Chapter 24
“Note to self: teach Boozer the difference between a Christmas tree and a bathroom.”
Sloane
I wait until the door closes behind Daisy – no way was I allowing Adele to be in the presence of that woman any longer than necessary – before leaving the nursery.
“Where’s Adele?” Kai asks.
“Here she is,” I say. “I kept her in the nursery until she left.”
“Thank you.” Zane gathers Adele into his arms.
The love he has for his daughter is clear to see on his face. It only makes him sexier, which I would have said was impossible a few weeks ago.
“Does this mean you’re filing for custody?” Eli asks.
“Hell, yeah, I am. I’m not letting anyone take Adele from me.”
I love how fiercely he protects his daughter. How deeply he loves her. I want him to love me and be fiercely protective of me.
I stiffen. I don’t want Zane – the player – to love me. How silly. I don’t love him. Why would I want him to love me?
Liar. You’re falling in love with him.
I want to deny it, but after watching Zane square off with Daisy to protect Adele, it’s undeniable. I am falling for Zane.
Shit. These feelings can only lead to heartbreak. Zane may be ready to be a dad, but he hasn’t changed his standpoint on relationships.
“Okay,” Eli says and I startle. I forgot I was standing in a room with the Raider brothers. Great time to have an epiphany.
I inch backwards until I’m in the kitchen. Boozer follows me. He stands at the door to the yard wagging his tail. Good idea. I’ll take him for a walk and clear my mind.
We slip outside. I wait a few moments, but when no one comes after us, I make my way around the house and down the street.
Boozer barks and tugs on his leash when he notices the neighbor, Addy, dragging her Christmas tree toward a cart parked in the middle of the street.
“Boozer, no!”
My shout seems to incite him as he breaks free and dashes to the Christmas tree. Addy shrieks and drops the tree. Boozer promptly lifts his leg and pees on it.
“Stop!”
I swear, if dogs could roll their eyes, he’d be rolling his eyes at me now.
“Sorry, Addy.” I snatch Boozer’s leash from the ground and yank him back.
Addy clutches his chest. “He scared me, is all. I didn’t notice you walking him.” She glances around. “Where’s Zane and Adele? I want cuddles.”
I ignore her question. I don’t want to discuss Zane or Adele now. “What’s happening?” I motion to the wagon filled with Christmas trees.
“The neighbors got together and rented a cart to bring our Christmas trees to the beach for the Smugglers’ Blaze.”
The Smugglers’ Blaze is a New Year’s Eve bonfire on the beach. The inhabitants of the island gather around and drink moonshine while saying goodbye to the year. I’m usually there working since Rumrunner has a booth selling drinks. Until the crowd gets too rowdy. Then, Harper shuts us down.
Addy narrows her eyes at me. “And don’t think I didn’t realize you changed the subject.”
I shrug. “What is there to say? I’m out walking my dog. Adele and Zane aren’t with me.”
“Hmmm… You two have been getting quite close since you’ve been living with him.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m the nanny. Of course, I live with him.”
“Uh huh. Live with him.”
“Since when are you into small town gossip?”
“Since I live on the same street as the current talk of the town.”
“Whatever,” I mumble. “I need to walk my dog.”
My dog that is currently rolling around in the Christmas tree where he peed. Great. Someone’s getting a bath today.
I tighten his leash and Boozer whines before giving up the Christmas tree. We don’t make it another block before my phone rings. Geez. Can’t a woman get an hour to sort herself after realizing she’s falling for her boss? The player who will never settle down.
“Hey, Harper.” Speaking of bosses.
“Where are you?”
“I’m walking my dog. What’s wrong? Do you need me to come into work?”
The last thing I want to do is work on my day off. But maybe work will get my mind off of things.
“No.”
“What’s up?” In other words, why is she calling? Harper and I have been working together for years. We’re friendly, but we’re not exactly friends. Although, she didn’t have much time for friends until recently.
“I …um… never mind.” She hangs up and I stare at my phone. What just happened?
“There you are!” Dakota shouts from behind me.
I glance over my shoulder. She’s rushing toward me. When she reaches me, she bends over and gasps for breath.
“Were you out jogging?”
“Yeah. Sure. Out jogging,” she wheezes.
“While wearing jeans and boots?”
She finally catches her breath and stands. “Enough about me. Let’s go have lunch.” She threads her arm through mine.
“Lunch?”
I know Dakota. She comes into Rumrunner with her boyfriend, Rhett, whenever the Raider brothers get together. But we’re not friends. Don’t get me wrong. I like her. We just haven’t had the chance to bond yet.
“It’s the meal in between breakfast and dinner.”
I snort. “I’m aware.”
“Oh, look. What a lovely surprise. Blossom and Harper are here, too.” She motions to the two women hurrying toward us.
“Who’s ready for lunch?” Blossom asks when she joins us.
“I’m starving,” Harper adds.
I skid to a halt. “What is going on?”
“I’m going to tell her,” Harper declares.
I narrow my eyes. “Tell me what? What’s going on? Is Adele hurt?” I try to turn around and head back to the house but Harper stops me.
“Adele is fine.” She squeezes my arm before releasing mine. “Everyone is fine.”
“More than fine.” Dakota winks.
Blossom groans. “Please, don’t wink. Whenever you wink, you forget how to walk and bump into someone. Usually a big someone who thinks you’re coming on to him. It never ends well.”
Dakota glares at her. “I can walk and wink at the same time.”
Blossom snorts. “Sure, you can.”
“Ladies.” Harper claps to get everyone’s attention. “Can we get back to the matter at hand?”
“Which is?” I ask.
“We’re having lunch with you while the men meet with the lawyer about Adele’s custody,” Blossom says.
“Wow. Zane didn’t wait long to get the ball rolling.”
“Is there another area Zane has been waiting on?” Blossom asks.
“What are you…” I trail off when I realize what she’s insinuating. “Zane and I aren’t a couple. I’m the nanny. End of discussion.”
“Come on.” Harper herds us forward. “Let’s discuss this over a burger at the Salty Siren. Just don’t tell my dad I had an unhealthy burger. He’ll lose his mind.”
“And no stopping to play games on the boardwalk,” Blossom adds. “Someone,” she points to Dakota, “is banned from the games.”
“I’m not banned,” Dakota declares. Blossom raises her eyebrows. “I was strongly advised not to return. It’s not the same as banned.”
“Paisely apologizes,” Harper says as we wander toward the boardwalk.
“About what?”
“Stephanie isn’t feeling well. She had to skip the Raider sisters' lunch.”
“Raider sisters?”
Dakota’s nose wrinkles. “You don’t approve of the name?”
“I don’t understand the name. As far as I know, there are only Raider brothers.”
“And their wives and girlfriends and fiancées.”
I screech to a halt. “I’m not a wife, girlfriend, or fiancée of a Raider brother.”
“Not yet,” Dakota sings as she threads her arm through mine.
I decide not to argue with her. For some reason, these women have decided I’m one of them. As much as I’d love to be one of them – I want to have a family more than anything in the world – I’m not. Zane is my boss, the father of the baby I’m helping to care for.
No matter how much I may wish for more, he doesn’t feel the same. And attaching myself to these women who are intimately connected to Zane’s brothers isn’t a good idea. When I’m no longer Zane’s nanny, it’ll be too painful to have friends who are part of his life when I no longer am.
“I just remembered. I have Boozer. He’s not allowed in the Salty Siren.”
Dakota waves a hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry. They let my dog, Delphine, in there all the time.”
“Your dog doesn’t try to steal burgers out of people’s mouths.”
As if he knows what I’m saying, Boozer barks.
“If a smuggler doesn’t know better than to let a dog steal their burger, it’s their own fault.”
Harper’s correct. Smugglers do know better. Considering the amount of pranks pulled on this island, inhabitants are well aware of the need to protect their food.
“Boozer can’t go through Smuggler’s Market. He’ll wreak destruction.”
Smuggler’s Market is a craft fair on the boulevard. During the summer, the market is every weekend. But in the off-season, the market only happens around holidays or festivals.
“We can…” Harper trails off.
“We can what?”
She nods to something behind me and I whirl around to find Zane stalking toward us. He appears mad. Why is he mad? Did things not go well at the lawyer’s?
“Did you fucking run away from me?”
I rear back. “Are you mad at me?”
Dakota snatches Boozer’s leash from me. “I’ll bring him back tomorrow.”
I don’t have a chance to protest before she rushes off with my dog. Blossom and Harper trail after her.
I focus my attention on Zane. His jaw is clenched, and his nostrils are flaring. He’s not mad. He’s pissed.
“What’s wrong?”