The Nanny's New Family (Caring Canines) Read Online Free PDF

closed.
    Ian sat next to Jeremy and shook his shoulder to wake him up.
    His son’s arms lashed out at Ian. “Get away.” Blinking rapidly, Jeremy pushed away as if he was coming out of a nightmare and didn’t know where he was.
    “What’s wrong? A bad dream?”
    Jeremy looked around him, then lowered his head.
    “Dinner is ready.” Ian spied Joshua in the doorway and waved him away.
    His eldest son clenched the bedcovers. When he didn’t say anything, Ian rose, not sure what was going on. “I expect you downstairs to meet the...Annie.”
    Jeremy flung himself across the bed and hurried out of the room—leaving Ian even more perplexed by his behavior. Not sure his son would even go to the dining room, Ian hastened after him.

Chapter Three
    A nnie took the seat at the end where the twins indicated she should sit. All the food was on the formal dining room table, and Jade and Jasmine sat on one side, constantly looking over their shoulders toward the foyer or staring at Annie.
    She checked her watch. “Maybe I should go see if your dad needs help.”
    “Knowing Joshua, he’s probably hiding. He does that sometimes,” the girl closest to Annie said.
    Jasmine? They were both wearing jeans and matching shirts and ponytails. According to Ian, they didn’t dress alike anymore. Obviously, tonight they had other plans.
    The other sister grinned. “We should go ahead and eat.”
    Annie shoved her chair back. “Wait until the others come. I think I’ll go see what’s keeping them.” Something didn’t feel right. She started for the hallway and found Joshua coming down the staircase, his lower lip sticking out. She hurried to him. “Is something wrong, Joshua?”
    “Daddy is in Jeremy’s room. He made me go away.”
    She escorted Joshua to his seat across from one of the twins. “Well, sometimes parents need private time with a child without any interruptions.”
    “Jeremy was telling Daddy to leave. I saw his angry face.”
    “Jeremy is in one of his moods,” one of the twins chimed in.
    “Jade, I think—”
    “I’m Jasmine.”
    “Okay, Jasmine. I think we should go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.”
    “But you said we should wait,” the real Jade said, her pout matching Joshua’s.
    A sinus headache, common for her in the spring, hammered against Annie’s forehead behind her eyes. Remaining calm was the best way to deal with children. She took a moment to compose herself then bowed her head.
    “What are ya doin’?” Joshua grabbed a roll from the basket near him.
    Annie glanced at him. “Blessing the food.”
    “What’s wrong with it?”
    “Nothing, Joshua. I pray over my meal before I eat.”
    All evidence of a pout vanished, and he grinned. “I pray at night before bed.”
    “We used to with Aunt Louise, but those other nannies didn’t,” Jasmine said, grabbing the bowl of spaghetti and scooping pasta onto her plate.
    “We do when Daddy eats with us.” Jade folded her arms over her chest. “I’m waiting.”
    “I’m not. I’m staaarving,” Joshua said.
    While Jasmine joined him and piled sauce all over her spaghetti, Jade glared at her sister, then her little brother. When her two siblings started eating, she slapped her hand down on the table. “We should wait.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, Annie spied Ian entering the dining room with a scowling Jeremy trailing slowly behind him.
    “Good. You have started. Spaghetti is best when it’s hot.” Ian winked at Annie then took his chair at the head of the table. “Jeremy, this is Annie.”
    “Hi, Jeremy,” Annie said.
    “I don’t need a nanny. I’m gonna be ten at the end of next month.” Jeremy’s mouth firmed in a hard, thin line.
    “Neither do we.” Jade mimicked her older brother’s expression. “We’re eight. Nannies are for babies.” She sent Joshua a narrow-eyed look as if he were the only reason Annie was there.
    “I’m not a baby.” Joshua thumped his chest. “I’m four. I’m gonna be five