“I’ll go with you,” AJ said.
She ran her hand along his arm. “Thanks, but stay here and catch up with your brothers for a few minutes. We’ll have plenty of time together.”
She didn’t wait for an answer, but walked in the opposite direction back toward the Victorian.
“Not your usual type.” Declan’s voice carried.
Emma slowed her steps to hear AJ’s reply, then changed her mind, accelerating as if she were at the start of a 5K race. Whatever AJ said to his brothers didn’t matter. His words would be a lie, no more real than their kiss a few minutes ago.
And that bothered her. When he asked what she wanted for herself, she should have said money. The cost of therapy when she returned to Portland or enrollment in a diet center after she overdid the sweets was going to be expensive. But she hadn’t. She would have to rely on her nanny skills to keep her wits about her and survive the next five days with AJ Cole.
Chapter Six
“Not your usual type.”
Declan’s words hung in the air, punctuated by the cry of a seabird overhead. Tension thickened. AJ didn’t mind if his taste in women was the issue, but he didn’t like the way his brother insinuated something was wrong with Emma. Emma, whose spicy kisses surprised the hell out of AJ and made him want another taste of her. His hands balled. “You haven’t seen me in ten years and that’s all you have to say?”
“Thought talking about your girlfriend would be better than asking you to buy me a new truck or a house.” Declan lifted one shoulder in a casual gesture. “But what the hell do I know? It’s not like you haven’t been generous with mysterious items showing up in the driveway or unexpected deposits in our bank accounts, but if you’re making a list: black, king cab, 4x4, and a three-bedroom, two baths with an ocean view will do. Fenced yard would be good. Someone to scoop up my dog’s crap would be nice, too. That gets old.”
Declan’s humor and wry grin evaporated the tension. AJ would like to do more for his family and had, until a cease and desist letter arrived from the only legal counsel in Haley’s Bay, his cousin Tyler, telling AJ his gifts to family members were no longer necessary or welcome. He flexed his fingers. “You’re wasting your charm and talents earning a living on the water. You’d be a natural in sales.”
“Like I said, what do I know?”
“I’ll take a truck and a house, too, if you’re playing Santa in August,” Grady piped up, the same way he used to do when he was little and trying to be heard.
And like then, AJ ignored the youngest one. Grady would get his turn soon enough. “Good to see you again, Dec.”
Declan embraced him, the familiar scent of sweat, salt and fish bringing back a rush of memories. “Been way too long, bro.”
A lump lodged in AJ throat, burned like a hot coal. His brother’s embrace and warmth were welcome but hurt in a way AJ hadn’t expected. Declan was seven years younger, more a shadow and pest than a buddy growing up. Now he was a man. AJ had missed a lot during his exodus. He stepped back, took a hard look at his brother. “You’re no longer a scrawny kid.”
Declan rocked back on his heels, raised his chin. “Taller than you.”
“You are.” AJ tried not to feel weird about that. He’d always been the oldest, the smartest, the tallest.
“I’m taller than both of you. And stronger.” Grady’s chest puffed. His biceps showed beneath the sleeves of his T-shirt. “I can finally kick all of your butts after years of being called the baby. Except Camden’s since Dad would kill me if I ever fought a girl.”
“Woman,” AJ and Declan said at the same time.
“Jinx, you owe me a Coke,” Declan teased the way they had when they were kids.
Joking around with his brothers was something AJ missed. Nowadays he was never sure if people were laughing at his jokes because they were funny or because they wanted something from him.
“Being taller and working out can’t change your birth order,” Declan continued. “You’ll always be the baby, even now that Mom and Dad have grandkids.”
Grady frowned. “That sucks.”
“Live with it,” Declan joked. “Though you might earn a little respect now that you’re wearing a badge.”
“Badge?” AJ asked.
Grady’s green eyes twinkled. “Surprise! I told you I had news.”
“Not exactly,” AJ corrected. “You texted about applying for a new job, but nothing more.”
“It’s true.” Pride filled Declan’s voice. “Our baby brother is Haley’s Bay’s newest police officer.”
“One day I’m going to be chief,” Grady said with the same enthusiasm he showed on Christmas morning about his gifts from Santa. “Just watch and see.”
“When did this happen?” AJ asked.
“Just finished the academy. My degree in criminology helped. Thanks for covering the tuition.”
“My part was easy. Congrats.” Shaking Grady’s hand, AJ wondered what their father thought of this, but didn’t want to ruin the moment by bringing up their dad. “Things have changed around here.”
“Some things,” Declan agreed. “Not others.”
AJ wondered which group his father would belong in, most likely the latter. “Well done, Grady.”
“Thanks,” he said. “So far it’s been great. Ladies love a man in uniform. Especially the tourists. My cell phone contact list is going to be full of pretty women.”
“Remember what I told you.” Declan motioned to AJ. “Don’t settle down with just one. Loose and carefree is the only way to be until you’re over thirty and old like AJ.”
“Gee, thanks,” AJ said.
“Anytime, bro.” Declan slapped his arm. “So how long has Emma had you whipped?”
AJ gritted his teeth. That was the last thing he’d been since Natalie broke off their engagement when he was at college and married his friend Craig.
“From the moment we met.” Not a lie, because the day they met was the day they started “dating.” No one needed to know that was today. “Speaking of Emma, I should get back to the house and see how she’s doing.”
Maybe AJ could get her to practice another kiss or stage a kiss in front of his family. He still couldn’t believe the way she’d kissed him back. He wondered what else he would discover about the nanny.
AJ turned and walked toward the house. His brothers fell in step on either side of him.
“Emma seems nice.” Grady scooped up a rock and tossed it into the water. “A little young.”
“She’s older than you,” AJ said. “Twenty-six.”
“Still robbing the cradle,” Grady teased.
AJ didn’t respond.
“Emma’s too short to be a model so she must be an actress,” Declan said.
“She’s a nanny.”
Declan made a face. “I thought you only dated actresses and supermodels. That’s who you’re always pictured with online.”
Interesting. His brother had kept up with AJ’s private life. He hadn’t expected that. Nor thought about doing the same thing in return. “The paparazzi catch me with those dates, but I go out with all kinds of women.”
Declan eyed him warily. “You and Emma aren’t exclusive, but are talking moving in together?”
“And rings,” Grady added. “Sounds weird if you ask me.”
Damn. AJ’s neck tightened. He needed to be more careful and think like a boyfriend. But he hadn’t seriously dated a woman in a very long time.
“We’re exclusive. I was talking before I met Emma.” Which had only been a few hours ago. Comical almost. Another slipup wouldn’t be so funny. “She might not be famous, but she’s exactly what I need.”
Another woman might use this situation to her advantage, but something about Emma, something that had nothing to do with her friendship with Libby, told AJ he could trust the nanny, even though he trusted few people. He kicked a rock with the toe of his leather shoe.
Emma’s willingness to go along with being his girlfriend even though sh
e had doubts showed him she thought of others before herself. A woman who would sell this story to a tabloid would not care about her friend’s work schedule or an animal rescue group or a foster cat.
He stopped on the opposite side of the road from their grandmother’s house. Cars he didn’t recognize were parked in front of the limousine. Noise came from inside the house. He hoped Emma was okay. “Full house.”
“Mom was on the phone inviting others when we headed out to find you. I’m not sure she believed you’d really show up.” Declan’s voice held a bitter edge.
“Don’t blame me.” Nothing had been worth defying the old man until now. AJ would do anything for his grandmother. “You heard what Dad said about my not coming back unless I planned to take over the business.”
“Right,” Declan said. “Like you were always so awesome listening to Dad.”
“I sure wouldn’t have ignored my brother for ten years just because Dad said to.”
“Not fair.”
“The girls and Grady remained neutral. You could have, too.” Losing his oldest brothers had been hard on AJ. “Seattle isn’t that far away.”
“You can’t change the past. Clean slate starting now.” Grady stepped off the curb, his cop mediation skills already in use. “Come on. Grandma’s probably put out appetizers. I could go for a stuffed mushroom. I’m starving.”
He jogged across the street with a bounce to his step.
AJ stepped onto the road. He remembered how his little brother loved to play cops and robbers when he was younger, except Grady wanted to be the bad guy. “He’s really a police officer?”
“Hard to believe, I know.” Declan shook his head. “Grady always got into so much trouble I figured he’d end up behind bars, but as soon as he showed interest in police work Dad told him to go for it.”
AJ’s jaw dropped. “That’s...”
“Shocked the hell out of me, too. But Dad said fishing isn’t for everyone. Especially when Grady would rather be in the water than on a boat.”
“Are you talking about our father or some alien being who took over his body?”
“Dad’s a tad bit more open-minded these days. You’ll see.”
AJ wasn’t sure he would. Nothing he did had ever been good enough for their father. High grades and test scores hadn’t been important. Winning a prestigious science competition had earned him a snicker, not praise. Getting seasick during rough waters brought nothing but scorn.
“I will warn you, though,” Declan continued. “Dad still thinks you made a mistake leaving and should return to Haley’s Bay.”
“Thought he would.”
“He can be hardheaded.”
“Doesn’t matter if his head’s made of concrete. My business, my life, is in Seattle.”
“Your family is here. I’m not buying it. You could move your business to Bora Bora if you liked. But then again I don’t really know you anymore.”
Which is why AJ had never been back until now. No one in his family understood who he was or respected his work. Moving a multibillion-dollar corporation was not as easy as buying a nice piece of property on the bluff.
He knew returning was a mistake. The question was how big a mistake would coming back to Haley’s Bay for his grandmother turn out to be.
* * *
At the house, Emma checked on Blossom, still under the bed, kicked off her shoes and called the two party vendors to set up appointments for tomorrow. She sat on the edge of the bed, grateful for a moment alone.
“Emma, we need your help.”
She recognized Lilah’s voice, slipped on her shoes and made her way to the kitchen. “What do you need?”
“Be a dear and slice the garlic bread, please,” Lilah said. “There are eight loaves.”
With a cutting board underneath the first loaf and a serrated knife in hand, Emma stood at the counter and set to work. Music played from the living room. People came in and out of the kitchen, introducing themselves in a flurry of words and busyness.
Two loaves later, a satisfied feeling settled in the center of Emma’s chest. She’d never been part of a large family. Both her parents were only children. Libby was an only child until Emma moved in during high school. She’d never cared for more than three children at a time, unless at a party.
She’d wondered what being part of a large family would be like. Today, she was getting a glimpse and loved what she saw.
“Cut a few slices in half for the kids.” Marianne, AJ’s mother, stirred a huge pot of marinara sauce simmering on the stove. Her brown shoulder-length bob hairstyle suited her casual floral print shirt, jean skirt and sandals. Her arms constantly moved, if not stirring then accentuating her words with her hands or hugging a child who popped into the kitchen. She exuded warmth and friendliness. “They never eat a whole piece. And with all these extra people who showed up we might not have enough.”
Lilah tossed a gigantic bowl of fresh baby greens with her homemade poppy-seed dressing. She waved off her daughter-in-law’s concern with the tongs. “I’ve been doing these big dinners for decades. We’ll have plenty of food.”
“Everything smells delicious.” Emma sliced the third loaf, still warm from the oven. AJ’s sisters, Bailey and Camden, were in the dining room where dinner would be served buffet-style, the only way to feed a crowd, according to Lilah. Risa and Madison were off having pedicures, but Risa’s kids were running around somewhere. Her husband, Ellis, too. “It’s nice of you to throw this welcome-home party so people can see AJ.”
“Easier to have people over once then having them come each night. Haley’s Bay is a wonderful place to live, but like all small towns, people are curious, especially when anything changes.”
“AJ’s been away a long time.”
“True, but they also want to meet you.”
The knife slipped and crashed against the cutting board. Emma picked it up, reminding herself to be more careful. “Why me?”
“To see if you’re anything like Natalie, his ex-fiancée.” Lilah spoke as if she were talking about some girl he’d taken to a homecoming dance, not wanted to marry. “You’re not. She was...”
“Mom,” Marianne said, her voice rising at the end of what suddenly became a two-syllable word.
“I was just going to say Natalie was impatient, wanting to get married so badly she broke up with AJ to marry Craig Steele. But her loss is your gain.”
Emma continued slicing the bread, unsure what to say. She was trying to digest that AJ had been dumped by his fiancée for another man, and also that he’d been engaged. Maybe he wasn’t quite the player she thought if he’d been serious enough about a woman to propose. She’d never been close to that herself. Truth was, she rarely dated these days, a combination of her job and wanting quiet time when she wasn’t working. The Cole family had a totally false impression of her, thanks to AJ, and the less she said the better.
But she enjoyed being here, surrounded by these loud, happy people. Strangers, yes, but the love they showed each other warmed her heart and reaffirmed what she wanted most of all—a family.
Kids darted in and out, grabbing handfuls of chips from a basket and cans of soda from the refrigerator, laughter bubbling from their lips. Crumbs fell to the floor but no one seemed to mind.
“Don’t run with food in your mouth,” Marianne shouted after three young boys bolting from the kitchen. She stared lovingly after them, then stirred the sauce with a wooden spoon. “I remember when they couldn’t crawl and now they won’t sit still. The family keeps getting bigger and older.”
“Older and better.” Lilah wiped her hands on the front of her Kiss the Chef apron. “Do you have a big family, Emma?”
Her throat tightened with a familiar sense of loss and regret, but her emotions remained under control and no tears stung her eyes. She might not have a family to call her own, but she could live vicariously, even if she didn’t belong here. “No, but it’s fun to see yours.”
Family, as defined by the Coles,
included cousins twice removed, neighbors who moved away three years ago and the butcher who provided the Italian sausage for tonight’s pasta dinner. A crazy, loud bunch, coming and going like the kids. Emma had no idea where everyone would sit, but Lilah said she had a plan.
The woman might be going on eighty, though she was as sharp and mobile as someone twenty years younger. The contented smile on her lined face spoke of family and love. “I am blessed and very happy you and AJ are here.”
A warm and fuzzy sensation cascaded to Emma’s toenails. “Me, too.”
She meant that, even if she did feel odd misleading them about her relationship with AJ. However she’d gotten here, she was grateful and enjoying herself tonight. “Thank you.”
“Yes, thanks, Grandma.” The rich sound of AJ’s voice sent Emma’s pulse skittering. “It’s great Emma’s getting a chance to meet everyone right away.”
Before she could respond, strong arms wrapped around Emma’s waist and pulled her against him. She went willingly, reminding herself this display was strictly for show.
The scent of him surrounded her. He smelled so good, better than the chocolate cupcakes Bailey had baked for dessert. Emma forced herself not to take another sniff, even though she wanted one. Going around smelling her boss would not be a smart move, or professional.
His warm breath tickled her neck. Tingles shot down her spine. Real ones like she’d felt when he kissed her. Lips brushed the right side of her cheek. She used every bit of strength not to turn her head so he’d kiss her on the lips.
PDA wasn’t her thing, but what was going on had nothing to do with a public display of affection and everything to do with convincing his family she and AJ were seriously dating.
Lilah beamed at her eldest grandson. “Emma’s been a big help. Knows her way around a kitchen.”
“That’s part of her job,” AJ said.
The lines around his grandmother’s mouth deepened, matching the concern in her eyes. “Cooking for the man you love is a pleasure. You make Emma sound like one of your employees.”
Haley's Bay 01 - The Billionaire's Nanny Page 9