Page 26 of Marrying Bonnie

“Me? I’m just the nanny.”

“No, you’re much more than that.” She picked up one side of the blanket and waited for Bonnie to pick up the other. “You’re standing in as the mother figure for Gunner.”

Bonnie wanted to argue, but Noel wasn’t wrong, at least when it came to how much time she spent with the little boy.

The women finished folding the blankets and put them, along with the cooler, in the back of the car.

After closing the trunk, Noel nodded toward the guys. “He cares about you, you know.”

Bonnie focused on Gunner as he lost interest in the hammer and started to climb the fence. Jace kept one hand behind his son’s back in case he fell.

“Gunner’s an amazing kid. When Jace first talked about moving, the thought of not seeing Gunner anymore broke my heart.” Her stomach twisted into knots.

Noel chuckled. “I was talking about my brother.”

Bonnie’s eyes widened. “I get along with him, and he clearly trusts me with his son. But I doubt…”

Jace had picked up Gunner and swung the boy up onto his shoulders. He headed in their direction.

Noel bumped into Bonnie’s arm with her own. “Trust me. I have never seen him look at a woman the way he steals glances at you. And that includes Samantha.”

Noel’s words crowded Bonnie’s brain as Jace approached. He put Gunner back on the ground. “You three should head back to the house. It’ll hopefully only be another couple of hours. If it’s any longer, I’ll let you know.” He bent down and kissed his son on the head. “Please text me and let me know when you get there.”

That last request was aimed directly at Bonnie. He held her gaze for a moment before smiling at his sister and getting back to work.

His concern was sweet. She tried not to read anything into the request that wasn’t there. Of course, he would ask Bonnie instead of Noel to text him. Bonnie normally cared for Gunner, and Jace would want to know his son was home safe. There was nothing more to it than that. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shut out what Noel said about Jace caring about her or the hope it ignited in her heart.

Chapter Nine

Bonnie scraped carrots and potatoes off the cutting board with a knife and into the bottom of the slow cooker. She added a little water then placed a large roast on top. After sprinkling some herbs and spices, she put the lid on and set it to low.

The meal would be done by dinner. Bonnie knew Jace generally didn’t want her to do any cooking for him, but Noel had hinted at the roast in the fridge. It’s not like it took that much to put it all in the slow cooker anyway.

She thought over the last couple of days since the fence had been damaged. Thankfully, Jace and the guys got it repaired. Maybe Jace’s thoughts on it being a random event were right on the money because nothing else had happened.

Nothing at all. On any front.

After Noel’s insinuation that Jace cared more for her than just a nanny for his son, Bonnie had been hyper-aware of everything he did or said. But if he was attracted to her, he sure was good at hiding it.

Which meant, either way, she needed to bury her own feelings down so far even she forgot they were there. Besides, for all she knew, he was still mourning his wife and Noel was completely off her rocker.

Bonnie looked down at Gunner. “What do you say we bake some cookies today?”

The boy’s eyes brightened. “Cookies!”

It wasn’t even lunch yet, and the day had dragged on for what seemed like forever. Baking some cookies would help take up a little time.

Bonnie had just retrieved all the ingredients from the cupboards and set the oven to preheat when the doorbell rang.

“Who could that be?” she asked Gunner. “Come on, let’s go answer the door.”

A peek through the peephole revealed a woman Bonnie didn’t recognize. She opened the door to find the woman donning impeccable clothing along with an impenetrable expression.

“Can I help you?”

“You must be the nanny.” The woman tried to push her way past Bonnie.

With one hand on the door and the other against the doorframe, Bonnie blocked her way. The woman’s dismissive nature immediately had Bonnie’s hackles up. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. My name is Bonnie Tabor. Who might you be?”

---