Touch of Heaven Read online

  “If you show me where my room is I can put my suitcases there and then I’ll be ready to meet your daughter,” Rachelle prompted gently and Shane snapped out of whatever spell she held him under.

  “Of course,” he muttered. He turned and led the way upstairs to the second room on the right. He opened the door and watched as Rachelle’s eyes swept over her new surroundings. Her brow lifted in surprise.

  “Wow. This is… amazing,” she finally said on a long exhale. The king size bed looked dwarfed in the huge room. It was expensively furnished. A long, modern chaise and a leather couch sat perched in front of a large screen TV. A huge armoire took up most of the far wall and a walk in closet stood to the right of that. There was an ensuite bathroom with a jet tub, stand up shower and double vanity that Rachelle hadn’t even seen yet.

  Sheldon shrugged, secretly pleased that she liked his taste. He had been involved in the building of his house and he chose the colors and materials with care. It was he, not an interior designer, who had picked out the furniture for every single room.

  “I wouldn’t get too used to it. We’ll only be here for another couple days before we leave for Colorado.” Shane watched the color drain from Rachelle’s face and her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “What do you mean? I thought that the job was here… in San Diego.”

  “Oh. They didn’t tell you at the agency?”

  “No. They just told me I had the job. I didn’t ask any other questions because I figured I would have my answers soon enough.”

  Sheldon smothered a smile. God, it had been a long time since anyone answered him back so honestly and openly. “I hired you because I take my daughter to Colorado every summer in July and August when she’s off school. She’s at a private girl’s only boarding school the rest of the year. The summer is the only time I really get to see her so I try and make the most of it in a setting that is a little more- meaningful than my house here in the city. It’s a way of escape I guess.” Sheldon gave himself a shake, wondering why he had tacked that last part on.

  Rachelle was still frowning. “So you hired me because you want to go to Colorado. To some resort town?”

  “It’s a little more remote than that.” If only Rachelle knew just how remote. She might run at the thought of roughing it. “You aren’t afraid of spiders are you?”

  Almost subconsciously, Rachelle moved a hand to her hip. Her face hardened, which on someone who looked like a pixie, was almost comical. Sheldon again had to fight back the urge to grin. He realized he was wasting time standing here talking like an idiot to his new nanny when he should be introducing her to his daughter and running to his meeting.

  How long had it been since he honestly enjoyed another person’s company? A very, very long time. Sheldon’s gut tightened and he forced his usual business like exterior back into place. “If you want to leave your bags there, I’ll introduce you to Shanna. Unless, that it is, you would rather not take the job now that you know it’s not going to be in a six million dollar house.”

  Rachelle’s face did harden then, her blue eyes flashing with anger, her face taking on a steely glint. Sheldon’s pulse sped up a notch when he realized the fiery temper he’d aroused in her. He wondered what that temper would be like channeled into passion.

  Fuck. He was not going there. Not with his nanny. Not with any woman. He had a business to run and a daughter to raise. Losing her mother had been the hardest thing Shanna ever went through. She didn’t need any more complications in her life so he held himself to a high standard that didn’t include letting anyone close to either of them. It might be wrong but the only way Sheldon knew how to cope with his feelings was to keep them at bay. He needed to be strong for his daughter and that, in no way, ever included opening himself up to the idea of a relationship with anyone.

  “I signed the contract for this job and I intend on keeping it, million dollar house or not,” Rachelle said sharply. She wheeled her bag an inch into the room and turned, the angry flash still illuminating her blue orbs. “I’m ready to meet your daughter now Mr. Forth.”

  Sheldon was on the verge of telling her not to call him that. Mr. Forth. It sounded ridiculous coming out of her mouth. However, he said nothing before he turned and strode down the hallway. He probably topped Rachelle by a good foot and she had to half run to keep up with his brisk pace. He stopped in front of a closed door at the end of the long hallway and rapped lightly with his knuckles.

  “Shanna? I want to introduce you to your new nanny.”

  The door was pulled open a few minutes later. Shanna stood there, her hair already combed neatly into a pony tail. The dark strands caught the early morning sunlight that spilled through her window and the red highlights, so like her mother’s, were illuminated. Her face looked a little pale and Sheldon chalked it up to just waking. Shanna was dressed in a pink t-shirt and designer jeans. She’d made him take her shopping the day after arriving him from boarding school. It was the same every year. She was eager to be out of her uniform and into clothing of her own choosing. Being that he had an excess of money and going to the mall didn’t involve delving into feelings he’d rather burry, Sheldon was always happy to oblige. It was all the other ways he felt like he was failing his daughter that got to him.

  Shanna was fast becoming a woman. She changed every year. Every single visit home from boarding school, Sheldon was shocked to find her more grown up. She was beautiful even at ten years old. He was already at a loss as to how to deal with the emotional side of his daughter. He knew the worst years were yet to come. Years where a mother should be there to answer hard questions and advise her daughter, usher her into the secret world of womanhood. Was any father prepared to deal with that?

  “Shanna, this is Rachelle.” Sheldon stepped aside and watched his daughter’s face carefully. Rachelle had nannies for the past three summers, ever since her mother died. Even though they went away in the summers, Sheldon couldn’t always be there. He had to take business trips and he needed someone to watch Shanna while he was away. More than that he was specific in what he wanted in a nanny. He wanted someone Shanna would like and could relate to. It was Sheldon’s way of trying to ease her confusion and answer her questions the only way he knew how.

  Rachelle stepped forward and held up her hand. She smiled and it was genuine and reached all the way to her eyes. “Hi Shanna. It’s good to meet you. I’m excited to get to know you and I’m looking forward to spending the summer together.”

  Shanna instantly warmed to the other young woman, her shoulders drooping imperceptibly to anyone but Sheldon, who knew her best. He knew she was letting down her guard already, just fractionally and it was all he needed to see before entrusting his daughter into Rachelle’s care.

  He excused himself and walked down the hall, leaving Rachelle and Shanna alone. He cast one backwards, sidelong glance over his shoulder, pleased to hear their excited chatter already flooding from behind Shanna’s half closed door.

  Despite the amount of grief in her life, Shanna wasn’t a resentful, angry child. Confused at times. Sad at others. She had feelings and emotions Sheldon couldn’t even begin to comprehend because he wasn’t willing to delve into his own emotions. Shanna was an easy daughter to love. She always had been. She was friendly and sweet. Inquisitive and guileless though not naive. She knew far too much of the world already for a ten year old girl but somehow she hadn’t let her grief harden her as it had Sheldon. Perhaps it was the resilience of a child. Likely it was more her mother’s tender spirit.

  Sheldon felt a rush of warm relief flood through his chest. He wanted this for Shanna. He wanted her to have someone to look up to and guide her, even if it was just a nanny for a couple months. As he walked out the front door, he refused to examine why that warm feeling lingered and how much it troubled him when it touched parts of him that had been ice cold for a long, long time.

  Chapter 4

  Rachelle surveyed the small, rustic cabin. It look
ed to be made from roughhewn boards but she wasn’t sure what kind of wood was used or when it would have been built. Beside it, twenty feet back and almost obscured by bush, was a tiny building with peeling white paint that could only be an outhouse. Which meant that there was no indoor plumbing. Rachelle had no idea that the cabin Sheldon spoke so highly of was this squat, little rough building.

  “It’s so… rustic,” Rachelle stammered when Sheldon looked at her expectantly. He actually had the audacity to grin.

  “I hope you’re not the kind to be squeamish about spiders and mice. You’ll find plenty of both out here.”

  Rachelle had the feeling the man was taking pleasure in her obvious doubts. She wasn’t sure why he goaded her about the city. Why did he purposely try and make her uncomfortable and angry with his careless comments when he had been the one who required a nanny in the first place?

  Two days at the Forth house and a long truck ride later, Rachelle still didn’t know the first thing about Sheldon Forth. His daughter, Shanna, was the exact opposite of her father. She was an easy child to befriend. Shanna was warm and outgoing. She had a zest for life that was obvious already and Rachelle found herself falling in love with the girl.

  Sheldon was the exact opposite. Rachelle had seen little of him and what she had seen was dark and guarded. He was reserved when he spoke though never unfriendly. He had the annoying habit of looking at Rachelle as though he could see right through her.

  “I don’t like either, I’ll admit but as long as they stay out my way, I’ll stay out of theirs. As for the cabin, it’s beautiful.” Rachelle refused to give Sheldon the satisfaction of seeing her shaken. She instead reached for the handle of her luggage and with the other hand scooped up Shanna’s duffel and backpack and threw them both over her shoulder. She pasted on a brave smile and charged ahead.

  Shanna tagged along eagerly, her dark eyes alight at the possibility of a summer of adventures. She prattled on excitedly as she walked, describing her world to Rachelle. “We have a boat Rachelle. And jet skis. You can see the dock from the back porch. There’s a little beach area with sand. You can see that too from the cabin. Just behind that is the boat house with the jet skis. We have tubes and sometimes we go fishing and on hot days I go swimming in the lake.”

  Sheldon charged ahead then, leaping up the porch steps and unlocking the front door. He swung it open and it gave with a squeal of rusty hinges. He glanced back and for the briefest of seconds their eyes met and held. The wind picked up and ruffled his hair, sending a dark lock across his forehead and Rachelle gulped. Did the man have to be so handsome? She looked away quickly, afraid she was blushing. She had never seen a man like Sheldon before in her life and even his mere nearness affected her in ways she found completely unnerving.

  He was tall, over six feet. His muscular shoulders were broad, his chest so wide that two of her lined up shoulder to shoulder would still not have equaled one of him. His waist was athletic and trim and gave way to legs that were equally as rock hard as the rest of him. His whole being was chiseled including his face. His brow was strong and shadowed a pair of dark eyes. His skin was bronzed though summer was just starting. His nose was perfectly straight but not too large for his face. His cheekbones looked to have been carved from the same rock as the rest of him. His lips were strong but sensual and his chin always had the shadow of a beard though he was freshly shaven most times.

  It was his eyes, Rachelle decided. Those eyes had haunted her from the photo she’d first seen and in real life they were even more arresting. She pegged Sheldon to be about forty but his eyes were ageless, neither young nor old. Whenever Sheldon was in the same room as her, Rachelle was hyper-aware of his presence in a way she’d never experienced before. It was as though all her senses sharped to hone in on every single detail of Sheldon Forth.

  “There isn’t any running water. There is a hand pump in the kitchen. I don’t pay for electricity either. We have candles and propane lanterns and flashlights.”

  Rachelle wanted to ask him why he went to such extremes. His house in the city was the picture of luxury. She was sure she had counted over twelve bedrooms and four bathrooms. This cabin was the polar opposite.

  Rachelle moved inside quickly. She followed Shanna as the girl pushed open the first door to reveal what was obviously her bedroom. Sheldon walked past them and pushed open the only other door.

  “You can sleep in here with me,” Shanna said excitedly and Rachelle’s eyes fell on the second, twin sized, unmade bed. The bare mattress gleamed stark white in the evening sunlight spilling through the one window in the room, bathing the rough wooden planks that made up the floor.

  Nodding, Rachelle walked over to the far side of the room and stared out the single paned glass. The lake lay beyond and she had to admit that the sunset over the sparkling waters was worth more than money could buy. Maybe this was what had drawn Sheldon. The painter’s pallet made up of amazing, natural beauty. The quiet and solitude of untamed wilderness.

  Shaking her head, Rachelle helped Shanna open the tote bins that were stacked on the wall opposite where she was standing. She hadn’t seen them when she walked in and she found all the bedding to make their beds.

  “Where do you bathe?” Rachelle asked awkwardly as she tucked in the corners of the fitted sheet onto Shanna’s mattress.

  “In the lake of course,” Shanna laughed. She looked out the window to the crystal waters beyond, as though the idea were the most obvious thing in the world.

  “You bathe there? Like wash your hair and everything?”

  “Yes.” Shanna gripped the other corner of the sheet and tugged hard, settling it firmly into place.

  Rachelle reached for the other sheet and spread it out, topping it with a homemade patch work quilt while Shanna stuffed a pillow into the pillow case. She had to admit that the girl wasn’t like any other charge she’d ever had. There was not an ounce of snobby, bratty, entitled, city bred girl in Shanna. She was precocious and older than her ten years indicated she should be but Rachelle chalked that up to her good schooling and maybe whatever was going on with her parents. She wasn’t sure where Shanna’s mother was or if Sheldon and the woman shared custody and Rachelle wasn’t about to ask.

  It was still so unexpected to find Shanna so willing to help her do the least of the chores like making beds, laundry and helping with meals. She hadn’t had a single other child in her care who had been so helpful. Rachelle cursed herself for going for assuming because the Forths had money that they were going to be a certain kind of person.

  “You have to watch out for leaches though. They always stick in between my toes or on my legs and arms.”

  “What?” Rachelle turned, finding Shanna standing buried under a mountain of sheets and blankets for the second bed. The girl nodded, dark eyes huge.

  “Yah. It’s kind of gross. It hurts to pull them off and if you do the holes bleed so usually I just leave them on until they’re fat and then they just kind of fall off.”

  “No!” Rachelle groaned. “You can’t be serious! That’s so gross!”

  “It is kind of nasty but you get used to it. Don’t worry. If it happens to you I’ll help you pick them off. The ticks are the worst though. But by now they should all be pretty much gone. If you get one on you don’t pull it off. My dad will know what to do. You have to remove them a special way.”

  “Ugh!” Rachelle hid her dismay as she grabbed the sheet from Shanna and stretched it over the mattress. Her entire body got hot at the mere thought of Sheldon touching her for any reason, even if it was to remove something so awful as a tick or a leach. She didn’t like that the way her body and mind felt about Sheldon. God, at night, Rachelle sometimes lay awake, unable to banish his image from behind her closed eyes. “Is there anything that doesn’t involve bugs out here?”

  Shanna grinned. “Well we do lots of stuff. I love coming up here. It’s peaceful. There’s no noise. It’s usually just me and dad and the nanny
he brings to watch me while he goes away on business, which he does for a couple days every now and then. There’s a little town about half an hour away where we get ice cream cones and groceries and bait for fishing. I like fishing. Although I don’t like to use those worms. I just prefer the little spoons and fake baits they sell. I hate to see anything put on a hook like that. Dad knows I don’t like it and he usually just ends up throwing the tub of worms on the garden.”

  “There’s a garden? I’ve never had one. My mom grew flowers but we always lived in the city.”

  “Yup. It’s kind of late to plant but we usually buy the plants half grown at the green house before they’re done for the year and they do alright.”

  “And what else? Do you have bikes here?”

  “Yup. There’s a little boat house that you can’t see from here. It’s hidden by the bush but there’s a path. That’s where the boat is kept in the winter. And the jet skis. And the tubes and stuff. I like that. Tubing I mean. Although sometimes dad gets a little wild with his driving.”

  Rachelle grinned. Her new charge was a good source of information and it was helpful to be able to ask Shanna these questions. She would rather die than ask anything of Sheldon. There was something about him that told Rachelle he wouldn’t welcome a barrage of questions even if she did ask.

  “The neighbors are really nice. They just live like five minutes down the road. I sometimes walk there and have tea and cookies with Mrs. McGregor. I think she’s pretty lonely there. Her husband lives with her but he’s always out fishing or golfing and I don’t think her children come to visit her much.”

  Rachelle swallowed past a throat that was suddenly constricted. Shanna was very perceptive. She was emotionally intelligent far beyond a normal ten year old. It was what made Rachelle think of Shanna as precocious. Not necessarily the information she had inside her head but the obvious compassion and heaviness she sometimes sensed lay heavy on the girl’s heart.