Page 20 of Single Dad's Hot Nanny

I pulled my phone from my ear to glance at the screen. I hadn’t even realized it was my assistant’s name on the screen and not the nanny’s.

My smile tumbled off my face at the sound of Amber’s nervous giggle. I knew her well enough after four years to know that something was wrong. She made lame jokes and got a high-pitched giggle when she had bad news.

“Amber, where’s Poppy? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. Poppy, say hi to your dad.”

“Hi, Daddy!”

The chirpy little girl's voice calmed me instantly, and I blew out a breath. “Amber, why are you calling and not Hannah? Are you at the apartment? I thought you?—”

“About Hannah,” Amber interrupted. “Don’t worry because I have everything under control… for now.”

Pulling a breath, I got up and walked to the window that overlooked the city. “What happened?”

“Hannah quit.” She sighed. “Very abruptly. I picked Poppy up after her teacher called…”

My jaw tightened at the thought that my daughter had been abandoned at school when I paid a hell of a lot—more than the typical salary because of my demanding schedule—for a reliable nanny. “I see…”

“You’re furious,” Amber noted. “You always say ‘I see’ in that tone when you’re furious.”

My lips twisted wryly. My assistant was well-versed in all things Michael Hayes. “Well, Hannah didn’t call me to let me know something was wrong, so I could make arrangements. I thought my daughter was in good hands. I have every right to be furious.”

“Of course, you do. I am too, but rest assured Poppy is in good hands now, boss,” Amber chirped.

I nodded as if Amber could see me. “I know. Thank you.”

“She can stay with me until we get things sorted out.”

“I’ll cut my trip short. I’ll be home by tomorrow.”

“Nonsense. You have two more meetings in Omaha. Do what you have to do. Poppy doesn’t mind a few more sleepovers this week, do you Pops?”

I smiled when Poppy’s voice filtered in from the background. “Nope!”

I chuckled. Of course, she didn’t mind. It wouldn’t be the first time Amber had to step in as an emergency overnight babysitter. According to Poppy, sleepovers at Amber’s were “thebest.” Still… “I hate to put you out, Amber. You work for me, so I happen to know how busy you are.”

She chuckled. “You keep me busy, alright. But it’s just a few days, Michael. I don’t mind. And I’ll begin the search for a new nanny.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Preferably an older, matronly one because we both know the real reason Hannah skedaddled.”

Tucking my chin into my chest to massage my brow, I sighed heavily. Yeah… The nanny was pissed that she couldn’t get into my bed. This wasn’t the first incident. “Older and matronly sounds wonderful. Amber, you are a godsend.”

“Oh, stop… but I am, right?” Her airy giggle almost made me smile. Amber kind of reminded me of…Not thinking about her.

10

MIA

My hands trembled as I clutched the metal bar in the elevator to keep myself upright because my knees were quivering, too. My encounter outside had left me rattled. My ex’s “associate” had shown up. I’d let my guard down over the last couple of weeks when I hadn’t noticed any shady vehicles parked outside my apartment building. I foolishly thought I’d been freed from the pile of shit I’d unwittingly fallen into. Boy, was I wrong.

Things had moved from phone calls and veiled threats to personal visits. “This is what I get for trusting that dickwad,” I grumbled. In my defense, I’d had no idea my ex-boyfriend was a gambling addict and con artist. Now, I had his bookie—or whoever he was—riding my ass every week for payment that I couldn’t fulfill.

The elevator stopped, and the door slid open. As I trudged toward my apartment, I saw my neighbor balancing grocery bags as she fished inside her handbag for her key. I hurried toward her and caught one of the bags just as it tumbled out of her hold.

“Oh my gosh. Mia, thanks a bunch.”

“No problem, Kim.” I forced out a smile, which probably looked more like a grimace. The stress of my situation was wearing me down.

Kim’s smile faded as she studied me. “Are you okay, Mia? You look…”

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