Shocking Sapphires - Ann Omasta Page 0,24

Eva’s ever going to love that baby like you do?”

“No,” I scoffed at the mere idea of that before adding, “She can’t even remember his name.”

“Exactly,” Avery nodded her head as if I was proving her point.

Brightening with an idea, Avery said, “I’ll watch Scout while you go take a shower and get all dolled up, then you can march right back into Grant’s room and show him what he’d be missing if he doesn’t choose you over that pretentious starlet.”

Calling mega-star Eva Wingate a starlet was the understatement of the year, but I appreciated what Avery was trying to do. Smiling at her, I said, “It has been a long time since I took a long, leisurely shower. It sounds marvelous.”

“Then go,” she encouraged me before adding, “I have things handled out here.”

Just as I stood and started to head toward the bathroom, we heard a sharp rap on my front door. Avery and I gave each other uncertain looks before I moved to answer it.

A perky young woman with a long, swingy ponytail was standing on the other side. In a cheerful voice, she said, “Hi, I’m Jemma, Scout’s new nanny.”

I had to hold onto the door jamb to keep from slumping over at the pain that surged into my gut. This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t be losing my little boy.

Ignoring my shattered expression, Jemma bounced into my apartment. “Is this him? Hi, sweet boy!”

Scout beamed at the woman like she was his new best friend as she stooped to unfasten him from his swing and pick him up.

Evidently sensing that I was in no shape to deal with this, Avery used her professional paralegal voice to say, “On what grounds are you claiming rights to this child?”

Jemma whirled around, her face looking significantly less friendly. “On the grounds that his father has hired me as the boy’s nanny and asked me to come get him and to take care of him. If you have a problem with it, you’ll need to take it up with Grant Chandler.”

It was another blow to my gut to hear that Grant had initiated this. How could he do this to me?

When Jemma moved to leave, panic surged into my throat. “Please,” I croaked. “Don’t take him.”

“It’s time for him to come with me,” the woman said sternly as she held him to her chest.

Moving to block her path, Avery said just as firmly, “You can’t take him.”

“On what grounds?” Jemma mirrored Avery’s previous question before guessing, “Because his previous babysitter doesn’t want to let him go. How do you suppose that will hold up in court? She isn’t even a blood relative to him.”

I could practically see the wheels spinning in Avery’s brilliant, legal mind. After a long moment, she nodded solemnly and moved to the side to allow Jemma to pass her.

“No,” I wailed, my face crumpling from the pain of having my little boy ripped out of my life.

The woman was almost through the open door when Avery offered, “Just give us a minute to pack up his stuff.”

Jemma glanced around the messy room before deciding, “We’ll just buy new.”

After they walked out, Avery put her arm around me to help guide me to the sofa. When I saw Peanut sitting on the coffee table, I grabbed him and lunged for the door.

“Wait!” I called out to Jemma.

Looking exasperated, the woman turned back. I jogged the distance between us and handed her the stuffed elephant. “Here. It’s his favorite.”

“Thanks,” she muttered flatly before turning and strolling away with my entire world snuggled in her arms.

19

Grant

I couldn’t believe Molly hadn’t even bothered to come see me after Eva’s sudden appearance. Due to the terrible timing the last time I saw her, she probably thought I had been making out with Eva, but that was no excuse to avoid me or keep my son away from me.

I had so much I wanted to talk to her about, but she appeared to have dropped me. The days dragged on without visits from her and Scout.

She and my son had been the only constants in my life these past few months, and I’d learned to lean on her––perhaps too much. Now that she was absent, it was like an aching hole had started burning in my chest.

Eva flitted around my room as if she owned the place. She was constantly barking orders into her cell phone, fixing her makeup, or watching herself on the entertainment programs.

I couldn’t believe