2. Rory

2

Rory

“ W ho was that?” Sebastian, Rory’s brother, asked.

“Another potential nanny,” Rory said dryly.

“She’s a pretty little thing. How long do you think this one will last?”

“Hell if I know,” Rory said, finishing off his beer. “I have court tomorrow morning after I interview the prospective nanny. I need to get home and look over my notes.”

“Is it the case of the kid who had a hundred and fifty pounds of pot in his car and told the cops that he was going to a Willie Nelson concert?”

Rory laughed. “That would be the one. He wouldn’t have been caught if he hadn’t run the stop sign and then the cops noticed that he had ten air fresheners in his car. He’s a good kid who just got caught up with some bad dudes.”

“That happens sometimes,” Sebastian said, slapping his brother on the back. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

His mind wasn’t on the case, though, as he drove home. Savvy’s blue eyes had captivated him and her smile had sent a shock of electricity through him. He had caught her faint scent of jasmine and something else that was her essence.

She seemed very delicate and he hoped that she was up to the task of reigning in his kids. They weren’t bad kids by any means, but they were energetic. The kids were a

Five minutes before eight, the bell rang. Amy, his housekeeper, opened the door and escorted Savvy in. She looked just like a teacher. A teacher I would have hit on if I had someone who looked like her in high school.

“Good morning, Ms. Winters.”

“Good morning. Please call me Savvy.”

“Savvy it is. I’m Rory. Please have a seat.”

She handed him a couple pieces of paper. One had a list of references on it. The other was a resume.

“You’ve been a bartender at a joint in Cheyenne for the last five years. That’s a lot different than working with children.”

“True. I was working at a daycare and was supposed to get married. My fiancé was on his motorcycle and was hit by a drunk guy who ran a red light. I was overcome with grief for a long time, and I wasn’t in a good place. I quit the daycare and got a job where I didn’t have to think or worry about other people’s emotions, feelings, or well-being. However, I’ve healed and was planning on going back to the daycare I was at. I was guaranteed a job by the owner. She will tell you if you call her.”

“Thank you for your honesty. Why didn’t you go back to that daycare?”

“Conner and Beth got together and moved down here. She’s my best friend, and her daughter Taryn is like my niece. I thought that Angel’s Creek would be a great place to start my life again.”

“I see,” he said. “Conner speaks very highly of you.”

She grinned. “He’s a great guy. I love him like a brother. I was there with him, Beth, and Taryn when he got hurt.”

Rory looked at her speculatively for a few seconds. She sat in the chair, her head up, and shoulders back. She exuded confidence. At the same time, there was a calm that surrounded her.

“My hours vary. I try to be home evenings while the kids are awake. I’m a criminal defense lawyer, although I’ll do other types of law if an interesting case comes up, so sometimes I’m busy in the evenings. I also take care of any legal matters that the pack has or that pack members might be facing. I’ll hang out with the other Griffins sometimes when I can after the kids are in bed.”

“Conner told me that you were the leader of the club.”

“My brother, Sebastian, and I are,” he said. “We love riding and it made sense to hang out with others who also enjoyed motorcycles, or in a couple of cases, trikes. We do charity events sometimes, and like other clubs, we honor fallen veterans, police, and firefighters.”

“I’ve seen a lot of good work that many motorcycle clubs do. One in Cheyenne did a charity that collected food, toys, and money so that some of our poorer families could have a good Christmas.”

“Was Gabe part of a club?”

A shadow passed over her face, and he instantly regretted asking.

“He hung out with one club, but he wasn’t an official member. He was finishing up medical school, so most of his time he was studying or working.”

“He sounds like a good man.”

Savvy just nodded.

“I know that Conner told you that I’ve gone through a lot of nannies. The last one was let go because she wasn’t paying attention to the kids. They shifted and ran around in the woods behind the house for at least an hour by themselves. Amy and Colby, my housekeeper and groundskeeper, are bear shifters and went out to find them when the nanny ran up to them, screaming.”

“That’s a good reason to fire her. I can guarantee that they won’t have the opportunity to do that with me around.”

“Would you like to meet them?” he asked.

“I would.”

He sent a quick text and then an older woman with the same dark brown hair and brown eyes came into the room, accompanied by two kids.

“This is Drake, who is five. This is Catherine, who prefers to be called Cat. She is six,” Rory said. “This is my mother, Hollie Garner.”

“Nice to meet you guys. I’m Savvy.”

“Please, call me Hollie,” she said, extending her hand.

Savvy shook it and smiled at the woman. “I’m Savannah, but everyone calls me Savvy.”

She sat back down on the couch and immediately Cat and Drake sat on either side of Savvy. Both of them started talking at once.

“I like to run and play tag, do you?” Drake asked.

“I have a sketchbook with a lot of pictures. I’m a great artist,” Cat said.

“I do love tag, and I bet you are a good artist. I can’t wait to see your drawings,” she replied, giggling.

They both chattered on, and Savvy did her best to keep up with their conversations. Rory looked at his mother and she nodded.

After about ten minutes, Drake asked, “Are you going to take care of us?”

“That is what your dad and I are talking about,” Savvy said. “You guys seem like a lot of fun.”

“We’re hard work,” Cat said solemnly.

“Are you now?” Savvy laughed.

“That’s what the last nanny said,” Drake assured her.

“Well, what is hard work for some people is a lot of fun for others,” Savvy replied.

Rory and Hollie watched Savvy interact with the kids in shock. They were normally extremely shy around strangers and refused to speak. However, Drake and Cat talked to Savvy as though she was their best friend and they had known each other forever. Savvy paid close attention to what each pup had to say and answered them as though she was talking to another adult, instead of in the condescending tone that many people used with children.

After several minutes, Rory said, “Why don’t you guys go into the kitchen and see if Rosa has a snack for you?”

“Come on, kids. I think I saw strawberry yogurt in the fridge,” Hollie said.

“Ew. Yogurt is for old people. Do we have any of that deer jerky left?” Drake asked.

Savvy laughed and Drake grinned at her. “Do you like strawberry yogurt?” he asked.

“Do I look old to you?”

Drake studied her for a minute and said, “Old enough to like yogurt, but young enough to play tag and have fun with us.”

“That’s a great answer,” Savvy said. “I bet that you’re going to grow up and be a diplomat someday.”

“No. I want to be a doctor.”

“I bet you’ll be a good one.”

Cat spontaneously hugged Savvy and then ran out of the room.

“I’ve never seen her do that before. Normally, both of them are shy around strangers.”

“I’m not a stranger because kids and animals have a good sense of whether someone is a good person. Being a kid and a wolf shifter gives them a good advantage in reading people.”

“True,” Rory said.

He stood up and said, “I have to be in court in an hour. It was great talking to you. I’ll give you a call tomorrow to let you know my decision.”

She smiled and said, “Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Savvy held out her hand. He took it and was almost forced to take a step back from the electricity that exploded from the touch. He watched her walk out to her truck and then closed the door as she drove off.

“There is something familiar about her,” Rory said to his mother as she walked back into the room. “I’ve never been to Wyoming and she’s never been to New Mexico, but I feel as though I know her.”

“She might just have one of those faces,” Hollie said.

“Maybe so,” he replied, somewhat doubtfully.

“I really like her. The kids are in the kitchen, gnawing on some deer jerky, telling Rosa all about her. They seemed to have taken to her.”

“Yes, they did,” Rory agreed.

“When are you going to let her know she has the job?”

“What makes you think I’m going to hire her?” he asked. “There are a couple of other candidates.”

“First, the kids reacted to her strongly. Second, your mother says you should hire her. I have a very good feeling about that woman.”

“You’re probably right,” he said. “Still, you know me. I need a little bit of time to think about it.”

“Sometimes, son, you just have to go with your gut.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned. “Right now, my gut has to get to court.”

He wasn’t in court long. The kid pled guilty and the maximum fine for distribution of weed in New Mexico was a year in prison, regardless of the amount. However, the judge was in a good mood.

“Time served plus fifty hours of community service,” the judge ordered and slammed down his gavel.

Rory looked at his client and thought the young man was going to faint.

“You’ve had a break. There are a lot of other career paths open to you. I suggest you choose one of those. Call my colleague. She helps young people like you find training for a job you might like and then helps you get a job. I don’t want to see you in this capacity again.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll call her today, sir.”

“Good. Now call this man. His name is Micah. Tell him that I told you to call. He is involved with a food bank and an animal shelter and can help get you set up with your community service.”

“Yes, sir,” the kid said.

He walked out of the courtroom. When Rory passed him sitting on the outside steps, he was on the phone with Micah.

“Do you have a ride?” Rory asked.

“My mom’s coming to get me. I’m going to stay with her until I can get a job and get my own place.”

“Good plan.”

Rory smiled. He always felt good when he could make a difference in someone’s life.

He called Savvy’s references. They all gave her glowing recommendations. The owner of the last daycare she worked at confirmed her story.

“I was devastated when she told me that she was going to move to New Mexico instead of coming back here. She has a magical way with the kids,” the woman said.

The kids were running around the backyard in circles when he got back home. Amy was sitting in the middle of the yard just watching them.

“They’re making me dizzy. They are so full of energy that I can’t even pretend to keep up with them.”

“I got it,” Rory said. “Thanks.”

“Hey, goobers. You wanna shift and run?”

Both of them ran up to him screaming, “Yes,” as they pulled off their clothes.

“Fold them up and put them in a bag, even if we are just going in the woods behind the house. It’s a good habit to get into.”

They ran until the pups were tired. They raced around trees, played hide and go seek, and went swimming in the river that cut through the wooded area. Rory was glad when they finally slowed down because they were making him tired, too, and he took pride in being fit.

While they were walking back, Cat asked, “Is Savvy going to be our new nanny?”

“Do you want her to be?”

“Yes,” both kids said.

“I’ll make the call later,” he promised.

“Woohoo,” they yelled.

He made the phone call and then got the kids ready for dinner. After dinner and the kids were put in bed, Rory and Sebastian met up at a little shack outside of town they considered their clubhouse. No one else was around.

Rory tossed his brother a beer and straddled a chair backward.

“I am a little concerned about Mark,” Rory said. “Last night his pupils were blown.”

“I saw that. It’s not the first time, either. I’ve seen him hanging around some of the guys in town who are dealing.”

“I’ve asked him about it and reminded him that won’t be tolerated if he wants to be a part of the Griffins . He swore up and down that he’s not dealing or using.”

“Do you believe him?” Sebastian asked.

“About as much that Santa Claus is going to bring Cat a hippo for Christmas this year.”

“It’s September and she’s already singing that song?” Sebastian laughed.

“It’s a year-round favorite.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Sebastian said.

He owned a security and investigative business.”

A couple of the other Griffins came in and they changed the subject. After an hour or so, Rory headed home. He was tired and ready for bed.

As he closed his eyes, he thought about Savvy. He hoped that she was going to stick around for a while, for the kids’ sake. He ignored the tiny thought in the back of his mind that he hoped she might stick around for his sake, too.