The Nanny Trap

Today, however, he’d discovered walking and used the wall for balance as he navigated from one end of the shower stall to the other. By the time she turned off the water and wrapped towels around them both, Drew was babbling happily at his newly acquired skills. It was then that Bella realized keeping track of him was going to be a full-time job.

The thought made her knees weak. She dropped to the bed and replayed the conversation she’d had with Victoria. Blake would expect Bella to give up her job at St. Vincent’s and become a full-time mother. Drew squirmed on her lap, impatient at being held. She set him on the floor and quickly dressed. She braided her damp hair and chased after him into the hall. He was nowhere to be found and she raced to the open stairs, worried that he’d fallen down them.

Behind her came a wail and Bella spun around in relief. The sound had come from the nursery. And that’s when it hit her that whether she was ready to accept it or not, in her heart, she was Drew’s full-time mom and she would be miserable if she wasn’t spending every waking minute taking care of him.

Eleven

Pushing Drew’s stroller along Main Street in East Hampton was slow going. Bella had to stop frequently to avoid running over the people who were window-shopping along the thoroughfare. She was taking Drew for ice cream at a place she’d discovered the summer before. This was only her second trip into town. Drew was an active child. He preferred the beach and the pool to sitting in his stroller.

After purchasing a scoop of chocolate, Bella found a shady bench and sat down to share the treat with Drew. Where he’d been cranky the moment before, bored with his enforced immobility, the second the ice cream hit his taste buds, he was all delighted smiles and happy baby sounds.

She’d scraped the last of the chocolate from the cup and was steering the spoon toward Drew’s open mouth when a woman’s voice hailed them.

“Hello.”

Bella looked up and saw Blake’s stepsister sailing up the sidewalk toward them. Her attention was fixed on Drew, but she shot a friendly smile at Bella before joining her on the bench.

“You should have told me you were bringing Drew into town. We could have come shopping together.” Jeanne set down her purchases. Half a dozen bags of various sizes pooled around her feet.

“We just came in for ice cream,” Bella explained, noticing one of the bags had the logo of a maternity store. She recalled Blake mentioning that Jeanne was pregnant. “The stores here are out of my price range.”

“Isn’t my brother paying you enough?” Jeanne’s question sounded like lighthearted teasing, but something beneath her tone raised Bella’s defenses.

“He’s paying me very well.” She could see Jeanne’s curiosity, but refused to explain further.

“Then you should be able to buy yourself a little something. I saw a darling dress at Martini’s.”

“I really can’t.”

“Well, if not an outfit for you—” Jeanne tugged Bella to her feet “—how about a toy for Drew?”

“He has more than he could ever play with,” Bella protested, although she was less resistant to this suggestion.

“Have you been in the Pea Pod?” Jeanne gathered up her packages and sifted through the bags until she located the one she wanted. “I got this there.” She showed off a colorful toy, rich with textures and interesting shapes. “You probably think it’s crazy of me to buy toys when I’ve only just reached my second trimester, but shopping makes the time pass faster.”

“Congratulations. Peter must be thrilled.”

Jeanne made a face. “My husband is not like Blake. He’s ambivalent at best about having a family. Not that he would ever say no to our having children,” she hurried to explain. “It’s just that he’s not close with either of his brothers or his sister so he doesn’t see how family benefits him.”

Bella followed Jeanne across the street, pondering how important family was to Blake despite growing up with parents who hadn’t been there for him and how she, who’d enjoyed a close relationship with her parents and siblings, had been determined never to have any children at all.

“That’s the dress I was talking about,” Jeanne said, pointing to a shop window. “I think it would be perfect on you.”

Bella admired the party dress. It had a dark purple bodice with a gathered skirt that shaded to soft pink flowers at the hem.

“My sister would love it.”

Bella smiled, imagining Jess’s joy at receiving something so frivolously East Coast. Since Bella had moved to New York, her sister had become consumed with all things Manhattan. She’d watched every episode of Sex and the City, much to their mother’s dismay, and imagined Bella living an exciting life of roaming around the city and hanging out with her fabulous friends in the gorgeous clothes that graced the glossy fashion magazines.