6 Chapter 6: Parenting Methods
Max leans in, his lips mere inches from her own, and Maryanne’s mind is hazy. Memories try to force their way through the fog, reminding her why this is a bad idea, but her heart thunders over them all. All that matters is the immense pull on her body as she stares into his gaze.
Maryanne drags in a breath as Max smirks.
The movement causes her mind to clear and her body to lock up. She blinks, pain twisting her chest into a knot. This is the Max she knows all too well.
Shoving against his still damp chest, Maryanne slips away, but pauses in the doorway.
Max takes a step back, shock rippling through his expression. It only takes a moment for him to realize what happened and to compose himself. He slicks his hair back and grins, “Is the temptation too much for you?”
Irritation builds in Maryanne’s chest and she clenches her fists at her side. “I see you have not changed, Maxwell.”
She pivots around as she hears a small cry from downstairs. Holding her emotions in check, she finds her way through the maze of a house and into the kitchen on the ground floor.
Geneva is busy trying to feed Riley, but the two-year-old is throwing pieces of her cheerios in all different directions. The maid looks up, surprise overtaking her expression.
“Good morning Miss, how was your first night in the house?”
“This is not a house,” Maryanne chuckles, “It’s a mansion.”
Geneva laughs and sets a covered cup of juice in front of Riley. “I know it can be a bit much, Mister Ryder can go a little over the top, but he means well.” She huffs and makes a funny face at Riley so that she giggles. “He only wants the best for Miss Riley. He wasn’t around her much before.”
“Have you been in his employ for a while?” Maryanne glances out of the kitchen to make sure that Max doesn’t walk in on them talking.
“For ten years, yes. On and off.”
“I never saw you when. . .” She pauses, clearing her throat. She looks down, unsure if Geneva knows about the history between the two of them.
“I took a break for a year around that time. My son broke his leg during basketball practice, so I stayed home to take care of him and spend time with my family. Mister Ryder took care of us, and even paid the hospital bills.”
“He,” she swallows her surprise, “He did that for you?”
The maid nods softly, cleaning up Riley’s mess as she throws more cereal on the floor. “He is a kind man, and a wonderful boss.”
Maryanne sighs, folding her arms. Why does he treat her so oddly, and yet take care of others so kindly?
“Miss Maryanne, I will take care of Riley today. Relax, and get used to your new life here.”
She clenches her jaw, “This is only for a year, Geneva. After that we will go our separate ways. It is not a good idea to get comfortable here.”
“But you should not consider yourself an outsider. This is your home for now.”
Maryanne sighs, watching Geneva pick up Riley. She rubs her temple and nods. She is right. This is where she is to live for now. All that matters right now is taking care of Riley.
Maryanne realizes as she watches the maid leave, that she doesn’t know the first thing about raising a child.
>><<
Maryanne flips through the meticulous directory in the middle of the large library, searching trough the titles. She stops every time she comes across a book dealing with children or raising a family. Writing the titles down on a sticky note and the sections they reside in, she eventually pulls the paper off and wanders to the side of the room.
Maryanne moves the large, rolling ladder a few feet to the right and then begins to climb, only pausing to grab a book.
Once she has five paperbacks in hand, she descends and situates herself on the bench near the large bay window. Opening the first book, she sighs, settling in.
As she reads, the stress in her body builds, tensing her shoulders. A stone forms in the pit of her stomach. How is this going to work? Maryanne rubs the side of her head. She had enough trouble hooking the car seat up in her car to drive Riley here. She was sweating, trying to hold Riley still, her anxiety spiking the longer it had taken her. If she reacted that way over a lousy car seat, how is she going to handle the other stresses of taking care of a child?
Maryanne flips through the pages, the book listing everything one would need in order to take care of an infant. She mentally crosses items off that they would not need for a toddler.
Luckily, Max took care of all of the bedroom items that Riley requires, and there is even a toy room on the second floor. There is a lack of children’s books, though, and Maryanne knows that Max does not have a stock of food that a child would want to eat. Or even a snowsuit to play outside in the snow.
Pausing, Maryanne ponders her bank account. She is not sure there is enough money in her checking to be able to afford everything.
She sighs, saying aloud, “Children are expensive.”
“Are you just realizing that now?”
Maryanne jumps at Max’s low voice, noticing for the first time that he is standing several feet away, towering over her.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were there,” she swallows, heat blooming up her neck.
“I just walked in,” he chuckles. He picks up one of the books she finished going through and thumbs through it. “You don’t have to do all of this research. I was on the phone with one of my executives. He says that it’s not difficult. All you have to do is keep them inside. My chef is out grocery shopping right now, getting only the healthiest items for her.”
“No,” Maryanne says almost too quickly. “That’s too strict.”
“Geneva will help take care of her and I will hire on another part-time housekeeper to assist her as well.”
“Max, Riley needs us to take care of her, not a random person, no offense to Geneva. She is not the guardian of Riley. She needs our attention and us to play with her personally. Especially having us take her outside to play in the snow and have an actual childhood.”
“She does have a childhood,” Max retorts. “She does not need to brace the freezing cold to be a child.”
“Don’t you get that it is a part of growing up to play with other kids, go sledding down hills, and build snowmen? Also, you have to take into account that Riley is two, she isn’t going to like a lot of food. You need to get some items that a child will enjoy like fruit snacks, crackers, and chicken nuggets.”
“That stuff isn’t healthy,” he sneers, turning away.
“Max, please, let’s work this out.”
“Geneva has the next two days off. I know you’re going back to work tomorrow. I will be the only one taking care of her. I will show you how easy it is to care for her.”
As he storms from the room, Maryanne’s stress tightens her chest.
“Max, wait,” she stops herself from following after.
