He doubted she’d be interested in a live-in nanny position, though. She didn’t look the type. She had long, stylish hair, and was wearing trendy jeans, well-worn cowboy boots and a very flattering light blue sweater that showed off her shapely curves. It was just as well. Having a live-in nanny that looked like that would be too distracting.
“You the guy looking to hire a nanny?”
Ben turned at the laid-back voice and almost dropped his coffee.
“Angel Givens?”
“That’s me.”
Ben asked her to sit down and tried not to stare at the piercing in her nose, or the one in her eyebrow or the one in the middle of her lip. It was hard to know where to look. Her blonde hair was shaggy and fell to her shoulders. The last inch of her hair was dyed green which helped to give her an overall otherworldly look. Denim overalls and a rainbow tie-dyed shirt added to the colorful picture.
“So, tell me about yourself,” he asked.
Angel shrugged. “Not much to tell. You need someone to watch your kid. I can do that.”
“You’ve worked as a nanny before?” Ben ruffled through his papers and found her resume. She didn’t have a lot of experience but she had worked at a daycare center and for a private family, though now that he looked more closely he saw the red flags that he’d missed earlier. She was only at the day care center for about six months and the private family’s last name was also Givens.
“I have. I sent in a resume.” Her tone was slightly defensive and prompted Ben to ask, “Why did you leave the day care center?”
She scowled. “They let me go.”
“Oh? why?”
“They said I called out sick too many times and was late too often. I really wasn’t, though.” She lifted her chin defiantly and Ben sighed. He had one final question before he ended the interview.
“Are you related to the Givens family on your resume?”
Angel smirked. “That’s a good guess.”
“So you didn’t really work as a nanny for our own family?”
Angel shrugged. “I watched my younger sister now and then. Close enough right? I had to put something on my resume.”
“How old was your sister? Have you ever cared for an infant?”
Angel wrinkled her nose. “My sister is ten now. And I don’t do diapers. Never have, never will.”
“Okay. Well, my niece is a baby. She needs a little help still. I’m afraid this isn’t a good fit.”
Angel stood and shrugged again. “Fine by me. See ya.”
As Angel walked off, Ben felt a bit of panic rising. He hoped that nanny number three would be better. If she was relatively normal, he was inclined to hire her on the spot. These three were the best resumes he’d received. He’d been sure that he’d be able to cross hiring a nanny off his to-do list. Even though he’d stepped down as CEO, he was still the largest shareholder and an adviser to the company he helped found, and there was a steady stream of work and phone calls involved with that.
“Well, hello there.” A gorgeous, petite blonde woman stood before him. She wore a tailored cream-colored dress that fit her maybe just a little too snugly so that it was very clear that she had not an ounce of extra fat on her very toned figure. Her hair was shoulder length and styled into a fluffy mane of curls. Her heels were so high he wondered how she managed to walk in them.
“Nadine Johnson?” She looked like she was ready for a date instead of an interview.
“That’s me!”
“Please, have a seat.” He found her resume and went through her experience with her. She had the best experience so far. It appeared that she’d worked for several local families during school and summers. But something about her just seemed not quite right.
“We’re so glad that you’ve moved here,” she gushed.
“Oh, why’s that?”
“Well, you’re so famous and you’ve done so much. I hear that you bought the old Wellington Ranch. That is a beautiful property. Is that where we will be living?”
She sounded very, very eager to move in. And now Ben knew what bothered him.
“Yes, this is a live-in position. Do you think your boyfriend would have a problem with that?”
She leaned forward and smiled. “I’m totally single, so that won’t be a problem.”
Ben was desperate, so against his better judgment, he gave her another chance to prove herself, but he was fairly sure of how she’d answer.
“I think Taylor needs a diaper change. Would you mind taking her into the rest room and changing it for her? I have a diaper right here.” He went to reach in Taylor’s bag for a diaper, but Nadine was already on her feet. She looked as though she was going to be sick.
“I’m sorry, but I have to run. I hope to hear from you soon.”
He sighed with relief as she tottered out on her high heels, going so fast he was sure she’d fall over.
“Mr. Turner?” A polite voice enquired. Ben turned and smiled. Finally, a proper nanny had arrived.
“You must be Emily Pearson. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please have a seat.”
But instead, the preppy young woman with the navy skirt, white sweater, matching headband and a perky ponytail bit her lip and looked uncomfortable.
“I’m so sorry. I got the phone call on my way here to meet you so wanted to tell you in person. I’ve just received and accepted a job offer, so I won’t be able to interview for your nanny position. I’m moving to Manhattan—this is my dream position. I hope you understand.”
Ben sighed. He did understand. All too well. “Of course, and I thank you for telling me in person.” He smiled. “You don’t by any chance know any nannies you could recommend?”
Emily bit her lip again. “I’m so sorry. I don’t. Good luck, Mr. Turner.”
Chapter 2
Anna’s heart went out to the man sitting behind her. By now she knew his name was Ben Turner, a name she’d heard before, but couldn’t place. She’d also noticed when he went up for more coffee that he was very tall, well over six foot two, and he was lean, as if he worked out often. His dark brown hair was a little too long and fell over green eyes with lashes so long that it just wasn’t fair. She’d seen his job listed in the local paper. It was one of the few that she hadn’t applied for. A live-in situation would be perfect, but being a nanny wasn’t an option for her.
His cell phone rang and two seconds later his baby woke up. The ringer must have woken her, and she was not happy about it. Soft whimpers quickly turned to screams.
“David, can I call you back? Yes, I know we agreed to talk now. Okay, if we can make it fast.”
The baby screamed even louder as if she wanted everyone’s attention and she got it.
“David, can you hold on just one second?” He picked up the baby, and she quieted for a moment, but when he reached for his phone, she screamed again—a piercing, murderous howl. Instinctively, Anna jumped up and held out her arms, and a baffled Ben set down the phone and passed the baby over. He watched for a moment to see what would happen and no doubt to make sure Anna didn’t make a dash for the door with his baby. Anna carefully cuddled her close, and the baby let out a big, satisfied burp and then snuggled in and shut her eyes. A moment later she was fast asleep. Ben’s jaw dropped.
“I think she’s just a little gassy. Take your call. I’m in no hurry.”
He did as she suggested and a few minutes later, ended the call and turned his attention back to the two of them. The baby was still sound asleep and Anna, for the first time in weeks, felt useful.
“Thank you. I can take her back now.”
Anna handed her over, and he got her situated back in her carrier again, snug under her baby blanket.
“Please have a seat for a moment. So I can thank you properly. Can I buy you a coffee or an ice cream?”
Anna laughed. “No, thank you. I’ve already had plenty of both.”
“How did you do that? She went to sleep so easily for you.”
“I used to be reall
y good with babies. I could tell she needed to let out some gas. She’s very sweet.”
His expression softened. “Thank you. I’m pretty fond of her myself.” He held out his hand. “You may have already heard me say this once or twice, but I’m Ben Turner. And it’s very nice to meet you.”
“Anna Kelley. It is nice to meet you too and I’m sorry that you didn’t have any luck finding a nanny today.”
“I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, I will admit. But now that I’ve met you I’m wondering if my luck might be changing.”
Anna laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m not a nanny.”
“That’s too bad. You could be, though. Unless you already have a job?”
Anna felt her eyes grow wet, which frustrated her. She fought back the tears which she knew were there just because her emotions were so raw. She had to find a job, anything soon.
“I don’t have a job. I’ve been looking, but—well, I haven’t found the right thing yet.”
“What kind of job are you looking for?”
“Just about anything,” Anna admitted. “I graduated college last month, a semester early, and was hoping to start law school in the fall. But I may need to push that off a year until I get my finances sorted.” She’d told the University of Idaho that she was delighted to accept but had come to the realization that she might need to defer attending for a year.
She hoped that she’d be able to come up with a plan to get the money by then. Under her family’s income, she wouldn’t qualify for financial aid. If she applied on her own, she should qualify but it would take some time to get that paperwork in order and she wasn’t sure if she’d make it for this year. Deferring for a year would give her time to save up some money and maybe find some kind of permanent part-time job she could do while in school. She still needed to figure out where she would live, as well. It was all more than a bit overwhelming.
“It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. I do, too.” He was quiet for a moment and then nodded as if a decision had been made. “Why don’t you come work for me? I recently moved here from Silicon Valley. My sister was a single mother and died unexpectedly, from breast cancer that they didn’t find until it was much too late. I’ve had Taylor now for almost six months. My priorities have changed since then. I used to be in the news a lot, because of my company, Blue Sky Pages. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
Anna stared at the handsome man in front of her. So that’s why he looked vaguely familiar. She hadn’t made the connection before. He was the Ben Turner, the one whose company had exploded. He was all over the entertainment pages for his love life—he used to be seen with a different famous actress or model every other week. Now that she thought of it, though, she realized she hadn’t heard a thing about his love life for months.
Probably since Taylor came into his life. He’d been on the red carpet in recent years, too, for investments in hit movies-an artsy film had even won an Oscar a year ago for best original screenplay. She remembered that because she’d loved the movie, Lilacs by the Sea, and because she was obsessed with movies. She loved movies the way Tammy loved books.
“Yes, I’ve heard of it. Congratulations on Lilacs by the Sea. I loved that movie.”
He grinned. “You’ve seen it? That was a most satisfying win. The screenplay blew me away when they showed it to me.”
“What is your involvement with movies like that?” She found it fascinating.
He leaned forward. “I’m sort of the money guy. I got into it because one of my best friends, Adiel Bozeman, is a show runner, actually—for Pinstripes, the legal drama on Netflix.”
“What’s a show runner?” Anna wasn’t familiar with the term.
“He’s the head writer, often the creator of the story itself and in charge of the other writers and planning the show.”
“I love Pinstripes.” It was one of her favorite serial dramas.
“He’s crazy talented. He introduced me to a buddy of his who had a great script but needed some funding to get a pilot made. Amazon studios picked up that one, and it kind of went from there. I do maybe one or two projects like that a year. Though I may do more now that I’m out of Silicon Valley.”
“Are you planning to stay here in Riston?” It seemed like such a change from his exciting life in California.
He nodded. “Yes. I’d like to. It’s been a lot of fun, but the pace is crazy and I’m too visible there. There’s too much attention on me and I just don’t want that anymore. I want a quieter life and I love it here. People don’t care about any of that.”
“That’s true. Most people here are very nice.” Aside from Elise Cummings, that was.
“Listen, Anna, this could be a good solution for both of us. I need a nanny immediately. You need a job and you’re great with my baby. Why don’t we give it a try and see how it goes? The pay is pretty good.” He mentioned a weekly salary amount that made Anna’s jaw drop. There was nothing else she could do that would pay as well.
“Oh, and you’ll have two nights off per week to yourself.”
“When do you want me to start?”
“I’m supposed to start on Monday,” Anna said softly so that only Tammy could hear. There were about twelve people gathered around a big round table to play trivia. Jaclyn was on the other side of her, along with Simon. Wade Weston, the general manager of River’s End Ranch, sat next to him, and then Bernie and Lily who worked in the office with him, and Barbi who used to be their waitress on trivia night, but now she ran her yoga studio full-time. Wade’s friend, Clark Baker, was there too, sitting next to Tammy.
Anna had been to trivia with them a few times before, but hadn’t met Clark yet. He was just as Tammy described, tall and charming. He was an orthopedics doctor and Anna could swear Tammy seemed a little flustered as she spoke to him. He was very handsome and Anna found this quite interesting as she’d never seen Tammy the slightest bit nervous, about anything.
“Well, that’s great news. You’re not having second thoughts are you?” Tammy asked.
Anna was having serious second thoughts.
“I am. I mean it sounds great, and the salary is almost too good to be true, but you know it’s not the right job for me. I have no business being a nanny.”
“I know why you feel that way, and I get it, but I don’t agree. I happen to think you’d make a great nanny. Kids love you. They always have.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is.” Jaclyn patted Anna’s arm and Anna jumped. She thought they’d been so quiet.
“I don’t think you understand. It’s complicated,” Anna said.
But Jaclyn shook her head. “It seems simple enough to me. I saw you in that coffee shop, remember? I knew then that it was the job for you. You were in the right place at the right time. Sometimes things are just meant to be. You just need to trust that this is one of them and give it your all.”
Anna was still unsure, and a little terrified, but Jaclyn’s words were oddly calming. She seemed so sure that Anna started to feel a bit more confident, too. Maybe she could do this, or at least try. It wasn’t like she had any other options.
“Thanks, Jaclyn. I really do appreciate it. I think I have the new job jitters.”
“I know. You’ll be just fine, though.”
Patty, their waitress, came over and took their dinner order. The restaurant ran a buy-one, get-one free pizza special on trivia night, so they ordered their usual selection and once she left to put their order in, Jaclyn leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye.
As soon as she had everyone’s attention, she spoke. “Wade Weston, what’s this rumor I’m hearing about film people coming to the ranch? Are they just taking a vacation or is something happening that I need to know?”
Anna looked Tammy’s way, and she shrugged. Anna wondered what on earth Jaclyn was talking about? She did notice Bernie and Lily exchange glances, though, and they both worked for Wade. So, maybe there was something interesting going on.
Wade laughed. “You don’t miss much, Jaclyn, do you? It’s true. There is something going on. We’re keeping it quiet still so word doesn’t get out too soon, but I can tell you all and it’s pretty exciting news, I think. A pilot is going to be filmed here on the ranch and if it gets picked up, a TV series will film here. So you may see some construction going on for sets and some vehicles coming and going. You might even recognize some famous faces.”
“Oooh, that is exciting. Can you say who?”
“Not yet. I don’t know until it’s all finalized. But we’ll know soon.”
“Do you suppose there would ever be a need for an older woman, say around my age, for any of their scenes. What do they call it, extras?”
“You know, there might be. I can find out and let you know. I’m assuming you're interested for yourself?”
Jaclyn smiled. “I might very well be. It sounds like fun.”
“Would you want to be an extra?” Anna asked Tammy, and she shuddered at the thought.
“No, thanks. I prefer to be behind the camera, not in front of it.” Tammy did take great pictures.
“I feel the same way. It will be fun to watch, though.”
“Maybe I should look into being an extra, too,” Clark said. “I’ve always thought it would be fun to be an actor.”
Tammy laughed. “You are a bit of a ham. I can totally see you doing that.”
She turned her attention back to Anna and asked, “So, how did the evil step monster react when you told her you’re moving in with America’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, as his nanny?”
“I didn’t tell her. I don’t trust her not to try to ruin it. Especially if she finds out I’m his nanny, of all things.”
Tammy sighed. “I know. I don’t blame you for keeping quiet. But weren’t you tempted?”
Billionaire's Baby (River's End Ranch Book 42) Page 2