Chapter 4
Wes
How the hell do I get out of this?
When Sophie vouched for her friend from work, never in a million years did I expect the woman sitting across from me. She’s wide-eyed and smiling at me expectantly, waiting for my decision like she didn’t just flip my whole plan on its head.
Her pale green eyes are big and framed by thick, dark lashes.
Freckles trail along the bridge of her nose and continue out onto her cheeks.
Her dark hair looks almost black, but with the bright sun shining through the cafe’s window, I can tell it’s more mahogany.
It’s long, wavy, and absolutely not what I should be thinking about while interviewing her to be Lilah’s nanny.
I’ve heard about her through my sister and parents before, and I know she’s been to dinner at the house a couple times.
Sophie and her have been friends for a couple years, but I had just assumed—incorrectly—that she was a middle-aged woman.
I thought maybe she had a few grown kids. I did not prepare for this.
Why didn't Sophie tell me she wasn’t a middle-aged woman with kids?
Am I really irritated that my sister didn’t tell me her friend, who she swore up and down would be the best nanny for my daughter, was hot? Yeah, I am.
It’s fucked up. I’m very aware.
When she waved me down as I entered the cafe, I almost didn’t believe it was her. Maybe she thought I was someone else. But then she stood up, slipped her slim hand in mine, gave it a strong-as-hell shake, and confirmed my fears. Her soft skin met mine, and I was lit on fire in the blink of an eye.
Ivy.
The fact that just her name sounds and feels right is an immediate concern.
I haven’t had sex in a very long time. That's all it is. I mentally try to calculate the number of months it’s been since the last time—and come up short. The fact that I can’t even remember is a clear indication of why I’m thinking this way.
Maybe it was when I did that guest spot in Chicago?
My life doesn’t allow time for a relationship. And from the few one-night stands I’ve had, none of them have ever made me feel this on edge. Not this fast.
Then, to top this shit-show off, I introduced myself as Wesley. Followed by me stuttering and correcting myself. Nobody calls me Wesley, not even my mom. I’m Wes and have been since I was a kid. Wesley is my government name only, so why did I introduce myself that way?
I drum my fingers on the table and look out the window to my left, doing my best to look anywhere but at her. This is so fucked.
“Let’s do a trial basis,” I say on a sigh. “Two weeks.”
I know I’m being rude, but not looking directly at her will help me and my dick keep their cool.
“I want you to meet Lilah, give you a tour of the house and property, and make sure we can work well together before I commit to anything.”
“Of course. I’d be concerned if you didn’t want a trial basis.”
She chuckles, and my frown deepens.
Damn it to hell. Her laugh is even cute.
No.
You will not have the hots for your daughter's goddamn nanny. You will not be that guy. Even if she is the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen in your thirty-four years on this planet.
I literally just met the woman. I can keep my dick in my pants to ensure my daughter has adequate care.
I will repeat that every damn day if I have to.
I finally give in to the undeniable pull and look at her. She’s smiling again, and a weird feeling I’m choosing to ignore slowly creeps into my chest. It’s like a gas leak, fucking persistent and just as dangerous.
I grind my molars and give her a defeated nod. I don’t really have a choice. I need a nanny, and she needs a job. I know everyone else in town and none of them are worthy candidates.
I could put a job listing online, but the fact that Ivy is close with Sophie eases some of the worry of leaving my little girl with a stranger. It’s two weeks. I can do two weeks. Maybe it won’t work out. Maybe it’ll be too much for her.
“How old are you?” I ask.
I’m aware it’s an inappropriate question, and I don’t know why I care. Especially since the last person to be Lilah’s nanny wasn’t even old enough to drink.
“Twenty-nine,” she answers without missing a beat, then lifts an eyebrow. “How old are you?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” I clip back.
She seems completely undeterred by my sharp tone, and smirks back at me. It makes my stomach clench.
Not a good start, Wes.
“It was relevant for me, though?” Her eyes are full of amusement.
“Do you have time to follow me home and meet Lilah?” I ask, completely ignoring her calling me out on my bullshit.
She gives me a full-toothed grin. Her eyes dance, like she knows she caught me. All that smile does is hammer the nail in the coffin.
I’m fucked.
————
I put my truck in park just as Ivy’s car rolls up next to mine on the gravel drive. She agreed to come meet Lilah and check out the house today, so I called my mom when we left the cafe and asked if she could meet us here.
Ivy hops out of her car and rounds the hood to meet me at my door. I cut the engine and slide out, catching the look of awe on her face.
“This place is beautiful,” she says softly, turning her head slowly taking in the view behind me.
I grunt in agreement and usher her forward, doing my best to look at her as little as possible. The plan backfires, and I’m met with the perfect view of her ass in those tight black pants as she walks up the steps of the house.
It’s hard, but I tear my eyes away from her when we reach the top of the wraparound porch and Ivy turns to admire the view from my front door.
The Rocky Mountains steal the show with pine trees blanketing the horizon and surrounding the property—a reminder of how lucky we are to live here.
You tend to forget just how beautiful this is when you’ve seen it nearly every day of your life.
“The couple of times I’ve been here, I didn’t see much because it was dark. And there’s great views in town, but this is… beautiful.”
I’m stopped from saying something stupid when the front door swings open behind us. I whirl around to see my mom, then instinctively drop my eyes lower to see Lilah. My daughter is standing there in her overalls, barefoot, with Burrito the dragon hanging limply from her little hand.
Lilah gasps, loudly and theatrically. “Are you my new lady?”
she asks Ivy.
“I’m your new lady,” Ivy responds without hesitation, giving Lilah a huge smile, both hands resting on her hips.
Before I can get a word in, Lilah squeals. “You’re so pretty!”she shouts, and starts jumping up and down on the balls of her feet. She bounces out onto the porch with us and starts yanking on my hand.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daddy, for getting me a pretty lady!”
I finally manage to get a word in edgewise. “Bug, she’s your nanny, remember? We’re gonna hang out with Ivy for a couple weeks, make sure everything goes well, and then take it from there, okay?”
Lilah is still bouncing up and down, and I know she didn’t hear a single word I just said. Just as I’m about to ask her to calm down so we can show Ivy the house, Ivy takes both of Lilah’s hands in hers and starts jumping up and down as well.
Lilah bursts into a fit of giggles, and all I can do is stare.
What have I gotten myself into?
I eventually remember my mom is here with us, and glance over to her still standing in the doorway. She’s also taking in the sight of the two jumping girls, like it’s the best thing she’s ever seen. Her gaze slices to mine, and she grins.
“Ivy, you’ve met my mom before,” I say, gesturing toward the door.
The girls stop jumping, but stay connected by a single hand. Lilah simply follows Ivy’s lead and goes still without Ivy having to say a word. I blink, shocked.
My mom steps over the threshold and wraps Ivy up in a big hug. “Ivy, honey, I’m so happy this worked out,” she says into Ivy’s cloud of hair.
“Hi Mrs. Cooper. It's good to see you. Me too,” Ivy replies, hugging her just as hard.
“Oh please, call me Maggie. Mrs. Cooper was my mother-in-law. Don’t put me in the same basket as that witch.”
Ivy tosses her head back and actually cackles. “Maggie. Got it.” She steps back from their hug and looks over at me.
“Well, we’ll see if it works out, we're doing a trial basis.” I say—a little harsher than I intended.
Ivy’s smile falters just a bit before she quickly recovers. Seeing it makes my chest squeeze, and that irritates me, so I keep my stoic expression. Why the hell do I care? I glance at my mom, and she looks like she wants to smack me. I don’t blame her.
Lilah's hand is still gripping Ivy’s while Burrito dangles from the other. She looks up at Ivy and offers, “I’m Delilah Mae and I’m four.” She’s so excited she’s practically vibrating.
Ivy looks down at the sound of Lilah’s little voice and lets out a small gasp.
“Oh my god, Delilah? My m–”
“Do you like dragons?” Lilah cuts in.
Ivy scoffs. “Who doesn’t?”
That seems to set off another round of jumping from my four-year-old.
“Okay, okay, bug let’s settle down and get inside to show Ivy around. Then she can come back and have all day with you tomorrow, okay?” I say, reaching my hand out for her to grab so I can bring her inside.
She completely disregards my outstretched hand.
“Yes!” My tiny dictator fist pumps the air. “C’mon Iby! I’ll show you my room, you can sleep in there!”
Her pronunciation of the v in Ivy’s name makes a b sound, and I have to admit, it’s really fucking cute. Delilah pulls Ivy through the front door and starts down the hall toward her room.
Step one will be explaining this arrangement in great detail to my daughter, so she doesn’t try and strong-arm Ivy into sleeping on her toy riddled floor.
Step two is to convince my brain that our new nanny is very off-limits and not an option for me, so I need to keep my eyes and hands to myself. Step three, follow step two.
I finally step inside the house, then turn to say goodbye to my mom and thank her for her help today. Leaning a forearm on the door jamb, I grip the edge of the door with my other hand to close it.
“What?” I ask, noticing she’s sporting a shit-eating grin on her face.
The smile reaches all the way up to her eyes. “Oh, nothing at all.” She snickers, then moves down the porch steps, making her way up the road toward her house.
“Don’t,” I practically growl after her.
She lets out the most evil laugh I think I’ve ever heard from her.
“Have fun! Use Protection!” she calls over her shoulder.
I shut my eyes and take a deep breath.
So, so, so fucked.