Page 7 of One Night With The Nanny

“How are your girls?” Agnes asked gently, earning a grimace from Max.

“Sophia still doesn’t talk to me and Mia…barely. I’m going to lose her too.”

“Don’t say that!” She caught his cheek, giving it a gentle pat. “You made mistakes with Sophia, but there’s still time with Mia. And I have a feeling that mending things with her could go a long way with Sophia.”

“Possibly,” Max concurred. Sophia had frozen Max out after her mother left him. He had done the honorable thing and kept his mouth shut so Ella could save face, and because Max could tell when a woman was well-loved unless he was married to her. Their “arrangement” had worked for twenty years until Ella declared that she wanted to be free and to find love. Her idea of freedom at the time was a semi-professional basketball player half her age, but who was Max to judge? “Sophia thinks I should have done more to keep her mother happy and stable and she isn’t entirely wrong.”

Agnes pushed out a hard breath and rolled her eyes. “You were practically a child when you married Ella and I remember what she was like. She didn’t care if you…had other interests, all she cared about was that you were a von Hessen and she was an archduchess. And you’ve always been discreet, as far as I can recall,” she added with a pointed look.

He nodded slowly, unsure if she was commenting on his current predicament. “I never wanted to embarrass Ella or my girls, and I’ve never allowed anything to get serious. I was too busy.”

“And now?” Agnes prodded, her tone taking on a slightly strident edge as her eyes narrowed. He sensed that she was testing him.

“I suppose I might have time for something serious now, but I’m focusing on Mia. As much as she’ll let me. She’s starting college in the fall and I’m afraid that’ll be it, once she moves out,” he admitted.

“You poor thing!” Agnes whispered as she searched his eyes. “Have you tried seeing a therapist with her, to help figure out where you’re not connecting?”

“I’ve tried, but she won’t talk, just says it’s all my fault.”

“It’s a shame she’s too old for a nanny,” Agnes said, her gaze growing distant.

Max suspected that she was about to meddle. She often acted as his hostess for important events, because she was so well connected and paid far more attention to gossip than Max did. Normally, he’d ask her to stop, but if Agnes could help him hang onto Mia…

“I know the perfect man!” She gave a quick nod and made an excited sound. “Yes! You have to see Reid Marshall.”

“Reid Marshall?”

“You’re going to adore Reid! He’s Walker’s brother-in-law and he runs the city’s most exclusive nanny agency, because he is brilliant when it comes to mending families. He can size up any situation and provide the perfect nanny.”

“But I don’t need a nanny,” Max argued. “Mia would be livid, actually.”

“No, of course, you don’t. But, I guarantee that Reid can size the situation up and tell you how to fix things with Mia.”

“Really?” Max gave up any hope of finding Wes and locked onto his new objective. “Where can I find this Reid Marshall?”

“Let me give you his card. You should stop by his place later, around…noon. Brunch should be winding down by then.”

“Excellent, I think I will,” Max decided, thanking Agnes when she retrieved a card from her clutch and handed it to him. “The Marshall Agency,” he read and nodded. “Briarwood Terrace, I think I know where that is…”

3

Sunday, 11:50 a.m. …

And that was yet another successful brunch in the books.

Reid smiled serenely over his coffee cup, as Riley and Fin whipped their dish towels at each other, eliciting loud yelps and curses as they dried and put away the dishes. There were disapproving hums and murmurs, but no one told them to mind their language because June, Milo, and the triplets were out back, playing hopscotch on the terrace with Walker. Agnes and Penny were still making eyes at each other over their drinks, and Dash was topping off Gavin’s teacup in the living room, but everyone else had cleared out.

That left Reid free to bask in the perfection around him. His brothers and sisters, natural and chosen, were all happily settled with their perfect mates and had beautiful families. Reid’s platonic soulmate, Gavin, had married the world’s most perfect man: Dash Griffin. Almost every weekend, their family gathered at Briarwood Terrace and the loving chaos never failed to feed his soul.

They were why Reid had started The Marshall Agency: to protect the people he loved and help families like theirs. Thanks to a roster of incredible nannies, the agency was thriving and Reid’s brother and friends had built dream careers of their own.

“What are you smiling about?” Agnes asked, shaking Reid out of his reverie.

He sighed into his coffee. “Just reflecting on how perfectly everything’s worked out.”

Fin hummed in agreement as he came over to top off Reid’s mug with the last of the coffee. It was his habit to make a fresh pot for Reid before he left, signaling that he, Walker, and the triplets would be leaving in approximately ten minutes. “I owe you big for giving me a hand with Charlotte. I thought she might have ADHD, but I was afraid I couldn’t be objective enough because she’s mine and I wasn’t sure how Walker would take it,” he said with a glance at the window. “But it was so cool, the way you got Charlotte to open up about what was going on when you explained how everyone’s brain is wired differently and how much easier it is to learn when we embrace the amazing ways our brains work.”

“I was just glad to help. It’s why I’m here,” Reid said simply.

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