Page 20 of Nanny for Grumpy Grant
I still remember Ivy as a scrawny little thing, darting around her parents’ orchard in pigtails and muddy sneakers, tagging along after Caleb and Ben like she had something to prove.
And now I’m—what? Letting my brain go places it absolutely should not?
Despicable.
I shift gears harder than I need to. The engine grumbles in protest.
This is why I didn’t want a nanny. Not just because I don’t trust anyone with Emily—because I don’t trust myself to let anyone in.
Especially not someone like Ivy.
Too sharp. Too bright. Too young.
I have to pull myself together. This isn’t some romantic comedy. It’s real life. And in real life, the man who lets feelings get in the way of protecting his daughter is a fool.
I focus on the road.
The curves ahead. The sun flashing through pine branches. The turnoff for Carter Ridge just a mile ahead.
I breathe in deep and tell myself to get it together.
By the time the truck rattles over the stone archway at the ranch entrance, I’ve shoved Ivy Walker into the far corner of my mind.
Where she damn well needs to stay.
The Carter Ridgesign creaks gently in the breeze as I pull into the gravel lot. A dust plume trails behind me, catching sunlight like smoke.
It’s late morning, but the retreat is already humming. A pair of tourists in matching windbreakers wave as they make their way toward the trailhead. Off to the side, Caleb is leading two horses from the paddock, reins loose in his easy grip, chatting with a couple from Austin who booked the two-hour scenic ride.
I park near the barn and kill the engine. For a moment, I just sit there, listening to the quiet tick of the cooling motor.
She’s probably unpacking Emily’s lunch now. Maybe helping her pick a book.
Maybe smiling.
I drag a hand over my face and climb out of the truck before my thoughts can go any further.
“Hey, you made it,” Caleb calls out, handing off one of the horses to the guest. “How’s it going?”
I grunt. “Got here, didn’t I?”
He raises a brow but doesn’t press. “Everything okay with Emily?”
“She’s good.” I pause, shifting my weight. “Ivy’s there.”
He lifts the saddlebag on the second horse and gives me a look—half amusement, half challenge. “What made you change your mind?”
I pause, wiping a speck of dust from my sleeve. “I guess I don’t want to be a full-time nanny myself.”
Caleb chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. “Told you she was the right call.”
I grunt. “Let’s hope she thinks so too.”
I head toward the lodge, where Cole is leaning against the front porch railing, a to-go coffee in one hand and a cooler in the other, helping a woman skinny jeans and mirrored sunglasses unload her van.
Of course he is.
“Hey, Boss Man,” Cole says. “Any more pipes burst, or are we catastrophe-free this morning?”
