Page 23 of Sven

“That works out. What time?”

“I usually leave around nine, so why don’t you plan on being here at eight so I can show you around and all that stuff?”

“That works out.”

They said goodbye, and she couldn’t help feeling like she had just been struck by lightning in the best way possible.

10

Sven

Sven walked Natalie to the door and watched her while she made her way to her car. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Something about her called to him. It almost felt like he’d been struck by lightning when they shook hands.

He was going to have to be careful where she was concerned because she seemed like the perfect nanny. Winnie deserved someone like her. In the past, he might have tried to hit on someone like her. She was gorgeous but completely off-limits.

“What do you say, Winnie? Do you think Natalie will be a good nanny?”

He looked down into her eyes, and she smiled up at him with her big blue innocent ones. How on earth could Stacie have left her? It was unfathomable to him that she could walk away from her. He got robbing him. It was a bitch move, but it was one he could at least wrap his head around. Leaving this amazing little human behind was unforgivable.

His phone rang in his pocket. Victor DiMaggio’s name appeared, his lawyer. He’d been waiting for this call.

“Sven, I’m returning your call. What can I help you with?”

“Yes, I need to talk to you. It’s not what you usually do, but I need some legal advice.”

“Of course, I have some open time later this afternoon if you would like to come in.”

“I know this isn’t usually how we do it, but do you think you could make it out to my place?”

“Oh, umm...” He cleared his throat. “I don’t see why not. Is everything okay?”

“I’ll explain when you get here.”

“Okay, I’ll be there around two-thirty.”

“See you then.”

Sven hung up and made a list of all the things Stacie had taken from him before it was time to feed Winnie and put her down for her afternoon nap. He was trying to remember things that Stacie had done and when she’d done them. She might have been a shit human, but she had seemed to be a good mother at least. That was until she left this perfect little human in the care of a stranger. While, yes, he was going to be a good father, she had no way of knowing that.

Later that day, as Sven was laying Winnie down for her afternoon nap, the doorbell rang for the second time. Sven tensed, making sure Winnie stayed asleep as he laid her down. He blew out a sigh as she still lay peacefully asleep in her crib.

He made his way downstairs and let in Mr. DiMaggio. It was quite the difference to the enchanting young woman he’d let into his house early that day. He was looking forward to getting to know Natalie a little better.

She was an absolute knockout, small in stature but full of soft curves he would love to get lost in, but that is not what she was to him. Because she was going to be his nanny, he would keep itprofessional. Compared to her, Mr. DiMaggio was a giant, who was a tall Italian man with his hair slicked back in a crisp, stylish suit.

“Sven, what can I help you with today?”

“Come into my office,” Sven said as he opened one of the glass doors off the foyer.

His eyes were drawn to the blank wall, which was missing his father’s signed jersey from his first year with the Rangers was gone. She had really hit all his memorabilia. And, sadly, most of it was his dad’s stuff. There were a lot of emotions there that were tied up in all the expectations with his dad, but the problem at hand was on the other end of the baby monitor.

The two men made their way into his office.

“Okay, so I’m just going to come right out with it,” said Sven as he slid the monitor out of his pocket and set it down on the desk next to him.

Victor DiMaggio’s eyebrows drew together as he noticed the baby monitor.

“A few weeks ago, a woman showed up on my doorstep saying the baby she had with her was mine.”

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