One

Chapter Seventeen

NANNIES AND NEIGHBORS

Cloud nine carried me home late that night. I wanted to stay, but I had to be up and ready for Shayna’s nanny, and the guy who made an official claim to the title Man of my Dreams was too much of a distraction. Leaving his bed in the morning would have been impossible after our perfect evening.

Following the best salmon ever, he made love to me on the deck, whispering that magical love to me over and over. I wasn’t sure if there were depths to our love, but if there were, then I was in so far I knew I’d die before escaping.

I didn’t want to escape. Cage quitting the NFL to be a teacher and spend more time with me?

I didn’t want that either. I’d watched him play in college.

The euphoria on his face when he connected with a receiver in the end zone was not a look that said he wanted to be a teacher and spend his free time with a girl.

We agreed the evening had left us both in a cloud of nostalgia and that making life-changing decisions was best done with a clear head.

What I did know for certain was Cage Monaghan was the reason my life was spared. I didn’t know how I knew it … I just did.

“I’m not going to be able to stay too long. I have a meeting,” Everson said as we waited for the nanny to arrive.

“That’s fine. I have a feeling they’ll hit it off in less than sixty seconds. Then you’ll be dismissed and I’ll expect a sizable finder’s fee check at my door by dinner.”

“Finder’s fee?”

“For finding the world’s best nanny.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”

I grinned as Shayna came into the room. “This one’s a sure thing. She’s going to love Jamie, and Jamie is going to adore this sweet little girl.” I hugged her.

“How old is Jamie?” Everson asked.

“Thirty-one.”

Just on time, there were three quick raps at the door. Everson could take a lesson from Jamie on knocking properly, as in: I’m at your door but not trying to annoy the hell out of you.

Everson opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Jamie Law.”

“No you’re not.” Everson shook his head.

“Everson!” I pulled at his arm to move him out of the way. “Don’t be rude.”

“Stick—”

“Lake.” I shot him a scowl before flipping it to a smile for Jamie. The nanny didn’t need to hear our pet names for each other. “Come in, Jamie.”

“Lake, can I talk to you for a minute?” Everson asked in a tone that didn’t actually ask, but rather demanded.

“Sure, just a second. Jamie, I’d like you to meet Shayna and her brother Everson Banks.”

Shayna held out her hand for Jamie. Everson did not.

“A word. Now!”

I shot Everson another scowl followed by another apologetic smile to Jamie.

“Shayna, why don’t you tell Jamie about your swimming lessons and what books you like. Excuse us for a few moments, we’ll be right back.”

“Take your time.” Jamie smiled.

I shut the door to Everson’s bedroom. “Oh … my gosh. What is your problem? Do you have any idea how qualified Jamie is compared to every other person I interviewed? So help me if you blow this I’m going to be pissed at you.”

He rested his hands on his hips. “Are you fucking blind? Jamie is a dude. I’m not hiring a dude to be my sister’s nanny. That shit’s just not right.”

“Wow … oh wow! Could you be any more sexist?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I could be, but I’ll spare you and just keep it simple. No. Not hiring him.”

“Because he’s a guy?”

Everson nodded. “Correct.”

“Two years ago he nannied for royalty in England. He has a degree in education. He’s a part-time EMT.

He speaks four different languages. He’s completed seven Ironman competitions.

AND he’s hit the New York Times Bestseller list for a series of children’s books he’s written.

Are you out of your mind? It doesn’t get any better than Jamie. ”

“You gonna still help with her sometimes?”

“What? Yes. But I can’t guarantee my time with the unpredictability of my job, so I can’t be her nanny, otherwise I would have offered.”

“I get that, Stick. But you’ll be around when you can?”

I shrugged. “Of course.”

“You’ll hang out with Shayna and her nanny?”

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“Great. Wait here.”

I waited. Why? I wasn’t sure.

“Jamie, man … mind if I take your picture for security purposes?”

I peeked around the corner as Everson took Jamie’s picture.

“What’s that all about?” I asked when Everson came back into the bedroom.

He tapped the screen of his phone. “What were all those credentials again? Royalty … teacher, EMT, four languages…” he continued to type into his phone “…Ironman competitions, oh and New York Times Best Seller.”

“What are you doing?”

He held up his phone. “Just sent a picture of Jamie and his amazing resumé to Monaghan to see how he feels about me hiring him to work next door to you.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s not going to care. If anything, he’ll be impressed with my skills for finding the perfect person to watch Shayna.”

Everson held up his phone as it dinged with a response from Cage. He smirked. “Yeah, that’s what I figured he’d say.

Monaghan: No. Fucking. Way!

My jaw plummeted to the ground. I couldn’t believe that was Cage’s reaction. However, I refused to let Everson see my shock.

“You’ve got thirty seconds to make an intelligent case for not hiring Jamie, otherwise he’s our guy. I know darn well you have plans over the next few weeks and I can’t be your backup every time, so let’s hear it.”

“He’s a dude!”

I grunted a buzzing sound. “Try again, twenty seconds left.”

“It makes no sense that he’d want to be a nanny. That alone should raise enough suspicion.”

Another buzzing sound from me. “Last chance, ten seconds.”

“I’m going to catch shit from everyone I know for having a guy nanny…” he pointed toward the other room “…that looks like pretty boy out there.”

“That’s why you don’t want to hire him? Because he’s …”

Everson crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s what, Stick? Finish your thought.”

I wasn’t taking the bait. “Give him two weeks and if you don’t like him then we’ll look for someone else.”

Our stare-off lasted for a good minute or more.

“One week and I’m the one who decides if we keep him. Got it?”

I nodded.

I followed Everson out and sat next to Shayna who’d been giggling and already having a great time with Jamie.

Everson went through his whole spiel about a one-week trial to see if Jamie was really a good match, while I took a good look at the male nanny.

Maybe a certain quarterback kept me from assessing Jamie’s appearance or if I did do it, then it had to have been subconsciously.

Upon closer inspection, I had to admit Jamie was a little on the gorgeous side: tall, fit, a nice smile, dark hair and eyes. There may have been a hint of a Tom Hardy resemblance going on and a British accent that would have melted a certain amputee’s panties in a pre-Cage lifetime.

“I’m not a big fan of American football, but I look forward to watching you play this fall.”

I cringed. Jamie needed to just leave before he got any more strikes against him. It was clear from the way Everson’s body tensed that he didn’t like someone making it sound like there was any kind of football other than American football—the football.

“So, Jamie, thanks for coming by, it appears you and Shayna are going to get along just great. Tomorrow at eight?”

Jamie smiled. Yeah, he was a cutie.

“Great! Bye, Shayna, see you in the morning.”

When the door closed, I leaned back against it. “Shayna, did you like Jamie?”

She nodded really big with a smile to match. I smirked at Everson whose face sustained a permanent scowl. It appeared as though I would not get to see his blinding smile anytime soon.

When I returned to my apartment, I took care of my first order of business.

Lake: “No. Fucking. Way!” Really? Please tell me you didn’t base a person’s nanny qualifications on a photo.

Cage: Getting ready for an interview. TTYL

Just as I blew out a breath of frustration, there was a knock at my door. A new type of knock, based on my knock expertise.

The peephole revealed a woman with long, red hair who moved in way too close, squinting one eye, attempting to look in my peephole from the other side. I jumped back. That was a first. So not cool on her part. I opened the door.

“Hi, are you Lake Jones?” she asked with an easy southern drawl.

Why did a stranger asking for confirmation of my name seem like a test?

“Who wants to know?”

She grinned a lovely smile that accented her soft, translucent blue eyes. They looked far less creepy than they did through the peephole. “I’m Penny Weiss, your new neighbor on the other side of the elevator. My husband and I moved in last week.”

I peeked around the corner then nodded. “Oh, yeah, that place has been vacant for a while.”

She wrinkled her nose. “The view’s not great, but we don’t mind.

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself.

We moved here from San Antonio, empty nesters now.

My husband’s parents are moving to an assisted living facility close by, so we decided to move here at least for a couple of years.

Once our kids decide to marry and give us some grandbabies, we’ll be out of here. ”

I nodded. Penny didn’t look old enough to be a grandma. She looked maybe thirty-five, thin, with a silver arm cuff just beneath the bicep of her left arm, various sliver rings on her fingers, and large silver hoop earrings.

“Anyway, that’s all. Just wanted to make the introduction. The apartment manager told me we might be a good fit. We left a great neighborhood, and I’m sure apartment dwellers don’t socialize like homeowners in the burbs, but I’m old school. You drink wine?”

“I do.” I smiled because chatty Penny was nice and unpretentious. Lord knows I needed a friend in my corner with all the testosterone in my life. No offense to Trzy.

She glanced down. “Wowza, never seen a leg like that before. Rupert, my husband, lost half his finger when he was fourteen. Came out on the short side of garbage disposal roulette.

I grimaced.