Remind Me
highlight_author
Kelsie Tate
highlight_reads
649K
highlight_chapters
19
After the loss of his wife, Xavier Wills struggles to find balance between his company and his family. And he just lost his nanny. Again.
Rose is in desperate need for a job. After her first assignment turns into babysitting for the CEO, Rose finds herself as the new nanny for the Wills family. Can Roseโs warmth remind this grieving family of what happiness is?
Chapter 1
ROSE
Rose stood on the back patio of the stone mansion, clenching a box of files to her chest as she watched the CEO of the Wills Corporation climb out of the pool. Sheโd only just started with the company and delivering these files to Mr. Wills was her first assignment.
The water glistened on his broad chest as Mr. Wills walked toward her. Rose tried not to stare at his lean, muscular form. He ruffled the water from his dark hair as he reached for a towel.
โYou could have given it to the maid,โ he said as he wrapped the towel around himself.
Rose looked up, meeting his cool, blue eyes.
โOh,โ she said softly, handing over the large box. โI was told that I had to place it in your hands.โ
โNext time, drop it at the door,โ he said, taking it and turning away at the sound of his phone ringing.
โYes, sir. Will there be anything else, Mr. Wills?โ
He waved her away before answering the call, watching his children play as he spoke harshly to the person on the other end.
Rose turned away and started back through the house. It was a large and impressive home, clearly showing Mr. Willsโs success but lacking in warmth. It didnโt feel like a family home, not like the one she had grown up in. Sheโd actually been surprised to find children playing in the pool.
โWait!โ
Rose flinched and turned around slowly. Mr. Wills was walking toward her quickly, his arms and chest flexing as he moved across the room.
โYes, sir?โ
โWhatโs your name?โ he asked.
โRoseโฆโ
โRose, what?โ
โRose Gamble,โ she replied. โIโm sorry, sir. Have I done something wrong?โ
โAre you employed by the Wills Corporation?โ
โIโm a temp,โ she said, confused at his line of questioning. Had she brought the wrong box by mistake?
โWell, Iโm temporarily reassigning you. I need you to stay here and watch my children.โ
Rose shook her head, sure that she had misheard him.
โIโm sorry, what?โ
Mr. Wills looked down and flipped through the file in his hands.
โLook, my nanny quit today. Thereโs an emergency at work, and I need to take care of it. I donโt have anyone to watch them. So, as your employer, Iโm telling you to stay here till I get back.โ He pushed past her, heading for the stairs.
โYou canโt just leave your kids with me! You donโt even know me.โ She raised her hands in disbelief. โI could very well be an axe murderer! I couldโโ
โAre you an axe murderer?โ he asked bluntly.
โNo, butโโ
โThen stay here until I return,โ he said as he ran upstairs, leaving Rose alone in the entryway.
โI could be lying!โ she hollered in exasperation. โThis guy is crazy,โ she muttered before rushing out the front door.
Just as she made it out to the company car, someone grabbed her arm from behind.
โI said stay here,โ growled Mr. Wills.
She turned around with a glare, pulling her arm from his grasp. The warmth from his hand lingered, and she resisted the urge to brush the feeling away.
โMr. Wills, I understand you are my boss, but I am not going to be responsible for your children. Thatโs insane! Iโm an administrative temp, not a nanny!โ
Mr. Wills took her keys from her hand and climbed into the driverโs seat.
โYou are if you want to keep your job,โ he said, shutting the door.
Rose watched with absolute shock as he drove away, leaving her standing in the driveway.
โAre you kidding me?!โ she yelled, throwing her hands in the air. She turned back to the house. She couldnโt just leave the kids alone. What if something happened to them? She sighed and walked back through the house.
The maid was standing by the pool, watching the children play when Rose got back to the patio.
โWho are you?โ asked a dark-haired boy with his fatherโs bright, blue eyes as he stopped splashing and stared at the stranger in his home.
Rose looked down at him.
โIโm Rose. Who are you?โ
โIโm Matthew. Thatโs Sammy,โ he said, pointing at the little girl splashing around behind him.
โNice to meet you two,โ Rose replied.
โAre you our new nanny?โ Sammy asked as she made her way to the edge of the pool, her brown curls wet and her freckled face flushed.
โNo. Iโm just watching you until your dad gets back,โ Rose replied sweetly. โHow old are you guys?โ
โIโm seven and Sammy is four,โ Matthew said.
โOh. Donโt you guys have school or something?โ Rose asked.
โItโs summer, silly!โ Sammy laughed.
โOh!โ Rose smiled. โYouโre right! Silly me.โ She looked around the large back yard. โHave you been having fun this summer?โ
โNot really,โ they said quietly, shaking their heads.
โWhy not?โ she asked with a sympathetic look.
โDaddy has to work all the time,โ Sammy said sadly.
โOh dear. Thatโs no fun,โ Rose replied. โWhat about your mom?โ
Matthew frowned and shook his head.
โOur mom died.โ
โOhโฆโ
His blunt answer surprised her. Rose offered a pitiful stare, unsure of what to say.
โIโm sorry.โ
โIt was a long time ago,โ he said sullenly before swimming to the other side of the pool.
Rose stood there a moment, looking at them awkwardly. What was she supposed to do with them till Mr. Wills got back?
โMatthew! Samantha! Time for lunch!โ the maid called from the patio table.
โYay!โ they hollered as they climbed out of the water. They wrapped themselves up in towels and sat down to eat.
โMiss, Iโm Maria. Thereโs lunch for you too,โ the maid said.
โThank you, Maria. Call me Rose. You didnโt have to do that,โ she said. She stopped and turned back to Maria. โMr. Wills didnโt leave a lot of directions. What do the children usually do after lunch?โ
โSamantha takes a nap, and Matthew does his workbooks or another quiet activity.โ Maria smiled, nodding toward the table.
Rose gave her a soft smile before sitting beside the little girl.
โSo, is it Samantha or Sammy?โ she asked.
โSammy,โ she said around a mouthful of grapes.
โSamantha is her real name,โ Matthew explained.
โWhat a helpful big brother,โ Rose said, earning a small smile from Matthew. โWhat do you two usually do after lunch?โ
โOur last nanny let us do whatever we wanted,โ Matthew replied, not looking at Rose.
โThatโs not what I was told,โ Rose said, taking a bite. โDoesnโt Sammy take a nap while you do your workbooks?โ
Matthew grumbled something and looked down at his plate.
โCan we play in the pool some more first?โ Sammy asked, giving her best begging face.
โWe have to follow the rules, and the rules say after lunch is nap time,โ Rose said.
โOkay,โ Sammy said quietly.
โBesides, when you wake up from your nap, your dad might be home. Then you can play with him,โ Rose added.
โI doubt it,โ Matthew mumbled.
Rose frowned at the little boy.
โOh! Letโs go take a nap right now!โ Sammy chimed, jumping out of her seat.
โAre you done eating?โ Rose asked.
โYes!โ she shouted, grabbing Roseโs hand.
โOkay then,โ Rose said, letting herself be pulled by the little girl through the house and upstairs. Matthew followed close behind. They stopped at two doors opposite each other in the hallway.
โYou two go get changed. Iโll be right here waiting,โ Rose said.
โOkay,โ they replied, each one going to their room and closing the door.
Rose looked around the house for a moment. The rich woods and crisp, creamy-white paint made the house look luxurious and modern. It was bigger and nicer than anything sheโd ever seen.
โItโs amazingโฆ,โ she whispered.
โAll ready!โ Sammy hollered from her room.
Rose walked toward the room and peeked in. The little girl was nestled in her bed waiting patiently.
โHave a good nap, Sammy.โ
โYou have to tuck me in!โ Sammy whined.
โOh, right,โ Rose replied cautiously. She walked into the room and pulled the blankets up to Sammyโs chin. โSleep tight. It was so fun meeting you.โ
Sammy smiled before rolling over and closing her eyes.
Rose walked out and closed the door.
โReady?โ a small voice said behind her.
Rose jumped in surprise before turning around.
โMatthew! You scared me!โ
He gave a cheeky smile as he held up his workbooks.
โSorry. Youโre supposed to do them with me,โ he said.
โAll right,โ Rose sighed.
***
Almost two hours later, Rose and Matthew were getting ready to watch a movie when Sammy walked slowly into the living room. She rubbed her eyes and squinted in the brightness.
โDaddyโs not here yet?โ she asked quietly, the remnants of sleep still evident in her voice.
Rose turned to Sammy.
โIโm sorry. I thought he would have come back by now.โ
โHeโs never home early,โ Matthew grumbled as Sammy sat on the couch beside him.
โShould I go make some popcorn for the movie?โ Rose asked, hoping to liven the mood.
โYes!โ the kids cheered in unison.
XAVIER
In his high-rise office building, Xavier glanced down at his watch. It was already almost four in the afternoon.
โIโll be here all night at this rate,โ he grumbled to himself, knowing he wouldnโt make it out of here by dinnertime. His kids would be disappointed. Again.
โSo, is the problem fixed?โ he asked, looking up across the large conference room.
โWell, Mr. Willsโฆ,โ one man choked out. โWe donโt know.โ
โThen who does?โ he asked. โWeโve been at this for hours, and nobody has any answers. How did this happen?โ
โThere seems to be an issue with the contract,โ another person said.
โWho was in charge of this purchase?โ
โIt doesnโt seem to have been assigned to anyone,โ someone murmured.
I should have just handled this myself, he thought, clenching his jaw as he bit back his anger.
โThen get me the department manager. This needs to be fixed. Now.โ He stood from his seat at the head of the conference room. โAn oversight like this is unacceptable.โ
He walked out of the conference room. His receptionist, Ms. Nelson, followed him dutifully to the elevator.
โSo?โ he huffed as the doors closed and they rode up to his office.
He glanced down at her. The tall and thin woman was now in her late sixties. Her blonde hair was mostly white and always pulled back in a perfect bun.
โThis is her file. She seems exceptionally overqualified,โ Ms. Nelson said, handing him a folder.
Xavier flipped the file open, glancing down the thorough background on Rose Gamble. He expected nothing less from Ms. Nelson.
โThank you, Ms. Nelson. That will be all,โ he said as they stepped out of the elevator. He walked into his office, letting the door close behind him. He dropped into the armchair to the side of his desk and read through the file.
โMr. Wills,โ Ms. Nelson called through the intercom on his desk a few minutes later.
He stood and walked over to his desk, pressing the button.
โYes?โ
โThe department manager from contracts is here for you.โ
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
โSend him in.โ
