From Roses To Thorns - Sequel To "From Nanny To Wife" Read Online Free Page A

the aquarium carefully on the bedside table next to the lamp and stepped back to look at it. Imagining Zoe's eyes lighting up at the sight of it brought a smile to her face. She picked a stuffed toy up off the floor, put it on the bed, and then left the room. Hope went downstairs to join the others for breakfast. As she entered the kitchen, she noticed Gordon was not sitting at the table with everybody else.
    "Where is Gordon?"
    "He had to go to the store to pick up a few things for the cookout," Ryan answered. "Sit down and have some breakfast."
    Hope pulled out a chair and sat down beside Maggie. She reached for the platter of scrambled eggs and spooned some onto her plate, a piece of sausage and a slice of toast soon followed. "After breakfast, I'm going to need some help getting the backyard ready for the party."
    "Just tell us what you need done and we'll do it," William said without looking up from the newspaper he was reading.
    "I had the gardener remove all the rocks from the yard," Ryan said.
    "That was a wise decision considering Kenny is coming," Maggie said, smiling.
    "That's why I did it." Ryan picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.
    "Kenny is a good boy at heart," Maggie said. "He just has a hard time following the rules. It doesn't help that his father spends a lot of time on the road working. Jenny does most of the disciplining."
    "If he doesn't behave today I will be more than happy to help discipline him," Ryan declared.
    Hope swallowed a forkful of eggs. "You will do no such thing." She glanced at Zoe and saw the child was playing with her food. "Don't play with your food, sweetheart. If you're done eating, go wash your hands. When you're done come back."
    "Okay." Zoe slid off her chair and ran from the kitchen.
    "How many people are coming to the party?" Maggie asked, pushing back her chair and standing.
    "Including all of us, twelve," Ryan told her. "I'm going to need Tylenol and a stiff drink."
    After breakfast, Hope and Ryan escorted Zoe upstairs to her room where they showed her the aquarium. She dropped to her knees in front of it and pressed her face to the glass globe. Hope knelt beside her and kissed her head.
    "Do you like him?"
    Zoe nodded.
    "I haven't fed him yet. Would you like to feed him?"
    "Yeah," Zoe said.
    Hope leaned her head back and gazed up at Ryan. "The fish food is on my dresser. Will you get it for me?"
    "Sure," Ryan said.
    "Thank you, love." Hope turned her attention to Zoe. "When I was four my Dad and Mom got me a fish. I named him Mr. Fishy. What should we name your fish? Every fish has to have a name."
    Zoe cocked her head to one side. "Gill."
    "You've been watching Finding Nemo again, haven't you?" Hope said.
    "Yup," Zoe said.
    "That's what I thought," Hope muttered. "Gill it is."
    Ryan came back into the room. "This stuff stinks," he said, holding out a plastic container of food.
    "Don't sniff it," Hope said dryly, taking the container from him. She slid the small door open on top the aquarium and then removed the lid on the fish food. She instructed Zoe on how to feed the fish and watched her do it. "Good job. We'll feed him again tomorrow. Now we need to go get ready for your party."
    "I want to stay with Gill," Zoe said.
    Ryan laid his hand on Hope's shoulder. "Go set things up. I will keep an eye on her."
    Hope spent the morning decorating the backyard, with Maggie, William and Gordon's assistance. They blew up balloons, tied strings to them, and affixed them in various places around the yard. A table and chairs were set up on the large patio, next to the existing ones, for extra seating. Pink tablecloths covered the tables. Plastic cups, forks, and paper plates were placed at each setting. Hope had purchased party favors for the children. She had opted not to give them candy. The last thing she wanted was to have four sugar-crazed children on the loose. Cake and ice cream would take care of everyone's sweet tooth.
    Guests started arriving around noon. Jenny and her