2. Aspen
Idon’t know why the interior of the storybook mansion awes me more than the exterior, with its marble floors and shockingly expensive artwork plastered stylishly on the walls. Many of the pieces are undeniably Pike’s own, even though they’ve never sat in any gallery, I’m sure. They’re for private consumption only, his inner circle.
Am I part of that inner circle? Have they already made up their minds about me?I don’t feel like I’ve had the chance to make any kind of impression yet, good or bad.
Flint takes Lily to the kitchen for the snack he promised, and I am led through a huge, modern house toward the entranceway, where a dining room sits to the left of a set of twinning staircases, the living room on the right. I’m almost afraid to enter the sitting area, adorned in its soft creams and gold. The couches are clouds of white, welcoming and daunting as I hesitate at the threshold, but Pike doesn’t think twice about flopping onto an overstuffed cuddle chair.
“Zoe?” he calls out. “You around?”
A mouse-quiet figure pops out of nowhere, her wispy blonde bangs covering the front of her forehead almost to her long eyelashes. She grins mischievously, instantly making her look years younger.
“Right here, Pike,” she answers in a shockingly powerful voice. For all her timid-looking appearance, she’s not afraid to speak aloud, it seems.
“Can you bring us something to drink? It’s a hundred degrees outside.”
“Sure. Iced tea?”
“Whatever,” Pike says dismissively, waving his hand, but he suddenly appears to remember that I’m there. “Is iced tea okay with you, Ms. Palco?”
I blush, still lingering in the doorway.
“Sure,” I agree quickly. I’m also slightly parched, but that has more to do with my uneasiness than the Georgia heat.
Zoe disappears as quickly as she arrived, and Pike stares at me stonily. “You can come and sit down, you know?”
But this room is for kings, men like Pike Hartley who are comfortable in its luxury, not for the hired help, orphaned deadbeats who can barely survive paycheck to paycheck.
Assuming I am the hired help.
I’ve nannied for wealthy parents before, but never in a house like this—and never for someone as wealthy as Flint Sterling or as famous as Pike Hartley. Caden Taylor’s summary was oddly brief, stating very little about who he is or what he does, but I assume he, too, must be wealthy if he lives with the others.
Swallowing, I inch my way inside, sure that I’m leaving an entire trail of dirt in my wake.
Zoe flies by me, a tray in hand, and I marvel at how fast she’s got the pitcher of sweet tea with four glasses. Wedges of lemons sit on a plate next to the sweating jug. She flashes me a grin as she sets the platter down.
Flint follows behind her, thanking the housekeeper as Zoe again vanishes, and Caden wanders in after him, rubbing a hand through his rugged, dark beard. He’s found a dirty undershirt that does little to hide his rippling muscles.
A sweat breaks out over my hairline.
I didn’t even notice the beard in the garage. I’d been so busy looking at his abs and intelligent hazel eyes, the combination tantalizing.
“Finally,” Pike grouches at them both, and I wonder if he’s always in a bad mood or if I have anything to do with it. “Can we get on with this?”
“Where’s Lilbug?” Caden asks, but he’s looking right at me, as if I should have an answer.
“With Zoe in the kitchen. We don’t have a lot of time before she wanders in here,” Flint warns him. “Let’s get to the heavy stuff before she can overhear. She and Ryan can only keep her distracted for so long.”
I wonder if Ryan was my driver, but I don’t ask.
Caden plops down on the couch, a little close to me, and I feel all the blood rush to my head as I fix my gaze on Flint, who is suddenly all business.
“First, thanks for coming all the way out here, Ms. Palco.” He sits back and crosses an ankle over his knee. “Usually, we’re a bit more organized than all this.”
“Speak for yourself,” Caden chirps, and Flint casts him a scathing look that silences him but doesn’t make him lose his smirk.
“It’s not that far from Atlanta,” I reply quickly. “And please, call me Aspen.”
“That’s a fine name!” Caden says. “Does it have any significance?”
“Caden, really?” Pike barks. “She’s not a patient.”
Caden shrugs, and I eye him, wondering what kind of doctor he is and if he can fix my many ailments. I give him a sheepish smile, and he winks at me. “We’ll get to know one another later,” he promises.
My cheeks flame crimson.
Flint clears his throat. “I don’t know how much they told you about our situation at the agency.”
“A little,” I say, unsure of what the correct answer is in this position. “I only know that the three of you have been Lily’s guardians for the past two years.”
Caden’s smile finally falters as he looks at his companions, and a somber cloud falls over the living room.
“Her parents, Alexandra and Ryker, passed away two and half years ago in a car accident,” Flint explains, his voice taut. “Lily doesn’t remember them at all.”
I make a commiserating sound, but again, I’m not sure if that’s the response they need. I am totally out of my element and terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing.
“We all loved them,” Caden adds, sounding serious for the first time since I’ve met him. “A staple in the community.”
“Cypress Gardens?” I ask.
“Yes.” Flint hesitates. “It’s a close-knit group here. We’re not just neighbors; we’re friends.”
“After attending boarding school together,” Caden volunteers, catching my confused look. “And college, we ended up with property here.”
“Wow… that’s some commitment to your friendship,” I drawl. “All five of you?”
The men look at one another, and Flint clears his throat. “Alexandra lived here.”
“Ryker met her here,” Pike adds, speaking curtly. There’s a small, uncomfortable silence I don’t understand, but I don’t break it.
“Sometimes, you don’t have family you can rely on,” Caden says. “You have to make your own.”
“We were family. The only family Alex and Ryker knew,” Pike interjects angrily and rises abruptly to pace the room. “And now we’re Lily’s family.”
I stare at him, the impassioned speech disturbing me. No one suggested otherwise, but the unconventional relationship still needs clarification.
“We were awarded guardianship of Lily when they passed,” Flint continues, casting Pike a warning look. “As per their last will and testament. At first, we minded her in our own houses with a consistent nanny to watch over her, moving her from household to household, but it quickly became apparent that it would not work that way for long. She was going to ask questions and needed more stability.”
“So you all moved in together?” I’m awed by the devotion they have to the little girl, my heart twitching at the story. They really loved Alexandra and Ryker.
I’ve never known that kind of support from anyone.
“It’s the only way it makes sense to raise a girl growing so quickly,” Caden explains, sounding slightly defensive about my question. “She’s still young now, but soon, she’ll be questioning everything.”
“I think it’s selfless and wonderful. You’ve all sacrificed a lot to care for her,” I blurt out honestly. All three men gawk at me. “May I ask what happened to the previous nanny?” I venture timidly, hoping I’m not pushing my luck.
“Sonia is at least eighty,” Caden snorts with amusement. “She should have retired twenty years ago.”
“She was mine and my brother’s nanny,” Flint adds dryly, and I’m not sure if he’s joking or not. I decide not to ask.
“Oh.” Mrs. Burgess at the agency didn’t mention that part. Maybe she didn’t know.
“This job will not have regular hours, Ms. Palco,” Pike tells me. I shift my attention toward him and realize he’s stopped pacing to look out at one of the three arched windows overlooking the luscious, sprawling yard. “You’re to be with Lily always.”
Swallowing, I come to terms with the reality of the live-in position. But given the distance, it would have to be. On the other hand, the salary would be well worth entertaining the notion, even though I’m not entirely sure what it is yet. With a real estate mogul, renowned artist, and doctor signing the checks, I’m already counting the dollar signs in my head. And they’re dollars I desperately need.
“Just call me Aspen,” I remind them, sensing that Pike will be the hardest to win over in this threesome. “And I am fully dedicated to all the children in my care. Lily will be my priority.”
“We know,” Flint replies for him. “We’ve had you checked out.”
Blood drains from my face as my head whips back toward him. “W-what do you mean?”
“The agency sent over your file for reference. You have glowing recommendations from your two previous positions, and we ran a background check on you.”
I exhale, avoiding their eyes.
If that’s all they looked into, I’m okay. If they find out about the other stuff, I’m so screwed.
I gulp. “Oh, yes. Of course. I was going to suggest you call my former employers.”
“There’s nothing other people can tell us that we can’t glean for ourselves,” Caden says, sitting up straighter. “I don’t think we need to go through with much more of an interview process. Lily likes you. I like you. Gentlemen?”
My cheeks are burning by the way Caden puts his companions on the spot, but to my surprise, both men appear in agreement. Even Pike doesn’t hesitate.
“The demands of this job will be endless,” Pike warns again, and I wonder if he’s trying to scare me off.
“I’m not afraid of hard work,” I promise, rubbing my open palms over my skirt. “I welcome it.”
“Good. Let’s discuss your salary then,” Flint interjects, again offering Pike a dirty look. He removes a card from the breast pocket of his blue button-down shirt and hands it to me.
There’s a true sign of old money, I muse. Never discuss amounts out in the open.
This trick I recognize from my time among the wealthy. Leaning forward to accept the card, I gasp aloud when I read the amount printed in bold, even numbers. I blink twice, unsure if I’m reading it right.
“That’s just your base salary,” Caden adds quickly, misunderstanding my shock. “You’ll get bonuses and a car of your own to transport Lily. You can also use the vehicle when you have days off?—”
“Which won’t happen often,” Pike interrupts.
“Will you stop?” Flint finally barks at him. “She gets it. It’s a full-time job.”
Pike scowls slightly and turns back toward the window, folding his arms over his broad chest, a chestnut curl falling over his forehead.
Is he trying to warn me?
“As I was saying,” Caden goes on. “The car will be only yours, and of course, your room and board are covered, as well as a per diem. You’ll get a credit card to charge all expenses related to Lily.”
Excitement courses through me, along with nervousness. I’ll have to get rid of my apartment in Atlanta and pack up all my belongings. I’ll have to say goodbye to my friends and?—
“How long do you think you’ll need to get your affairs in order to start?” Flint asks, as if he’s reading my mind.
I bite on my lower lip, my mind racing as I mentally calculate the tasks I’ll need to accomplish.
“Two weeks?” I ask warily, terrified that it will be too long, and they’ll pass me up for another nanny.
“Make it three,” he responds. “We will take care of any costs associated with moving and breaking your lease. You have a lot to deal with. We’re asking you to uproot your whole life, and frankly, I remember what it was like when we had to move.”
Caden chuckles in agreement, but Pike says nothing, his brooding manner encompassing him like a dark cloud.
Gratefully, my shoulders sag, but I eye him uncertainly. “Are you sure you can manage for that long?”
“Sonia has been gone for almost three months,” Caden informs me with a grin. “We can manage.”
I blink. “Three months? You didn’t want another nanny in the interim?”
Caden finds my question hilarious as Flint rolls his eyes, reaching for the pitcher of iced tea to pour a glass, which he hands to me. “There have been other interviews,” he confesses as I take a sip. “But they didn’t pan out.”
A knot of dread forms in my gut, the desire to pepper the trio with more questions flooding me, but I wisely say nothing. I press the glass to my lips.
Flint looks at his housemates. “I guess that’s it, then? Questions for Aspen?”
“Nope. I’ll have Ryan take her back to the city when she’s done with her drink,” Caden replies.
Flint pulls out his phone and frowns as he scrolls through. His face brightens when he finds what he’s looking for.
“Good. I have to get ready for my trip back east. Lovely meeting you, Aspen. We’ll see you in three weeks, on May eighth. Nine a.m. Please don’t be late.”
“I won’t,” I promise.
Flint bows out, and Pike follows without saying a word.
My eyes trail after them.
“Don’t mind Mr. Moody,” Caden reassures me. “He’s an artist. He warms up… eventually.”
But I do mind. I mind very much that Pike doesn’t like me and that there have been other interviewees who “didn’t pan out.”
Did they live here, too? Were they fired? Am I about to turn my whole life upside down, only to be booted out after a week?
I just have to ensure that never happens, I tell myself firmly, but I can’t shake the sense of trepidation—coupled with elated hope building inside me. I will make this work no matter what.