconds Annie felt as though they were in this together—but not just as employer and employee. With Ian’s casual manner, it was easy to forget their relationship was strictly professional. “Nothing I haven’t encountered before.” Annie walked toward the vehicle, feeling Ian’s gaze on her. It sent a shiver up her spine.
* * *
Later that night, after putting Joshua down, Annie went in search of Jasmine. Her door was closed while her twin’s was wide-open with Jade sitting on the bed, listening to music. Annie rapped on Jasmine’s door. Silence greeted her. She tried turning the knob, but it was locked.
She went to the entrance of Jade’s bedroom. “Why is Jasmine’s door locked?”
Jade waved toward her twin’s room. “She told me she would go to sleep when
she
wanted.”
Annie felt an urge to march down to Ian’s home office and get a key from him to unlock the door right that minute. She curbed that reaction and instead said to Jade, “Thanks. She might go to bed when she wants, but she will be up earlier tomorrow.”
“This is gonna be so much fun.” Jade giggled and returned to listening to her music.
Annie neared Jasmine’s room and said, “If you want your beauty sleep, you should go to bed soon. Good night.”
Annie made her way downstairs to retrieve a key from
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