BareBottomGirl Page 2

  “When can you come for an interview? This evening?”

  Greer swallowed, almost unable to believe her luck. Thinking quickly about when she might be able to get the car… “Would eight be too late?”

  “Perfect. Let me give you the address.”

  As he rattled it off, Greer’s brow knitted. That wasn’t very far away at all. She’d Google it as soon as they got done.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Greer—”

  “Well, Mrs. Greer, we’ll look forward to seeing you at eight this evening.”

  “All right, but—”

  She heard a click on the other end before she could correct him about the name. It also occurred to her, she hadn’t gotten his name. Dumb. No wonder she had such a hard time finding work. Her hands were shaking a little, so Greer pressed them against her pants legs and took a deep, calming breath. Before she forgot it, she scribbled the address, snatched the paper and sat at her laptop.

  She plugged the address in and watched familiar road intersections pop up in the satellite photo showing a mixture of farmland and woods with the ribbon of the Ohio River at the edge. As the address flag appeared, her heart skipped a beat. Zooming in, she caught her breath. The Carle estate? Oh shit.

  Greer made a grab for the phone again to call back and cancel. Then she recalled the man’s voice on the other end. He’d sounded nice, not stuffy or snobby. If his wife was nice too… She withdrew her hand and swallowed nervously. If they needed a nanny, maybe they’d want her to stay there. Greer took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

  She loved her mom and dad. They’d been great since the accident, not putting pressure on her, but Greer needed a change, needed to be able to get out on her own. She was ready.

  Older woman preferred.

  Not much she could do about that, except dress conservatively.

  By the time she reached the call box at the iron gates with their ornate C design emblazoned on each side, her hands shook so much she could barely press the button. No one answered. The gates simply swung inward to allow her in. Evening shadows stretched across the wide expanse of manicured lawn, making Greer wonder why this household would even be in need of more servants. And why stick an ad on the bulletin board in the grocery? Were the children all rich, spoiled little brats?

  She parked under the shade of several large beech trees, swallowing a little nervously and hoping her throat wasn’t so dry she wouldn’t be able to talk. For good measure, she practiced her more mature sounding voice. Maybe it would help. Smoothing her hands down her dark skirt, Greer adjusted the collar of her blouse to be sure nothing other than the hollow of her throat was visible.

  After letting the door knocker fall, her gaze darted over the house’s façade. When the door opened, she had to look up a long way.

  “Mrs. Greer?” The outright doubt in the tall, golden-haired man’s voice made her spine stiffen.

  “Greer’s my first name,” she said. “You disconnected before I could tell you my last name. It’s Davidson.”

  He smiled, and it seemed to her there was just a touch of smirk to it, but the expression in his gaze was warm enough. Strange. “Well come on in, Greer Davidson. I’m Chas Lynch, not the person you spoke to by the way. I think Liam will be surprised.”

  There was a hint of laughter in the man’s voice, and it made Greer’s nerves flutter. Nothing about this seemed amusing to her. What the hell was she getting into? And who was this guy—the butler?

  As he led the way through a hallway stretching nearly the full length of the house, Greer’s eyes widened. She stared at the spacious formal rooms and the broad staircase ascending to an overhead landing. The house was even larger inside than it appeared from the exterior.

  “If you don’t mind my asking, Ms. Davidson, just how old are you?”

  Her glance darted to his laughing blue eyes. “Almost twenty-five.”

  Now she did hear a chuckle. “How almost is almost?”

  Greer raised her chin. “Next month.”

  He nodded, a smile still making his lips twitch. “Liam will be with us in just a moment. He was working in his studio and wanted to clean up.”

  He opened a door and stepped aside to allow her to precede him into the room. Greer glanced around, quickly absorbing the feel of rich wood paneling, polished furniture and beautiful paintings. Her stomach rolled. What was she doing here? This was so far beyond anything she was accustomed to, even Mrs. Henry couldn’t compare.

  “Have a seat. May I call you Greer?”

  “Yes.” She saw his medical diplomas on the wall behind the desk. “You’re Dr. Lynch?”

  “Chas,” he corrected in an easy tone. Instead of taking a seat behind the desk, he pulled his chair around to the side where he could sit closer to her. Wow. Mr. Bedside Manner.

  Greer tried to keep her hands still in her lap, but found she was biting her lip instead. Too many doctors had figured prominently in her life the last few years.

  “Are you nervous?” Chas asked. “We won’t bite.”

  Greer chose to ignore that. “Mr…” She halted, realizing she didn’t know the last name of the man he called Liam.

  “Carle,” Chas murmured. “Liam Carle’s who you spoke to.”

  She didn’t know why she hadn’t made the connection earlier. “L-Lee Carle? The sculptor?”

  “That’s me.” The voice was even warmer in person. “Who might you be?”

  Chas rose, chuckling as he waved a hand at her. “This is Ms. Davidson. Greer Davidson.”

  Lee’s dark brows rose, his warm brown gaze lingering for a moment on his friend before switching to her and cooling like whiskey on the rocks. “You’re Mrs. Greer?”

  Chapter Two

  Feeling at a disadvantage with both men towering over her, Greer stood. It didn’t help much. They still towered over her.

  “Yes, I’m Greer Davidson.”

  “Is this a joke? Some prank for your college sorority?” The warmth was leaving Lee’s voice too.

  “No.” She swallowed, her gaze shifting to the doctor. “You-you hung up. Before I could give you my full name. And,” she took a deep breath, “I’m not in college. I’m twenty-five.”

  “Almost,” Chas said.

  Liam’s brows drew together as he glanced at him. “Almost?”

  “Next month.” Chas smiled.

  Liam swung his gaze back to her, looking her over as if she were a biology experiment gone wrong. “What about all the experience you told me about on the phone?”

  It came out as an accusation, as if she’d lied. Okay. That pissed her off.

  “I’ve done everything I told you.”

  He raked a hand through hair that had fallen over his brow and snorted in disgust. “Well obviously not for very long.” He turned to his friend with a frown. “It appears, Chas, that neither one of us is having much luck. Everyone from the agency you contacted has been a bust, and…”

  She knew where this was headed…and so was she. Greer grabbed her purse. Okay, so they weren’t going to hire her. It didn’t mean she had to wait around to be insulted.

  “I’ll see myself out.”

  She didn’t wait to hear anymore, paid no attention to Dr. Lynch or Lee Carle. Screw it. Maybe she could get a job with one of the cleaning services. As her heels clipped along the hard wood of the hallway, it was all she could do to keep herself from running toward the front door. Her parents had been so thrilled when she told them where she was headed.

  What a joke.

  She shut the door quietly behind her, but that was the end of her stoicism. Greer ran to her car, tossed her purse on the passenger seat, and slid behind the wheel. Only when she raised her hands to turn the key in the ignition did she realize she was shaking. Everything was all right. It was just a job interview. One she’d bombed. Greer rolled the window down and made herself sit, sucking in deep breaths to keep from panicking.

  Shit. It wasn’t working.

  It happened anytime she
got stressed. Hadn’t happened in quite some time, so she thought she’d gotten beyond the panic attacks. Greer gripped the steering wheel as though her life depended on it, but the more she tried to regain control, the more she lost. Sweat popped on her brow. She felt smothered and dropped her head against the seat while she gasped for air.

  The car door yanked open and strong arms pulled her out. Greer went into freefall, totally losing it and not even aware who grabbed her. She shoved blindly, still gasping, but the more she panted the more panicked she got. She needed to breathe.

  Whoever had pulled her out was gone. A voice penetrated her fog.

  “Are you asthmatic?”

  She shook her head. “P-panic at-tack.”

  “You’re safe, Greer. It’s Dr. Lynch. Will you let me help you?”

  She nodded, her fists clenched to her chest as she tried to get air.

  “Look at me.”

  She raised her gaze, meeting calm, blue eyes. Even through her panic, something in his expression connected deep inside her.

  “I’m going to count and you’re going to breathe with me. One-two. Breathe in. One-two. Breathe out. With me?”

  It took a while. He gradually extended his counting. As her breathing slowed and her heart settled, he smiled and touched her shoulder—touched that shoulder—but she didn’t panic again, and she was proud.

  “Why don’t you walk with me? I’ll show you the barn and even Liam’s studio, if he doesn’t mind.”

  “That’s fine.” Liam answered from off to one side. Greer darted a glance at him, saw his face was pale and his expression tense. Her breathing started to accelerate.

  “Greer. Pay attention to me. We’re walking now, okay?” Dr. Lynch took her hand in his, tucked it next to the crook of his elbow and set off. She knew Liam followed, but he kept his distance. Greer wanted to tell him she was sorry, wanted to tell them both, but she couldn’t get it out.

  “Breathe, Greer, and keep counting. It will help.”

  She clutched the doctor’s arm as if it were a lifeline and simply listened to his soothing voice, ever conscious of the man who followed a couple of steps behind them.

  “This is the barn. We have two horses, mostly pasture ornaments, but they get ridden every once in a while. We’ve talked about getting a pony for Wyatt, that’s Liam’s son, but he’s only three. You like kids?”

  She nodded. She’d done a lot of babysitting as a teenager to earn extra money, but she’d enjoyed the job too. Little kids, really little, didn’t judge you. Most of them just wanted to know you’d keep them safe, feed them, play with them and give them a hug. Greer could do that.

  Dr. Lynch took her inside. Two heads poked over the stall doors. The horses whickered softly. “Want to pet them?”

  She turned him loose. Her hands were nearly steady as she stroked a silken neck, touched her fingers to a velvety nose.

  “Do you have medication to take, Greer?” His voice was so easy, so soothing.

  “I-I quit.” She started to say she didn’t need it, but that was hardly the truth anymore. She started to shake again, worried she would end up back where she’d been five years ago.

  “Would you like to see my studio?” Not warm, Liam’s voice was now cautious, but Greer met his gaze as steadily as she could. She took a deep breath. A chance to see Lee Carle’s studio was beyond amazing. It was a bucket-list opportunity. She had more faith in bucket lists than she once had.

  “I would.”

  Liam took her arm this time, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm, making her feel for a minute like she’d stepped back in time. Greer darted a glance at him. Hair just a little too long, jaw shadowed with beard. She wanted to touch it, see if it felt scratchy or soft. He tilted his head, met her look, and she felt heat stain her cheeks. Dr. Lynch followed behind them.

  When Liam swung the door wide on another building that looked like it might once have been a greenhouse and gardener’s shed, Greer gasped. A huge stone sculpture of a horse was in progress, more than half its body already emerging from the stone.

  “It’s beautiful!” She moved forward, panic forgotten in her desire to touch it. As she reached toward it, she stopped at the last instant and looked back over her shoulder. “May I?”

  Liam smiled, his brown eyes lighting with warmth. “Of course. This is a commission for the Children’s Museum. I’m sure it will have lots of hands touching it. Yours can be the first.”

  It was a gift, and one she’d cherish. Lee Carle was a name that would go near Rodin or Calder or Remington. Only none of her textbooks had mentioned where he lived, and she’d never made the connection to the Carle estate.

  The stone felt warm, as if the sun had heated it during the day, and it still held onto that. As she ran her hands over the curves and planes, Greer’s tension eased and the last of the panic faded away as if it had never happened. At last, she faced the two men. They stood next to each other, watching her.

  “I’m sorry,” Greer said. “I embarrassed you and me. Thanks for helping me, for being so patient.” She looked around awkwardly. “I guess I should go.”

  “Don’t.” Liam spoke, his expression briefly mirroring his own surprise that he’d spoken. “Could we start over?”

  Greer shifted nervously from foot to foot. “You…why? I mean, you couldn’t possibly want to hire me.”

  Liam arched a brow. “I don’t really know that yet, do I? We haven’t interviewed you.”

  “Come back to the house,” Dr. Lynch said. “We’ll get something to eat and drink, then sit in the kitchen to talk.”

  Greer couldn’t believe her luck. With a nod to both of them, she said, “Thanks.”

  Chas sighed with relief. From the moment he’d laid eyes on her, something had shifted inside him. He’d been afraid when she’d fled his office she would be gone for good. Thank God for that panic attack. Though he was determined to discover the cause behind it, right now he was just grateful she was still here, that she’d consented to talk to them.

  He stepped forward and extended his hand. She smiled shyly as she took it. She was delicate, an elf compared to the gorgons they’d already interviewed, but deep behind those dove-gray eyes of hers, he sensed a kindness that would be good for Wyatt. Maybe good for all of them. Liam had enough bitch-from-hell working in his life having to deal with his ex. Chas’ gaze shifted to Liam. This was the man who made his heart beat faster, whose touch could arouse or relax him, depending on their mood.

  “Shall we?” Liam stood near the door, his hand on the light switch. It was rare he actually allowed anyone inside his studio, let alone touch a work in progress. As Chas passed his lover, he arched a brow inquiringly. Liam ignored him. It seemed Chas wasn’t the only one intrigued by their nanny candidate.

  Once inside the kitchen, Chas pointed to the table. “Have a seat, Greer. Liam, why don’t you get some coffee started. I think we have some leftover cannoli. Would you like some?”

  Greer looked a little overwhelmed. “I’ve never had them before, but I’ll try one.”

  Liam turned from the coffeemaker and grinned. “Thatta girl. That’s the attitude we take with Wyatt.”

  Greer’s cheeks turned pink. Chas smiled as he set a plate in front of her and handed her a napkin. “I think they’re easier to just eat like a hot dog.”

  She picked it up, her tongue flicking out to taste the creamy filling oozing from the end. Chas was glued to what she was doing, not even trying to fight the way his cock was swelling. Wow. What a switch. He glanced at Liam and found him equally enthralled. Interesting. They’d talked casually before about their interest in women, but never acted on it. Never been inclined to, and now he was lusting after the first nanny candidate who didn’t look as if she chewed nails for breakfast.

  Chas sat to hide his bulge. “Why don’t you tell us about where you’ve worked.”

  Greer sneaked a glance at Liam. “I really have worked all the places I mentioned. I know it seems a lot for my age, but,” she si
ghed, “I seem to have really rotten luck. You know, maybe you shouldn’t hire me, Dr. Lynch.”

  “Chas,” he corrected. “Chas and Liam. What makes you say that?”

  Liam set mugs of coffee in front of them. “Do you need cream or sugar?”

  She shook her head. “Well, I started out working for Mrs. Henry.”

  “The Henry family with the Thoroughbred farm?” Liam inquired.

  “That’s the one. She was nice enough to hire me. I helped her around the house, ran errands for her, and cooked.”

  “She died of a stroke in her sleep, didn’t she?” Liam continued.

  “Yes. I had the weekend off to go to a wedding, so I wasn’t there. Anyway, when she passed, I was out of work. Then I got a job at the Woodwind waitressing.”

  Liam’s eyes shut before he asked blandly, “How long before the highway project closed it?”

  “Six months.”

  Chas was starting to see a pattern. “Where did you go then?”

  “You know the B and B the couple from New York made the big splash about?”

  Chas grimaced. “Even I remember that. The one the river flooded out. Jesus, Greer. You’ve had a rough time of it. What was your major in college?”

  He watched the vitality just evaporate, like it had drained right out of her in one big whoosh. Her glance darted to Liam and away again. Interesting.

  “I didn’t finish.”

  “You could always go back,” Liam said.

  She shook her head. Seeing the panic start to enter her expression again, Chas grabbed her hand reassuringly. “What made you interested in the job here?” he asked trying to divert her.

  “Well, it seemed to fit with a lot of my experience, and I saw it was a local phone number…”

  “You also saw we preferred an older woman,” Liam added. “Is that why you tried to make yourself sound older on the phone?”

  Greer sipped her coffee and glanced at the half-eaten cannoli. “Yes. But I would be good at this. I like kids and I’ve had a lot of experience as a babysitter. I can keep a house, and I’m a pretty decent cook.”