Colton Family Showdown. Regan Black
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“It’s only experience,” she replied.
“Would that be easier if you sat down? Please, make yourself comfortable.”
She chose one of the chairs near the fireplace and focused on the baby rather than the man. Something in the way he moved made her belly quiver with nerves that had nothing to do with the interview. She understood his approach and agreed with his philosophy of breeding sound and healthy animals, rather than for just speed. He didn’t know her yet, so he couldn’t know just how compatible they were professionally. It was the rest of him that caught her off guard. The tall stature, that weary gaze, those big, strong hands that stirred up a desire she’d let go dormant. She had to get control of herself before all of that longing flared to life in bright color on her face. The curse of her fair, freckled complexion.
“You said you had younger siblings?” he asked.
She pounced on the distraction. “Yes. I’m from a big family.” She hoped this might be the start of an interview, as long as he didn’t try to hire her as a nanny. “Caring for our younger siblings was expected.”
“Did you resent it?” He sat down on a counter stool.
“Only once in a while,” she replied. Before she’d discovered there was more to life, she’d been quite content to obey and cooperate and generally toe the family line.
He chuckled. “I understand. I was one of seven.”
He must have come along too late in the birth order to learn much about infants. “Well, your unexpected guest here is growing fast. And possibly cutting his first tooth.”
He groaned. “My little sister’s baby is two years old now. She had a rough time when her teeth came in.”
“Teething becomes a struggle for everyone,” Kelsey agreed. Fortunately a couple of her last nanny posts were for preschoolers, so teething wasn’t an issue. “If there was a nanny union, trust me, we’d negotiate for hazard pay.”
“If it means avoiding more agonizing hours like this last one, I’d meet all of your demands.” He sat forward. “Why did you miss the interview we had scheduled?”
She started to mention the email and voice mail she’d sent and stopped. Criticizing the boss wasn’t the best way to get acquainted. “Car trouble. My apologies.” The baby kicked and gurgled and she pulled the bottle out of his reach while he amused himself with the tassel on her jacket zipper.
“Shouldn’t he finish?” Fox asked.
“He will,” she assured him. Within a minute, the baby was reaching for the bottle again.
Fox cleared his throat. “I reviewed your résumé a few days ago. I know you’re not here for a nanny position, but you can see I’m in a bind. Kids aren’t...” He stopped cleared his throat. “I could use the help while I track down his real family. I’m not sure why he was left at my door, but I can’t manage him alone.”
So he was more afraid of the baby than of her. More likely he was afraid of what he didn’t know about the baby. He wouldn’t be the first dad she’d worked for who felt overwhelmed by the task.
“I made the trek out here to work with you, specifically on the genetics and bloodstock advising.”
“And I’m looking forward to having you on board, in the lab and the barn,” he replied.
Another surprise. She had arguments ready to convince him about what she could bring to his business. After missing the interview, she’d worried that wouldn’t be enough. He needed an assistant and she needed a mental and professional challenge. The big sky and wide-open spaces where no one from her past could interfere with her plans and dreams were the perfect bonus. She lifted the baby to her shoulder and patted his back until he belched. They both laughed and the baby grinned. He was beyond cute when he wasn’t screaming. Then again, most babies were. Fox’s deep chuckle put a sparkle in his eye. It was improbable to think he loved the baby, but she could see he already cared.
“Your credentials in your field are remarkable, Miss Lauder.”
“Call me Kelsey,” she said as the baby took the bottle again.
“Kelsey, the job you came for is yours, whether or not you help with the baby. While he’s only here temporarily, he will be around the house and the office. Foster care is a last resort.”
Heat flooding her cheeks, she kept her head down, reeling from the way he said her name. This rush of awareness dancing through her system had never been so acute. She had a job—the job that could make her career—and she couldn’t quite process the accomplishment because of her attraction to her new boss. Who was now off-limits.
“Baby John is only temporary,” he repeated. “I’ll find someone else if you’d rather not take on the nanny role.”
“You said you didn’t know his name,” she said.
Fox’s gaze rested on the infant, who was almost dozing now. “Baby John Doe.” He shrugged. “Just until we find his parents.”
The name made sense in a sad way. “How do you see the hours going? If I took on both roles,” she clarified. She’d worked both live-in child care and hourly. Would he put her up in one of the bunkhouses on the ranch to be close? That would be a big financial perk. Or would she need to find an apartment and a reliable car in a hurry?
“To start, I’d want you to primarily be on baby detail and get acclimated with the ranch routine and business as time allows. I don’t want to run you ragged.”
“I’ve never been afraid of hard work,” she assured him. Slowly, she drew the empty bottle from the baby’s mouth and maneuvered him to get another small burp. He snuggled against her shoulder, his downy hair tickling her skin.
“That was immediately clear on your résumé. Not many people can be employed full-time and maintain the GPA you held in school.
“I’ll pay you a competitive salary for each position.”
She couldn’t have heard him correctly. It took every ounce of her self-control to keep still for the baby.
“Once Baby John is settled with his family,” Fox continued, “we’ll cut that back to the consulting position. In the meantime, if you’re comfortable with it, I’d like you to stay here. Consider the room and board a benefit in addition to your pay.”
Maybe she was addled from walking and the stress of being late, but this offer had escalated quickly. She couldn’t say no.
“Room and board and one salary is plenty,” she began. “I—”
Fox sat up straight, his palms flat on strong thighs. “I need you to say yes. You’ll be paid well for both positions,” he reiterated. “It will make up for the fact that my house only has one bathroom.”
He looked so sheepish about it, she wanted to laugh. “Then yes.” In her wildest dreams she hadn’t imagined the interview going this well. As the baby dozed on her shoulder, she shifted the conversation toward his breeding program and the number of foals he expected in the spring.
Her heart soared to be having an engaging, animated discussion with her professional idol even as she held someone else’s infant in her arms.
“Is there a bed for him?” she asked. “It’s better if he can sleep on his own, even for short naps.” Better for both baby and caregiver.
“I’ll give you the full tour.” He motioned for her to follow him down a hallway and into a neat guest room. Bookshelves flanked the bed and a recliner upholstered in weathered leather had been tucked into the corner near the window. “This can be your room for the duration. Hang on.”
She waited, then stepped aside as he returned with a bulky rectangular object.
“I used this for his bed.” He settled the box into the corner by the closet