Vic had to weigh what he was about to say with the greatest care. “Is that what you want? For us to get married?”
A smile broke out on his face. “Yeah. I wanted you to get married a long time ago.”
Good grief. “Just because two people love each other, it doesn’t always mean that they get married.”
Jeremy slid off the couch. “Don’t you want to marry her?”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to marry me. Some women wouldn’t like to be married to a lawman. You know Nate’s dad?”
“Yeah.”
“He works in hospital administration. He goes to work at eight in the morning and comes home at five every night. Nate’s mom doesn’t have to wonder where he is or how long he’ll be gone.”
“But Claire doesn’t worry about you when you’re gone on cases. She knows you have a job to do.”
“That’s true because she’s your nanny. I hired her to watch out for you. But if I asked her to marry me, she might say that she doesn’t want to be married to a Texas Ranger. Some women would be too afraid.”
His son moved closer to him. “She wasn’t afraid when I got kidnapped. She helped you find me. She’s awesome!”
Vic had no answer to counter Jeremy’s faultless logic. “You’re right.”
“Why don’t you ask her and find out?”
“I can’t do it right now. We need to eat lunch first, and then those ladies who would like to be a nanny are coming over here to meet you.”
His face scrunched up in a frown. “I don’t want to meet them.”
“We have to, but if you don’t like any of them, we’ll talk about it after they leave.”
“Do you promise to ask Claire to marry you?”
“Tell you what. I promise to talk to her about everything tonight after you’re in bed. Do we have a deal?”
It took him a minute to say yes. Then they walked to the kitchen together. Claire looked up at them. “Lunch is ready. Come and sit. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.”
“Yum.”
She smiled at Jeremy. “Sounds like your tummy is feeling better.”
“The pain’s not so bad now.”
“That’s good.”
* * *
ALL FOUR OF the women who showed up at the house were in their twenties. Claire found each one physically attractive in her own way. All four couldn’t take their eyes off Vic. No doubt Claire had reacted the same way when she’d met him. Jaw-dropping gorgeous was a term Kaye had used in referring to Claire’s employer.
After unloading the marriage bomb, Jeremy turned out to be a model of decorum during the interviews. His deed was done. That child...
Whatever he and his father had talked about before lunch had helped Jeremy to behave like the sweet boy he was. He took each nanny wannabe on a tour of the house and showed her his bedroom.
At the end of each interview, Vic and Jeremy would take the applicant out to the barn to show her the horses. Claire asked each of them a few questions and answered theirs. When Vic accompanied the last applicant to the front door, Claire and Jeremy waited for him in the family room so they could talk.
He walked in, but didn’t sit. “They were all very nice. I know what I think, and I’m pretty sure Claire knows what she thinks. However the most important person here is you, Jeremy. We want to hear your impressions.”
“They were okay I guess, but none of them wanted to pet Daken. The first one wore too much perfume. She asked me how come you weren’t married, Dad.”
His dark brows lifted. “Nothing about your favorite foods or what you liked to do after school?”