Chapter 4

It had already been over a week, and I still hadn't secured a damn nanny.

Unbidden, an image of Maddie helping my son tie his shoes formed in my head. Her long hair trailing along the floor as she made him smile so easily.

Something I was not able to do myself. And hey, she could still help me with my son if I wanted her to.

I had wanted her to. I'd been prepared to offer her whatever she wanted to just come home with us and…stay.

But she'd had to get back to her job at the florist. The ball was in her court, obviously.

Clearly, she'd had no idea how many resumes I had waiting for me from incredible applicants.

I had none. None. How was that even possible? Did people not need to work in this town? Or was my inbox not functioning? That had to be the reason.

Technical difficulties.

I started to write a strongly worded email to the newspaper about their obvious issues before deciding a call was better. More direct. So they would know I wasn't someone to be trifled with, even incidentally. Maybe I'd even warrant personal service—as I should, for fuck's sake.

I'd just call and make my opinion known.

Fifteen minutes later, I'd been transferred no less than four times and my requests to talk to a supervisor had netted precisely nothing. Oh, that wasn't true. I'd listened to a lot of classical music while I was on hold.

I hung up and demanded for Caro to contact Laken. I had no idea what she could do, but surely someone could do something.

"What about that Asher guy you mentioned?" I finally demanded a few minutes later. "Can he look into this issue?"

"Asher runs the paper. He doesn't handle technical support. And what seems to be your problem?"

"No one has applied for my nanny position." Other than Maddie, according to her, and I'd yet to even look at her resume. "Clearly, there must be some malfunction."

"No one?" she echoed.

"Well, not no one," I admitted after a humming moment. "One person has applied."

A person I didn't like feeling beholden to. It would be different if she'd begged for my job. Instead, she'd seemed almost indifferent.

I'll help…or not. Whatever.

She hadn't added the whatever. She just hadn't seemed nearly as urgent as I'd felt. And it hadn't only been because she'd been so good with Owen. Making him laugh and actually even speak. With her help, my son had gotten great sneakers. He even wanted to go back and get another pair.

Her fucking thick, bouncy curls had smelled like strawberries and cream. And her legs in her short skirt had seemed miles long.

I'd offered her literally anything to come home with us, and she'd just shrugged it off.

Her begging for my job would've been much more to my liking. Hell, maybe James had seemed like a better offer, since he'd suggested she call him and all

I raked a hand through my hair. But her being my only option and even worse than that, that I desperately needed her help…

Yeah, none of that worked for me.

"Okay, so what's wrong with that person?"

"Nothing. I just expected a more vigorous response. So, obviously, something must be not be working correctly. I need you to find someone to look into it for me."

"I have nothing to do with the paper's technical department."

"Fine. Just give me Asher's contact info."

Laken laughed. "He owns the paper."

"So?"

"So I don't have his private information, and even if I did, I couldn't give it out willy-nilly."

"Willy-nilly?" I repeated, certain my hearing was playing tricks on me. "Let me remind you that I head a multi-million dollar conglomerate with Gavin Forrester and Xavier Hastings, soon to be multi-billion. Not to mention I'm an heir to my mom's lifestyle brand currently worth millions too." Not that I ever intended to touch a penny of her money. "I hardly qualify as willy-nilly on any level. Do you recall what I paid for my home?"

"Why, yes, of course I do. I didn't mean any offense, just that I have to protect Asher's private details just as I would yours too. He's also one of my clients. Surely you understand, Jude, as an important businessman." Her tone couldn't have been any more conciliatory and apologetic.

And fake.

"You know what? Never mind. I'll figure out how to reach Asher all on my own. Thanks for nothing." I clicked off and blew out a breath that verged on a growl.

Caro hurried down the hall, her smart heels clicking on the hardwood floor before she appeared in my office doorway. "What did she do?" she asked.

"Nothing. She did fucking nothing." I banged my phone against my desk.

Great, Jude, have a proper tantrum, why don't you? You're a great example for Owen.

I pinched the bridge of my nose before I dropped back my head. Already a headache was brewing.

"Surely there must be someone you can contact to let them know you aren't getting applicants for your position. You need someone in a timely fashion."

"Actually, I did get an applicant. Maddie is exactly what I need."

"Oh, really?" Caro's eyebrow rose as if she didn't know whether to believe me.

"Yes, really."

"Then what's the problem?"

"She is." I hissed out a breath. "She's too perfect."

"What?"

"Yeah. She seems like exactly what I'm looking for, which means she has the upper hand. Not me."

"Since when?"

I flashed her a grim smile. "Since never."

"And is that what has you in such a sour mood? I assumed it was the dearth of acceptable candidates, not that you'd found the perfect one for you."

"Not for me, for my nanny." I couldn't reply fast enough.

I was already disconcerted at the way I'd reacted to Maddie to begin with. She seemed kind, smart, and professional.

Yes, she was gorgeous, true, but she was young. Far too young for me, and I'd be damned if I entertained some half-baked interest in my soon-to-be employee.

If she was going to be.

"Owen liked her," I added as Caro narrowed her eyes to study me more closely. She knew me too well after working for me nearly half a dozen years now.

Bullshitting her was never going to fly. She'd come here with me without even demanding an exorbitant raise. She'd just requested a percentage of housing costs and a modest relocation stipend and she'd barely needed any notice once I'd bought my house.

She was the kind of employee I wanted for my nanny. Someone stalwart and reliable and good with my son, not young, fresh, and beautiful with a cop for a brother.

And far too young.

Caro was middle-aged. Older than me, even. I should've suggested an age range for my preferred nanny. Assuming that would fly. Which it probably would not. I didn't want to be accused of being discriminatory when I was just trying to be…careful. Safe.

Proper in every fucking way.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I didn't say there was a problem. Just that I'd assumed I would have a selection of applicants. Not just… her."

"Yes, but if she's exactly what you wanted, why waste time interviewing others? Sounds fortuitous that the only one is the right one."

"I don't know if she's the right one. She has a smart mouth."

Caro's lips twitched. "Sounds like she can handle you then. She's sounding more and more right all the time."

"Why, because you think she can keep me in line?"

"I didn't say that. As long as she's good with Owen, everything else is optional, right?"

"Yes." She did have a point. My son was the most important part of this equation. Not my damn sexual urges.

Which meant unless some very qualified applicants showed up in my inbox very soon, it looked like I needed to contact Maddie before she decided she didn't want my nanny position, after all.

Perhaps I should just go see her. My flowers hadn't been delivered yet due to some snafu mentioned in a voicemail. Yesterday, I hadn't had time to deal with it, but I could today.

We could discuss the issue with the flowers, and then maybe we could tackle more sneaker shopping since Owen still wanted another pair…and my job offer.

Hell, trusting my gut on a virtual whim had led to my very profitable partnership with Xavier and Gavin. So what if I hadn't followed all the steps yet when it came to Maddie?

My gut wouldn't lead me wrong here, either. It hadn't before.

Maybe it was just Cove magic.