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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.
Chapter Five
Wilhelm hadn’t argued with Juliette when she’d written off her ability to quiet baby Leah as some similarity she might have with the baby’s mother. But he knew deep down that Juliette and Carol were nothing alike. Juliette was a natural with the cubs, and he was sure it had nothing to do with scent. He’d never given Juliette and motherhood much thought before, but Leah looked so at home in her arms, it sparked a tiny pang inside him.
Wilhelm was a workaholic, and though he shared some time with beautiful women now and then, it had only ever been casual. He enjoyed their company, they met his sexual needs, and then they parted ways. He didn’t have time in his life for things like setting up a family home and having cubs, and had never given it much thought. His brother had ensured their line would continue. That was enough for him.
Seeing Juliette take so easily to comforting his niece made him wonder if he hadn’t been hasty in deciding that family life didn’t interest him.
He’d wanted Juliette from the day he met her, but he’d never wanted her more than he did at that moment.
He took a deep breath and inwardly scolded himself. How could he think of such things when he’d only gotten the terrible news of his brother’s death a few hours earlier? What the hell was wrong with him?
He stood and carefully lay baby Thomas in the crib next to his desk. Of course he was devastated at the loss of his brother, and it broke his heart even more what it would mean for his niece and nephew, to grow up never knowing their parents. That was the hardest part of all this—the unfairness of it for their sakes. But the truth was that he’d almost mourned the loss of his brother years earlier, when he refused to have anything further to do with Wilhelm and had cut him out of their lives.
