3. Savvy

3

Savvy

“ H ow did it go?” Beth asked when Savvy walked in.

“I think it went pretty well,” Savvy said. “He seemed to be understanding when I explained why I left the daycare after Gabe died. I gave him the references if he wanted to check them out.”

“From what Conner said, he is a great father and pretty protective over his kids. I imagine that he’ll call every single one of them,” Beth said. “What did you think of the kids?”

“They are awesome. Definitely full of energy – about like the way Taryn was when she was that age. I will never be bored, that’s for sure. They seemed to like me. Both of them started talking to me right away. Rory said that they never do that.”

“That is because you have a magical way with kids. It’s great that you’re one of the good guys,” Beth said.

“I don’t think that anyone with a dark heart could have a magical way with kids because the kids would figure everything out right away. They have, what my boss used to say, built-in bullshit detectors. Most kids know right away whether a person is good, bad, or blowing smoke up their rear-end.”

“True enough,” Beth said. “What about Rory?”

“He’s not quite as gruff as I thought last night. Actually, there is something about him. He’s sexy as hell. But there’s something else. Some kind of magnetism.”

“You could smell the pheromones in the air,” Cassia said. “They were thick around both of them.”

“What you’re saying is that there was a definite mutual attraction.” Beth laughed.

“Oh, yeah. They should have just ripped each other’s clothes off right there in the hallway and attacked each other right there on the spot.”

“Cassia,” Savvy gasped, laughing. “Not in front of his mother, the kids, and the staff.”

“So, if they weren’t there, you would have jumped his bones,” Beth teased.

“You guys are awful,” Savvy said. “I will admit that I found him to be very attractive. But then again, maybe it’s just because I haven’t had a man in my life for a very long time.”

“His mother was there?” Beth asked.

“Yes. Hollie. She seemed to be a very nice woman. I liked her. I think that I passed her initial approval.”

“As a mate for her son or a nanny to the grandkids?” Beth smirked.

“Ugh.” Savvy laughed, shook her head, and ran upstairs to change.

Rory called that afternoon.

“The kids love you and you passed my mom’s test,” he said.

Savvy thought that she could hear him grinning over the phone. “The position pays five hundred dollars a week, plus room and board. You get two weeks of paid vacation after a year. Weekends are usually off, but if there is an event such as a ride, I’ll pay extra if you work. We can review your pay after ninety days.”

“That sounds fair,” Savvy said.

“Can you be here at eight in the morning?”

“Sure thing.”

She told Beth and Taryn. The little girl looked sad and said, “I’ll miss having you around all the time.”

“I’m not far,” Savvy said. “Just a hop, skip, and a jump away. You’ll still see me a lot.”

She hugged Taryn, who said glumly, “If you say so.”

Savvy went upstairs to pack. She was excited. Although Beth and Conner had been very nice about letting her stay there, she hated imposing on them and not pulling her weight with expenses. She was well aware that Conner had enough money to support everyone without blinking an eye, but it didn’t feel right to her.

She struggled to get to sleep and her eyes popped open an hour before her alarm was set to go off. Conner helped her stow her two suitcases and bag of toiletries in the truck. Beth made breakfast, although Savvy was too excited to eat much.

Beth hugged her and said, “If it gets to be more than you bargained for, you can always come home.”

Taryn cried.

“Honey, I’m just going across town,” Savvy assured her.

“I’ll miss you and Cassia. I’m used to seeing you every day.”

“You’ll still see us lots, I promise.”

The door flew open as soon as she stepped onto the front porch.

“Welcome,” a woman with a bright smile and graying brown hair said. “I’m Amy. I’m so glad that you’re here.”

Her smile was infectious and Savvy liked her immediately. “I’m Savvy. Excited to be here.”

“My husband, Colby, will be glad to get your bags and take them to your suite,” she said. “Then, if you trust him with the keys, he’ll put your truck in the garage. I promise that he’s a very good driver.”

“I trust you.” Savvy smiled. “Thank you.”

The kids rushed out of the kitchen and ran over to Savvy.

“You’re here,” Drake yelled.

“I am. How are you this morning?” Savvy asked.

“Good,” he said a little more quietly.

“How are you, Cat?”

“Good,” she said.

Rosa followed them out and extended her hand to Savvy. “I’m Rosa. Glad you’re here.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Savvy said.

“Guys, come back into the kitchen and finish your breakfast. Let Savvy get settled,” Rosa said, steering the kids back to the kitchen.

“Follow me,” Amy said.

She led Savvy up a set of ornate, curved stairs that were gorgeous. Amy opened a door with a flourish, and Savvy stepped in.

“Wow. This is bigger than my apartment in Cheyenne,” Savvy said in an awed voice.

The suite opened into a small sitting room with a couch and television. One door led to a bedroom with a queen-sized, four-poster bed.

“That walk-in closet was bigger than my bedroom,” she exclaimed.

Amy laughed.

The other door off the sitting room led to a bathroom with a huge bathtub that had jets. There was a separate shower and a stall for the toilet. A linen closet and stand-alone sink completed the room.

“Wow. Do you know how much he could rent this suite for in New York or California?” Savvy asked.

Amy laughed. “You should see his suite. It has all of this, plus his office. And it’s bigger.”

“I think I should have been a lawyer,” Savvy said.

“His family has money, although you would never know it based on how hard he works.”

“I have to admire that,” Savvy said.

“The kids’ rooms are here. They have a playroom between their bedrooms,” she said.

Savvy peeked in. There were two bookshelves full of books, two huge toy chests, and a corner with a large menagerie of

Amy showed her the living room, library, dining room, and a room where get-togethers were held.

“I know where I’ll be when I’m off,” Savvy said. “I love reading.”

“You are more than welcome to it,” Amy said. “There are some books that are pretty old, so you will want to be more careful with them if you like the classics.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready to rumble?” Amy asked. “The kids have been chomping at the bit all morning, asking when you are going to get here.”

“I’m ready. When do they normally get up?”

“Around seven,” Amy said, almost apologetically.

“No worries. I can get up early,” Savvy replied.

As they walked into the kitchen, Cassia landed on her shoulder. “I’ve been all over this house. It’s awesome. You’d better not get us fired from this job,” the firefly whispered in her ear.

Savvy shrugged her shoulder because she couldn’t talk back to her familiar without seeming a little crazy.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Drake announced when Savvy walked into the kitchen.

“That sounds a little creepy,” Rosa said. “Almost like you’ve stepped into a horror movie.”

Everyone laughed.

“Do you two have a schedule that you normally keep to?” Savvy asked.

“Nope,” Cat said, shaking her head enthusiastically.

“I think it’s a good idea to have one,” Savvy said. “After breakfast, we should go out and get some exercise.”

“Can we shift and go for a run?”

“I’m sorry that you can’t do that because I’m not a shifter. However, I think that maybe a good game of tag might be in order.”

“I love tag,” Drake said.

“I remember.”

Savvy laughed and had fun as they played tag for about ten minutes. Then, they decided to race back and forth across the yard. They played spaceship on the swing set and slide. After about an hour, Savvy said, “Let’s go inside now.”

They grabbed a cup of juice and went up to the playroom. The three of them spent ten minutes talking about different types of weather. Then, Savvy handed out some pencils and crayons. She folded several pieces of white paper in half and announced, “We’re going to make a weather book.”

Together they drew rain, snow, hail, and sleet. Then Drake said, “We should draw tornadoes.”

“New Mexico only averages ten tornadoes a year, but I agree, we should draw them.”

“What about hurricanes? I saw them on the news,” Cat said.

“Good idea.”

Savvy smiled as they got to work drawing their storms. Lunch followed. Then, they read a story, and the kids had a nap.

Taking a moment to breathe, she texted Beth, The kids are great. We’re having a blast. I had forgotten how much energy little ones have.

More energy than the drunk wannabe cowboys at the bar?

Yes.

The afternoon went by fast. She took them back outside to play, and then they practiced some math problems. They went back outside and came back in to practice reading. They were pretty tired by the time Rory got home.

Drake and Cat jumped up as soon as they saw their father poke his head into the door.

“How was your day?” he asked.

“It was so cool,” Cat said as Drake yelled, “Awesome.”

They both started talking at once. He sat down on one of the bean bag chairs, pulled them into his lap, and said, “One at a time.”

Rory looked over at Savvy and smiled. Her heart thudded in her chest. That smile was so incredibly sexy. Then, he focused on the kids. She used the time to use the restroom and have a conversation with herself.

“You cannot jump out of your skin every time the man looks at you.”

“If you do, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack,” Cassia said.

“Where did you come from? I thought you were in the garden.”

“I was until a bird came out and tried to eat me. He didn’t want to listen to me when I told him that I wasn’t a snack, so I came back inside.”

“Wise move.” Savvy laughed.

“You seemed to enjoy yourself today.”

“I did.”

“Good. I’m glad to see you happy,” Cassia said, putting a tiny dragonfly kiss on Savvy’s face.

After dinner, Rory took the kids out back and stripped. Savvy felt the heat rise up into her face when she stared at the god who stood in front of her before she quickly turned away just as he shifted into a gorgeous wolf.

“He forgot that you aren’t a shifter,” Amy said. “Although nudity isn’t uncommon for shifters, he would have taken care to go off into the woods.”

“It’s his house,” Savvy said. “He shouldn’t have to make concessions for me. I’ll get used to it. How long will they be gone?”

“At least an hour,” she said.

“Thanks,” Savvy said. “I’m going to check out the gardens.”

She stared at a flowerbed, although her mind was on Rory. He was tall and extremely well-built. His arms were thick and his chest was chiseled. Savvy just hoped that she didn’t embarrass herself when she saw him standing naked there.

“At least you didn’t make a puddle on the ground,” Cassia said.

“Quit reading my mind,” Savvy said.

“Why? It’s so much fun in there.”

“Don’t make me get the flyswatter,” Savvy hissed at her, playfully.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Cassia replied.

Savvy was about to say something when Colby asked, “Are you okay?”

She squealed, jumped, and turned around all at the same time.

“Yes. I just have a habit of talking to myself,” Savvy said, blushing, sure that the man thought she was a complete lunatic. “I was enjoying your beautiful flowers.”

He smiled with pleasure and pointed out the different types that grew on the premises. “We also have a vegetable and herb garden. A lot of the veggies that Rosa serves come from here.”

“That’s awesome,” Savvy said.

They talked for a while until the kids came back. She purposely turned her back toward Rory while she herded the children upstairs for their showers. When they were finished, Rory came upstairs to read with them and put them to bed.

“I’m going out for a while.”

She nodded, not sure how she was supposed to respond. “Have fun” or be “safe” sounded too wifey.

Once they were asleep, she grabbed the monitors and fished her book out of her suitcase. After grabbing a glass of homemade lemonade, she went out to the deck to read. The air was cool and the stars were dancing above her. She almost got lost in the peace.

“This is my favorite place to hang out, too,” Rory said.

She squealed and said, laughing, “What is it with you men around here sneaking up on me? You guys are going to give me a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry.” He grinned.

Holding up the monitors, she said, “The kids are in bed.”

“No worries. I trust you.”

There was an awkwardness in the air as though he wanted to say something about stripping down in front of her, but wasn’t sure what. Savvy searched her brain for something to say.

“The kids are amazing. We had a good time. I should have had you show you their weather books.”

“I’ll ask about them tomorrow.” There was another awkward silence and then, “I’ll leave you to your book. Good night.”

Not wanting to seem like she was following him, Savvy waited a few minutes and then went to her suite and jumped in the shower. She closed her eyes and imagined Rory’s hands touching her everywhere the water streamed. Licking her lips, she envisioned Rory’s mouth pressed to hers.

“Stop it, Savvy,” she told herself. “He’s my boss. Nothing more.”

But a little voice in the back of her head told her that it was okay to fantasize about him while she pleasured herself.

Savvy groaned early the next morning when her alarm went off. Even though she said she could get up early, she really was more of a night owl than an early bird.

The kids kept her busy all day and she barely had time to breathe. Rory came home long enough to eat, read to the kids, and tuck them in. When Savvy went to check on them one last time, Cat hugged her. “I really like you a lot. Are you going to stay?”

Kissing her forehead, Savvy said, “I really like you guys, too. I’m planning on staying.”

Savvy meant it. She loved the kiddos already – and there was just something about Rory that made her really want to stay.