Macy's Parade Read online

  “I hope so,” Nick said and his face went pensive.

  “Savannah shares your genes. She’s not her mother,” Macy said softly.

  “Was I that obvious?”

  “Didn’t take much to know what you were thinking. Her mom let her down.”

  “Yes, she did. Let all of them down. Starla doesn’t remember her at all.”

  “Your mom said Starla wasn’t that old when your wife left.”

  “She was only a few months old. But Melissa had lost all her baby weight by then, and she wanted her crack at Hollywood.”

  “I don’t understand her thoughts, but I guess I don’t need, too, either.” Macy wished she could have five minutes with the woman though. How could a woman bear four children and leave them for the shallowness of Hollywood?

  “Melissa was a good person when I married her, but throughout the years, she changed into someone I didn’t know.”

  Macy nodded. “I’ve heard that happens. You grew apart?”

  “You could say that. I grew into a responsible adult with four kids to support. She grew into a teenaged-thinking girl with stars in her eyes.”

  “Was she responsible when you married?”

  Nick shrugged. “We were young.”

  “Did you think she’d have four kids then decide to leave?”

  “Never crossed my mind.”

  “Right. Pretty immature behavior.”

  “Like I said, we grew in completely different directions. She wanted to be free, and I wanted my family.”

  “I guess it’s good she’s gone. That kind of attitude would probably mess up your kids.”

  “I’ve thought of that. I must admit in the dark hours of the night when I’m trying to comfort a screaming kid, alone, with the laundry piled high, and clients who need me, and three other kids to feed and clothe, I missed her.”

  “I’m sure. Which is why the nanny situation is critical,” Macy said decisively.

  “Oh?”

  “Well, when I’m gone off to veterinary school, you’re going to want to make sure you fill my place with someone who can handle the situation.”

  Nick tugged on an earlobe. “Macy, there aren’t a lot of people out there vying for your job.”

  “I know that. But there are plenty who wouldn’t mind and who would fit wonderfully into your home.”

  “Why don’t you work on that over the summer? And I’ll finish up in here?”

  Macy glanced around and finally noticed he had several documents and papers strewn across the desk. The computer screen showed a partial drawing. She could see he still had some work to do. “I need to get supper ready.”

  “I still can’t believe you talked me into getting phones for all four kids.” Nick shook his head.

  “You know what this means, right?”

  He looked dubious. “No, what?”

  “You’re a progressive parent.”

  ***

  Nick stared at the sales associate, sure he’d misheard. “That’s it?” he asked incredulously.

  The young man smiled and nodded. “That’s it. Pretty painless, wasn’t it?”

  All four of his kids beamed at the technical salesman who’d taken the time to help them pick out a phone. They had decided on a kid friendly version for the three younger kids, but the man had recommended a model popular with teens for Savannah. Nick was proud of the way all four handled themselves.

  He handed over his credit card and signed the receipt before shepherding his herd out of the store. “I’m really impressed with all of you,” he told them.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Savannah said and he noticed a pink tinge spread across her cheeks.

  “You’re welcome. But really, none of you acted like spoiled brats or anything and I appreciate that. I was really proud of you.”

  Macy grinned at all the kids. She squeezed Savannah’s shoulder and he was heartened to see a bond forming between them.

  Having an adult up to bat for her appeared to have improved Savannah’s confidence. She’d looked to Macy when she needed encouragement tonight, and Macy had only needed to nod a little there, or smile here and Savannah’s shoulders straightened.

  “They have every right to be brats,” he muttered to Macy.

  She nodded. “It’s not like they don’t know how to be brats, because they do. They choose not to be most of the time.”

  The kids ran ahead to an ice cream place and as they followed, Nick wished he could take Macy’s hand. He wanted a family unit. Maybe it was time to start thinking about a wife, rather than another nanny. A wife would stick it out. A nanny could quit.

  “Thanks for all you’ve done for Savannah.”

  “She deserves this,” Macy said.

  “She deserves a phone?”

  “Yes. And the sense of safety it will provide her. I’ll bet she never lets the battery die,” Macy declared as she stared at his offspring.

  “That makes sense. Or she won’t until she’s more comfortable.”

  Macy made a negative gesture with her head. “No, I think this is important enough to her, and she’s wished for it for so long, that she’ll never let her battery die.”

  “You think it’ll be like her security blanket?”

  She cocked her head and stared pensively. “Maybe. But you know, I’m airheaded about some things, yet I don’t let my phone battery die, either.”

  He cocked a brow at her. “Never?”

  “Never,” she replied firmly. Her lips formed a straight line. “We understand that our lives could rely on the difference between a charged battery and an uncharged one.”

  “Do women honestly worry about stuff like that?”

  “All the time.”

  Nick wondered if he should mention he just thought about sports and food most of the time. Nah. Probably not appropriate at the moment. He did think about his kids regularly though. And lately, Macy had taken precedence over food and sports. Or at least she’d figured prominently in both.

  He decided to keep those thoughts to himself. No sense wearing her ice cream.

  ***

  As she suspected, Bryce and Savannah took little time in customizing their new phones, as well as Starla and Brandt’s. Neither of the younger kids seemed inclined to worry over much about the process. They just wanted their phones to work and someone to show them how to use the devices.

  Macy was impressed by how well Savannah and Bryce explained the different features.

  “You might end up having to buy Bryce a better phone,” she murmured to Nick as they ate their ice cream. The kids’ attention seemed split between enjoying their new phones and their dripping ice creams.

  “I thought about that. I guess we can see how he does with this one. If we want to upgrade, it’d make a nice Christmas present,” Nick said and licked a drip of cream from his cone.

  Macy’s body temperature rose to uncomfortable heights. She picked up a napkin and tried to fan herself.

  “A new, adult phone would be well received, I think,” she said, trying to concentrate on the conversation and not on Nick’s tongue.

  Oh, bad thought.

  He nodded and took another lick and Macy swallowed, before she realized if she stared at her own cone, maybe she wouldn’t be as inclined to these heat flashes. And lustful thoughts.

  Frowning at the napkin in her hand, she started when Nick said, “Is something wrong?”

  His voice was polite, his expression skeptical, and Macy’s brain raced to come up with an explanation that didn’t include her racy thoughts. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Just thinking that buying Christmas presents for this crowd must be daunting.”

  Okay, that worked. Sort of.

  Nick nodded, his expression solemn. She managed to avert her eyes when he took the next bite of ice cream. Oh boy was she in trouble. This was not working. How could she last the entire summer with this man licking ice cream like that? He should be declared illegal so women like her could actually function.

  She refused to transfo
rm into a quivering, clinging woman, so Macy instead dug into her dripping dessert. There was no way she was allowing this man to come between her and vet school. Not even for his kids and a chance at tasting his lips and running her hands through his hair.

  No.

  Vet school had been her top priority for the last five years. You couldn’t change your goals right when you had a chance of attaining them. It’d be like an athlete competing for an Olympic medal, only to taste victory and decide she didn’t want the medal. Life didn’t work that way.

  She’d come too far to turn around now.

  What if her mother had continued her research efforts? What might she have accomplished by now? Maybe her mom could have won the Nobel Prize for discovering the cure for an untreatable disease.

  But they’d never know, because she’d been deflected from her goal by a man and children. Macy’s eyes slid to the right. To where Nick sat and ate quietly. She could better understand her mom’s decision now that she’d met a man like him. Yet thinking of giving up vet school made her want to retch.

  It was too important.

  Had she made her choice then? Vet school over this family?

  Were those her options? Vet school vs the Nick Morrison family?

  Nick had never once indicated that he wanted her to become a part of his family. Here she was fretting over something that she had no control over anyway. The man wasn’t attracted to her, so it was just as well she was leaving.

  Macy’s heart plummeted with her spirits.

  She threw away the rest of her ice cream.

  Chapter 14

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Nick asked Macy for at least the tenth time. He thought maybe he was more worried about her interview than she was.

  “I’m sure,” she said, serenely and with no apparent concerns. The exact same way she’d answered the question the other nine times he had asked it.

  “Do you need anything?”

  “No.” She shook her head, and turned to look out the window. Her hands were primly folded on her lap. Her attire was fashionable, modern, and professional. She looked like she was already a vet with a thriving practice.

  Of course, his vet didn’t look like Macy. Dr. Douglas usually wore clothing he didn’t mind destroying, he’d once explained to Nick during a routine procedure involving Riley. Who had contributed to the conversation by trying to destroy Dr. Douglas’s clothing.

  “When do you want me to pick you up?” Geez, he sounded like his own maiden aunt who stressed and fretted about everything.

  But the outcome of this interview could severely impact his life. That might be the reason why he was so worried. He also understood this was important to Macy. It still didn’t constitute why he was the nervous wreck and she serenity herself.

  “I’ll call you when I’m finished,” she said. He thought she hummed to herself under her breath. All four of his kids did that.

  For some reason, it comforted him. He could handle this. Macy was interviewing for something she wanted desperately. Who cared that it was a good two hour drive? He did. He knew she wouldn’t be able to attend this school and still live with them. If she accepted a slot here in Philadelphia, she’d have to live here as well. She would be so busy there was no other alternative. In the fall she would leave and likely forget all about them.

  He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and tried to imagine life without her. Nick wanted to yell and punch something when he thought of not only the upheaval in their lives, but the fact that he wouldn’t see her every day.

  A portion of happiness would be sucked out of their lives. He hated the very thought.

  “Are you ready for this interview?”

  “Yes.” She smiled in a zen-like way. There seemed to be no doubt in her mind as to the outcome of this interview. How could she be so confident?

  “Want me to help you find the building where you’re going?” Nick thought he’d asked that question a few times already.

  “No, I have a good idea where it is. Thanks.”

  “I can be a little late meeting this client.”

  “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” She hummed a tuneless melody under her breath again.

  Why now? Why did she have to be accepted now that he’d found the perfect person to bring order to his chaotic house?

  His kids liked her. She kept everyone in necessities, disciplined the kids, fought for them, helped them, she could cook, she even knew math. He’d never had a nanny who sat down regularly and helped Savannah with her math homework. None of them had been capable.

  But if Macy accepted a place in this school, she wouldn’t have time to sit down and help Savannah or any of the other kids with their homework. She wouldn’t even be home. Instead, she’d probably rent a little apartment within walking distance of the school.

  How were he and his family supposed to survive without her? Nick swallowed down the plea he wanted to utter. He wanted to beg her not to go through with this interview. Not to go to school.

  But he hadn’t even kissed her, so how was he supposed to plead his case? She had no idea he had any feelings toward her whatsoever. He bet she didn’t even know he thought her sexy. How could she know when he’d never told her?

  Of course, at the time, he had feared sexual harassment charges. But at least if she took him to court, he’d still get to see her. With another slanted look at her as he watched traffic, Nick contemplated that. His business might suffer though, if clients thought he was into sexual harassment. When he only wanted Macy.

  Too bad she didn’t share his feelings.

  Frustration clawed at his insides as he fought with traffic, fought with his feelings for Macy, and fought with how to best deal with this situation. Surely there was a simple solution. Too bad he hadn’t figured it out yet.

  Ask him to add a bathroom to the space of a closet, and he’d do so in an hour or less. Ask for a closet where the basement stairs needed to be and he could deliver in a day. Need to change the entire plan to suit a hilly site? He was the man to see.

  But ask him to work on keeping his current nanny while visions of vet school danced in her head, and he was at an utter loss. Nick thought he could count the times he’d hit the wall like this on both hands. He usually backed away from the situation and came at it from different perspectives. She worked for him. She hadn’t made him any promises, and she’d told him up front about her vet school aspirations.

  That didn’t make this any easier.

  Clicking the turn signal, he took the exit ramp that would take them into the city and reevaluated the situation. Traffic wove as far as the eye could see. It had taken them nearly two hours, and they hadn’t reached their destination yet.

  Macy couldn’t commute. That would be four hours plus of driving, on top of long hours spent in class. He couldn’t ask her do it, especially not during the winter months. Then she’d have to contend with snow and ice.

  Savannah would freak.

  His oldest might have a point. Winter conditions nearly begged for an accident. Commuting was out. So why did he keep circling around to it?

  “Do you have a list of questions to ask?” He’d been a parent so long now he couldn’t seem to stop himself from asking questions. Anything to take his mind off this fruitless struggle of what to do about Macy leaving. He couldn’t wish for her to screw up the interview, even though he did.

  Because it wouldn’t stop her desire. She’d find another way to achieve her goal. One setback hadn’t set her back anyway. She’d been applying to schools for five years. One botched interview wasn’t going to change her mind.

  “Yes. I have questions, and several pages of fresh tablet to take notes. I have all the papers they asked me to bring. I’m so ready for this interview.”

  He could almost feel the energy and enthusiasm radiating from her. They pinged off him and bounced straight back to her. Like the interviewer wasn’t going to be wowed by this woman.

  She was an obvious choice for one of thei
r precious veterinary student slots. Enthusiastic, smart, well spoken, and caring, Nick was sure the interviewers would be impressed by those characteristics by the time they finished shaking hands.

  “You seem a little tense,” Macy said and peered at him with interest.

  He gulped. Like he was going to spill all the thoughts racing through his mind. Not today. “I’m fine,” he lied and resisted the urge to ease a finger around his suddenly too tight collar.

  “Okay, if you say so,” she replied with a knowing smile.

  “I am,” he said, and realized they were about to embark on a stupid argument. “I just don’t much like traffic.”

  “I don’t either.”

  With force he kept his spiraling thoughts in check. “Any thoughts on what you’ll do once you’re accepted?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve learned not to count my chickens before they’re hatched. But I imagine I’ll probably look for a place down here.”

  She didn’t sound worried about her future plans. Odd, really. He’d have thought she would think every last detail through. Macy was so organized, he’d been sure she had flow charts she could pop out to explain her life in detail.

  “You don’t have any real plans?”

  “No, not really. Once I’m accepted, then I’ll make them. But if you make plans before, that might jinx things.” She looked him straight in the eyes, like she honestly believed that.

  Okay, so the woman was a little nuts. He couldn’t exactly point fingers.

  “You don’t think being prepared is a good thing?”

  “If I knew I wouldn’t have much time to prepare, that’d be one thing, but I think they’ll make their decision as to who they accept fairly soon. That means I should know some time in June or July whether I’m going to vet school. That will give me time to hunt for a place.”

  “Is the University of PA the only school you applied to?”

  “Oh, no. I’ve applied to ten altogether.”

  His eyebrows shot into his hairline. Ten? Wow, she was serious about this. “That’s a lot of schools.”

  “Yes. I’m determined to get in to at least one of them.” Her smile turned mischievous. “I want to be a vet when I grow up.”