The Daddy Box Set

by Claire Adams

  I looked up to see a woman I’d never seen before walking into the office behind her. I stood up, my protective fatherly instinct flashing. “Great. Thanks.”

  The woman tucked her long brown hair behind her ears and locked her hazel eyes with me. She tugged at the hem of her green sweater as I offered my hand to her.

  “I’m Noah Stone.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Stone. My name is Jess. I’m here for the nanny position,” she said and offered her hand to me. I clasped it and shook.

  “I’ll be out here if you need anything.” Allison gave me a slight wave and walked out.

  “Did Allison schedule this interview for you?” I asked.

  “No,” she said and smirked. “A friend of someone who works here told me about the job last night. I came by on a hunch and wanted to see if it was still available.” I couldn’t place her accent, but the more she spoke, the more I wanted her to keep talking.

  She glanced at Gina, who was alert and interested in our visitor.

  I stepped between my daughter and Jess. “Did you think to call before stopping at my office? I have a very busy day.”

  My cold demeanor didn’t deter her. “I tried calling last night, but your answering service picked up. I can come by another time if you would like. Here’s my resume.” She reached into her bag.

  “I like your bracelet,” Gina said, stepping around me and going over to Jess.

  I started to lunge forward but held back. I was in a safe space, and this woman clearly was here to interview for a position to be around my daughter.

  Jess looked at me before kneeling down next to Gina and offering her wrist. “It’s made of kangaroo leather. My mom got it for me when I was younger.”

  “You talk funny,” Gina said.

  I opened my mouth to say something, but Jess was first.

  “I’m from Australia,” Jess said.

  “Where’s that?”

  “It’s in the deep south,” Jess said with a smile. “What’s your name?”

  “Gina.”

  “I love that name.”

  “Really?” Gina asked.

  “Yep. I’ve never met a Gina before.”

  “Me neither!” Gina said. “Want to color with me?”

  “If it’s okay with your dad?”

  “Daddy can color too,” Gina said.

  Gina pulled out a chair for Jess and I and then sat. She gave us each a coloring page and continued with hers.

  Jess picked a blue crayon and rolled it around in her hands.

  “I suppose I have a few minutes for an interview,” I said. Clearly, Gina liked Jess, which was a big priority for me. And I had to admit that I was charmed by Jess as well. Within seconds, she had my little girl’s full attention. That was hard to come by with anyone, including Layla.

  “I’ve been watching children since I was sixteen. I have my degree in early childhood education. When I came over here, I got several short-term jobs before landing a long-term one with a lovely family. I was with them for two years until I was no longer needed. All of my certifications are current as well.”

  “Color your clouds blue,” Gina said to Jess.

  I almost corrected Gina for being so forceful, but I found myself enamored with the woman in front of me.

  Jess started on her coloring page. “How old are you, Gina?”

  “Three!” Gina said, holding out three fingers to Jess.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m looking for long-term. And I need someone to start right away.”

  Jess nodded. “I’m available.”

  “I’ll need references from your previous employers.”

  “I have all contact information listed on my resume.”

  “That’s good,” I said.

  “Can you tell me about your family?” she asked.

  “It’s just Gina and me. I run this company and need full-time help with her.”

  “What sort of things do you like to do, Gina?” Jess asked.

  “I like the park.”

  “I like the park too,” Jess said. “Especially the swings.”

  “Me too!”

  Jess looked up and smiled at me, a genuinely happy smile. I hoped that she felt the connection that I sensed between them. And if I had to be honest with myself, with me too. There was something about Jess that made me want to keep her in my presence. Was it her foreign charm? Or the fact that she made my daughter open up in less than five minutes of being with her?

  Was this the nanny I’d been waiting for? She was young, probably early to mid-twenties. And the fact that she stuck with a family for two years was a bonus for me. I wasn’t sure how long I would need a nanny, but I knew two years would be the minimum.

  My gut told me that this was the one, but I had to push my rational side to disagree, at least until I could clear my head. Normally, I wasn’t the type to make quick decisions like this, but I wanted to hire her before anyone else did.

  Allison’s signature sharp rap on the door broke me from my thoughts.

  “Come in,” I said.

  Allison stepped into the room. Her eyes were wide as if she had a feeling I was going to reprimand her. My look had been enough. Next time, I wouldn’t be so forgiving.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  Allison looked at Jess then me. “I-It’s time for the meeting.”

  I stood up from the child-sized chair and smoothed the wrinkles on my pants. “Thank you, Allison.”

  She nodded and backed out of the room, leaving the door open.

  Jess stood up from her chair. Her expression was remorseful. Had she thought she’d given a bad interview? Granted, it was shorter than I would have liked, but she’d given me everything I needed in that small amount of time.

  “Well, thank you for your time,” Jess said. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it. She crouched down next to Gina. “It was nice to meet you, Gina.”

  Gina flung herself off her chair and into Jess’s arms. “Can you stay while Daddy has his meeting?”

  Jess cleared her throat and glanced up at me.

  “Honey,” I said to Gina. “Jess has to go.”

  Gina frowned but didn’t protest.

  “Thanks again,” Jess said. “I can show myself out.”

  “Bye,” I said for lack of better words. Gina had the right idea. I wanted Jess to stay too. Appearing too eager wasn’t a smart move.

  When Jess left, I closed the door behind her.

  “I like her,” Gina said, grabbing another pastry. I’d have to have Allison remove those while I was in the meeting so Gina wouldn’t be hopped up on sugar all day.

  I smiled. “Me too.”

  “Can Jess be my nanny?” Gina asked.

  “Do you want her to be your nanny?” I asked.

  “Yes! She’s so pretty and nice, and she colored with me.”

  I laughed. “Okay, honey. I’ll be right back.”

  I threw open the door and stopped at Allison’s desk. “I’ll only be a minute.”

  “I’ll get everyone together right now,” she said.

  At least she could do that part of her job.

  Jess was nearly at the elevator, so I picked up my pace to catch her before she exited the building.

  Chapter Six

  Jess

  As I walked down the hallway toward the elevator, I took my time looking into all the rooms as I passed. It was easy enough since the walls were made of glass so I could peer into the empty meeting rooms. I smiled to myself. I’d made the right decision by coming in this morning. Even though I made a point to skirt the secretary, who was more concerned with flirting than protecting her boss and his adorable daughter. Though I wasn’t a threat at all. And in the short amount of time I’d spent with Gina, I had developed a want to protect her as well. I recalled having similar feelings when I’d first met Ricky.

  I hoped the secretary wouldn’t get in too much trouble since it was only half her fault.

  Gina’s face popped into my min
d. She was simply adorable, and I hoped that I’d impressed Mr. Stone in the few minutes I’d spent with them. At the very least he could give me a proper interview at another date.

  I wouldn’t mind seeing him again soon. He wasn’t anything like the picture I’d had in my head before the interview. He was much younger than I’d thought. Probably thirty-something. He was attractive as hell. His tailored suit didn’t leave much to the imagination. Definitely the athletic type. And I had a thing for five o’clock shadows. I assumed that was more for lack of time than purposeful, but it did the trick. At first, I didn’t notice the resemblance between the two. Gina with her brown hair and brown eyes and him with silky black hair and piercing light green eyes. But the way her mouth moved favored him without a doubt.

  I shook off the thoughts. What if he was to become my new boss? In any nanny position, pining after the father was a big no-no.

  When I reached the end of the hallway, I pressed the elevator button, and the doors opened straight away. I stepped inside and turned to see a hand pushing against the door.

  “Jess,” Mr. Stone said.

  I glanced down at my bag. “Did I forget something?” I thought I’d handed him my resume. But maybe I didn’t. I was a little scatter-brained after barging in on him and Gina.

  He dug his hands into his pants pockets. “No. I was wondering if you were able to start tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” I asked. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? My stomach did a flip-flop.

  “Yes,” he said, a little out of breath.

  Had he run all the way to the elevator to stop me? I couldn’t help the good feeling that stirred inside of me.

  “I can start tomorrow,” I said. “I would love to.”

  “Great. We can negotiate the logistics tomorrow for your pay and everything else,” he said with a big grin.

  I matched it. “That’s fine with me.”

  “Me too!” Gina said from behind him. She giggled.

  “Thank you, Mr. Stone.”

  “Call me Noah.”

  “Call me Gina!” Gina said.

  Noah and I laughed. “Sure thing.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said, still smiling.

  His teeth were brilliantly white, but a few of them were a little crooked. Good. At least he had one flaw.

  “I’m excited for tomorrow!” Gina exclaimed and then shot off down the hallway.

  “I’m going to go,” he said, removing his hand from the door. “Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. She likes to run.”

  “Sure thing,” I said and waved at him.

  He smiled, and the doors closed between us, giving me the perfect mental picture to hold onto until I saw him again.

  On the way down to the lobby, I did a little happy dance in the elevator. Then I looked up in the corner and saw a camera. My cheeks flushed, and I moved toward the doors. I hoped Noah couldn’t see that! But my embarrassment faded quickly. I couldn’t believe how smoothly that interview went. It was the easiest one I’d ever had. And I hoped that I’d found my new Ricky in Gina. From everything that had happened so far, I had an excellent feeling I had.

  After the interview, I stopped by the record store to tell Sierra the good news.

  “Oh my gosh! Congratulations!” Sierra said, giving me a hug.

  “Thanks so much.”

  She leaned against one of the record stands. “Tell me everything.”

  I glanced around to see a few people mingling in the store.

  She waved them off. “If they need me, they can come get me.”

  I grinned. “It was very easy actually. I sneaked by the secretary and walked into the office.”

  “Ooh, you bad girl,” Sierra said.

  “Well, it was a good thing I did,” I said. And lucky too. If Noah had been a different man, I could have come out of there with an entirely opposite outcome. “His daughter, Gina, was there. She was so adorable, and I can’t wait to get to know her.”

  “Yeah, yeah, tell me about him,” Sierra said, lifting her eyebrows.

  “What about him?” I asked innocently. I knew where she was going, but I didn’t want to talk about him. My job was to take care of his daughter.

  “Is he as good looking as Rachel says he is?” Sierra said. Rachel was the friend who told Sierra about the job. I’d have to send her flowers or chocolates to thank her.

  “Sure, he’s good looking. But Gina—”

  Sierra pointed her finger at me accusingly. “You’re avoiding the subject!”

  “Because it’s not relevant. He’s my boss now.”

  “You can be attracted to your boss,” Sierra said.

  “Not when I want to keep my job,” I said. “Besides, he’s way out of my league.” And that part was right. I’d had enough of these jobs to know that sometimes the parents treated the nannies like furniture. Something to be overlooked. He was a busy executive; sure, he was kind to me today, but he was motivated to get someone to watch his kid.

  “I’m not telling you to marry the guy,” Sierra said, wrinkling her nose. “But you could be his naughty nanny.”

  I looked around us, my cheeks flushing. “Sierra!” I hissed.

  She giggled and lowered her voice into a husky tone. “Sure, I’ll go get your laundry, Mr. Stone. Do you want it freshly pressed?”

  I lightly slapped her arm. “Stop it.”

  She laughed uncontrollably, and everyone in the store looked over. If it was possible to be more embarrassed, my entire body lit up in flames.

  “Everyone is looking at you,” I said.

  “Whatever,” she said. “You’ve always been so easy to embarrass. You probably won’t see anyone in here ever again.”

  That didn’t matter. I wasn’t sure how prominent Noah was in this area. What if he knew one of these people? Would they tell him that his new nanny was making fun of him? I knew it was a minuscule chance, but a chance I wasn’t willing to take.

  “Do you want to get lunch?” Sierra asked, changing the subject.

  “As long as you agree to stop calling me a naughty nanny.”

  “I can’t promise that.”

  I couldn’t help but smirk. “Come on then,” I said, looping my arm in hers.

  “Harold, I’m taking lunch!” Sierra called into the back office.

  After lunch, Sierra went back to work, and I went home. I wasn’t sure what my schedule would look like as of yet, though I had an idea Noah that would need me a lot. I didn’t mind working six or seven days a week, but the cleanliness of my apartment would suffer.

  So, I rolled my sleeves up and got to work. The mindless motions of cleaning made my mind wander. From the impression that I got from Gina and Noah, I knew I was going to enjoy working for them. Gina had an infectious energy and a silent creativity that I wanted to explore. I made a mental list of places I wanted to go with her.

  I briefly wondered about the nature of the former nanny’s termination. From what I saw at the interview, Noah and Gina seemed perfectly fine. The fact that he had a little section for her in his office showed his love for her. Most corporate types who I’d come in contact with never wanted their children at their work, never mind setting up a corner in the office for them.

  By the time I’d finished cleaning my apartment, it was past supper time. I made a grilled cheese and watched an episode from my DVR before getting ready for bed.

  While brushing my teeth, I couldn’t help a smile from forming my lips. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow. I loved my job as a nanny. Taking care of kids was my passion.

  Recalling Sierra’s idea of the naughty nanny made me laugh so hard that I spit out a little toothpaste onto the mirror. I scrubbed it off. There was no denying Noah’s attractiveness, but I knew he’d never think of me that way. He was too desperate to keep a nanny to ever screw it up.

  But that didn’t deter me from thinking about his gorgeous green eyes as I fell fast asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Noah

 
I woke much happier on Tuesday morning when my alarm went off at four. I took the monitor for Gina’s room and went downstairs to my home gym. Even though I hadn’t worked out since Friday, that extra day had made me a little sluggish. But I pushed through. This small bump in the road was over, and I could get myself and Gina back to a schedule, something that eased my mind immensely.

  After I showered and made myself some breakfast, I glanced at the clock. Five forty-five. I gritted my teeth. Allison had called Jess with my home address and asked her to be here around six, so I could meet with her before Gina woke up.

  Though if she were going to be late, that wouldn’t sit well with me. Punctuality was a pet-peeve of mine. And I needed this to work out.

  I finished the rest of my coffee and placed the mug into the sink just as I heard a knock on my front door.

  I raked my fingers through my damp hair and headed over to the door.

  “Good morning,” Jess said. “I didn’t want to ring the doorbell if she’s still sleeping.”

  Punctual and thoughtful. This working relationship was already starting off on the right foot.

  “Thank you,” I said. “Please, come in.”

  She did. As she walked in, she glanced around the space. “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you. Do you want some coffee?”

  She waved me off. “No, thanks. I’ve already had two cups.”

  “Really?”

  “That’s more than I normally have. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Gina. She seemed very active, and I wanted to keep up.”

  I laughed. “Active is an understatement.”

  I indicated for her to follow me into the dining room. “Thank you for being on time. That’s very important to me.”

  “Me as well.”

  “Good. I want to get the logistics out of the way.” I slid over a manila envelope with the employment contract inside. I pulled it out. “Right here is the pay and benefits package.”

  Jess took the sheet of paper and read it over. A slight lift in her eyebrows meant she’d reached the section about her wages. I increased the amount since Layla with the hopes of giving Jess an extra incentive to stay for a long time. If her relationship with Gina grew from what I saw at the interview, I wouldn’t have to worry about a nanny ever again. I hated thinking of women in Gina’s life coming and going as if through revolving doors.