Chapter Four
Juliette sat in one of the large chairs in front of Wilhelm’s desk and looked at the sweet, sleeping face of the baby in her arms. “Oh, Wilhelm. I’m so sorry.” Now, she felt like a jerk for storming into his office. Her problem seemed minuscule compared to his. The man grieved.
He nodded and sat in the chair next to her. “Thank you. I’m sure I’ll manage. If I can manage a company, I can find a way to raise two babies.” The corner of his mouth tilted as he said it. He looked into her eyes, as if he realized there wasn’t much comparison between the two.
“Of course,” she agreed. The baby in her arms rubbed its face against her shoulder, then settled down with a sigh. A sob welled up inside her, but she swallowed it and nodded. “I’m sure you’ll do a wonderful job.”
Wilhelm patted the back of the baby boy he held and smiled at her. “You’re doing a good job, yourself. This is the longest Leah has been quiet since she was brought here. Seems you’re a natural.”
Leah. Such a pretty name for a pretty girl. Juliette shook her head, because something like that was the last thing she needed to hear. “Maybe their mother and I have a similar scent. Or she’s simply exhausted and needs to be held. I’m sure these babies can pick up on the tension you’re feeling.”
Wilhelm nodded. “Probably. But whatever the reason, thank you.”
Neither of them spoke for a moment, until Wilhelm raised his head with a frown. “Juliette, you came to see me despite being told it wasn’t a good time. I assume it must be important?”
Crap. She’d forgotten all about her ire the moment she saw the babies, and of course with hearing that his brother and sister-in-law were dead, she hadn’t thought about the rent another moment. Now that the babies were both calm and sleeping, annoyance pulled at her again.
“I got your letter about the rent hike a short while ago. And I’d come here to give you a piece of my mind about offering me a spot at your new building the same day. I don’t appreciate—”
“Wait, rent hike?”
Juliette tilted her head as she stared into his eyes. “The nearly double rent hike. If you thought offering me a new shop and helping me finance it was a way to cushion that blow, or that doubling my rent was a way to convince me to expand, I may have to look for another place for Bonbon.”
Wilhelm’s frown deepened. “I promise you, Juliette, my offer this morning had nothing to do with that. I think your shop will be perfect for the new location, that’s all. And there’s absolutely no way your rent should double. I don’t even think it’s due to be raised at all.”
“Your letter says otherwise.”
Wilhelm shook his head. “I’ll look into it, but I’m sure it’s some kind of mistake. I certainly didn’t sign off on it. Give me a day or two to get it straightened out before you start looking for a new place to rent?”
The fiery anger that had brought her here in the middle of the day had faded with Wilhelm’s news, and his sincere confusion made her feel even less upset. “Of course. It can wait, since you clearly have more important things to worry about right now.” If it had all been some sort of mistake, then she’d truly misjudged the situation. “And I’m sorry for accusing you of—”
“Blackmail?” One corner of Wilhelm’s mouth turned up.
“Yes. But you can understand where I might have gotten that impression.”
He nodded. “I can.”
Someone knocked at the door, and when Wilhelm told them to come in, Gunther walked into the room and stood next to Wilhelm’s desk, looking between the two of them. “Leanne has provided me with a copy of all the keys to your brother’s property, the phone numbers of his lawyer, all his employees, and the twins’ pediatrician. And she would like you to know, Wilhelm, that she thinks it would be best for the twins to stay in familiar surroundings for the time being. She seems eager to continue being their nanny. All their things are at the mansion, and the people they’re used to being around. She’s hoping they’ll remain there, at least until you’ve made permanent arrangements at your home for them.”
Wilhelm snorted, and the baby he held squirmed at the sound, but quickly settled again. “Leanne has no problem offering her opinions, does she, for someone who couldn’t wait for the twins to be picked up and out of her hair today.”
Gunther shrugged. “To be fair, she had no idea why your brother was late, and it is her day off.” He leaned against the corner of the desk and crossed his arms. “I know you’re uncomfortable with the idea of being in your brother’s house, but under the circumstances . . . it probably is for the best. She still wants the rest of the day off, but then you’ll have five straight days of round-the-clock help.”
“I certainly need it,” Wilhelm admitted softly. “I have a meeting with Cranston in twenty minutes, and you know how long it took to schedule it. Who in this office do you think I can trust to take care of these two today? Should I cancel and try to reschedule while Leanne’s taking care of them?”
Gunther stood. “I don’t know anything about cubs. I was a nervous wreck just picking them up and bringing them here.”
“Relax, I wasn’t trying to corral you into babysitting, Gunther. Calm down.”
Juliette had grown used to the weight in her arms, the scent of baby lotion and the slow, rhythmic pattern of Leah’s breathing. And she felt calmer than she had since that morning. The heartbreak of holding a baby had melted into something else and brought with it the same sort of easy, contented feeling that settled over her when she was making candies. She didn’t really think about what she was saying before the words spilled out of her.
“I’m happy to help you take care of them.” She should have been horrified at making such an offer. Why did it feel so right? Juliette had barely been able to look at babies since she was told she could never have any of her own and her dreams of motherhood had died. She’d smiled at new mothers and said all the right things about their babies, and blinked back tears at never being able to experience the thing she’d always wanted most.
She should be distraught, sitting there holding a stranger’s baby. Instead, she loved it, and really didn’t want to give it up just yet.
“I appreciate the offer, Juliette, I really do. But I know you didn’t expect to find these two when you walked in here. It’s all right.”
“No, Wilhelm, I’m serious. I’d love to help. Please let me? I love babies, seriously.” She wanted this. Even if it was only for a day or two, she wanted to take care of these cubs who suddenly had no parents and were thrust into the care of an uncle who seemed so out of his element.
“Are you sure?”
“Does a duck waddle? Yeah, I’m sure.” Juliette smiled at the cub in her arm. “I’ve always wanted children of my own, but the opportunity never came.”
Wilhelm’s grin spread slowly over his handsome face. “All right. Thank you, Juliette. How can I repay you?”
“Fix my rent problem, and we’ll call it even.” She smiled a genuine, happy smile and pressed her cheek against Leah’s soft hair.
This was heaven.