Page 25 of Nanny for Grumpy Grant
I rise, brushing my hands on my jeans and walk to the front window, peeking through the curtain just as a dusty Jeep Wrangler rolls to a stop outside. My heart does another jump, but for a different reason.
Cole Carter.
Why is he here?
He steps out of the truck in worn jeans and a navy Henley that fits him a little too well. His sunglasses catch the sun, and his sandy-blond hair looks artfully tousled in that infuriatingly effortless way. He takes in the house like he owns the place—which, technically, he probably does—and strolls toward the porch with that lazy, confident gait that has probably undone more than a few small-town hearts.
I crack open the door before he knocks.
“Well, well,” he says, grinning. “If it isn’t the infamous Ivy Walker.”
I arch a brow. “Infamous?”
He lifts his sunglasses onto his head. His eyes—clear, golden-brown, and far too observant—roam over me in a way that makes me feel both flattered and mildly annoyed. “Word gets around when a certain grumpy brother hires a certain firecracker for a nanny.”
I cross my arms, not trusting the heat rising in my cheeks. “Should I be flattered?”
“Depends,” he says, leaning against the doorframe like he’s got all day. “Are you going to let me in, or are we doing this whole conversation from the threshold?”
Emily runs up behind me. “Uncle Cole!”
I step aside automatically as Emily barrels into him, and he scoops her up in one swoop, spinning her around like she weighs nothing.
“Hey, munchkin,” he says, planting a kiss on her cheek. “What’ve you been up to today?”
She starts babbling about coloring and blocks and the game we made up with her fox puppet, and he listens with an exaggerated gasp here and a dramatic “No way!” there. She’s beaming. Completely in love with him.
He’s good with kids. Too good.
“Sounds like Ivy’s been spoiling you,” Cole says, setting her down gently. He turns his attention back to me, his expression softer now. “Thanks for taking good care of her.”
“I’m just doing my job,” I say.
“Yeah, but not everyone gets an endorsement this glowing.” He gestures toward Emily, who’s now dragging her fox around by the tail and humming.
I offer a faint smile. “She makes it easy.”
He studies me for a moment, eyes narrowing in a way that feels... different. Not unfriendly. But no longer the way you look at someone’s kid sister. And not the way he looked at me when I was sixteen and hiding behind oversized hoodies and my brother’s shadow.
I swallow. My mom’s voice flits into my head—her age-old warning about Cole Carter and his charming smile. Back then, she didn’t need to worry. Cole barely knew I existed.
Now? He’s looking at me like I’m someone worth noticing.
And that’s dangerous.
“So,” he says casually, “am I going to have to fight my own brother for your attention now?”
I blink. “What?”
He grins. “Kidding. Mostly.” He nods toward Emily. “Just wanted to stop by, check on my favorite niece. And see how things are going.”
I manage a breath. “We’re good.”
“Good,” he says. “You’re good for her. She already talks about you like you’re a superhero.”
That flutter in my chest comes back. “She’s pretty incredible.”
“She is,” he agrees, then lifts his sunglasses back into place. “Well, don’t let me interrupt. Tell my brother he owes me lunch. And that I said not to screw this up.”
