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“I have to work,” he said easily.
“Most people on the planet have to work,” Savannah added. Wow, Margo had done a number on this child. Money wasn’t that important in the greater scheme of things. Family, friends, experiences, all went together to make a rich, fulfilling life. Money helped, but there was more to life than money.
“You’re rich, you could do more for us,” Jacey said to her father, ignoring Savannah.
“What more do you want, Jacey?” he asked, looking directly at her.
“We’re always pinching pennies,” she grumbled.
“I send your mother a lot of money each month. It’s supposed to all go for you. What’re you lacking that my generous child support doesn’t provide?” he asked.
“I didn’t go skiing with my friends in February. Mom said we didn’t have enough money and you wouldn’t give her any more.”
“You’re old enough to understand a few things,” Declan said. “First we’ll discuss the money I send.” He told her how much money he sent each month. Judging from the way Jacey’s eyes widened, she’d had no idea. “Granted, some of it goes to supplement the rent and food and basic expenses like that. But if your mother managed the money well, there’d be plenty for extras like a ski trip in February. And, by the way, this is the first time I’ve heard about that.”
“It’s expensive to live in New York,” Jacey said.
“Your mother’s not managing the money I’m sending. Next time something like that comes up, call me directly. I’ll consider paying for the trip.”
“Mom needs money this summer,” she said.
“Now isn’t that interesting? I continue to pay the same amount every month, no reduction for the time you stay with me.”
Declan glanced at Savannah who was watching the interchange closely. He disliked airing dirty laundry in front of strangers, not that she was a stranger precisely, but he didn’t know her now. She’d changed over the years. He hadn’t a clue what she was thinking. Probably that all his problems served him right. He’d made a major mistake and could never forget that.
“So we leave in two days,” she said, trying to change the subject.
He nodded, suddenly wondering if his idea had been such a good one after all. Jacey was behaving worse than he’d expected. He hoped their time together would prove beneficial.
What really startled him was the anticipation he felt at the thought of spending the next three weeks with Savannah Williams. She’d done nothing even to hint she wanted to resume a friendship, much less anything more. And he couldn’t blame her. Looking back, he’d shattered something precious.
No one could go back to the past. Knowing what he now knew, he’d have held on to Savannah for all he was worth.
What would it be like to take this trip with her? What if they could have taken it alone? Spend days hiking spectacular country and then nights with nothing but the starry sky overhead and endless miles of empty land surrounding them? He knew the reality of their trip would be different, but, for a moment, he almost pretended.
CHAPTER THREE
TIME flew by and before she knew it Savannah was boarding a plane for the flight to San Francisco Monday morning. All weekend she’d dithered, talking things through with Stephanie because she couldn’t reach her sister. In the end, she decided to go. It might be a mistake, but she’d made plenty of those in her life. What was one more?
Declan had booked three seats in first class, a luxury she’d grown used to in her line of work. Most of the families who could afford Vacation Nannies had plenty of money and wanted their children to enjoy first-class travel as much as they did—as long as the nanny was there to watch them.
Sitting by the window, Savannah settled in with pleasure. Her lifestyle was so different today from what she’d experienced growing up in that small house on the outskirts of Palmerville, West Virginia.
“Want to sit by the window?” Declan asked Jacey when they boarded the plane.
“Whatever,” she said, going in first. Their two seats were together. Savannah’s was across the aisle.
Settling in, they watched as the rest of the passengers for the flight boarded. Once they were airborne, Declan got out of his seat and leaned over to talk to Savannah.
“There was a mix-up in the room reservation at the hotel in San Francisco. We have a suite, but only two bedrooms. Would you find it horrible to share with Jacey? I was confirmed for a larger suite, but found out this morning we got bumped to the smaller one. Some special envoy or something.”
She looked into his dark eyes. He looked tired. How stressful was it having his teenage daughter fighting him at every step? Jacey stared out the window, looking mad and unhappy.
“That’s what you’ve hired me for, to be with Jacey. It’ll be fine.”
“Thanks. If she says anything—I mean, I expect she’ll be a bit of a brat.”
“Remember you asked for a teen expert. I’ve handled recalcitrant teenagers before. Relax, Declan. She’s being a teenager. They really do better with boundaries and adults running the show. Start as you mean to go on.”
He nodded and sat back in his seat.
Savannah smiled at her seat companion and turned to gaze out the window. She had her own problems. Like not getting to sleep last night for thinking about the trip with Declan Murdock. She’d been so in love with him years ago. She thought she’d put all romantic notions behind her when he left. But he was even more interesting now that she’d seen more of the world, spent time among dynamic men who moved in the highest circles. He had a special appeal, and it wasn’t all based on the past.
Declan could hire a raft of people to watch his daughter. But he’d chosen her. Not for old times’ sake, but because she’d come so highly recommended. And he did need help with his daughter if he so rarely saw her. Savannah was here to do a job, not to dream about her temporary employer.
Savannah brought out a novel she’d picked up in Boston, not having had a moment to read it after she’d landed in New York—was it only a couple of days earlier? Reading would while away the flight.
As they prepared to land several hours later, Savannah looked over to see Jacey peering out the window as the plane banked over San Francisco. The city gleamed in the sunshine. The buildings of downtown were predominantly white. The water of the San Francisco Bay were deep blue. It was a gorgeous day. Savannah hoped that the teenager would let herself experience some emotion at visiting one of the world’s most exciting and beautiful cities.
When they reached the hotel near Union Square, Savannah was pleased with the ease at which Jacey accepted the room assignments. They went into the room they’d share. Two double beds left plenty of room for a dresser and television. The sitting room of the suite also had a large-screen television and two sofas, several easy chairs and a wet bar.
They had a small view of Union Square and when they opened the old-fashioned window, they could hear the famous cable cars clanging as they reached the turntable near Market Street.
Jacey plopped on her bed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
“It’s only midafternoon. Want to go out?” Savannah asked. The advantage of traveling west was arriving in time to do things.
“Is Dad going?”
“He said he wants to go to the store right away. We could go with him. Or wait until tomorrow to go shopping for our hiking stuff. I know a couple of places where we could find some trendy clothes. Maiden Lane has some fabulous shops.”
Jacey sat up. “Whatever.”
Savannah resisted rolling her eyes. She wished that word had never been invented. However, she was sure Jacey and teens everywhere would find another equally annoying if that were the case.
Shopping proved more fun than Savannah had expected. In the first shop, Savannah pulled out a lollipop-pink sundress. “My sister’s favorite color is pink,” Savannah said. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in this.”
“If you were dead, you wouldn’t know what you were wearing,” Jacey said.
Savannah laughed. So maybe the kid could be fun to be around. “Good point. What’s your favorite color—and don’t say black.”
“What if that’s my favorite color?”
“It’s no one’s favorite color. Lots of people wear it, but not because it’s a favorite color. Purple’s my favorite, but I don’t wear a lot of it.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to look like a plum?” Savannah suggested.
Jacey actually giggled. “I’d like to see you in purple.”
“Okay, find something. I’m not buying, but I’ll try it on.”
Jacey searched through dresses, finally finding a deep purple one.
“Okay, wait here.” Hoping she could trust the teen not to dart away as soon as her back was turned, Savannah went to the changing room. Stepping out a couple of minutes later she was relieved to see Jacey still looking at dresses.
Turning to see Savannah, Jacey began to laugh. “You do look like a tall, thin plum.”
“You try it on and see what you look like, Miss Smarty-Pants. You’d look like a plum, too,” Savannah retorted, delighted to finally hear a laugh from the girl.
“Purple’s not my favorite color.”
“What is, then?”
“Blue.”
“Powder, navy, aqua?”
“Powder.”
Savannah pulled out a light blue dress. “So try it on. Maybe you’ll look like a robin’s egg.”
Jacey rolled her eyes but followed Savannah back to the dressing rooms. While Savannah changed back into the outfit she’d worn on the plane she could hear clothing shuffle in the changing stall next to hers. She was surprised to see how pretty Jacey looked when she stepped out in the blue dress. The makeup was still garish, the hair too dark, but she looked more like a pretty young girl.
“Nice,” Savannah said casually. “Want to try on another dress? We don’t have to buy anything. It’s fun to play dress-up. You should’ve seen me and my sister when we first moved to New York. We’d spend all Saturday afternoon shopping at high-end stores, just trying on clothes.”
They’d done it to find out what looked good and what didn’t, making notes on what styles best suited each of them. It made a big difference in the way two country girls were able finally to fit in.
Over the next hour Jacey tried on several different outfits, but she never returned the blue one to the rack.
As it grew closer to the time to meet Declan for dinner, Savannah wondered if she dare buy the blue dress for Jacey.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
“I guess. This has been fun. I think I could be a model.”
“Sure, once you learn the tricks of the trade.”
“Like?”
“How to walk, pivot, fix your hair and makeup.” She was taking a chance very early in their tenuous relationship, but Savannah only had three weeks with Jacey, if that. Anything she could do for Declan would be worth the risk. “Maybe we could get a makeover at one of the department stores on Union Square. I bet their makeup selection is huge.”
“Ummm.” Jacey didn’t exactly jump at the chance, but Savannah was relieved not to have her turn it down completely.
“I like the blue dress,” Jacey said casually.
“I do, too. Shall we buy it?” She held her breath.
“Whatever.”
Savannah laughed. “Deal.”
They reached their hotel room before Declan returned.
“Time for a shower and shampoo before dinner,” Savannah said when Jacey dropped the bag from the store on her bed. “Want to go first?”
“I guess. You could use Dad’s bathroom since he isn’t here,” she suggested. “Then I can take as long a shower as I want.”
She was once again trying to reach her mother by phone. Savannah didn’t know if Margo had ever called her daughter over the weekend. If not, Jacey must be getting annoyed at being ignored.
“Okay, that’ll work,” she said. Judging how much longer until the dinner time Declan had suggested, she figured she’d have time to be in and out before he returned.
Savannah walked through Declan’s bedroom to his bath a few moments later. She kept her gaze averted from the bed, ignoring the few things of his on the dresser. But stepping into the bathroom brought back even more memories. His scent permeated the air. She saw his razor on the bath counter, his aftershave in a bottle beside it. For a moment she was immobile, remembering.
Shaking off the past, she stepped into the shower and soon felt the soothing beat of the hot water. Focus on yourjob, she admonished herself. Jacey had been cordial most of the afternoon—actually, almost friendly toward the end. Trying on clothes was fun no matter what kind of attitude she was trying to maintain.
Still, it felt good to have a few moments to herself. She wondered what Declan had been doing while they shopped. Not that she cared. Maybe she should suggest he take Jacey to dinner and let her stay behind to order room service. It would give the two of them time alone. And she would be spared dining with him again.
Not him precisely. Nothing like before. Despite all the pep talks she’d given herself, it was hard not to feel something around him. An innate curiosity, a feeling of dеj? vu, an attraction that sprang forth as strong as ever before. And a memory of his hard words, the end of her love.
After drying off a few moments later, Savannah slipped on one of the thick terry robes the hotel provided. She towel-dried her hair, needing to get the mousse on it. Now it was flat and boring. She didn’t know how her sister stood having such long hair. Short hair was so easy to care for. And she liked the sassy look it gave her.
Opening the door she stopped suddenly when she saw Declan lying on the bed. His legs were crossed at the ankles, one arm under his head, as he stared at her coming from his bathroom. Heat flooded, her heart raced. So he’d looked many times before when they’d spent a weekend somewhere. Swallowing hard, she tried to breathe.
“Oh.”
“Oh, indeed,” he said, rising. He crossed slowly over to her as his gaze traveled down the length of the terry robe. Her heart flipped over, pounded harder than ever.
“Jacey and I wanted showers before dinner. You weren’t here. I hope I didn’t hold you up,” she said. She also hoped he wasn’t getting any ideas about her appropriating his bathroom. Obviously she’d misjudged how long he’d be at the store.
He stopped inches away. She wore only the robe, closed with a sash that with one flick of a wrist could be undone. Trying not to think of how little she had on beneath the robe—like, nothing but bare skin—she edged sideways toward the door. He stepped closer and for a split second she thought he was going to reach for her. The surge of longing to feel his arms around her one more time caught her by surprise. Her gaze flicked to his mouth, her own almost tingling in yearning to feel those lips against her again, drawing a response from her that she’d once so freely given.
Then the echo of the words he’d said that had ended everything sounded in her mind.
She was fantasizing about him ripping off the robe and taking her into his arms, kissing her for real, a full-blown lip lock that would blow her mind, when he’d so cavalierly thrown her over for Margo. Now Margo was gone. Did he think he could step back in where they’d left off?
She took another step, watching him warily. What could she say to make sure he knew she was so over him it wasn’t funny? That she’d taken this job only for Jacey’s sake.
Declan stepped closer. She could feel the warmth from his body. Her eyes locked with his as her imagination ran wild.
“Declan,” she started, but that husky voice didn’t sound like the crisp professional tone she was striving for. She cleared her throat, took two more steps to the door and opened it.
“How did it go with Jacey today?” he asked.
She turned and looked at him over her shoulder.
“Actually, better than I expected. She actually thawed a bit by the time we reached the second store. I had her trying on any dress she wanted as long as it wasn’t black. She even let me buy her a blue one. If she wears it tonight, be complimentary, but don’t make a big deal over it.”
