Chapter 1

“Kathy, you can’t be serious!” Michael exclaimed, his voice echoing disbelief.

“I’m really sorry, Michael. But I’m in Vegas now with Shawn. We’re heading off on a long honeymoon,” Kathy replied.

“We’re leaving in two weeks! Two weeks! What am I supposed to do without a nanny?!” he cried out.

“I’m sorry, Michael... Could you say goodbye to Ollie for me?” she asked, her voice soft.

“Yeah, sure…” he muttered before hanging up. He tossed the phone onto the table, swearing under his breath, “Son of a bitch!”

“What’s up, Michael?” Kim Morgan asked, her voice filled with concern.

“Nothing much, just my nanny deciding to quit on me!” he spat out, leaning back in his chair and running his fingers through his hair.

“What?!” Neil Morgan walked over to the table, leading a cute little boy to his father with a sippy cup of milk. “Kathy just quit?!”

“She’s in Vegas, getting hitched!” Michael gritted out to his neighbors.

“Wow…” Kim murmured.

He sighed. “I need to call my mom. Can you watch Ollie for me?”

“Sure! Do you want us to hold off on lunch?” Neil asked, ruffling the little boy’s hair.

“No, go ahead and eat. I should only be a few minutes,” Michael replied. They nodded in understanding, and he walked to the back of their perfectly manicured lawn to call his mom.

“Michael! Hi honey! How are you?” Susan Whitlock gushed.

“Mom, I’m in deep shit!”

“What happened?” she asked, her voice filled with worry. “Is Ollie okay?”

“Ollie’s fine… Kathy just called and quit! She’s in Vegas, eloping!”

“Oh Michael! But you’re leaving in a few weeks!”

“I know! Can you help me out?” he pleaded.

“Oh honey, I can fly up and help before you leave, but you know I can’t go to London with you,” Susan said gently.

“I know, Mom, but if you could stay until I find someone, I’d really appreciate it! You know what, I’ll get you a really nice birthday present!” he offered.

She laughed, “Let me look for flights to Chicago and think about what you can get me for my birthday then.”

“Thanks, Mom! Ollie and I will pick you up at the airport. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, honey. I’ll be in touch.”

Relieved, Michael returned to the table and sat down with his son and neighbors. “My mom’s coming to watch Ollie until I can figure something out.”

“Michael, Kim and I were thinking. What about our daughter, Anelise?”

“What about her? Isn’t she in college?” he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Well, yes, but she’s almost done with her semester and she loves babysitting,” Kim replied.

“Really? Do you think she’d be interested in spending her summer as a nanny?”

“I think this would be perfect for her! She’s getting her master’s in English literature and is just starting on her thesis.”

Neil chimed in, “She’s a good girl, never gets in trouble, and has a 4.0. And she doesn’t party, even though her roommate really tries to get her to!”

“How old is she again?” Michael asked.

“She’s twenty. She’ll be turning twenty-one in October,” Kim said proudly.

Michael was desperate and thought for a moment. “Can I have her number? I’ll give her a call and see what she thinks.”

“Of course! I’ll text her to give her a heads-up,” Neil said as he passed a tray of grilled salmon to his neighbor.

As he was about to leave, Michael glanced at the pictures of the neighbors’ daughter on the walls.

She was a curvy young woman with glasses, dark auburn hair, and a warm smile. She looked like the quintessential bookworm and seemed like a good choice to watch Ollie when they went to England.

He hoped the call would go well.

***

Anelise was making notes for the thesis proposal that she would be writing over the summer. She had to turn it in after the final, but she just wasn’t satisfied with it. She wanted something more, but didn’t know what.

When she was discussing her proposal with Professor Andrews, she had felt it was lacking something, some excitement or passion, some spark that ignited her soul.

Professor Andrews, on the other hand, said what she had was great and would make a good final project. But Anelise didn’t want just good; she wanted her thesis to be amazing and awe-inspiring.

Anelise sighed as she went to get a cup of sweet tea, which she allowed herself to have once a day. She believed that if she didn’t limit herself, the weight loss she had worked so hard for would be undone.

She took a long sip from her cup, feeling thankful that her roommate and best friend, Leslie, was out having Sunday brunch with her ridiculously wealthy family and that the apartment was quiet so she could stew in peace.

She was pacing around the room, trying to clear her head and buckle down to study for the rest of her finals, when her phone rang.

She didn’t recognize the number, but seeing that it was from Chicago, she figured it could be the neighbor that her parents had said might call with an interesting proposal.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Um… Hello. May I speak with Anelise, please?” asked the caller in a deep baritone voice, which sent shivers down her spine.

“This is Anelise. How can I help you?”

“My name is Michael Whitlock. Your parents gave me your number. I’m their neighbor,” he explained.

“Oh yes, they mentioned that you might be calling with a proposal. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I know this is completely out of the blue, but I’m in a real bind. Your parents mentioned that you liked kids and babysitting might be something you’d be interested in. My nanny quit yesterday and is eloping.”

“That’s pretty romantic,” she said, her smile lighting up her face.

He laughed. “I guess it is, but here’s the catch. I’m heading out of town for work for three months. She was supposed to come along and look after my son, Ollie, while I was busy. Would you be interested in doing that? I promise to pay you well.”

She chewed on her lip, considering the offer. The money could be good, and she had started to enjoy shopping with Leslie since she had lost all that weight.

“I’m not sure... I have to write my master’s thesis…”

“I know. Your parents mentioned it. But they also thought you might be interested in this. My job is sending me to London for the summer. You’d have days off to explore and do research for your paper.”

“Really?!” Analise gasped.

“Yes, we leave in thirteen days, and I’ll pay you $1500 per week. My company will cover food and accommodation. But you should know that I’ll be working ~a lot~, and you’d be responsible for Ollie late into the night.”

He hoped he had made the offer sound appealing, rather than overwhelming.

Three months in London? Earning a ton of money for watching one kid? She could even quit her job at the coffee shop and not have to go back next semester!

“Are you still there?” His voice broke through her thoughts.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry! Yes, I’m still here, and yes, I’ll do it!” she replied, her voice filled with excitement.

“Really?!” Michael’s voice was filled with relief.

“Yes. I know it’s not ideal that I can’t meet you or your son before we leave. But this sounds like a good arrangement for both of us, especially if my parents gave you my number. And I could quit my job with the money you’re offering,” she said, feeling a rush of excitement.

“Oh my God. ~Thank you!~ You have no idea how much this means to me!” He practically shouted into the phone, his fist punching the air in triumph.

They chatted for a few more minutes about what she would need to do and about Ollie, who sounded like a wonderful little boy.

“Would it be okay if I took Ollie to some museums while we’re there?” she asked, a little unsure.

“You want to do educational things with my child? How could I possibly say no to that?” Michael laughed, making her blush at the silliness of her question.

“Give me your email. I’ll book you a ticket to Chicago and then we can all fly to London together. A long flight will be a good chance for us to get to know each other. Oh, and you do have a passport, right?”

“Yes, I do. So I’m all set. A ticket to Chicago is fine. I’ll meet you at the airport.”

“Do you want to come on Friday night and stay with your parents?” he asked, knowing they hadn’t seen each other in a while with her taking summer courses and working.

“No!” She almost shouted, “No… um, I need Friday to get things sorted. An early flight on Saturday would be great. I don’t care how early it is.”

He was a little surprised that she didn’t want to see her parents, but he didn’t push it. “That’s fine. I’ll get everything started and email you all the details.”

They chatted a bit more before hanging up. Anelise felt like she was about to burst with excitement and couldn’t wait to tell Leslie what had just happened. She was going to spend the summer in London!

She had always dreamed of going there, and now it was actually happening! The dates worked perfectly with her school schedule, based on Michael’s plans.

She would have at least one day off each weekend. Plus, any time Ollie was sleeping, she would be able to write, research, or do whatever she needed.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She rushed to the table and opened a new document. Words started pouring out of her. She was still writing an email to Professor Andrews, grinning like a mad woman, when Leslie came home two hours later.

“Why are you grinning like the cat that got the cream? Finally told your parents off? My mom was so mad you weren’t there!” Leslie tossed her purse onto the couch.

Anelise rolled her eyes. “Not yet, but listen!” She launched into the story of what had happened and watched as Leslie’s eyes widened.

“So let me get this straight, your parents gave your number to a neighbor who needs a nanny for the summer and now you’re going to spend the summer in England while writing your thesis ~and~ getting paid for it?” Leslie asked.

She nodded, her excitement palpable.

“And this neighbor has a sexy voice…? Damn, Ani! You’re going to have an amazing summer! I’m so jealous!”

Ani danced around their apartment, her excitement infectious.

Leslie pouted. “You’re going to leave me to go to garden parties and charity events all by myself!”

“I’m sure your mom and sisters will be gentle,” she replied, knowing full well that Naomi Rothchild would treat her daughter like the amazing young woman she was, whether Anelise was there or not.

The Rothchilds were old money in Tennessee, and despite their wealth, Naomi and Johnathan Rothchild were very down-to-earth and expected their children, all five of them, to be good stewards of the community and the family name.

Ever since becoming friends in their freshman year at Vanderbilt, Anelise and Leslie had been inseparable, and the Rothchilds had welcomed her with open arms. They were truly good people.

“We’ll see! So you leave the Saturday after finals? Friday night is party night?” Leslie huffed.

She nodded. “Yes, but we can’t go too crazy. I have to be up early for my flight to Chicago!”

“Not going back Friday to stay with Mommy and Daddy Dearest?” Leslie teased.

Anelise threw a pillow at her. “Hardly! This actually gives me an excuse to not see them before I graduate in December. Hopefully, I’ll have a job by then and another excuse to not go back there.”

“Ani, you gotta open up to them eventually. They’re gonna notice you’ve shed about forty pounds since they last saw you a year and a half ago. They’ll see how stunning you’ve become and how much you’ve transformed!”

“I get it, Lulu, but I’m just not ready to blurt out, ‘Hey, you guys suffocated and babied me so much, I didn’t know how to survive in the real world. So, thanks!’”

Anelise continued, “And to rub salt in the wound, I’d add, ‘Oh, and my best friend who you think isn’t good enough is actually the best. She treats me with kindness and respect! Her family is amazing and treats me better than you do!’”

Leslie flashed a grin. “Blame it on my mom, she can handle the blame for my upbringing and for corrupting you!”

Anelise grinned back. “God bless your mom! Now let’s do an exercise video and then grab sushi for dinner!”

Leslie groaned, “I regret ever introducing you to that damn program! But if you’re treating us to sushi, I’ll endure!”

They laughed and went to change.

—

Michael hung up, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. The young woman was willing to look after Ollie, and he could finally stop worrying about that. He immediately hopped on his computer and booked an early flight from Nashville to Chicago for her.

She would land two hours before their London flight. He called his company’s office manager and explained the name changes, making sure everything was in order for their departure.

He leaned back and watched his beautiful son playing on the floor with his blocks, his heart swelling with love. Then Anelise’s voice slipped into his thoughts. It was pretty, almost musical.

Michael decided not to overanalyze it, but he was curious. Why would the shy bookworm in the photos he’d seen not want to see her family after such a long time? There had to be more to that story.

He pulled out his phone and texted his best friend, Craig, who was also going to London with him, ~“Got a new nanny. Neighbor’s daughter. All set!”~ The reply came quickly, ~“Hell yeah, man! One less thing to stress about before we leave! Cheers! —as the locals say”~

Chuckling, Michael scooped up his son, tossed him in the air, and headed outside to play with him. His work was done for now.