“I honestly don’t know. They’re family-owned, so I think they’ll understand what I’m doing—up to a point. As long as I get my work done, and as long as there’s an end date.”
“Hence, the nanny.”
“We can’t hire a nanny. That’s a full-time job.”
“Fine. I’ll get a babysitter.”
“You’ve got an answer for everything.” She let out a breath. “And I’m really, incredibly grateful for that. Well.” She got up. “We better get these girls some dinner.” Reaching for the towels, she was surprised when he snatched the top one out of her hands.
“Divide and conquer.” That voice—so deep and rugged—connected with something deep in her core.
It felt dangerous to revise her opinion of him after what he’d done to her in high school, but she couldn’t judge him for anything other than how he was handling this situation. “I like that.” As they each lifted a child out of the pool and wrapped them in towels, she asked, “By the way, where am I sleeping?”
“The lower level’s got a gym, a theater, a wine cellar, and a couple of bedrooms. There’s a nanny suite off the kitchen. The third floor’s pretty cool because it’s got an observatory. You live in the city, so you’ll appreciate the night sky out here.”
“Yes, fancy boy, you’ve got a great big house. Can you just point me to a bedroom?” With the girls bundled up, they headed out of the room.
“My point was not how cool my house is—though it is pretty sick.” His voice grew more intimate—like something his lover might hear under the covers at night—in the narrow walls of the staircase. “But to say you’ve got your pick of rooms. In case you’re uncomfortable being on the same floor as the girls and me.”
When they reached the kitchen, she turned to the little ones. “Do you want to grab pajamas out of your bags, and I’ll get a bath started?” Once they left, she said, “I’ll take the room next to them. Just in case they wake up with a nightmare or need a glass of water or something.”
He flinched as if nearly walking into a sliding glass door. “Shit.”
“What?”
“Nightmares?I didn’t think about that.” His concern gave way to a thoughtful expression. “Well, it didn’t happen last night.”
“Would you have heard them if it did?”
His cheeks colored. “Probably.” He brushed past her. “Better get to the girls before they put on their dog and cat costumes.”
“Wait. What does that mean?”
“Chase told them to pack a few things, and they chose costumes, tutus, and swimsuits.”
“No, I meant about the nightmares.” She followed him across the living room. “Where did you sleep last night?”
“Close enough that I would’ve heard.”
She caught up with him, grabbing his shoulder. “Why are you being so weird? Just tell me.”
“Why?” For the first time, he looked rattled. “They slept through the night. That’s all that matters.”
“Then, why are you blushing? Either you stayed up all night watching them—”
“Why would Iwatchthem? That’s creepy.”
“Fine, so where did you sleep?”
“Nearby.”
“In the bedroom across the hall?”
“Outside their room, okay? I have a very nice sleeping bag, and for your information, I slept like a log.” He found the girls in the living room, lifted them up, and headed for the stairs.
Floored, Hailey stood there and watched him take off. He wore jeans like every other mountain man in Calamity, and the flannel shirt and his overlong, dark hair that curled at the back of his neck completed the look. But few had an ass as tight and round, shoulders as broad and muscular, and she guaranteed nobody smelled as good as he did.
The scent of him lingered in the air. Clean clothes, expensive shampoo, and rugged, outdoorsy man.