Triple Trouble Read online

  He dropped back into his seat. He expected Charlene to walk toward the lavatories at the front of the first class section, but instead, she waited until the young mother turned and moved back down the aisle.

  “Hi,” Charlene smiled at the weary mother. “I bet you’re exhausted.”

  Oh hell. Nick tensed when the woman holding the baby looked like she was going to cry. He hated it when women cried. Fortunately, the woman didn’t burst into tears.

  “I’m beyond exhausted,” the woman murmured, patting the wailing baby on the back soothingly. “And so is she,” she added. “I don’t think either one of us has slept more than a half hour at a time for days.”

  “Oh my. My little brother did the same thing,” Charlene said, her gaze warm and sympathetic. “He was born several weeks premature and had acid reflux. Poor little guy. It took a while for us to figure out how to handle him so he could fall asleep.”

  The young mother’s eyes widened. “You found a solution? What was it?”

  “I’d be glad to show you,” Charlene said, holding out her arms.

  The woman hesitated, clearly torn about handing her baby to a complete stranger.

  “I totally understand if you’re not comfortable with having me hold her, after all, we don’t know each other,” Charlene said reassuringly. “I could try to explain, but it’s much easier to demonstrate.”

  The baby chose that moment to wail even louder than before. The unhappy cry seemed to galvanize the mother, because she eased the tiny little girl off her shoulder and passed her carefully to Charlene.

  Nick didn’t know much about babies, but every one he’d seen had been cradled or propped against someone’s shoulder. Charlene did neither. Instead, she laid the baby facedown on her arm, the little head in the palm of her hand, and gently swayed her back and forth while smoothing her free palm over the tiny back. The baby’s arms waved jerkily, slowing in time with her cries that quickly gave way to hiccupping sobs, then blessed silence.

  Nick stared at Charlene. Damn. She’s good. Really good.

  He glanced at the baby’s mother and found her expression as surprised as he felt.

  “How in the world did you do that?” she whispered.

  “Experience,” Charlene murmured, her fingertips continuing to gently rub in soothing circles over the little girl’s back. The pink cotton dress matched the baby’s sock-covered feet, now dangling limply on either side of Charlene’s arm. “I was twelve when my little brother was born.” She glanced down at the baby, fast asleep and seemingly boneless in her arms. “If you tilt her slightly to the right when you hold her, change her diaper or feed her, it helps with acid reflux too. I don’t know if your little girl has that problem, but if she does, the pain can make her so uncomfortable that she won’t be able to fall asleep or stay asleep.”

  “Thank you so much.” The words carried a wealth of heartfelt appreciation as she carefully took the sleeping baby from Charlene.

  “You’re welcome,” Charlene replied, moving aside to let the mother and child step past her. She watched them move down the aisle and return to their seat in coach.

  Nick stood to let Charlene slip into her seat near the window, then dropped into his own.

  “Impressive,” he told her. “Very impressive.”

  She shrugged and picked up her water bottle to sip. “Basic stuff, if you’ve ever helped care for a baby. Unfortunately, most new moms only find out about the little things to make life easier for them and their baby if they talk to someone who’s coped hands-on with the problem.”

  After watching Charlene’s easy confidence with the crying baby before she handed the peacefully sleeping child back to her mother, Nicholas knew he’d found the answer to his urgent need for a nanny. “Makes sense. Experience always counts. I need someone with that level of experience. How about you?” he asked.

  “How about me…what?”

  “Being the nanny for the triplets. I’ll pay you double whatever the going rate is,” he went on when she shook her head.

  “I’m sorry, I really am. But I’ll be looking for a job in Amarillo.”

  “What if I offered you a substantial signing bonus—say, twenty-five thousand dollars?”

  Her eyes widened. “That’s a very generous offer—and one that guarantees applicants will be standing in line for the position. You’ll have your pick of nannies. You don’t need me.”

  “Yes, I do.” Nick was convinced. Charlene didn’t appear to share his opinion, however. “In fact, I’m so sure you’re the only person for the triplets that I’ll add another twenty-five thousand dollar bonus if you stay until their aunt is found and comes to get them.”

  She stared at him for a loaded moment. “Their aunt is taking them?”

  Nick was surprised she didn’t ask about the money, but if she wanted information about the babies, he’d give it to her. “I don’t have permanent custody of the girls, only temporary care until the estate locates Amy’s sister, Lana. She’s a teacher, and according to Amy, a career volunteer with various organizations overseas, helping children in third world countries. She’s also married.” Unlike me, he thought. A confirmed bachelor with no plans to marry anytime soon. “So the girls will have two parents instead of only me.”

  “I see.”

  For a brief moment, Nick thought Charlene was going to accept his offer. But then she shook her head.

  “I’m sorry, especially since I know how difficult it is to care for more than one baby. But I have plans and I’ve made promises to people. I can’t let them down on such short notice.”

  “You’re sure I can’t change your mind?”

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “Too bad.” He pulled a business card and pen from his inner jacket pocket and wrote on the back of the card. “This is my cell phone number, in case you reconsider the offer. I’ll be in Amarillo until tomorrow, when I have reservations to fly the girls back to Red Rock.”

  “You aren’t staying in Amarillo very long,” she commented as she took the card, tucking it into her purse without reading it.

  “No. I want to take the triplets home as soon as possible and get them settled in. I doubt anything will make this easier for them, but I thought the faster I transfer them, the better.” He pointed at her purse where his card had disappeared. “Call me if you change your mind.”

  “I’ll keep your card,” she replied. “But I don’t think it’s likely I’ll change my mind.”

  They parted in the terminal, Nicholas heading for the exit and Charlene moving to baggage pickup.

  Saying goodbye felt wrong. Charlene had to force herself not to turn around and give him her phone number, ask him to call…plead until he promised to meet her later.

  Her level of conviction that Nick was somehow important to her was profound.

  This is crazy. She held her chin up and kept walking, but her thoughts continued to tumble, one over the other, refusing to leave Nick even as she physically moved farther away from him.

  She’d never felt anything approaching the instant attraction that had flared between them, her nerves shaking with need during that first long exchange of glances. Lust and sexual attraction were far more powerful forces than she’d imagined. The time spent sitting next to Nick during the flight had given her new insight into just how intensely her body could respond to the right man. Those moments were forcing her to reevaluate whether she’d ever truly been deeply moved before—including with Barry, she realized with sudden shock.

  Yet she’d become engaged to Barry, she reminded herself in an effort to regain control of her emotions. Clearly her wisdom in this area wasn’t infallible. Besides, a man was the last thing she needed or wanted in her life right now. She definitely didn’t need the complication of a man who was about to become an instant father to three little girls.

  Still, she’d been impressed with Nicholas’s willingness to take on the babies. She couldn’t help but compare his heroic, stand-up attitude with her ex’s la
ck of responsibility. She couldn’t imagine Barry in Nicholas’s situation. She seriously doubted Barry would have agreed to take custody of three children. He was adamantly opposed to becoming a parent. It was one of the issues they couldn’t agree on, since she very much wanted children—an issue that, ultimately, had caused her to conclude they were completely mismatched.

  Charlene collected her three suitcases and stepped out of the crowd of passengers to pull a jacket from inside the smallest bag. March in chilly Amarillo was a far cry from the warmth of Red Rock, located in southern Texas near San Antonio. Sure enough, when she wheeled her bags outside, she was glad she had the added protection of the coat. She tucked her chin into the shelter of her collar and halted to scan the line of cars crowding the curb.

  “Charlene! Over here!” Her mother’s voice carried clearly over the hum and chatter of passengers.

  Charlene returned Angie’s enthusiastic wave and hurried down the walkway.

  “Mom, it’s so good to see you.” Charlene basked in her mother’s warm hug, breathing in the familiar scent of Estée Lauder perfume.

  “It’s been too long,” Angie said, scolding with a loving smile as she stepped back, holding Charlene at arm’s length. Her eyes narrowed as she swept a swift glance over her daughter, from her toes to the crown of her head. “You’re too skinny.”

  Charlene laughed. “You always say that, Mom. I’ve lost inches but not pounds—I’ve been working out at the gym.”

  “Well, now that you’re home, I’m going to feed you,” Angie declared firmly.

  They loaded Charlene’s bags into the trunk. Moments later, Angie expertly negotiated traffic as they left the airport.

  “Are you enjoying being in the condo, or do you think you’ll miss having a big yard this summer? You spent hours gardening at the old house, and I know you loved the flowers.” Charlene’s mother had sold the rambler where she and her siblings had grown up after her parents’ divorce three years earlier. Following college graduation and Charlene’s move to Red Rock, Angie had insisted she should be the one to travel for visits to her six children, especially Charlene, since her job as a Health Unit Coordinator at the hospital E.R. kept her so busy. As a result, Charlene had only seen her mother’s condo on two short weekend trips.

  “I love condo life,” Angie said with a happy smile. “I still garden, but now I’m planting flowers and herbs in terra cotta pots on the lanai. Of course,” she added. “I still have to mow the strip of grass in my backyard, but it’s tiny compared to the big lawn at the old house.”

  Angie’s voice rang with contentment. Charlene knew what a difficult time her mother had had after the divorce, and was immeasurably relieved that she appeared to have adjusted so well.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Mom.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her Ray-Bans a little higher on her nose to better block the late afternoon sun. “What are you doing with all your free time, now that you’re not mowing grass and pulling weeds?”

  “I’ve been busy at work,” Angie began before pausing to clear her throat. “And…I’ve met someone,” she blurted.

  Surprised, Charlene looked at her mother and was startled to see a hint of color on her cheeks. “That’s great, Mom. Who is he?”

  “His name is Lloyd Weber and he’s an architect for a firm here in Amarillo. We met playing bridge. I joined the group about six months ago.”

  “So, you’re dating?” Charlene could hardly get her mind around the image of her mother dating. Not that she objected—in fact, she’d urged her mom to get out and about. Angie was fifty-two and loved people and social interaction; Charlene truly believed her mom would be happier in a committed relationship.

  “Well, yes—we’ve been dating for a while.” Angie pulled up in front of the condo building and parked. Her expression reflected concern and a certain trepidation when she unlatched her seat belt and half-turned to meet Charlene’s gaze. “I didn’t tell you before, because…well, because I wasn’t sure whether Lloyd and I were going to become serious. But two weeks ago he moved in with me.”

  Charlene stared at her mother, stunned. “You’re living together?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “Here in your condo?”

  Angie nodded. “His house is being remodeled before he puts it on the market, and he was staying in a bed-and-breakfast. I told him it was silly to spend all that money when we’re together nearly all the time anyway. I convinced him to move in here.”

  “Well, um.” Charlene managed to say. “That’s great, Mom. If he makes you happy, I’m delighted.”

  “You’re not upset?”

  “Mom, of course I’m not upset.” Charlene hugged Angie. “I think it’s great.” She sat back, laughing at the sheer relief on her mother’s face. “If he’s a great guy who’s being good to you and you’re happy, then I’m thrilled for you.”

  “I’m very happy, and he is a great guy,” Angie said firmly. “Now come on, let’s get your things inside so you can meet him.”

  Charlene followed Angie up the sidewalk, towing a rolling suitcase behind her.

  What am I going to do now? The question made her feel totally selfish in light of her mother’s transparent happiness. But Charlene’s practical side told her the situation required a change of plans. She couldn’t stay at the condo with her mother and Lloyd during what was surely the honeymoon stage of their relationship.

  She needed a new plan. And fast.

  What the hell was I thinking?

  Nick strode away from Charlene and didn’t look back. The airport wasn’t crowded and it was a matter of moments before he reached the exit doors and walked outside. He knew it was the worst possible time to meet a woman who interested him. And Charlene London was too pretty to hire as a nanny.

  He was going to have enough problems dealing with the sea change about to happen in his life. He didn’t need to move a sexy, gorgeous woman into his house to complicate life even more.

  He spotted a uniformed driver holding a sign with his name in big block letters, and changed direction to reach the black Lincoln Town Car. During the drive to Andrew Sanchez’s office, he scanned a file with information about Stan and Amy’s estate the attorney had asked the driver to give him.

  Andrew Sanchez was a rotund, balding man in his mid-fifties. Businesslike and efficient, he still exuded an air of concern and sympathy.

  “Do you have family or friends available to help with the triplets?” he asked Nick as they concluded their meeting.

  “No, but I’m planning to find a nanny. Until then I have a housekeeper, and she’s agreed to work longer hours until I can find someone.”

  “You might want to consider two nannies,” Mr. Sanchez commented. “Those three little girls are dynamos.” He grinned with wry affection. “I’m glad you’re a younger man, because just spending an hour with them at their foster home wore me out. You’re going to need all the energy you can muster.”

  Nick nodded. He didn’t tell the older man that he had no clue how much energy one little girl required from a caretaker, let alone three of them at once. “You’re continuing to search for Amy’s sister?”

  The attorney nodded. “I’ve hired a detective agency to look for her. They told me they can’t give us a time frame, since she’s out of the country, but at least Amy’s e-mail files gave us the name of the mission organization in Africa that employed her. It’s a place to start hunting.” He sighed. “The e-mail records on Amy’s computer indicate her sister stopped communicating a month or so ago. Also that Amy had been trying to contact her but had no success.”

  “Any idea why?”

  “Lana and her husband apparently resigned their positions with the relief agency where they were employed. But we don’t know where they went after that. And given that the two are working in a remote area of Africa, well…” Sanchez spread his hands and shrugged. “It’s anyone’s guess where they’ve gone or how long before they surface. As I said, the detectiv
e agency warned me they can’t guarantee a time frame for locating the couple.”

  “Let’s hope they find her soon. I have to believe Amy’s sister and her husband will be better at caring for three little girls than I am.”

  “The important thing is that you’re willing to try.” The attorney shook his head. “The interim foster home where the girls are staying is a good situation, but they can’t stay there indefinitely. They’ll be much better off with you while we’re searching for their aunt.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Nick wasn’t convinced.

  It was after 6:00 p.m. before the attorney and Nick finished going over the will and other documents.

  “I took the liberty of booking a room for you in a nearby hotel,” Sanchez told him as they pushed back chairs and stood. “I understand the triplets are in bed for the night by 7:00 p.m. I thought you might want to wait until morning to see them.”

  “I appreciate it.” Nicholas held out his hand. “Thanks for everything.”

  “You’re welcome.” The attorney’s clasp was firm. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you. And I’ll notify you as soon as I receive any information as to the whereabouts of Amy’s sister.”

  Nick walked to the door. “It seems odd to pick up the girls and leave Amarillo without saying goodbye in some way.”

  “I know.” The attorney nodded. “But their wills were very specific. As the closest living relative, Amy’s sister will organize a memorial service so friends can pay their respects when she returns.”

  “I’m damned sure neither of them ever thought they’d die together and leave the kids,” Nick muttered, almost to himself.

  “No one ever does.” Sanchez shook his head. “It’s a hell of a situation. We’ll just have to do the best we can and search diligently for the children’s aunt.”

  “Right.” Nick said goodbye and left the office to climb into the town car once more.

  The conversation with Andrew Sanchez had driven home the unbelievable fact that Stan and Amy were gone. Nick barely noticed the streets the limo drove down as they headed toward the hotel.