With one more deep breath of the salty, humid air, Hannah stood and walked back up the beach. Climbing the steps to the bridge that spanned the sand dunes to the back porch of her house, she thought of everything she needed to get done today.
Since school was out, it didn’t matter what she wore to go clean out her classroom, but wearing a bikini top was probably a little much, even for a beach town school. She took off her cover up and threw on a t-shirt and flip-flops. She pulled her tangled hair up into a messy bun, deciding she’d worry about brushing it later, and drove the short distance to the elementary school where she taught. She spent the rest of the day sorting through all of the art supplies, storing them away, and deciding what to do with all the class art projects currently displayed around the school.
When she got back home, she was dead tired but forced herself to pull her phone out of her pocket and make the call she’d been dreading all day. It rang twice before she heard, “Hello?”
“Tonia, it’s me, Hannah. I was wondering if you have a spot for me now that it’s summer.”
“Are you crazy? You know I’m always happy to hire you. You’re the best babysitter ever. We always get awesome reviews from your jobs. When can you start?”
“Tonight if you need me.”
“Great. I’ll let you know. You’ll have to come down and fill out paperwork before you can go, but I’ve still got your background check on file. I’m so excited, girl. I’ll try to keep all the good jobs for you.”
“Thanks.”
Hannah tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice, but the truth was, she hated the term babysitter. And she longed to enjoy her summer vacation instead of watching tourist kids while their parents went out and played. Still, it was one of the best temp jobs in the area and paid well. She even got tipped some times. As Leah had reminded her, she needed to pay her bills, and to do that, she needed to make some extra cash fast.
She must be crazy trying to keep this house with all the bills and maintenance on it. Technically, her parents had left the house to Leah so her name was the only one on the deed to make things easy with legalities, but they had made sure both girls knew they meant it for both of them. They wanted Hannah to live in it as long as she wanted to. Leah was perfectly happy with the situation as long as Hannah took care of all the expenses.
Even without a mortgage to pay, however, living there was more than she could afford on her teacher’s salary. If any more expenses came up, she might have to rent out the small apartment downstairs. But this was her home—and her favorite place in the world. She’d do whatever she needed to keep it.
Chapter Three
Two days after the incident on the beach, Carter finished his workout impatiently and hurried to dress and shower. His mother would be arriving with Addi at any moment, and he wanted to get through as much business as he could so he could spend some time with her. Wearing casual slacks and a blue polo shirt, he went down to the wing of offices on the second floor. Brenda was already at her desk, so he was able to jump right in.
“Did we hear back about my offer on that house?”
Brenda shook her head. “Rejected.”
“Of course.” Carter went to the mini fridge and got a bottle of water. “I can’t just keep throwing bigger offers at her. Whoever this Leah Parker is, there has to be some way to entice her. See if you can find anything out about her that we can use. Also, have the legal team look into it. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find she hasn’t paid her taxes or something.”
“Who can afford beach front property but doesn’t pay their property taxes?”
Carter shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m grasping here. I have a meeting with the investors in a couple of weeks. How are our bookings for opening day?” Though the majority of condos were sold to private owners, he’d kept thirty percent of the units to use as hotel rentals.
“We’re at eighty-percent capacity. And we’ve heard back from your friend Nate Haverton. He’s agreed to come down with his family for your soft open.”
“That’s great. I’d love to have his opinion on things, especially since he was the one who encouraged me to do this.”
Brenda refocused on her laptop. “I’ve got the Presidential condo reserved for them.”
“Great. I’m going to go check my email, so if you could…”
But before he could finish, the door to the office flew open and the sweet little voice he loved said, “Daddy, I’m here!’
Carter swung around and a big smile lit his face when he saw Addi rushing toward him. He held out his arms to her, and as soon as he grabbed her to him, he swung her around in a circle. “Addi, my girl!” He kissed her cheek and set her down. “Well, what do you think of the place?”
Addi smiled. “It’s bigger than Grandpa’s. And I saw three swimming pools.”
Laughing, Carter nodded. “I guess that means you like it.”
A haughty voice he knew all too well spoke from the doorway. “Personally, I thought three was excessive. And swimming pools do not make this a better home for her.”
Carter glanced at his mom and tried not to roll his eyes. “They do if they make her happy.”
His mother turned her face expectantly, so Carter walked over and kissed her cheek. She smiled, a slight, reserved stretching of her prim mouth. It had been years since he’d seen a genuine smile on her face—not since she’d learned about his dad’s affairs. “Well, you’ll have to give us the grand tour later. For now, Addilynn and I need to rest.”
“I want to see my room,” Addi said, clasping his forearm with her small hands.
“Let’s go then.”
He led the way back to the nearest elevator and punched in the code that sent it to the exclusive top floor. The walls of the elevator were glass so Addi leaned against the handrail and watched the view as they rose up twenty floors. “Wow.” She said, looking down at the lobby that was now so far below.
As he led them into the condo, he watched Addi’s expression carefully. She’d grown up in luxurious accommodations, so he didn’t expect her to be impressed by the decor so much as the view. Sure enough, she ran to the wall of windows and pressed her nose against the glass. “Is that the ocean?”
Carter laughed and slid open the glass door to take her out onto the balcony. “It sure is. That’s the Gulf of Mexico and we’ve got the best view in the place.”
Addi moved over to the rail and rested her chin on the top of it. All of Carter’s protective instincts surged into over-drive as he looked at the drop below them. He forced himself to relax. “Want to go see your room?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes lighting up.
He led her back through the condo and opened the door. She walked inside and he followed her, looking around as he tried to figure out what she thought of it. She didn’t whoop for joy or bounce on the high princess bed or climb up in the swinging chair in one corner. She walked around carefully like a little adult, quietly inspecting everything.
“Well?” he prompted.
“It’s smaller than my room at Grandma Ellis’ house.”
“Well, that’s because she lives in a big house and this is a condo. But there’s a lot more for you to do here.”
Addi walked over and pushed the swinging chair so that it swayed back and forth. “This is cool. When can I go swimming?”
“Later today. I have some work to get done first. Maybe you can get unpacked and have lunch with Grandma Ellis before we go.”
Addi frowned. “You said we’d spend the whole day together when I got here.”
“I know, and we will spend the whole afternoon and the whole evening together. Just give me a couple of hours to get some things done.”
She sighed and went to look out the window. Carter almost wished she’d whine or argue. She was way too adult in the way she reacted to things. He hoped that having a whole summer where she was free to play would help break her out of her shell.
Carter turned to his mom. “Where is the nanny? Is
she coming later?”
“No, I didn’t find one I liked.”
“Oh,” Carter said. That was weird. It was a rare thing when his mom didn’t get what she wanted. “Well, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll find someone. Or rather, Brenda will.”
“I didn’t say I’d given up. I’m still looking. In the meantime, I decided I’d stay to take care of her.”
Then the pieces clicked together in Carter’s mind. When he’d been left with an infant daughter to take care of before he was even twenty, he’d needed her, but now he was ready to take back control—to raise his daughter the way he wanted.
After his dad had broken his mom’s heart, she’d turned her attention, almost obsessively, toward Addi. It had gotten to the point where she’d assumed more influence and control than he wanted her to have—especially since Addi was a withdrawn, subdued shadow of what he knew she could be. But his mom had resisted his move from the beginning, and this was just another tactic in her attempt to run their lives. Well, he wasn’t having it. “Mom, you promised you were going back home tomorrow.”
“Yes, but in these circumstances, I don’t mind staying longer.”
“It’s okay. I can have a nanny in here by tomorrow morning.”
Her mouth opened slightly, as if she was appalled by what he’d said. “You can’t just hire some random person. You need to do interviews and background checks and get recommendations from people you trust. Why do you think it’s taking me so long to find someone?”
“Because you aren’t really trying,” Carter said.
She huffed and walked out of the room. “Of course I’m trying. Addilynn’s welfare is of paramount importance to me.”
“For me too. But mom, this is my job. She’s my daughter. I’m making this decision, and you are going home tomorrow.”
“We’ll see.” She caught sight of Addilynn unpacking her suitcase, scattering her clothes around the floor as she searched for something. “Good grief, Addilynn. Let me do that. You’re making a mess and getting your clean clothes all over the floor.”
Moving quickly, his mom gathered the clothing back into the suitcase and took it into Addi’s room. Addi looked at Carter. “I was trying to find my swimsuit.”
Carter bent and hugged her to him. “Don’t worry. There’s time for that later. I’m glad you’re here with me. I’ve hated only seeing you on weekends while you finished school.”
“I missed you too.” Then Addilynn wrapped her little hands around his neck and whispered, “I don’t have to live with Grandma Ellis anymore, right?”
A lump formed in Carter’s throat. “Nope. It’s just you and me now, baby girl.”
She smiled and wrapped around him like a monkey on a tree. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too. Now, I’m going to go hurry up and get my work done so we can go swimming. And since the resort isn’t opening for over a week, we’ll have the whole place to ourselves. Maybe try out all three swimming pools. What do you say?”
She smiled and her eyes even sparkled. “Yes, please.”
Carter ruffled her hair and hoped that someday she would Wpump her fists or do cartwheels when she was excited. But this was a start.
By the time he got back to his office, his jaw hurt from how hard he’d been clenching it. He went straight to Brenda, saying, “I have an important task for you.”
She blinked in surprise. “Aren’t all my tasks important?”
“Not like this one. I need a nanny. And not just any nanny. I need a primo, world-class, top-of-the-line nanny. By tomorrow morning. And if she’s a local, I’ll give you a bonus that will make your eyes pop.”
She laughed. “I don’t need a bonus. But I’ll do my best. Do you mind filling me in on what’s going on here?”
“My mother.”
“Enough said. I’ll have the perfect candidate here first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you. And you do deserve the bonus regardless, so don’t argue with me. I’m darn well going to get my way about something today.”
“Yes, sir,” Brenda said, her voice shaky with the laugh she was fighting to hold in.
Chapter Four
The first thing Hannah did when she woke up Saturday morning was check her phone. She was looking for two things: a babysitting job and replies to her ad for the apartment she was renting.
Her house had a separate apartment on the first floor that was great for renting out. Her parents had been able to rent the main house and the apartment out separately, which had helped them to afford a vacation home. She didn’t like to rent it out because it was a hassle and it gave her somewhere to go when her sister’s family came to stay for vacation. They came as often as their schedules would let them, and Hannah let Leah and her husband have the master bedroom when they did.
Yesterday the air-conditioning had gone out, though, and she’d had to have the whole system replaced. The bill had gone on her credit card, which she hated. With her bills mounting, the rent money would be helpful.
To her surprise, she had several responses to her ad. The first two she discarded because they were obviously hoping for a different kind of living situation than a professional one and the third because they wanted to pay half the rent she was asking and no utilities. She sighed. Oh well. And no word from Tonia about a job for the day either. It was still early in the season, though, and tourists were just starting to trickle in. She’d have to be patient.
Throwing back her covers, she put on her swimsuit, as usual, and a sundress, made some coffee and walked down to the beach in her bare feet. Overnight, the tide had heaped the sand up into a small dune about ten yards back from the water’s edge. She sat down and dug her toes into the damp sand. Releasing a sigh of satisfaction, she took a sip of her coffee and settled in to relax. There were a few early risers, including some runners, on the beach this morning since it was a weekend.
She didn’t pay any attention to them until a particularly fit man caught her eye. He ran at a strong pace from the east towards her. Turning her head just slightly so he wouldn’t know she was watching, she admired the strong lines of his body and the athletic grace of his confident stride. When he got closer, she turned away, but stole one more glance when he got closer. She gasped when she saw it was the resort owner.
He looked down at her at the precise moment she recognized him and their gazes locked. Screeching to a halt, he stared at her, breathing heavily. “You,” he said.
In shorts and a t-shirt—a sweaty t-shirt that clung to his magnificent chest—he was an incredible specimen of manhood. Unfortunately, it made the filter on Hannah’s mouth short-circuit. “Well, if it isn’t the Billionaire Beefcake.”
Carter gave a short, surprised burst of laughter. He didn’t say anything though, just continued to study her.
“Did you come to kick me off the beach today?” Hannah asked.
“I couldn’t if I wanted to,” he said. “Unless you wander over onto my private beach up there.”
Hannah smiled. “I’m happy where I am. There’s a great view from here.”
He grinned. “Especially at the moment.”
She gasped. “Are you really that conceited?”
He looked confused for a moment, then laughed. “I was talking about you, but clearly you had similar thoughts about me. I wish I could stay so we could admire each other more, but business calls.”
“I’m sure it does.”
He gave a twisted smile and took off running again, cutting across the sand toward his resort. She thought about calling after him that he was trespassing on her beach but shut her mouth just in time. The last thing she wanted was for him to know that she lived in the house he wanted to buy so badly. So far he’d only seen her on the beach and she could have come from anywhere.
Feeling oddly energized, Hannah got up and went back to her house, washing her feet off with the hose at her back door. As soon as she went inside, her doorbell rang. That was strange. She wasn’t expecting anyone.
“I saw your ad for a roommate. And since I’m looking for better digs, it seemed like fate, right?”
“Wrong.”
“Come on, darlin’, why not?”
“You know why.”
“I won’t hit on you, I swear. In fact, you’ll barely even see me”
“You’ve already called me beautiful and darlin’.”
“Oh. Well, not because I was trying anything. You’d know it if I was hitting on you.”
“Yeah, I got a sample when I met you.”
He grinned, flashing his white teeth at her. “You see? I’m being good now. The apartment has its own entrance and kitchen right?”
“A mini-kitchen,” she said, trying to dampen his enthusiasm.
“That’s all I need—a place to make my protein shakes and chill my beer.”
“Oh, good gravy, Brant.”
She turned and walked away, but left her door open for him to come in. Was she crazy to actually consider this? He followed her to the kitchen and made himself comfortable on a barstool. She shot a glance at him before opening the fridge to find some breakfast. “You have a job, right?”
“Yep. That’s another thing that makes it perfect. I’m going to be the umbrella guy next door in front of the new resort. That’s my kind of commute.”
Hannah groaned as she thought of another stretch of beach being claimed by a rental vendor. But it was inevitable, and it meant Brant could actually pay his rent. She got out a jug of milk and grabbed a box of granola from the cabinet. “Have you eaten?”
“I’ve had my protein shake, yes.” Brant pushed up the sleeve of his t-shirt and flexed for her. “I’ve been doing double workouts to get ready for beach season. Are you regretting breaking up with me yet?”
The Trust of a Billionaire Page 2