Operation Nanny. Пола Грейвс

      

      WANTED: NANNY

      MUST BE GOOD WITH WET WIPES AND GUNS.

      Lacey Miles becomes the unexpected sole guardian of her young niece. Knee-deep into an investigation of a sleeper cell, Lacey finds that motherhood is a lot more perilous than she expected, so she hires a nanny with an impeccable résumé…who’s a far cry from Mary Poppins.

      Beneath his friendly demeanor, Jim Mercer is a former Marine turned undercover agent, tasked with ferreting out the terrorists targeting Lacey and her loved ones. Jim may be the ultimate caretaker, but the closer Lacey comes to blowing her case open, the more Jim’s true identity is revealed. And the deeper he falls for this vulnerable little family.

      Campbell Cove Academy

      Lacey Miles stared at Jim a moment, her only reaction a slight narrowing of her eyes.

      “Ms. Taylor said you had specified that you had no issues with hiring a male caretaker.”

      “I don’t,” she said bluntly in a tone that suggested just the opposite.

      “You seem as if you’ve been blindsided.”

      Her lips curved in a faint, perfunctory smile. “I guess I have been, in a way. I didn’t have a chance to look over your credentials or even get your name. I just wasn’t expecting a man.”

      “Oh.”

      “I’m in a hurry to make a hire, you see,” she added quickly, as if she realized what she’d just admitted made her sound ill prepared. “In fact, you’re the first person who’s even applied for the job.”

      He was pretty sure he knew why. The story about the car bomb meant for her, the one that had killed her sister and brother-in-law instead, had made the national news. There weren’t a lot of wannabe nannies willing to walk into a situation like that. Which made him the perfect person for the job.

      Operation Nanny

      Paula Graves

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      PAULA GRAVES, an Alabama native, wrote her first book at the age of six. A voracious reader, Paula loves books that pair tantalizing mystery with compelling romance. When she’s not reading or writing, she works as a creative director for a Birmingham advertising agency and spends time with her family and friends. Paula invites readers to visit her website, paulagraves.com.

      MILLS & BOON

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      For my nieces, Sarah, Kathryn, Melissa and Ashlee,

      and my nephew, Nathan. Most of you aren’t old enough

      to read my books, but maybe you’ll look them up in a

      few years, see this dedication and smile.

      Contents

       Cover

       Introduction

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Epilogue

       Extract

       Copyright

Chapter One

      The blue pickup truck was in her rearview mirror again. It had been there, off and on, since shortly after she’d crossed the Potomac into Maryland. Of course, many vehicles—not just the pickup—had shared the road into Frederick with her, many of them staying behind her for miles at a time before turning off.

      Maybe that was the problem, Lacey thought. The pickup had never turned off.

      A soft whine from the backseat drew her attention away from the rearview mirror. She dared the quickest glance at the child seat belted in behind the passenger seat, reassuring herself that Katie was just being fussy. Her niece’s bright gray eyes stared back at Lacey, reminding her so much of Marianne that she had to suck in her breath against a sharp stab of grief.

      “Almost there, sweet pea,” she said as brightly as she could manage. They were only a few minutes out of Frederick now, and early for the appointment for once.

      She glanced in the rearview mirror. She couldn’t see the pickup anymore.

      Frowning, she looked forward, her gaze drawn to the green directional sign coming up fast on her right, informing her of an upcoming exit. It was a couple