Chapter 1
Dalton
Ishouldbecalmand relaxed as I stand at this beautiful mountain overlooking East Tennessee, but all I want to do is curse at my sister. I lean on the hood of my car and look at the beautiful mountains stretched out before me, covered in a blue haze as the clouds dance between them. All I can think about is how quickly my life has been flipped upside down.
My driver is patiently waiting inside the car. I'm sure he's texting the rest of my staff to let them know how I'm doing so they can all adjust to this situation. They’re handling it a lot better than I am.
Another car pulls up beside me. It's a bit older and full of boxes. A young woman steps out. She's much younger than me and can't be more than early twenties to my thirty-nine.
She walks toward the guardrail, her wavy, long brown hair bouncing behind her. I run my eyes over her sexy curves. She pauses and looks over at me, offering a shy, tired smile before returning her attention to the mountains.
My lungs seize, and I can't breathe. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. When you have my kind of money, women tend to throw themselves at you—women who many would perceive as beautiful with their cosmetically enhanced features and flawless figures.
But this woman is a natural beauty.
She brings a shaky hand to her face as I stare at her back. I send up a silent prayer that she's moving hair from her face and not wiping tears from her eyes. The thought that she might be crying bothers me. I've been so career-focused that I've never been interested in a woman. Until now. Suddenly, I want to know every detail about her.
I approach the guardrail, keeping some space between us. A glance confirms she is indeed crying, and I have an uncanny need to make whoever hurt her pay by any means necessary.
"Are you okay?" I ask, wanting to let her know I'm here.
She looks over at me for a moment before she answers with a shrug of her shoulders. "Sure."
"Okay, now the real answer." I level her with an easygoing gaze.
She gives me an assessing look before replying. "Two days ago, I came home from work to find my boyfriend fucking the girl who called in sick and caused me to work the double shift. So I packed everything I own in my car, and here I am. The worst part is I'm not even mad at him because it's been over for a while. I'm mad at myself for not leaving sooner.”
Damn.
She doesn't deserve to be treated that way, but at least it answers the question of if she's single or not. Her spunk and her sassiness make my cock hard. Even in a crappy situation, she hasn’t lost that part of her personality.
She pauses, taking a breath as she looks at me. “Now it's your turn. Why are you standing here staring into the void like it holds all the answers to the universe?"
I should play her question off as none of her business, but I want to give her the truth like she did with me. "My sister and her husband recently died in a car crash. They were the only family I had left. They have three kids, and she left them to me. I know nothing about kids, but they're family, so I took them in, no questions asked. It wasn't even a second thought. Then I discovered my sister left a few stipulations in her will. If I don't agree to them, the kids will go into the foster care system."
She studies me for a moment. "Stipulations like what?"
I like her eyes on me. It's like the sun warming my skin. "Things like I have to raise them without a nanny. I can use a babysitter here and there, but I have to be fully active in their lives and encourage them to follow their dreams. They have home-cooked meals, and I sit and eat with them at least six nights a week. All these things were important to my sister, things we never had growing up. They’re still young—eleven, seven, and two. All girls. I agreed to the terms she set out, but it's going to turn my life upside down."
"Those terms don't sound bad. They sound like normal family life. Why did she feel the need to put those terms into her will and be so adamant with you?" She asks the million-dollar question.
"Because after I graduated high school, I was so career-oriented. All through college and starting my business, it was my sole focus. I missed family functions because of work. She always called me a workaholic, and if she ever needed anything, she knew she had to show up at my office to get my full attention. You can't build an empire without sacrifices.” I pause, rubbing a weary hand over my face. “My chef quit because she refuses to cook for children. She said she never agreed to that when she was hired, so I'm already off to a great start."
Chapter 2
Mari
Myparentstaughtmethat you don't talk to strangers. We had that talk yearly, but something about this man draws me in. It's not his expensive car or fancy suit. It's not his good looks or how he makes my heart race. It’s the vulnerability and love in his voice when he speaks of his sister.
"I'm sorry about your sister, but in all honesty, kids are easy. They'll be scared and sad and need a safe place to grieve. They may lash out, so let them know you're scared and sad, too. But they need to know that no matter how hard they push, you won’t leave them. Get your sister’s routine down as soon as possible. It’ll make all the difference." I try to offer him some comforting words with a bit of advice.
"How do you know so much about kids?"
"I have ten nieces and nephews, and I’ve always been a huge part of their lives. Plus, I worked as anau pairfor two years."
There's a little spark in his eye, but it's the only indication that something has shifted. "Perfect. Come work for me and help me out."
"Nice try, but anau pairis the same as a nanny, and that’s not allowed," I remind him with a wry smile. I turn back to the mountains and the small town nestled in the valley below.