Chapter 8
EIGHT
Frigid Favor
Noelle
The next day, while I got ready for work, I received unexpected news. The nanny called, giving her notice. No two weeks’ warning, not even a few days—only hours before her shift.
I had no one to watch Faith. Logan wouldn’t answer his damn phone, and my parents were in the Bahamas for the holidays. I couldn’t blame them for wanting to spend quality time together, but I wished they were home. Then I could drop their granddaughter off for a few hours while I went to work.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.
I picked up my cell phone and called my parents on Messenger in full-blown panic mode.
Work wasn’t for an hour, giving me some time, but I couldn’t afford to be late.
Owning Evergreen Toys meant I never missed work.
It had been my father’s company, and it’s our namesake.
There was no room for error, which meant vacation days were a thing of the past. The billion-dollar company wouldn’t run if an Evergreen weren’t in charge.
Someday, I hoped to pass the family business down to Faith. I was sure my father would be proud of the move after the toy business had passed down from one generation to the next. It was a family tradition, and the company was thriving. All the more reason to be at work in under an hour.
Curse words threatened to spew out of me, but I took my frustration out to the backyard where Faith wouldn’t hear every swear word under the fucking sun.
I had always had a bad gut feeling about the damn nanny. The moment she had messed up a grocery run and forgotten the oranges, I should’ve fired her. Then there was the time she had run behind and left Faith at school half an hour past closing.
I should’ve let her go a long time ago, but I gave people the benefit of the doubt. It was a good quality that I hated about myself because there were individuals who took advantage of me. People like my damn ex-fiancé.
“Shit! Fuck! Jesus Christ!” I exclaimed into the bitter chill of the morning light.
Messenger rang twice, then my mom picked up.
“Hi, sweetheart...” She smiled back at me with dark compassionate eyes. “Gabriel. Come quick. Elle is calling.”
“Oh, is that my favorite daughter?” Dad asked as he came into view.
I forced a grin, but I fumed inside.
“The one and only,” I replied.
I grew more irritated by the nonstop sound of Jack chopping wood.
The slice of the sharp axe blade hitting each stump made me want to tell him where to shove the handle.
But the thought of his big fingers wrapped around the hatchet led my mind astray, and my parents worshipped the ground Jack walked on.
Stay calm, Noelle. Don’t let a wannabe lumberjack get to you. Keep your damn mouth shut.
“It’s nice to see you.” Mom beamed with sun-kissed skin, wearing a straw hat that blocked the sunshine from her face. “Is everything okay back home?”
“Things are fine, but—”
“Oh, no, Gabe, there’s a but...” Mom interrupted, turning to Dad and scolding him. “I knew I should never have let you talk me into leaving during the holiday season. This was a bad idea, and we should take the next flight home.”
“Home? Darling, we are in the middle of the ocean on an island. There’s no charter plane for days,” Gabriel answered his wife with dismay.
“But our daughter needs us! She—”
“Mom, calm down. Dad didn’t do anything. It’s the nanny. She quit. I have to be at work in”—I glanced at my watch—“exactly thirty minutes.”
“She quit? Oh, no...” Mom swatted Dad on the shoulder. “This is all your fault.”
“My fault? I wanted to give you a nice vacation. What’s wrong with that?” Dad shrugged.
“Nothing, Dad. It’s extremely sweet. I wish I could be there.” A shiver ran through me with the chilly breeze. “But this was my mistake, Mom. I should’ve fired her weeks ago.”
“We should be there to watch Faith,” she expressed with wrinkles of concern on her face.
“Nonsense. I don’t know what to do. I can’t get a hold of Logan either.” I scrolled back through all the unread messages I had sent to my ex and heaved a long sigh. “He must be busy. No surprise there.”
My father cursed.
I heard a grunt, followed by the loud thud of Jack’s axe making contact with wood. Christ. I loathed living next door to him.
What grown man whacked wood as a hobby, anyway?
“Is Jack outside?” my father asked.
I wanted to groan but held the annoyance back for the sake of my parents. I didn’t understand how they could be friends with Jack. They either felt sorry for the damn fool being all alone or they were obligated to because he had saved my life.
I sighed. “Yeah.”
Shit. I almost rolled my eyes.
“Jack could watch Faith,” Mom added.
Jack Timber? Watch my daughter? Hell no! Not even if hell froze over.
“Nuh-uh. I don’t think so.” I shook my head.
Dad added, “Come on, Elle. Let Jack babysit.”
I held the phone closer to my mouth.
“Dad? No, I’m not letting Jack help me out,” I whispered as I glanced over at the fence, but saw no movement. “He’s not good with kids.”
“Nonsense. I always thought he’d make a great dad.” He shrugged with an amused grin.
I snorted.
Jack? A father? I bet the damn miserable asshole couldn’t even take care of a goldfish.
“Maybe twenty-five years ago,” I teased.
“Jack!” my father called out repeatedly.
“Dad! No! Stop!” I whisper-shouted.
“Jack! I know you’re there! I can hear wood chopping, my friend!” Dad shouted.
Suddenly, the ruckus stopped, and Jack popped his head over the fence with a wide grin on his face.
He crossed his arms leisurely over a post and stared at me.
I had never had more of an urge to deck him and make him go back to being a damn provoking lumberjack—far away from me and anything to do with my child—but my dad had a plan.
One I wanted nothing to do with, and surely Jack would feel the same.
“Hey, Gabe! Joy!” Jack waved. “How’s the vacation coming along?”
Fake. One hundred percent being the phony dick Jack truly was. God, I hated him.
“The Bahamas is great! We love it here!” Mom beamed.
“Gosh, I went there years ago, and I met this beautiful brunette. Long hair, brown eyes as deep as the sea...” Jack reminisced, all while he locked his eyes on me. “Christ. I enjoyed her company.”
I rolled my eyes at Jack. “Yeah, right. Probably scared her away with your bitter attitude, and she hopped on a plane, never looking back.”
“Elle. Don’t be rude,” my father scolded me and changed the subject. “I wish we could move here, but we have family at home who need us.”
“Speaking of needing help...” my mom blurted out. “Elle has a favor to ask of you, Jack.”
“She does?” Jack tilted his head, and his grin got wider. “What did you want to ask me, princess?”
Insufferable ass. I wasn’t begging for Jack’s assistance. No fucking way. I’d take Faith to work with me and deal with the consequences.
I glared at Jack and kept my damn mouth shut.
“Elle needs you to watch Faith for her while she goes to work. You’ll help her out for me, won’t you, Jack?” Gabriel asked his friend.
Damn it, Dad!
It’s okay, Noelle. Nothing to worry about. Jack doesn’t want to because he wants nothing to do with you or Faith.
Jack winked at me.
“Why wouldn’t I assist you, Elle?” Jack put emphasis on my name, and I wanted to strangle him. “That’s what neighbors are for.”
He’d assist me? Oh, fuck no.
A stony, icy chill ran down my spine.
“Wonderful!” Mom chimed. “Thank you, Jack. We appreciate your help, don’t we, Elle?”
“Always.” I plastered a fake smile on my face for my parents.