by Cassie Hayes
Only now it left him with a Sophia-sized problem. Who could he get to watch her that he actually trusted? No way was he going to bring her to the construction site every day, there was no room in the local kindergarten, and it wasn’t fair to keep asking Jacob and Marissa to watch her, as they were doing tonight.
As the Bubbies argued over which of their progeny should get the gig, he allowed his gaze to drift down to Alexandria. She’d shaken out the loose ponytail, and her golden hair lay in soft waves around her shoulders, but she still wore the same casual outfit from earlier. He certainly wasn’t an expert on women’s fashion, but he knew quality when he saw it.
The clothes were nice, too.
“As a matter of fact,” her cute friend said, giving him a shrewd look with the most vivid green eyes he’d ever seen, “it looks like Lex is going to stick around town for a bit, and she’s currently unemployed. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.”
“Zoe, I never—“
“Really?” he interrupted, preventing her from saying no right away. He liked the way her cheeks turned pink at the double meaning of her friend’s comment. Strangely, his seemed a little warm too. “That would be perfect. Sophia thinks you’re… What did she say? Oh, yeah. ‘Lit’…whatever that means. Pretty sure it’s a compliment though.”
Alexandria gawked up at him, speechless. It probably didn’t happen very often, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t last long. He was right.
“I’m sorry, Grayson. Sophia’s a great kid, but Zoe jumped the gun. I have no idea what I’m doing right now. The only thing I do know is that I need to get the inn back in shape before I return home.”
“Perfect,” Zoe said. “You told me two days ago that you weren’t sure how you were going to get it all done before your vacation was over. Now that you’re on permanent vacation, you can relax a little and earn some money to pay for that ridiculous apartment of yours.”
Grayson was starting to like this Zoe person. She looked to be about the same age as Alexandria, but that’s where the resemblance ended. Where Alexandria was a girly-girl, Zoe was a tomboy — tan skin, no makeup, dark brown hair cut very short. And the drab khaki shirt and olive green slacks she wore couldn’t hide her fit physique, not that she was trying to hide it. The woman looked more comfortable in her own skin than anyone he’d ever met.
“Ranger?” he asked.
“No, my name’s Zoe,” she said with a wink. “Oh! You mean my job.”
“Funny too.”
Zoe stood and gave him a little bow. “Thank you, ladies and gents. I’ll be here all week. Don’t forget to tip your server.” Then she herded the Bubbies toward the bar, saying something about a specialty tea invented in Long Island they would just love.
Grayson dropped into the now-vacant seat across from Alexandria. “Thanks again for today.”
She huffed. “For what? For not calling you the moment I saw her? You must have been out of your mind with worry.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he said, laying his hand on hers.
He’d only meant to comfort her, to ease her conscience, but instead it felt like he’d been hit by a downed power line. The gentle touch was more powerful than a train, and he could see in her face that she felt it, too. As much as he wanted to let his hand linger, to feel the quickening thump of her pulse where his thumb rested on her wrist, he somehow found the strength to pull away.
“So what do you think?” he asked as the waitress delivered two drinks. He gratefully downed one in a single gulp. Bourbon. Perfect.
“Think?”
He couldn’t stop himself from smiling at her dazed expression, because he felt the same way. The whole idea was insane, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving town. Not yet anyway. If hiring her as Sophia’s nanny would keep her around, he’d happily make that ‘sacrifice.’ He just needed to persuade her into accepting.
He pushed the other drink at her. “About working for me.”
“Oh. That’s really kind of you, but I wasn’t lying when I said I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I’ll probably end up calling my boss and asking for my job back.”
It wasn’t a no; that was something, at least. “Have a pen?”
“Sure,” she said, clearly confused as she dug in her Gucci purse and handed him a cheap Bic.
The incongruity made him like her more than he already did, but it was so very her. Flashy on the outside, but uncomplicated and trustworthy on the inside.
He scribbled a figure on his damp cocktail napkin, flipped it over and slid it across the table. It was three times what he’d paid Erin Paulson, and he was hoping would be more than Alexandria’s monthly salary at her former job. Now she couldn’t use money as an excuse to leave Yosemite Flats, something he was curiously eager to prevent.
“Just like in the movies,” he said as he leaned back and waited.
Her suspicious gaze shot between him and the napkin. When it finally settled on the napkin, she chewed on her plump lower lip in the most adorable way, before tipping the remaining contents of her glass down her throat. With a wince, she peeked at the napkin and her cerulean eyes grew wide.
“Are you kidding?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“You’re nuts. I’m not even remotely qualified to watch Sophia. You could hire ten Mary Poppins for this!”
“I don’t want Mary Poppins, I want you.” As the words left his mouth, he realized just how true they were.
“But…why?”
He shrugged nonchalantly, even though he was asking himself the same question. Most of the truth would have to do. “She likes you.”
Was that disappointment that flashed in her eyes before she looked away? Hard to know, but the surge of adrenaline that shot through his system suggested his instincts were spot on.
“Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll do it, but only until you find a more suitable nanny. Couple months, tops.”
“Great! There’s just one condition…you let me call you Lex.”
Chapter Five
Chainsaws screamed and sawdust filled the air of the community center’s parking lot. The chainsaw carving contest was one of the most popular events at the annual Flats Fair, drawing folks from all of the surrounding communities, including Lex’s talented younger brother, Hale, who hoped to take home the trophy — the previous year’s winning carving. More than that though, the other contestants wanted to knock The Bobs from their pedestal. No fewer than three Benson men signed up every year, and their overgrown property just outside town was not only filled with beaters on blocks and piles of scrap metal, but also fifteen years worth of trophies.
Lex boosted Sophia up on her shoulders to get a better view of the competition, grateful that she’d abandoned her torturous Spanx. After three weeks back in Yosemite Flats, she’d given up on expecting people to call her by her given name. Once Grayson began calling her Lex, Sophia had quickly followed suit, and for some reason, she didn’t mind it so much anymore. She’d even started thinking of herself as Lex, something she hadn’t done since resurrecting “Alexandria” her freshman year in college.
“Lex, can I have my phone? Please?”
Once she’d taken on the role of Lexy Poppins, she’d established a new rule: No electronics until after Sophia’s daily nap. It had meant progress on the inn’s finances had slowed some to keep the tiny whirlwind entertained, but her brothers understood she needed an income too. Her mother was less impressed — something about paying her college tuition, only to have her become a babysitter — but instead of reacting defensively, Lex had simply pretended not to hear. They weren’t best friends yet, but…baby steps.
She and Sophia spent much of their days cleaning up Lover’s Lane, and to Lex’s surprise, the little girl really took to gardening. She already knew more flower names than Lex did, and was quickly catching up on birds. They had even started learning together how to identify animal prints.
“Why do you need your phone?”
“I wanna take some pictures and upload them to Instagram.”
Lex laughed and passed up the girl’s sparkly pink phone. The kid had an impressive following for a six-year-old. Of course, Lex and Grayson monitored the account closely, but people — mostly kids and moms — seemed to love Sophia’s quirky mish-mash of child fashion, and more recently, nature photos.
“Done?” Lex asked when the judges raised Bender’s arm as the winner. She shot Hale a sympathetic smile and he shrugged in reply. Disappointed as he might be, Hale wouldn’t give up trying, and she had no doubt that one day he’d win the contest.
“Yup,” Sophia said, handing the phone back before Lex returned her feet to the ground.
“There’s my girls,” Grayson drawled from behind them. Sophia whirled around and leaped into his arms, then smothered him with kisses.
The thought to do the same thing had crossed Lex’s mind on more than one occasion over the last few weeks. Every time they were within sight of each other, all sorts of lascivious images ping-ponged around in her brain. But they had an unspoken agreement to not pursue their mutual attraction. At least, she was pretty sure it was an unspoken agreement and not an outright rejection. Regardless, Grayson had flipped from flirty to friendly almost overnight, which was probably for the best considering he was her employer now.
“Hey you,” he said, bumping his denim-clad hip into hers. A flash of their hips bumping together in an altogether different way turned her beet red before she could reply. “Right back atchya.”
“Support the Boys and Girls Club with a vote for me, Joanne Obermeyer, for mayor!” shouted an older woman walking through the crowds. Her flowing purple, linen dress draped nicely on her tall, thin frame and perfectly accented her short-cropped silver hair. Lex thought she could have chosen a more stylish pair of shoes than Birkenstocks though.
The woman’s eclectic fashion sense hadn’t changed since Lex was a kid. As the town librarian and artist-in-residence for the county courthouse in Madera, she was given a lot of leeway by rednecks who might otherwise have considered her a ‘hippie’. Of course, that wouldn’t have bothered her in the slightest.
Joanne was followed closely by Joe Obermeyer, amateur town historian, owner of Obermeyer’s Gun & Pawn, and Joanne’s ex-husband. His green Carhartt pants and camouflage flannel shirt suited his fit body very nicely. “Support the National Rifle Association with a vote for me, Joe Obermeyer, for mayor!”
Joanne spun around and glared at her ex. “Stop following me, Joe. I’m warning you!”
Joe laughed in her face. “What? You can’t handle the heat, woman? Better get out of the kitchen!”
“If I remember correctly, that’s where you always wanted to see me for twenty insufferable years — barefoot and pregnant, no less.”
“Hey, I never heard you complain.”
“That’s because you never listened, you lout!”
“Harpy!”
They glared at each other, oblivious to the crowd that had gathered around them, expecting to see a throw-down. Instead, they got a different kind of show entirely. One moment the pair were huffing and snorting like enraged bulls, the next they were locked in a passionate embrace, making out like teenagers at a post-prom party.
“Oops!” Lex quickly covered Sophia’s eyes and led her away.
“What the…” Grayson asked, his neck cracking as he strained to catch another glimpse of the Obermeyers.
“I’ll tell you later,” she mumbled as they waited in line for the carousel.
“She means she’ll tell you when I’m not around, Daddy.”
Grayson laughed. “Thank you for translating, sweets.”
“You’re welcome,” she said brightly. “Now, help me pick which horse to ride.”
After they got her strapped onto a pink horse — naturally — they stepped outside the gate and watched her. Without intending to, Lex edged closer to Grayson. Just being near him somehow soothed her, and set her on edge at the same time. It was a heady mix that she never seemed to get used to…or tired of. She breathed him in, and once again, wondered if the pine smell came from him or the forest.
“So,” he said, turning his body slightly to catch her eye. “What was that all about? Why would a married couple run for mayor at the same time?”
She couldn’t help laughing. “The Obermeyers aren’t married. Well, not for about fifteen years or so. As far as them running for mayor, it’s an honorary position, since Yosemite Flats isn’t incorporated. Whoever brings in the most donations for the nonprofit of their choice by next Friday, becomes mayor for a year. I suspect Joe is running just to irritate Joanne. He loves to piss her off.”
A deep line formed between his brows. “Why?”
Lex raised her eyebrows. “You can’t figure it out?”
He only had to think about it for a second before the light bulb went off. “Oh! They’re still hooking up? After being divorced for so long?”
She shrugged. “I guess some sparks never die.”
“Hmm,” he mused, his gaze drifting down to her mouth.
He abruptly turned back to the carousel and leaned his forearms on the gate. This gave her a spectacular view of his butt, beautifully clad in dark blue denim.
Squinching her eyes shut, she reminded herself for the thousandth time that he was her boss, not some potential short-term fling. Beyond that, they’d become friends. He worked a lot, but occasionally made time to meet her and Sophia on outings.
Once, a docent at a museum had assumed they were a family. For two seconds, a startling sense of happiness filled her heart, before Sophia quickly corrected the man. The happiness drained away, leaving her feeling empty and alone. She decided that her biological clock must be ticking, and didn’t think about it again…much.
Almost before the ride was over, Sophia leaped off her mount and sprinted toward them, but instead of running to Grayson, she jumped into Lex’s arms.
“Did you see me, Lex? Did you take pictures? My followers are going to love how my dress matched the horse!”
“I took a bunch, sweetie,” she said, returning the bear hug Sophia gave her.
Her heart swelled to bursting, and in that moment, she understood what love was. She supposed she would one day love her own child more, but she couldn’t really imagine it. As challenging as she was, Sophia brought a joy to her life she’d never expected when she’d agreed to be her ridiculously overpaid nanny.
Swiping at the mist in her eyes, Lex set Sophia down and grabbed one of her hands. Grayson grabbed the other and smiled at Lex, causing her heart to lurch even harder. Damn those dimples!
“Lex! Mr. Conrad! Over here!” Teddy Broadwater stood behind a table waving madly.
“What’s up, Ted?” Grayson asked.
“Here,” he said, thrusting a brochure at him.
Lex laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to get a better look. Yeah, to get a look, not for a flimsy excuse to touch the man. Her boss.
“The Park Service is paying me to hand out brochures on fire safety. Fire season is coming up and with the drought, and of course, the millions of trees killed by the bark beetles the last few years, we’re ripe for a savage blaze. Here you go, Lex.”
She tried not to look disappointed when Teddy handed her a brochure of her own, which killed her excuse for subtly feeling up Grayson. He even gave Sophia a pamphlet designed for kids, which she carefully tucked in her pink clutch.
“Teddy, how many jobs do you have?” Lex asked. Every time she saw him, he seemed to be working at one new job or another.
“A few,” he said with a shrug, then checked his watch. “I’m saving for college. In fact, I need to get a move on because I’m helping with a tour to the Nelder Grove. Hey, you guys want to come? It’s gonna be live.”
Lex looked at Grayson, who shrugged.
Sophia shook her head at their lameness, or whatever the kids called it these days. “It means awesome. Can we go? Please?”
“You and I can go, sw
eets, but Lex is off-duty now. She might have other plans.”
Grayson and Sophia both turned pleading eyes on her, giving her sad puppy dog looks. There was no way she’d miss Sophia’s first visit to a giant sequoia grove, but she put on a good show of pretending to think about it.
“I guess so,” she finally sighed dramatically.
Sophia giggled and ran off after Teddy; Grayson laughed and draped an arm over her shoulder as they followed. She resisted the urge to snuggle into him, but just barely. It wouldn’t be appropriate. Live, yes; appropriate, no.
“She certainly inherited the Conrad charm, didn’t she?” he asked, grinning as Sophia grabbed Teddy’s hand and started pulling him toward the waiting shuttle bus.
Lex’s gaze never wavered from his left dimple and her heart pounded. “She certainly did.”
“Nelder Grove has more than one hundred mature giant sequoias,” Lex’s friend Zoe explained loudly to the small tour group as they crunched along a narrow trail. “Some of them are estimated to be more than three thousand years old.”
Grayson had been meaning to drive out here with Sophia ever since they’d arrived in Yosemite Flats — it was only a half-hour from town — but things kept coming up. If he’d known the powerful, almost spiritual effect the place would have on him, he would have come the very first day. But then, Lex wouldn’t have been there with them.
Sophia clutched her hand as they trudged ahead of him, his daughter in her signature pink and Lex in jeans and a light sweater, her hair falling loose around her shoulders. The view was no less spectacular than the day he’d met her, but Lex in casual wear was a thousand times more sexy to him than Lex in a skin-tight dress.
When they’d first met, she’d struck him as a typical money-hungry, status-loving LA girl. He’d known too many, and they were easy to spot: the designer clothes, the flashy watch, the luxury car — even if it was “baby’s first Benz” — screamed party girl. Or gold digger. Or socialite wannabe. Of course, the three weren’t mutually exclusive, but after a two-minute conversation in the middle of a Starbucks, his had gut told him she was none of the above, as much as she’d tried to look the part.
