Page 16 of Finding Home

Fair enough. But he clearly didn’t know Ivy very well, because if anyone could keep a secret, it was that girl.

“Why was Ruby sleeping in your office?” Hope asked.

Gabe inhaled deeply. “Her babysitter has been…” He paused, as if searching for the right word. “Unreliable, lately.”

Hope nodded. “So, she sits in your office all night, alone?”

She clearly hit a nerve because Gabe’s eyes got a defensive edge she’d never seen before. “I check on her, and she watches movies, and the staff pop in and bug her all the time. She’s hardly alone, but I can’t bring her into the bar. And it’s only been a few times while I find someone who I trust who can watch her up here.” He ran his hand through his hair again, shoving his already tousled hair from one side of his head to the other. Which only made Hope want to run her own fingers through the strands. To smooth them out, of course.

“I work six days a week. Sometimes seven. And most nights I don’t get home until at least 2:30 a.m., so it’s been hard finding someone who’s willing to give up that much of their time to watch her. Especially on weekends. My sister helps out sometimes, but she lives on the other side of the river and has her own kids and family, so I hate to take advantage of her too much,” he said, confirming there was no wife or ex around to help.

Gabe met her gaze and said in a defeated sounding tone, “I’ve been through four nannies in two and a half months.”

Hope shrugged casually, the solution obvious to her. “I’ll do it.”

Gabe stared at her. She sat where she was, turned sideways, and waited him out, while he clearly tried to determine if he’d heard her correctly.

Or maybe he thought she hadn’t heard him correctly because he repeated what he’d said before. “I don’t get home until 2:30, Hope.” Glancing at his phone, he added, “Tonight it’s three.”

Yes, it had been a long night. A busy night. She knew how busy a bar on a Friday night could be. She assumed Saturdays were just as busy, if not more so. But from her memory, the rest of the week wasn’t usually too crazy.

She also knew Bowie’s had weekend hours and weekday hours, so she knew that the late nights would only be two or three days a week tops.

Admittedly, she didn’t know Ruby, but she knew she loved kids. She always had. She loved their adventurous spirits, their unflappable optimism, their limitless creativity. She loved how they taught her patience, resilience, and self-giving.

Since she was a little girl, playing with her dolls, she’d dreamed of the day she could replace them with real babies of her very own.

Even as a teen, she’d loved children, babysitting neighborhood kids and enjoying every minute. She’d never spent time with a child and left feeling unfulfilled. In fact, it had always been the opposite. There was a fulfillment in childcare that called to her heart.

For as long as she could remember, before her life fell down around her like a house of cards, she’d dreamed of being a mother. She had wanted to give to her own children what she had been given growing up. A life of love, security, and adventure. Her parents had made it look like the very best job in the world. And she wanted exactly that same job for herself one day. That, and to be an artist.

That had been the dream.

Reality looked more like working at Morgan Construction—her father’s legacy. The finish line of her career accomplishments. It was why she’d studied business, why she’d applied only to business administration jobs, and why she only painted as a hobby and never tried to sell anything.

Because all roads led to Morgan Construction.

Joel was primed and on track to take over as CEO. He lived and breathed their father’s company. In the last few years, almost obsessively, as if he had nothing beyond the company in his life. But for her, it had always felt like a forced fit. Like she was doing it because it was what she’d been raised to do. Like Prince William groomed for the throne. As if he had a choice to do anything else. As if King Charles would simply smile and nod if his son chose to be a dentist instead.

That was the problem with a family business. It set you on a predetermined track, and while her parents had always been loving and supportive of her other interests, the expectation had always been clear.

Shifting in her seat, she reminded herself that things were different now. Finding out a few weeks ago that her years of suspicion were true, that her parents had hidden the truth of her adoption from her for her entire life, had put a kink in her sense of loyalty. So if she wanted to sign up for a job as a nanny, why the heck shouldn’t she? It would certainly be more fun than the jobs she’d applied for so far.

Besides, beggars couldn’t be choosers, and her half of rent needed to be paid.

So, she met Gabe’s gaze with what she hoped was a serious one of her own.

“Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are probably your busiest nights. So those are the nights you will be the latest. Every other night, it won’t be as late. Also, I don’t mind late nights as evidenced to you this evening. And,” she said, lifting a finger to silence him when she saw his mouth opening. “I live right across the hall, so I’m here, anyway.”

“Hope—”

“Oh, come on, Gabe. You checked my references when I moved into your building, but I can give you more. Run a criminal record check on me if you want to.” She turned fully, looking directly into his eyes. “Please, Gabe. I’m good with kids, I promise. I’ll show you and Ruby. You’ll both love me in no time.”

The second the words came out, she wished them right back in. She sounded desperate, and worse, pathetic. Poor little, adopted, rich girl begging for a chance to be loved.

“That came out wrong. I meant…” What had she meant? God, it was way too late in her day to have a job interview. Her third of the day, if she was counting. Her second with this man, who had already told her once that he was not interested in hiring her.

“You know what? Never mind.” Shaking her head, she stood and headed for the door. She was partway there when his warm strong fingers grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

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