“Yuki and I have theorized we could create a robot nanny for you,” Zephyr suggested. “We have the parts.”
“I do not want a robot caring for my son any more than an inexperienced twit.”
“It’s illogical to continue having so many sleepless nights.”
“It’s not illogical to want the best for my son,” Hanish countered.
“I agree with you on that count, Captain, but I assure you we could create you something that would be beyond excellent.”
“I don’t doubt that, old friend, but I would prefer a flesh-and-blood caregiver for my child. Since his mother is not available, and neither are any Dragonian nannies, I will have to settle for a human. And if I must have a human care for my child, then it will be the best human nanny that ever walked the face of the earth. Mark my words—I will find such a creature, and I will find her soon.”
Chapter 2
JoJo Morris looked down at the children she’d been charged with since the day of their births, and tears gathered in the corners of her eye. She blinked them away, refusing to let the shock and disappointment affect her emotionally.
“I’m sorry we can’t take you, JoJo,” her employer, Marjorie Whitmore, said. “But it can’t be helped. Since Bedford and I are getting divorced, I can no longer afford your salary.”
“It’s perfectly understandable, ma’am,” JoJo said.
These things happened all the time, and being emotional about it wouldn’t help her, the children, or Mrs. Whitmore. She had plenty of savings and excellent references. Her future was not in danger, and new employment was all but assured.
“We are going to miss you so much,” little Richard Whitmore said. He hugged JoJo around the waist, as did his younger sister, Camilla.
The sight of the children expressing their genuine affection made the tears that were threatening slide down JoJo’s face. She sniffled them back and drew a starched white handkerchief from her pocket to wipe them away.
“I will miss you as well, children.” She kneeled down to their height. “You have been a part of my life for so long. I almost feel as if you’re my own family. And I will never forget the time we spent together. But I know that your mother will take excellent care of you and that your futures will be happy ones. Now run along and pack your things. Be good, children, and listen to your mother. We will say our goodbyes this afternoon.”
The children scurried off into the hall, leaving JoJo and Marjorie in private.
“Thank you so much for understanding,” Marjorie Whitmore said.
“I wish there were something I could do to help,” JoJo said. “Possibly reduce my salary until you get on your feet?”
“I wouldn’t hear of it, JoJo. The children love you so much, and so do I, but I can’t ask you to take less than you’re worth. I’m sure someone will hire you right away.”
“I understand, Marjorie.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you had new employment by the time you get to London. You are one of the most sought-after nannies in the country. We were lucky to have you for so long.”
Mrs. Whitmore might have been slightly exaggerating, but JoJo knew that it was essentially the truth. JoJo Morris had gone to the best schools and had a PhD in child psychology and in early childhood development. She had worked for some of the most prestigious families and institutions in all of England but had been with the Whitmores seven years. Mr. Whitmore was an industrialist banker and had recently left Mrs. Whitmore for a much younger woman. Due to an unscrupulous and unethical prenuptial agreement, he was leaving Mrs. Whitmore with almost nothing.
It saddened JoJo beyond belief, but there was nothing she could do. The family had been paying her ten thousand pounds a month to care for their children, and now Mrs. Whitmore would have to live on that much money alone. She could only afford to pay JoJo a tiny fraction of that, and they all knew that wouldn’t last.
In an uncharacteristic moment of emotion, JoJo leaned in, gave the crying Mrs. Whitmore a hug, and rubbed her back briefly before stepping away and straightening her suit jacket. “Right then. It’s time I pack my bags and start looking for a new situation. It has been quite a journey raising the children together. Like I told them, I will never forget you. I will appreciate the time we spent together for the rest of my life.”
Mrs. Whitmore sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. “Thank you, JoJo. That means so very much to me. The children and I feel exactly the same about you.”
JoJo nodded and left the room. She hated seeing Mrs. Whitmore in tears, but she completely understood the woman’s sentiments. However, there was nothing left to do except pack her bags. What needed to be said had been said, and now it was time to move on to the next chapter of her life.
She walked into her tidy, organized space, pulled out her suitcase, and began to pack her things. She would be staying with her great-aunt Mary in between jobs but hoped the next one would come soon. At thirty-five years old, JoJo had accomplished most of her goals. Going back to live with a relative was never ideal. Although she got along wonderfully with her great-aunt, JoJo didn’t want to put her out for too long. When she had her clothing packed, she quickly posted her résumé on the nanny service website and went downstairs to say her goodbyes to the children.
“Goodbye, Nanny JoJo.” Richard hugged her tightly around the waist.
“Goodbye, Nanny JoJo,” Camilla said.
JoJo hugged them both one last time. Then she gave Mrs. Whitmore another embrace. “Be good, children.” She stepped out the door with her bag in one hand and her umbrella in the other. JoJo marched to the curb, stepped into the waiting cab, and was quickly off down the street to start her new life.
An hour later, the cab pulled up to her great-aunt’s flat in London. The moment she stepped out of the taxi, her phone pinged. The cab driver pulled her bag from the trunk while JoJo checked the message on her phone. It seemed she already had multiple offers for employment since leaving the Whitmore mansion. A smile crossed her face as she paid the driver.
Her heeled boots clicked on the pavement as she charged up the steps to her great-aunt’s flat. On the second floor of the building, she found her great-aunt Mary waiting. The old woman was tooling about in a housecoat and immediately offered JoJo a cup of tea when she walked in the front door.
“I would love a cup of tea,” JoJo said, stepping inside. Mary’s home hadn’t changed a bit since JoJo’s childhood. The walls were lined with old photographs and ancient paintings. The house smelled of cinnamon and wood polish. House plants lined the windows, and stately solid, old furniture filled the room. They took a seat in the sitting room while Mary poured JoJo’s tea and added two lumps of sugar and a dollop of cream.
JoJo accepted the Dutch blue china cup and saucer with a smile. “You remember just how I like my tea.”
“I remember a great many things about my favorite great-niece,” Mary said, sitting across from her in an overstuffed armchair. “Tell me what your plans are for the future, dear.” Mary took a sip of her own tea.
“I have several job offers already,” JoJo informed her.
“Are they from good English families?”
“I haven’t checked yet, but I’ve received five offers since leaving the Whitmore estate.”
Mary nodded her approval. “Why don’t you check them now?”
“I think I will.” JoJo pulled her smartphone from her purse and opened the nanny website. She placed a finger on the screen and began to scroll through the offers. “I have an offer from the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.”
“Oh, royalty,” Great-Aunt Mary said.
“And an offer from a billionaire who lives on a vineyard in the south of France.”
“Ah, the south of France would be quite nice.”
“And from a sheik in Saudi Arabia,” JoJo continued.
“Exotic.”
“And here’s someone who describes himself as a ship captain who lives outside Seattle, Washington, in America.”
“A
ship captain?”
“That’s what it says.”
“Military or a cruise ship?” Mary asked.
“It doesn’t say.”
“That’s an interesting offer. Can they pay your salary?”
“I’ve been clear about my income requirements,” she said.
“I think you should take the job in the south of France.” Mary sipped her tea. “Such lovely weather.”
“The ship captain has offered to double my salary,” JoJo said, opening up the offer page and reading further.
“Double your salary?”
“Indeed,” JoJo said. “The fact is interesting, isn’t it? And he only has one child—a son who is six months old.”
“He must be awfully desperate for help. Does the child have health problems?”
“He mentions the child is teething.”
Mary laughed. “A teething six-month-old?”
“He lives with several other men that he says are his crew. I suppose as a ship captain, that could be expected.” JoJo snickered as she continued reading. “I’m guessing none of them knows anything about children. He does seem awfully desperate to find someone to help him.” Then JoJo opened a picture of the child. He was cradled by the most devastatingly handsome man she had ever seen in her life. JoJo held the image up for her great-aunt. “This is him.”
“The baby or the man?”
“I think both,” JoJo said.
“Well, he’s quite the looker, isn’t he?” Mary asked.
“Indeed, he is,” JoJo replied, examining Captain Hanish.
“What are you going to do, dear?”
“It does seem an awfully odd situation. Why are all of these men living together in one house?”
“Maybe they’re military, and they have a bond of brotherhood. Those types of things are quite common, aren’t they?”
“A bit.” But JoJo thought some of them would have married or have lives of their own. Or maybe they were married, and they all lived together in one house. “There are many questions, but I’m intrigued. I’m going to send him a message and ask for more information.”
“Well, I’m glad things are progressing well for you, my dear, not that I wouldn’t want you to stay here longer. But I know how stir crazy you can be, always needing to be busy. Never able to relax.”
“I can relax.”
Mary laughed. “I would like to see the day. When you were a child, you would spend your entire summer rearranging and alphabetizing my library.”
“That’s what I do for fun,” JoJo said. “I like to organize and to be tidy. I find it relaxing. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“There is nothing wrong with that if it’s what you like, JoJo. But I certainly hope your future employer appreciates you as much as I do.”
Chapter 3
Hanish had finally found his nanny. She would be arriving at any moment, and he could barely contain his excitement. JoJo Morris was one of the most accomplished nannies in the world. Hanish had outbid multiple wealthy families for the chance to have the woman look after his son, offering her three times her regular salary to come work for him. He knew it would be worth every penny.
“I want you all to make yourself scarce,” Hanish told his crew.
“I want to meet the woman who will be better for Tor than our robot nanny,” Yuki said.
Hanish scowled. “Anyone would be better than a robot.”
“Do you doubt mine and Zephyr’s expertise?”
“As an engineer and scientist? No. But as an inventor of nannies? Yes. Now, I meant it when I said to make yourselves scarce.”
Ragnar grumbled, and Yuki and Raiden snickered as they left the room. Zephyr didn’t give him a second glance. His primary counselor and ship science officer, Zephyr, was satisfied with the nanny’s qualifications and agreed with Hanish that she would be a suitable caregiver for Tor. Having Zephyr’s approval was important to Hanish. His old friend and longtime first counsel had never steered him wrong. It wasn’t that the others’ opinions didn’t matter; they just didn’t matter as much.
Hanish sat in the front room, watching Tor swing back and forth in the baby swing Everly had given him. Tor squeaked and smiled, chewing on his fist with his newly developed teeth.
“I hope I like her too,” Hanish said, speaking to the child as if he were actually communicating. Tor had not yet received his mental-link implant in the back of his brain, something that could only be fitted on mature dragons. Until then, Hanish had to communicate with his son verbally. So far, the child’s verbal communication skills were infantile.
There was a knock at the door, and Hanish shot to his feet. He smoothed out his pink polo shirt and khaki pants and strode to the front door. He swung it open and found a woman with chocolate-brown hair pulled back in a tight bun. She wore a dark-gray skirt suit and thick glasses. She blinked at him several times, leaning away as if his energy alone had pushed her.
Then she regained her composure, reached out her hand, and introduced herself in a strange accent. “Good day. You must be Captain Storm. I am JoJo Morris.”
“Yes, of course,” Hanish said. Her very presence sent a thrill of awareness through his being. His inner dragon screamed, and Hanish grew confused. “Come in.”
He led her down the hall and into the sitting room, where Tor continued to swing back and forth.
“This is my son, Tor Storm.”
“How often do you leave him in the swing?” JoJo asked, approaching the child.
“A few hours a day. I was told it is fine for him and can be soothing for children his age.”
JoJo eyed him up and down. “I would not leave him unattended in these devices.”
Hanish was taken aback. Everly had not mentioned anything about not leaving him. Besides, Hanish had only left him briefly to open the door. JoJo’s suggestion that he was inattentive to his son immediately sent a lightning bolt of anger down his spine.
A great rumbling resounded from the basement, and smoke billowed up through the basement door. Yuki and Zephyr stumbled into the room, coughing and choking on the billowing smoke seeping into the living room. JoJo immediately picked up Tor and escaped out the French doors into the yard. The smoke wafted out of the house. Raiden jumped headlong into the front yard from the second-floor balcony, rolled on the ground, and shot to his feet. JoJo’s face was marred with abject horror.
Ragnar, the largest member of the crew, burst out the oak front door. Unfortunately, he didn’t bother opening it first. The wood splintered and cracked under his feet. Akash, the only one who had stayed in the house, backed out the front door, spraying a fire extinguisher behind him as he went.
“I put out the fire in the basement,” Akash announced. “If I hadn’t, the entire place would’ve burned down.”
“What is going on here?” JoJo asked as she tried to soothe the wailing infant in her arms.
“We were working on an experiment. Since Hanish doesn’t want a nanny robot, we’ve been working on something else.” Yuki wiped soot from his brow.
“A nanny robot?”
“I told them I don’t want one,” Hanish said, scooping his son into his arms. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked, staring down Yuki and Zephyr.
“We are attempting a continuation of Cato’s work on the human antibody vaccination,” Zephyr explained. “We can’t wait forever for Flora to finish her thesis.”
“Human vaccination?” JoJo asked as she produced a teething ring from her pocket and handed it to the child. Tor happily munched away on it. “Are you scientists or doctors?”
“Yes,” Hanish said.
“No,” Zephyr and Yuki said at the same time.
“Which is it?” JoJo asked. “Yes or no?”
They repeated their answers again, this time making the opposite claim. Hanish shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. His crew was not making a very good first impression. JoJo just stared at them, but he decided it was best to remain quiet for the time being.
The smoke finally stopped blowing out of the house, and everyone but JoJo, Hanish, and Tor went back inside. Akash poked his head out the empty hole that had once been the front door and shouted across the lawn, “It’s all clear.”
“Akash says it’s clear,” Hanish said.
“It is not healthy for a child to live in such a chaotic environment,” JoJo informed him. “I arrived just in time. There will be no dangerous experimentation in the house when the child is present. Is that understood?”
“I can’t possibly…”
JoJo charged toward the house without another word. All Hanish could do was follow her, still bouncing Tor in his arms. JoJo took her bag from the living room and made her way up the stairs. She quickly found the nursery and opened the windows to let out any lingering smoke.
“He will have his meals at nine, noon, three, and six,” JoJo said without looking back to make sure he was still behind her.
This woman must have eyes in the back of her head.
“Then he will be put to bed at seven p.m. sharp,” JoJo continued. “His nap times will immediately follow his meal times. He will have a bath every night and a change of diaper when necessary. Are you agreeable to that schedule?”
Captain Hanish, prince of the House of Storms, was used to being listened to and having his orders followed. He was over a thousand years old, had slept in stasis for a million years, and had been head of the house and of his crew for almost that long. He had never in his life been spoken to the way that this nanny—his employee—was speaking to him now. He opened his mouth then closed it, unsure of what to do.
“Have I made myself clear?” she asked again.
“Yes,” he said, completely confused.
Is she working for me, or am I working for her?
“Very well, then. I will now take over the care of the child. I would like you to give me your schedule so I know when you will spend time with him.”
“Okay.”
“As for the other men who live in the home…” She turned to him, her hands folded in front of her. Her appearance was severe and dour, yet there was something about her sharp demeanor and exacting behavior that Hanish found terribly attractive.
House Of Storms: Dragon Guardians Page 13
