The Rancher, the Baby & the Nanny. Sara Orwig

his and tingles raced through her. “She’s sweet.”

      “You have her vote,” he said lightly. As he took Megan, her face screwed up and she began to cry again. “Hey, baby. Megan, what’s the matter?” He gave Grace a frustrated glance. “I don’t know what makes her fussy.”

      “Maybe she’s cutting teeth.”

      “She wasn’t doing this with you.” He walked around, patting Megan and talking to her. Grace, meanwhile, crossed the room and removed some papers from her purse.

      “Here are my references,” she said, placing them on the table. “Thank you for the interview. I can let myself out.”

      “Miss Talmadge.”

      As she turned to see what he wanted, Megan’s wails became louder. “Just a minute. Shh, Megan,” he crooned. Her screams increased, her small face becoming red.

      Grace set down her purse and crossed the room to take the baby from him. He shot her a look, but then let her have Megan, who continued to scream for a moment, then quieted and snuggled against Grace.

      “Maybe she does want you for her nanny,” he remarked dryly. He had his hands on his hips, and more locks of his black hair had fallen onto his forehead. “You never asked about the salary.”

      “If you want me for a nanny and I want the job, I suppose we can work something agreeable out.”

      He told her what he planned to pay, and Grace stared at him in shock, because the sum was astronomical. “With a salary like that you should be able to get any nanny you want!”

      “No. Women don’t want the isolation unless it includes marriage, which it does not.” He didn’t add, but he knew that his unsavory reputation had turned many away. “The job means devoting your life to a baby.”

      “No, it doesn’t. The weekends are free.”

      As she sat down to rock Megan, his phone rang.

      “Excuse me, please,” he said, striding out of the room. In minutes he was back, watching her rock his sleeping niece. “I’ll take her now.”

      “And I must be going,” Grace said, standing to hand the baby to him, too aware of their hands brushing. She picked up her purse. He followed her to the door and she paused, turning to face him. She held out her hand to shake his, conscious of his brief, warm clasp.

      “Thank you for the interview. I’m very interested in the job,” she said, looking at Wyatt holding Megan. He stood in the doorway, watching her as she climbed into her car and drove away.

      A cloud of dust stirred up behind her car as she headed off. Grassland spread in all directions around her, and she could see cattle grazing in the distance. She would be isolated, but the job sounded good. With the pay that Wyatt offered, she could pay off her student loans, save for her advanced degree, get a newer car and still put some money away. She was astounded he hadn’t hired someone already.

      She wasn’t afraid to live out on his ranch with the man, in spite of all she had heard about him. She said a little prayer that she got the job.

      When a week had passed without her hearing anything from Wyatt Sawyer, Grace’s hopes for the job dwindled. Three days later she picked up the phone at work to hear a deep, masculine voice.

      “Miss Talmadge, this is Wyatt Sawyer. Have you got a moment to talk?”

      “Yes, of course,” she said calmly, while her heart jumped with hope.

      “Your references gave you good recommendations. I was impressed. I did a background check.”

      “And?” she asked when he paused. She held her breath.

      “You passed, as I’m sure you knew you would. So would you be interested in the job as our nanny?”

      Two

      “He’ll seduce you. You’ll get pregnant and then you’ll have to take care of your baby and his while he does what he wants and forgets all about you except as his nanny!”

      Grace smiled at Virginia, who sat watching Grace as she packed.

      “No, he won’t. I’m not his type.”

      “You’re female. That’s his type.”

      Grace laughed. “You don’t know what type of woman he likes. I think he’s all grown up now and taking on responsibility.”

      “Wolves don’t change their spots,” Virginia grumbled, tossing her head and causing her long black hair to swirl across her shoulders.

      “Wolves don’t have spots,” Grace replied.

      “You know what I mean. Aren’t you scared he’ll creep into your bedroom some night and—”

      “No, I’m not!”

      “You know he had to leave town, and you’ve heard the rumors that when he was seventeen, he got a girl in his high-school class pregnant. She drowned soon after. A lot of people think he might have killed her.”

      “I thought you said that the drowning was officially ruled an accident.”

      “That doesn’t mean it really was an accident. I’ve heard that he slept with every girl in his class.”

      Grace turned around, her hands loaded with folded clothing. “Some of those rumors are absurd, Virginia, if not impossible.”

      “No, they’re not. I’ve heard that at least three kids in middle school and high school here are his children. He had to run away. He never finished high school.”

      “Just stop, Virginia, and listen to me. He is paying a fabulous sum, more than triple what I’m making. I’m losing my job because the business is closing. Do you realize I can pay off my loans and start achieving my goals? And think about how much I can save.”

      “It won’t be worth your life. Money isn’t everything,” Virginia replied.

      “Oh, don’t be ridiculous! There is nowhere else I can earn a living like this with my background. The baby is sweet, and I’m not afraid of him. He and I will hardly see each other. I’m sure he’s a busy man.”

      Virginia rolled her eyes. “You’ll be a pushover for his charm. You’ve only ever dated two guys, Grace. You’re Miss Innocent and he’s Mr. Seduction, besides being the best-looking man in Texas.”

      “You finally got something right there. He is very good-looking.”

      “He’s a gorgeous stud! I’ve seen him in town, and he’s awesome!”

      “I’ll have to invite you out to meet him.”

      “You will? Promise!” Virginia wriggled with enthusiasm.

      Grace laughed. “So it’s all right for you to come out and meet him, but it’s not all right for me to work for him?”

      Virginia pursed her lips. “That’s right. You’ll be living under the same roof with him. I’ll be visiting. You’ll be his servant. I will have an independent status.” She became solemn. “All joking aside, I’m not sure the money will be worth the heartbreak. I think he’ll break your heart and grind up the little pieces.”

      “If he does, I’ll have no one to blame but myself.”

      “Mark my words, if you aren’t careful you’re going to fall for him. No red-blooded woman could live under the same roof with that gorgeous hunk and resist him. According to rumors, no woman has ever been able to resist him.”

      “I’m not his type, I told you.”

      “That won’t stop him from seducing you or breaking your heart.”

      “I’ll be careful.”

      “Your parents don’t know anything about your taking this job,