“Maybe not everything. But it makes everything easier. Or are you going to pretend this money won’t completely change your life?”
Damn him. I hated that he was right.
If it weren’t for the debts and the hole my ex had dug for me, I might have torn up that contract and told Logan Turner exactly where he could go.
Or maybe not. The thought of leaving Anna and Aurora alone with a father who saw them as a secondary concern broke my heart. Though I highly doubted two months would be enough to change that.
Annoyed, I snatched the pen from his hand and signed every page, then thrust the contract back at him.
“Oh, and one more thing,” he said, a little too casually. “With Bonnie’s situation, my mother can’t take the twins. They’ll have to come to New York with us. It’s only a two-day trip, but I’ll be busy at the hospital. You can look after them, right?”
“The contract doesn’t list ‘nanny’ as one of my duties, Dr. Turner.”
“Find another nanny job that pays three million.”
“If you’re going to keep throwing the price in my face and demanding responsibilities outside our agreement, you’d better find someone else. If you can manage to explain all this to the press, that is.”
I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile at the flash of pure hatred in his eyes. If he thought he could bully me into anything he wanted just because he was paying me, he was about to learn a very different lesson.
“Don’t worry, Miss García,” he said, his voice tight. “I won’t ask for anything else. I am simplyrequestingthat you watch the girls for these two days. When we return to Los Angeles, I will hire a proper nanny.”
Hire a nanny.
Of course. What was I expecting? For him to actually step up and parent his own children?
That would be asking far too much of the selfish and insensitive Logan Turner.
Chapter eleven
LOGAN
Aboard my family's private jet, the four of us flew to New York.
The girls were absorbed in their tablets for the entire flight. Evelyn sat near them, as far from me as the cabin allowed. For some reason, she seemed irritated.
In my opinion, it was completely unwarranted. Yes, I'd put her in a difficult spot, but hadn't the contract resolved everything? She should see this as the golden opportunity it was. With wise investments, three million dollars could set her up for life.
Upon arrival, we loaded our bags into a rental car and drove straight to the hospital. Evelyn's only question was about lunch for the girls. I assured her the NYCH cafeteria was excellent, and they could eat there while I made my rounds.
The Holloways greeted us and were utterly charmed by my "family." They kept remarking how adorable the girls were—though Aurora barely glanced their way and Anna maintained her signature scowl—and how Evelyn and I made such a beautiful couple. They praised our "maturity" in overcoming past hurts for the sake of the children.
If they only knew our entire relationship was defined by the clauses of a contract. It was a relief to know that after this trip, I'd only see her at the occasional obligatory social function over the next two months. Given my reputation as a recluse who prioritized work, there would be few.
The Holloways invited me on a tour of the hospital facilities to meet other staff and board members. Evelyn and the girls were exempt; it would be too tedious for five-year-olds. A shame, really. They were missing a prime opportunity to cultivate an early interest in medicine.
While they headed to the cafeteria, the Holloways began my tour. With every state-of-the-art lab and cutting-edge wing they showed me, my confidence grew. I knew other qualified doctors were in the running, but my resume and conference presentation had clearly made a lasting impression.
This became even clearer as we entered the research wing. "The facilities at Los Angeles Hospital are above average," Dr. Holloway noted, "but forgive mybluntness, they don't compare to ours. This is a world-class institution."
"I'm well aware. It's a primary reason I want to work here. If hired, I'd be eager to transfer my research."
"Perhaps we can expedite that," the man said.
"But the official interview isn't until the board reconvenes after the holidays," I reminded him.
His wife leaned in. "You don't plan to halt your research for three weeks, do you? I assume you'll just take a few days for the holidays with your family."
"Probably not even that," I replied, seizing a convenient excuse. "My family is in a difficult period with my sister-in-law hospitalized. I doubt we'll have much of a celebration this year."
