“It’s a year-round favorite.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Sebastian said.
He owned a security and investigative business.”
A couple of the other Griffins came in and they changed the subject. After an hour or so, Rory headed home. He was tired and ready for bed.
As he closed his eyes, he thought about Savvy. He hoped that she was going to stick around for a while, for the kids’ sake. He ignored the tiny thought in the back of his mind that he hoped she might stick around for his sake, too.
3
Savvy
“How did it go?” Beth asked when Savvy walked in.
“I think it went pretty well,” Savvy said. “He seemed to be understanding when I explained why I left the daycare after Gabe died. I gave him the references if he wanted to check them out.”
“From what Conner said, he is a great father and pretty protective over his kids. I imagine that he’ll call every single one of them,” Beth said. “What did you think of the kids?”
“They are awesome. Definitely full of energy – about like the way Taryn was when she was that age. I will never be bored, that’s for sure. They seemed to like me. Both of them started talking to me right away. Rory said that they never do that.”
“That is because you have a magical way with kids. It’s great that you’re one of the good guys,” Beth said.
“I don’t think that anyone with a dark heart could have a magical way with kids because the kids would figure everything out right away. They have, what my boss used to say, built-in bullshit detectors. Most kids know right away whether a person is good, bad, or blowing smoke up their rear-end.”
“True enough,” Beth said. “What about Rory?”
“He’s not quite as gruff as I thought last night. Actually, there is something about him. He’s sexy as hell. But there’s something else. Some kind of magnetism.”
“You could smell the pheromones in the air,” Cassia said. “They were thick around both of them.”
“What you’re saying is that there was a definite mutual attraction.” Beth laughed.
“Oh, yeah. They should have just ripped each other’s clothes off right there in the hallway and attacked each other right there on the spot.”
“Cassia,” Savvy gasped, laughing. “Not in front of his mother, the kids, and the staff.”
“So, if they weren’t there, you would have jumped his bones,” Beth teased.
“You guys are awful,” Savvy said. “I will admit that I found him to be very attractive. But then again, maybe it’s just because I haven’t had a man in my life for a very long time.”
“His mother was there?” Beth asked.
“Yes. Hollie. She seemed to be a very nice woman. I liked her. I think that I passed her initial approval.”
“As a mate for her son or a nanny to the grandkids?” Beth smirked.
“Ugh.” Savvy laughed, shook her head, and ran upstairs to change.
Rory called that afternoon.
“The kids love you and you passed my mom’s test,” he said.
Savvy thought that she could hear him grinning over the phone. “The position pays five hundred dollars a week, plus room and board. You get two weeks of paid vacation after a year. Weekends are usually off, but if there is an event such as a ride, I’ll pay extra if you work. We can review your pay after ninety days.”
“That sounds fair,” Savvy said.
“Can you be here at eight in the morning?”