Marrying the Northbridge Nanny Read Free

quiet person whobattled shyness along with the lingering effects of a stringent upbringing.
    He didn’t pursue that reference to the Reverend, though, finally continuing with what he’d been saying. “I want this to be an informal environment for us all. Casual, friendly…”
    Did he think she was going to be un friendly? Or was she just giving the impression that she was too wooden? Because she knew she sometimes came off that way even though she tried not to.
    In an attempt to counteract that impression, she said, “One of the main reasons I want to do this is for the fun of it. I like the idea of Tia seeing me as part of the family. But all kids need boundaries, limitation, rules and to know what the expectations of them are. It not only teaches them things, it also makes them feel safe. So, as Tia’s nanny—assuming you decide to give me the job—I’ll make sure there are enough of those.”
    While Meg’s intention had been to ease Logan McKendrick’s mind, by the end of that all the amusement had left his handsome face and a slight frown had replaced it. “What are we talking in the way of boundaries, limitations, rules and expectations?”
    “Nothing out of the ordinary,” she tried to reassure him. “Regular bedtimes and mealtimes, making sure teeth are brushed, hair is combed, that she’s dressed when she should be. She can be given small responsibilities like helping to pick up her toys, putting her shoes in the closet—age-appropriate expectations. Three-year-olds like to test authority, to see what they can get away with, what they can control, and just how independent they can be—some of that is good and needs to be encouraged, some of it has to be struggled against. She can learn that there is a right and a wrong time and place for certain things. Punishments can include brief timeouts, maybe going without dessert—”
    “Okay, I can see you know your stuff,” Logan said to stop her.
    Had she sounded too clinical? Sometimes she did that, too. Unintentionally.
    Still in damage-control-mode, she said, “But three-year-olds primarily need a lot of playtime, a lot of safe ways to explore their environments…” She stopped herself this time, knowing she was still sounding too much like a textbook. “And really, beyond doing what needs to be done to keep her safe and happy, I would just want her to have a good time.”
    Logan McKendrick nodded but she could see that he had more reservations now than he’d had before.
    “We don’t keep military precision when it comes to meals,” he said. “I give Tia breakfast whenever she gets up in the morning, lunches will probably just be you and Tia because Hadley and I will be working, but we like to do dinner as a group project with everyone pitching in—even Tia gets out the napkins—and then we sit down to eat together. How would you feel about that? Would you want to be included or not?”
    “I’d like to be included. Actually, family dinners are more important than some people think.”
    “But again, it’s a casual thing—the cooking, the cleanup, we all just chat while we get things ready, while we eat.”
    “It sounds great,” Meg said, deciding to keep her answers more simple. “I don’t know how good a cook I am, but I know my way around a kitchen.”
    “We’re not gourmets,” Hadley assured.
    “I should warn you, though,” Meg said to Logan then, thinking that if she’d put him off too much maybe she should give him an easy way out of hiring her. “This is only a temporary thing for me. I’m on a leave-of-absence for the summer.”
    “Yeah, Hadley told me. But that’s not a problem. We’re just setting up in Northbridge again ourselves—in fact I’ve been so busy around here that I haven’t even been into town more than a few times the whole month that Hadley and I have been here. I’m not sure what I’ll want to do with Tia in the long run—the summer will give me a chance to check out the day care and preschool