Page 15 of Military Daddies' Nanny

He looks up from the TV at me and grunts. “And I tell you once again. I know what’s best formychildren.”

That’s it. “Well, if you have it all figured out, then perhaps you don’t need my help after all. You could just take on the job of being their full-time nanny.”

The words are out of my mouth before I know it, and Drew turns his head sharply to me, a deep frown on his face. He gets up to his feet and stands mere inches away from me, his entire countenance terrifying. “What did you just say?”

Great job, Nance. What a way to kick off your first day on the job.

Chapter 6

Carlos

I pull up to Drew's house, same as I do most weekends to hang out with the guys and check in on how things are going. As I get out of my truck, I can hear raised voices coming from inside.

That's not too unusual when it comes to Drew. The man can get riled up over just about anything. He’s pretty much the most stubborn bastard I know. What is unusual is the higher-pitched voice I can make out amidst Drew's gruff tones. It’s a woman's voice, and it sounds like they are in the middle of quite the argument.

I walk up to the front door and let myself in like I always do. Drew and this mystery woman are going at it in the living room, her cheeks are flushed as she argues with Drew.

Despite the situation, I can't help but notice how attractive she is—curvy in all the right places, gorgeous green eyes that seem to blaze with passion as she speaks, and a wild mane of chestnut-brown hair surrounding her face.

Drew is towering over her, his massive frame making the woman seem almost delicate by comparison, but she doesn't back down an inch. If anything, she seems to get more and more riled up the more Drew opens his mouth to argue back at her.

I watch the scene playing out with amusement for a few moments before clearing my throat loudly to announce my presence.

"Everything okay over here?" I ask lightly as they both turn to look at me.

The woman's eyes go wide, and her cheeks flush an even deeper shade of crimson as she seems to suddenly become aware of the raised voices and heated words she's been flinging around.

Drew just glowers at me, which somehow makes the whole situation even funnier. Clearly this woman is giving him a run for his money.

"Carlos," Drew says gruffly, "I didn't hear you come in."

"You know I'm here every Saturday to hang out, man," I reply easily. "Is this the new nanny Nathan was talking about earlier today?"

The words seem to snap Drew back to reality, and he gestures vaguely at the woman. "Yeah. This is Nancy."

"Ah, I see," I say with a grin, looking her over appreciatively. "Nice to meet you, Nancy. Though I wish it were under better circumstances than you two going at it right off the bat."

She seems flustered but holds my gaze steadily. "It's nice to meet you too, Carlos. I'm sorry you had to walk into that mess." Her voice is light and melodic, a stark contrast to the heated tone she'd been using with Drew just moments before.

"No need to apologize," I assure her. "I've known Drew long enough to be used to his boneheaded behavior by now."

I shoot a wink her way, making sure she knows I'm kidding around with my friend, at least partially. She surprises me by letting out a sudden peal of laughter that makes her whole face light up in a radiant smile.

"That's fair," she admits with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'll leave you boys to have your guy time. I need to get dinner started anyway."

With that, she brushes past me, the faint scent of her shampoo lingering behind her for a few moments. The second she's gone, I turn to Drew with one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"She seems…feisty," I remark, unable to keep the grin off my face even as Drew paces, evidently still riled up from their earlier confrontation. "What did you do to piss her off already?"

Drew shakes his head, clearly conflicted over the situation. He sinks down onto the couch, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly.

"We were talking about getting Bella involved in some more…age-appropriate activities," he says. "Trying to get her to branch out, make some friends, that kind of thing. Nancy thought maybe getting her into makeup and fashion would help build her confidence."

"That sounds like a reasonable suggestion to me," I say with a shrug, still not seeing what the issue is.

"Maybe, but it's just very…adult," he says, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know anything about that stuff. And I worry about Bella being interested in boys and…” He throws his hands up in exasperation. “Well, you know how girls can be at that age!"

I have to resist the urge to laugh out loud at Drew's awkwardness. Of course, the big tough military man would get uncomfortable at the idea of having to deal with a teenage daughter and all the messy stuff that comes along with that age.

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