Read Online Substitute Bride (Beaufort Brides Book 2) by Noelle Adams - Free Book Online
Authors: Noelle Adams
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some
sleep.”
“I don’t feel like sleeping yet.”
“Oh. Is your jaw hurting?”
He hadn’t been rubbing it today, and she’d been hoping that
some of his stress had lessened now that he’d ended things with Genevieve.
He opened one eye and glared at her out of it. “No.”
“Okay. Good” She stood, holding the blanket and feeling at
loose ends in a way she hadn’t felt in a really long time. She’d always known
how to act and speak as the nanny. That was her role and she was good at it. For
some reason, all of that felt wrong right now, but acting any other way felt
wrong too. “I guess I’ll head upstairs then.”
“Don’t go yet.” James opened his eyes. “Sit down and keep me
company.”
“Okay.” She was gratified at the idea, but she had no idea
what it meant. She sat down beside him on the couch, a little primly, holding
the blanket in her lap because she’d never figured out where to put it down.
“You think the girls are all right, don’t you?” he asked.
Rose let out a breath, realizing now why he’d wanted to
talk. He was worried about his daughters and wanted to feel her out about them.
Of course, that was all it was. It wasn’t like he would want
her company just for the sake of it. Things between them had never been like
that.
She told herself there was nothing to be disappointed about.
In fact, she should be relieved, since it was a clue that told her how to
behave. “Of course,” she said with a smile. “The girls are just fine.”
“Julie said she never liked Genevieve.”
“She never got to know her, and Genevieve can be
intimidating for kids. It wasn’t anything serious.”
“She never did anything to the girls before the other night,
did she? I mean, she didn’t give them any other reasons not to like her?”
She could see what he was asking. He was worried that
Genevieve had hurt the girls in a way he didn’t know about. Rose said quickly,
“Of course not. I think it was just that she was always kind of distant, and
she never made any effort to really bond with the girls. Kids pick up on that
kind of thing really easily. If anything had happened, I would have told you. I
promise. There’s nothing to worry about.”
James sighed visibly and slouched back against the couch.
“Okay. Thanks.”
Rose nodded and waited for him to say something else. He
didn’t, though, so she wondered if the conversation was over so she should get
up and go to her own room.
She and James were certainly not in the habit of sitting on
the couch together after the girls had gone to bed.
“Did you always want to be a nanny?” James asked, out the
blue. He’d been staring at a blank spot in the air, but now he looked over at
her, his tone and expression both thoughtful.
“No,” she told him, once she’d processed the question. She
leaned back against the couch, since he clearly wanted to sustain the
conversation. “Not really.”
“So why did you become one?”
“Well, I always wanted to teach in elementary school, but we
were always so short on money that Deanna and I tried to get jobs right away,
instead of spending money or taking out loans for college. I always planned to
get started, taking classes part-time, but it never seemed like the right time.
Being a nanny seemed as close as I could get to teaching children.”
“You’re really good at it. You’d be a great teacher.”
She sighed and then turned to smile at him. “Maybe I will
one day.”
“You could start taking classes now.”
“I know.”
“So what’s holding you back?”
She glanced away. “I don’t really know. I enjoy being a
nanny, and I’ve always been a little…hesitant about changes and new things. I’m
sure I’ll start soon.”
She wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but she still
wanted to be an elementary school teacher, which meant she would have to
eventually go to college.
James was silent for a while, evidently thinking about their
conversation. Then he asked,
sleep.”
“I don’t feel like sleeping yet.”
“Oh. Is your jaw hurting?”
He hadn’t been rubbing it today, and she’d been hoping that
some of his stress had lessened now that he’d ended things with Genevieve.
He opened one eye and glared at her out of it. “No.”
“Okay. Good” She stood, holding the blanket and feeling at
loose ends in a way she hadn’t felt in a really long time. She’d always known
how to act and speak as the nanny. That was her role and she was good at it. For
some reason, all of that felt wrong right now, but acting any other way felt
wrong too. “I guess I’ll head upstairs then.”
“Don’t go yet.” James opened his eyes. “Sit down and keep me
company.”
“Okay.” She was gratified at the idea, but she had no idea
what it meant. She sat down beside him on the couch, a little primly, holding
the blanket in her lap because she’d never figured out where to put it down.
“You think the girls are all right, don’t you?” he asked.
Rose let out a breath, realizing now why he’d wanted to
talk. He was worried about his daughters and wanted to feel her out about them.
Of course, that was all it was. It wasn’t like he would want
her company just for the sake of it. Things between them had never been like
that.
She told herself there was nothing to be disappointed about.
In fact, she should be relieved, since it was a clue that told her how to
behave. “Of course,” she said with a smile. “The girls are just fine.”
“Julie said she never liked Genevieve.”
“She never got to know her, and Genevieve can be
intimidating for kids. It wasn’t anything serious.”
“She never did anything to the girls before the other night,
did she? I mean, she didn’t give them any other reasons not to like her?”
She could see what he was asking. He was worried that
Genevieve had hurt the girls in a way he didn’t know about. Rose said quickly,
“Of course not. I think it was just that she was always kind of distant, and
she never made any effort to really bond with the girls. Kids pick up on that
kind of thing really easily. If anything had happened, I would have told you. I
promise. There’s nothing to worry about.”
James sighed visibly and slouched back against the couch.
“Okay. Thanks.”
Rose nodded and waited for him to say something else. He
didn’t, though, so she wondered if the conversation was over so she should get
up and go to her own room.
She and James were certainly not in the habit of sitting on
the couch together after the girls had gone to bed.
“Did you always want to be a nanny?” James asked, out the
blue. He’d been staring at a blank spot in the air, but now he looked over at
her, his tone and expression both thoughtful.
“No,” she told him, once she’d processed the question. She
leaned back against the couch, since he clearly wanted to sustain the
conversation. “Not really.”
“So why did you become one?”
“Well, I always wanted to teach in elementary school, but we
were always so short on money that Deanna and I tried to get jobs right away,
instead of spending money or taking out loans for college. I always planned to
get started, taking classes part-time, but it never seemed like the right time.
Being a nanny seemed as close as I could get to teaching children.”
“You’re really good at it. You’d be a great teacher.”
She sighed and then turned to smile at him. “Maybe I will
one day.”
“You could start taking classes now.”
“I know.”
“So what’s holding you back?”
She glanced away. “I don’t really know. I enjoy being a
nanny, and I’ve always been a little…hesitant about changes and new things. I’m
sure I’ll start soon.”
She wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but she still
wanted to be an elementary school teacher, which meant she would have to
eventually go to college.
James was silent for a while, evidently thinking about their
conversation. Then he asked,
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