Page 20 of Nanny for the Firefighter

“Okay, great. So, now that you’re here, I’ll go over what to expect with Mia. She’s not too much of a handful, and she’s been going to daycare, so she’s pretty good about listening.”

“Oh,” I raise my brows, nodding, “she’s in daycare then. So, why did you need?—”

“A nanny?” Mason offers. “Well, I’m not always available to pick Mia up when they close. Their hours only go to three, and it’s hard to get off before five-thirty.”

“That’s fair. Okay, well, did you still want me taking her there?”

“Yes. Three days a week, in any case. I’d like Mia to have some home time with me on the other days, which I’ll try to be done earlier on.”

“Okay. I can do that.” My head hums with the question I’ve been biting back, but it hits too strong now, and I can’t resist. “So, it’s just you and Mia then? No one else around to help?”

Regret hits me the moment Mason’s face drops. I’ve clearly struck a nerve by asking, and I mean, of course I did.

Jeez. I so should have just left that untouched.

“Mia’s mother, my late wife, passed away during childbirth. It’s just been me and Mia ever since.”

My eyes flare wide. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Mason. I didn’t mean to bring up…really, I’m sorry.”

He nods gently, his expression softening a bit as he looks at Mia happily drinking from her cup and watching the TV.

“Yeah.” Mason sighs. “But I have Mia, and she’s the best thing there is.”

My heart melts and cracks all at once. It’s so awful to lose someone like that, but I can see just how much Mason loves his daughter, and despite everything, that’s charming as hell.

“I promise to treat her like the princess she is.” I smile as Mason looks over, and he offers a nod again, clearing his throat and getting back to the business of describing Mia’s daily routine.

He goes over when she eats, what types of things she’ll eat, her nap and bedtimes, and her favorite and least favorite things. It’s all laid out so thoroughly that I feel like I know her much better than the few minutes of interaction imply.

“Okay, sounds good. And I see the list on the fridge that you left with everything. So, I think we’re good to go. If you need to head to work…”

I let the implication hang, and Mason nods. “I do, yeah.”

“You know, I never asked. What is it that you do for work now?”

He smiles, a bit more at ease, before scooping Mia out of the chair and walking her over to the living room. As we let her chill there, he walks toward the front door again.

“I own a real estate company. Several of the lodges in town were going to be shut down because no one was looking after them, so I bought them. It was a huge risk, but it paid off.”

“Wow, that’s incredible, Mason.Andyou volunteer as a firefighter? I’m thoroughly impressed.”

Mason delivers a chuckle that is way too sexy for his own good, and I do my best not to visibly swoon.

Come on, Bridget. Pull yourself together.

“Well, thanks, but I should get going. You can call anytime if you need help or have a question. Really.”

Offering him a smile as I pat his shoulder, I open the door for Mason to leave. “It’ll be fine. I’ve worked with a bunch of kids before. Mia is in good hands.”

While Mason nods at me, I can see the tension he’s holding on to. After a moment, though, he sucks in a breath and heads off to work.

It’s just Mia and me now, and I walk over to where she’s sitting on the couch and join her on the next cushion over, being sure to give her space.

Babysitting and working a the local day care center were my go-to jobs throughout all of high school and even some of college.

Until I met Jai.

Me having a job was a big no-no to him, and I was so stupid and naïve when we first started dating that I just went along with it.

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