“No, nothing’s wrong. I just…” Why had she said he could come with her while she packed? He’d see where she lived, and while it wasn’t rat-infested, it wasn’t a nice apartment like his. Not until they reached the front door did she suddenly become conscious of it.
“Just what?”
Aside from the fact that he’d already spent money on her and Ellie, she was worried about going home with him. What if his family didn’t like her? Just because he was nice didn’t mean his whole family was, despite his reassurance to the contrary.
“Molly?”
She chewed on her lip. “I’m…”
He held her gaze, his blue eyes seeming to bore straight through her. “Your apartment doesn’t define your abilities as a mother, if that’s what you’re worried about. At least, I don’t think so.”
Molly rolled her lips in and quickly turned to face the door again, blinking back tears. He’d read her mind. Not that she thought she wasn’t providing for Ellie well enough; just…people could be so judgmental. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, holding it so Josiah could walk in.
“Are you sure you’re okay waiting for me to pack?” Molly asked as she flipped the light on.
“I’m fine. We’re in no rush.” He smiled.
That smile. It had to be the most perfect smile she’d ever seen, aside from Ellie’s, of course, and she was going to be spending the holidays with it. And those lips. A set of the most perfectly kissable lips ever…that belonged to her boss. Maybe on the road to Caprock Canyon, he’d do something disgusting and kill every fantasy she’d been having since she started working for him six months ago.
When she adopted Ellie, she’d made a promise to put dating on hold. Josiah was the first man to test that resolve. How he was still single was a mystery she couldn’t figure out.
“What?” he asked, his head tilting.
She startled as she realized she’d been staring at him. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she said, “Nothing. Let me pack. I’ll be quick.”
“Sure,” he replied, taking a seat on the couch.
Molly hurried into her bedroom and dug in her closet for a suitcase. In the very far corner, buried under comic books and well-read books, she found a soft-side suitcase that had seen better days. It would have to do.
She pulled it out and dropped it on the bed. Should she ask him what she should bring? Or should she pack a few different things and hope for the best? Option two sounded good. With her mind made up, she darted around the room, throwing stuff in until she got to the toiletries. Half a bottle of shampoo? It would have to do. Once she had everything together, she lugged it back into the living room.
He lifted his gaze and patted Ellie’s diaper bag sitting next to him. “I figured while you were packing, I’d get her stuff together.”
Wow. He’d just done it. No asking at all. “Thank you. I’ll need to stop on the way and pick up some more formula.” She crossed the small area and unzipped the bag. “Not that I don’t trust you; I just need to double-check.”
“I get it. Some weird guy packing stuff. It’s not like I’m Mary Poppins.” He stood and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve got three diapers left.”
He began to speak again, and she pointed her finger at him. “I know what you’re about to say, and I can buy them. You’ve already gone above and beyond.” She zipped the diaper bag up. “How do you know all this stuff about babies?”
“That’s how I made extra money when I was a kid. It started with me watching my two younger siblings and went from there.”
Well, that made sense. “I guess stock boy wasn’t your thing?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No.” He picked up the car seat. “I guess we have everything. Are you ready?”
“Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe I should just stay home.” She couldn’t believe she’d agreed in the first place. That smolder must have had more power than she first thought.
His shoulders sagged, and the corners of his lips quirked down. “I really wish you would.” Puppy dog eyes? That was worse than a smolder. How could a man so sweet be so diabolical?
“Don’t you give me those sad eyes. That’s not fair.”
“What?”
She groaned and leveled her eyes at him. “Really?”
He shrugged, shooting her a half-smile. “I believe we’ve had this conversation already. A man has to do—”
“What a man has to do.” She finished his sentence. “Your mom and I are going to have a serious talk about your powers. Wielding them on unsuspecting people is wrong.”
A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “In all seriousness, my family will love you, and you won’t regret coming. I promise. Don’t second-guess yourself. You’re a great mom, and Ellie will be loved on to her heart’s content.”
Molly nodded. She did want that for Ellie. “Thank you. I guess we’ll come.”
His face lit up. “Sure. You ready?”
Nope. She sure wasn’t, but she suspected he’d cry if she backed out. Okay, maybe not cry, but one more puppy dog look, and no court on earth would hold her responsible for kissing him. It was going to be a long, long holiday season.
* * *
Two hours later, and they were just getting out of Dallas. They’d been caught in the rush hour traffic. Molly had quickly recanted her opposition to the car seat as vehicles zipped by, changing lanes like they were in a live version of The Fast and the Furious. She’d braced her hands on the dash several times because he’d slammed the brakes to avoid hitting someone more than once. It was harrowing, to say the least.
Now, out of the heart of the city, there was still traffic; it just wasn’t as crazy. “Is it just me, or was that really bad traffic today?” Molly asked.
He grunted a laugh. “It wasn’t just you.”
“And the car seat…maybe you were right,” she mumbled the last part of the sentence.
Cupping his ear with his hand, he said, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Molly lightly smacked him on the arm. “You heard me.”
“Yes, but my ego needs you to speak a little louder.” He chuckled and lifted his chin to look in the rearview mirror. “I’m glad we got the rear-facing mirror. I like being able to check on Ellie.”
Going to the store with him was more like shopping with a five-year-old. No was not his favorite word at all. The man could pout like a pro. Along with formula and diapers, they got a host of things Ellie just had to have. A toy for her car seat, a couple of warm onesies, a hat—because her little ears would get cold—and the mirror. Oh, and a teddy bear. All little girls needed a teddy bear. Apparently, that was a rule Molly was unaware of.
“Thank you for the onesies and stuff. I just feel bad you keep spending money on us,” Molly said.
With a shrug, he said, “This is my love language, apparently. I mean, not that I love you or that…” He groaned and scratched the back of his neck. Josiah had to be the cutest man on the earth. The way the tips of his ears turned pink when he was embarrassed was adorable.
“I know what you mean, but what made you read the love language book? Are…are you dating someone?” Did she want to know the answer to that? She steadied herself for the response in case it was something she didn’t want to hear.
“Um, no. I’m not dating anyone.” He paused a beat before continuing. “I read it because I wanted to understand my clients and myself better. Actually, I read a lot. I have a couple of friends, Luke and Case, but that’s about it. We get together when we can, but they’re both busy too. It makes for being alone a lot.”
Reads a lot? He’d spoken her language. “Me too. Well, before I had Ellie.”
“What do you like to read?” He shot her a crooked smile, and her brain felt liquefied. Now there was competition for which smile was his best.
She held in a groan and chastised herself. He was her boss. Her good-looking, adorable, likes-to-read boss. Her pep talks were about as good as her window-cleaning. Terri
ble.
“Uh, just about anything. I loved The Princess Bride, The Outsiders, Lord of the Rings, Ender’s Game—”
Josiah sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s my favorite book. Man, I love it. I think I’ve read it, oh man, I don’t know how many times. I had a paperback copy that I literally wore out. To the point that it started falling apart.”
Molly twisted in the seat, leaning her back against the door. “Have you read the sequels? I liked them, but there was just something about Ender’s Game that grabbed me.”
“Yeah, and I kinda felt the same way. I think that’s how things are, though. Nothing is ever as good as the first.”
“Except for the second Sharknado movie. That one rocked.”
He shot her a quick glance, his entire face lit up. “What? No way! You like those movies too? I’m always ribbed because I love them. They’re hysterical.”
Molly was stunned. So, this hot guy with the killer smile loved to read and loved Sharknado? She secretly pinched herself because there was no way this dreamy dude could ever have that much in common with her.
Her no-dating rule stank, but she just couldn’t do that to Ellie. Josiah could be awesome a year, maybe two, possibly even three, but what if things got rough? She’d thought her last relationship was solid too. He’d wanted kids, loved the same things she did, and what did he do? Ellie wasn’t his, and he wasn’t sticking around. She couldn’t risk putting her daughter through that over and over. Not when Molly had firsthand experience of how hard it was.
She did have one question for him. “Did you hire me because you felt sorry for me that I got fired at that coffee shop?”
He inhaled and cleared his throat. “Uh…I plead the fifth.”
“I knew it.”
His jaw dropped open. “You did not. I completely trashed my apartment.”
Molly lifted an eyebrow. “Really? I have a slob for an older brother, and his room was putrid. I’m surprised the space station wasn’t using nose pins, the smell was so terrible.” That was the funniest part of Josiah hiring her. She’d started that first day, and all his clothes smelled surprisingly fresh…like someone had just washed and dried them.
Josiah opened and closed his mouth a few times and then shifted in his seat a little.
“You have how many siblings?” she asked.
“Uh, four.” He glanced at her. “Why?”
She laughed. “You were the weakest link when came to secrets, weren’t you?” She could see him working not to smile, and she laughed harder. “Oh, yeah, I’m so right.”
He huffed. “I will break out the big guns if you don’t watch it. I have all kinds of moves up my sleeve. Like, I wear extra-large shirts just to hold them all.”
Molly palmed her forehead and let out an exaggerated sigh. He was cute, charming, and witty. Whatever else he had up his sleeves…well, if it worked as well as all the other stuff he’d done so far, she was going to be undone by the time the new year arrived.
Chapter 5
After topping off the gas tank, Josiah parked in front of the convenience store. One of the reasons he’d stopped in Wichita Falls was because he was positive there’d be a clean bathroom in case Molly needed it.
Molly unbuckled herself and turned in the seat, checking on Ellie. “She’s awake and I’d bet wet.” A few minutes later, Molly faced forward, cradling what had to be the most precious baby ever.
Of course, that was just Josiah’s opinion, but he was confident he was right. He reached out for Ellie. “I’ll stay here with her while you use the restroom. I don’t think she should go in there. Not this time of year.”
“You just want to hold her, don’t you?” Molly asked, pressing a kiss to Ellie’s forehead.
Shrugging, he smiled. “Guilty. Plus, seriously, this isn’t a good time of the year for an infant to be going places. She needs a chance to build up her immunity.”
Molly cocked her head. “I really…never mind.”
“What?” he asked, holding out his arms for Ellie.
“You’re too perfect.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
That was an understatement. He trusted too easily, loved too quickly, and, most of the time, was so socially awkward it was painful. Which was why he worked so much. Aside from the fact that he loved it, he was desperate to prove he could be just as successful as his siblings.
“I’m…” He wanted to give her the list, but he didn’t want her feeling sorry for him. “Just trust me; I’m not.”
Molly, on the other hand, was as close to perfect as any woman he’d ever met. She loved Sharknado, reading, and comics. He’d never really read any manga, but with the right motivation, he would. A motivation like a girl who was as smart as she was hot.
She narrowed her eyes. “My gut tells me that’s not true, but the call of nature is now screaming.” She handed Ellie to him. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Josiah held Ellie in the crook of his arm, smiling as Molly got out. He looked back down at Ellie. “You are too adorable for words.”
The sentence was barely out of his mouth before a rumble came from the wrong end of the baby. Wow. “How can someone so small produce something so deadly? And my mouth was open.” He laughed, and the baby grinned. “Yeah, I bet you do feel better. What has your momma been feeding you?”
He carefully laid her on the seat and reached into the back to grab the diaper bag. No way was he waiting for Molly to get back. That diaper had to go.
Digging through the bag, he pulled out a diaper, wipes, and some lotion. “Huh, stuff made just for your tiny butt.” He looked from the tube to her and grinned. “Tiny but mighty.”
After unsnapping her onesie, he peeled the tabs on the diaper off and blinked. He was pretty sure the smell could be the cause of an apocalypse. “Never ask if it can get any worse,” he said as he wiped her clean. Once he had lotion on her, he fastened the diaper.
Just as he was finishing, Molly pulled the door open. “You changed her?”
He startled and jumped, hitting his head on the ceiling of the truck.
“I’m sorry!” Molly covered her mouth with both hands. “Are you okay?” The words came out muffled.
Josiah rubbed the top of his head and winced. “I’m okay, and, yes, I changed her. It was either that or drown in the bog of eternal stench.”
She waved her hand in front of her face. “Oh, yeah, wow. Sorry. That was a bad one.”
“Uh, yeah. I had no idea something so foul could come from a person so little.” He finished snapping Ellie’s onesie and picked her up.
Molly got in, and he handed her the baby before opening the door, jumping out, and tossing the evidence of something unholy. He jogged back and leaned into the cab. “I’m going to use the restroom and then grab some coffee. It’ll be horrible, but I need it.”
“Why would you say it’s horrible?” She looked up from Ellie.
“My sister-in-law makes the best coffee ever known to man. I was addicted by the time I left Caprock Canyon last year, and I’ve craved it ever since.” He smiled. “Do you want anything?”
She shook her head. “No, but thank you for changing her.”
“It wasn’t the most enjoyable experience, but I got a smile out of it.” He grinned.
Molly's face fell. “You did not.”
“I did. It was adorable too.”
“Not fair. She hasn’t smiled for me yet.” Molly placed a few kisses on her face. “Little stinker.”
Josiah liked this. Granted, a poopy diaper wasn’t the highlight of the trip, but he liked the package. He wanted this one day. A woman who shared his interests, their baby, and trips home to see family and vacations to Disney World.
He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. Just his luck. He’d met the one woman who made his pulse race, and she wasn’t interested in dating. Maybe a little of the Christmas magic that helped his brothers would find a way to help him too. Not that he was holding his breath. He didn’t want
to pass out and crack his head on the ground.
* * *
Cutting the engine to the truck, Josiah was thrilled to finally be sitting still. He loved his family, but the drive he could do without. He’d tried to convince Bear to put in a landing strip, and he wouldn’t go for it. It would spook the cattle.
“Hey,” Josiah said, gently shaking Molly. “We’re here.”
She slowly lifted her head and yawned. “I fell asleep on you, didn’t I?”
He smiled. “Yeah, but that’s okay. It can be a boring drive.”
“Wow. It’s so dark out here. And quiet. It’s like a vacuum almost.” She stretched her arms in front of her and rolled her neck. “I like it.”
“Yeah, I do too, but by the time the new year arrives, I’m ready to get back to Dallas.” Twisting in his seat, he unbuckled Ellie and then gave her to Molly. “You carry her, and I’ll grab the luggage.”
She nodded. “Okay. Do you think your family waited up for you to get here?”
Shrugging, he said, “It’s a tossup. If they weren’t playing cards, probably not. If they did, most likely they’re still up. We take card games very seriously.”
Molly chewed her bottom lip as she looked at the house. “I hope they don’t mind us coming.”
He hadn’t called anyone to let them know about Molly, but he also knew his family. Molly was going to fit in just fine. “You’re kidding, right? One, you have a baby. Two, I’m bringing home a woman. Three, well, just double the first two, and that should take care of the rest of your worry.” He smiled.
It didn’t seem to ease the worry etched on her face, so he took her hand. “Molly, they’re going to love you. The second you walk through that door, you’ll pretty much be a member of the family for life.”
“Okay. I just…I’m a little defective at times. I laugh at the wrong things, like the weirdest stuff…I don’t know. There’s a reason I don’t have a lot of friends.”
The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 3) Page 3