The Rancher's Nanny Bargain. Sara Orwig

      “As soon as you possibly can.”

      He felt relief surging in him and he could hardly stifle the smile that split his lips. Although temporary, he felt positive that he just hired an excellent nanny, and someone who could teach him how to be a parent so that later, he could select the best long-term nanny for his niece.

      “I feel desperate and so does my grandmother, not to mention my cook who is doing some double shifts. Although sometimes I relieve her and cook for us so that she can help my grandmother,” he explained. “Actually, tomorrow would be the best possible time for you to start, but I know you can’t change your life that fast.”

      “No, I can’t, but I can move to your ranch Monday and get to know Amelia. If you or your grandmother can be here the first day or two, it would be nice, so I can see Amelia’s routine and learn what I need to know about her.”

      “I’ll work that out. Move in Monday and if I can help you, let me know. There are a lot of guys on this ranch willing to pitch in and help you move,” he said. Every guy on the ranch would help once they got a glimpse of her. “I have a small plane and I also have a private jet I keep in Dallas. If you want, I can either have my pilot fly you here, because from the ranch it’s a little over 160 miles to Dallas, or have someone pick you up in Dallas in a limo and move your things. From the ranch to Downly is twenty miles.”

      “My head is swimming. Let me think and I’ll send you a text or call you later today. How’s that?”

      “That’s excellent,” he said, sitting back and smiling at her. She did look a bit overwhelmed.

      “I’m stunned by your offer and am trying to adjust to the change in my life and what this job will mean to me,” she said, her gaze shifting to his as she looked intently at him.

      He became aware of how close they sat, her knees almost touching his, her exotic perfume filling the air. Her green eyes had darkened slightly and her rosy lips were turned up in a slight grin. He also became aware of how much he wanted to lean closer and taste them.

      Would she always be such a temptation? he wondered. Or was it just the shock of seeing her looking so different, so mature, so feminine? He told himself he’d get used to the new Erin, with some time. Meanwhile, he had nothing to worry about where she was concerned. He had no qualms that she would be circumspect, professional, focused on Amelia.

      He would, too, if he always kept in mind how vulnerable Erin was and how much she was into marriage, family and permanent commitment. Also, how much he valued her brother’s friendship.

      And she would never flirt with him or come on to him. He remembered how solemn she used to be. The reminder should be a reassurance to him, but for some reason it wasn’t.

      “When you’re here, if you ever have any problems, don’t hesitate to tell me,” he said, his voice a deeper rasp.

      “Thank you,” she replied. “You know, I wouldn’t do this if it weren’t for your friendship with Luke and all the years we’ve known you.”

      “I wouldn’t do this if it weren’t for Luke, either,” he said.

      “And I doubt if I’ll need any help, but I will let you know if I do. I don’t even know what I need to bring.”

      “Let’s go look at where you’ll stay.” He stood but paused as he exited his office. “One more thing,” he said, “I’d like you to be on duty Friday nights. If you have some place you want to go on a Friday, let me know and I’ll work around it, but on Fridays, I’d like to go out.”

      “That’s fine. I think that would work out really well,” she added and he smiled.

      “Don’t sound so happy to be rid of me,” he said and she looked startled.

      “I’m joking,” he added swiftly, wanting to get back to being impersonal. “If you don’t want to stay by yourself with Amelia, there are a couple of wives of the cowboys who work for me who live on the ranch. I can get them to stay on Friday night so you’ll have someone else here with you.”

      “I’ll be fine. They’re all here on the ranch, so someone I can call won’t be far away if necessary. Right?”

      “Right. Come meet Maisie, my cook. She’s still in the kitchen. She has a house here and her husband works for me, too. Harold, my butler, has a house on the ranch and his wife cooks for the people who work here.” Cade took Erin’s arm lightly to lead her out, and was surprised when the faint contact sent tingles up his arm. Yes, he thought, the woman was certainly tempting. Thank goodness once he had her situated and familiar with her charge and his staff, he could throw himself into work and see her less.

      But how could he do that?

      He needed to learn how to cope with Amelia. He needed to follow Erin around and see how to care for his charge. He also needed to bond with Amelia and when he did, Erin would be present, too. They were going to be thrown together, living together in his ranch house, spending a lot of time together with Amelia. And he had to remain cool and professional, the boss and his nanny.

      He clung to the knowledge that even though Erin was gorgeous, there were other beautiful women who were far more lighthearted, ready to party, wanting the same freedom he did and who hadn’t lost a baby or been hurt badly in a recent broken engagement. There were so many reasons to remain professional and distant with her, so why did they seemed to evaporate when he looked into her big, green eyes?

      They entered the kitchen where a slender woman with braided blond hair wiped the countertops. “Ahh, hello, there,” she said. “You must be Luke’s younger sister. I can see a family resemblance.”

      Erin laughed. “I’ve heard that before, but not often.”

      “Erin, meet Maisie Elsworth, my cook and the person who keeps this place going. If you have questions about Amelia, the job or the ranch, or need help, Maisie is the person to ask.”

      “Absolutely,” Maisie replied, smiling. “You’ll love little Amelia and maybe you can teach this Wild West cowboy how to calm her. She’s adorable.” Maisie looked away and wiped her eyes, turning her back. “You’ll have to give me a moment. I feel as if I lost one of my own boys when we lost Amelia’s dad. The same for the little one’s mother. So sad, and sometimes it hits me out of the blue,” she said, still wiping her eyes.

      Cade stepped up to put his arm around her and give her a squeeze. He stood quietly while she became composed again and turned to Erin.

      “Sorry,” Maisie said. “Moments come without warning when I realize they’re gone forever and I think of little Amelia.”

      “Don’t ever apologize because you love someone,” Erin said. Cade thought about her miscarriage and how much she must have hurt over losing her baby, and how much she was still hurting.

      “Ahh, you’ll be a good nanny for our little baby,” Maisie told her. “I hope your brother is fine. I miss seeing him. They were fun boys, but now they’re grown men and busy and I don’t see them.”

      “You see me plenty, Maisie,” Cade said with a grin. “You’ll see more of me today, but right now, I want to show Erin where she’ll be staying when she moves in.”

      “It’ll be good to have you with us,” she said to Erin and Cade wondered whether he had just complicated his future while making Amelia’s more secure.

      Next, Cade took Erin to a suite that held four rooms. She walked into the center of the living area, turning to look at the room that had oak floors, a thick area rug in two tones of blue, watercolor paintings of horses on the walls, and glass and teak furniture.

      Cade watched her turn to look around, his gaze running over her. He was still amazed by the changes in her appearance, even though common sense told him she wouldn’t look the way she had at ten.

      “Go ahead and look at the bedroom, the closet and the adjoining bathroom,” Cade urged, wanting