Free Falling for the Nanny by Jacqueline Diamond Page A

and wondered what it had been like for Patty, serving with a bunch of macho men. She’d always liked guy stuff, so she’d probably loved every minute of it.
    â€œThe first time I met Nora, I pegged her the wrong way because she’s a lot prettier and blonder than I am,” Patty said. “And Leo had a bad track record with the ladies…. Oh, I’m not supposed to mention that. Well, she set me straight in the nicest way. I wish I could figure out how she does that. Mygoal in life is to be as a gracious as Nora, but still whip Leo’s butt at pool. Which I can do with one hand tied behind my back—if anybody’s interested, I’m giving two-to-one odds for the next match. I’m renting his old house with the pool table.”
    â€œI’m in!” yelled the mustachioed guest, waving a five-dollar bill.
    â€œYo, George, don’t think you can back out of it, either,” Patty said.
    Leo laughed and slipped an arm around his wife’s waist. “I look forward to teaching you a lesson. Again.”
    â€œHere’s to the best partner a former cop ever had, and to his wonderful new partner in life. To Nora and Leo!” Patty declared.
    There were cheers and champagne all around. Conversations hummed pleasantly. Alec was glad he’d come, and not only for professional reasons. He genuinely liked his new coworkers and their friends.
    All the same, as Nora made the first cut in the cake, Alec hoped the reception would wind up quickly. He’d like to discuss the security issue with Patty privately.
    While the caterer took over the task of cutting and plating the cake, a deejay invited everyone onto the dance floor. Alec asked Bailey to join him, and soon they were gyrating in a crowd of merrymakers.
    Glancing over, he noted that Patty’s style of dancing involved bumping hips with her partner—Mike apparently didn’t dance, so she’d chosen George—while occasionally pumping her fists and shouting with glee. The energy level in the room swelled, and if her earlier dustup had left any soreness, she gave no sign.
    â€œShe was always such a whirlwind,” Bailey said when she and Alec retreated to their table, leaving Patty tearing up thefloor with another fellow. “In high school, even the snobby girls were in awe. She wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything.”
    â€œI doubt she worried about the snobby girls,” Alec mused. “She made up her own rules. It was great.”
    â€œI felt like this complete dorky outsider until I met her. After that, I was still dorky, but not such an outsider.” With scarcely a pause, Bailey added, “Why’d you two break up?”
    She asked the question so artlessly that Alec responded without thinking. “She brought out my rebellious side and it scared me. I’m not sure if I was trying to sabotage myself, but I got drunk the night before the SATs. It wasn’t her fault, it was mine. I realized I had to break it off because as long as I hung around her, I wasn’t sure what I might do next. I wanted my career, yet I had this crazy streak, too.”
    â€œYou broke up with her because you messed up one time?” Bailey demanded skeptically.
    â€œThere were other scrapes, too.” While he recalled them fondly, Alec had to admit he’d taken inexcusable risks. “One night we went skateboarding on campus, which was against the rules. The next day, we found out some other kids had spray-painted the gym that night and broken a couple of windows. If anyone had seen us, we might have taken the blame and been expelled. At the moment, we were just glad for our narrow escape, but later I saw how close I’d come to throwing away my future.”
    The nurse sipped a cup of decaf. Around them, the table was empty, but a scattering of purses indicated their seatmates planned to return. “Patty said your parents made you drop her.”
    â€œMy first SAT scores