Page 36 of Nanny for My Billionaire

Sara snorts. “Because you’ve got a billionaire budget, but a middle-class mindset?”

I’ve never bothered to ask Adam how much money he’s got stashed, nor even thought about how lucrative the portfolio of TrekGames might be, because I didn’t care about it. At least not from a standpoint that a gold-digger might or anything. But the idea of helping him diversify and improve his financial picture had my fingers itching to play. “If he’s that loaded, you’re right. I mean, come on, Adam. If you can pay a nanny, you could just as easily pay a bodyguard, right? It’s just doing whatever is necessary to care for your kids, either way.”

Adam cocks his head. It’s clear he’s never considered the idea before, but he gets what I’m saying. “That’s true, isn’t it? But won’t it be weird for the boys to bring a grown-up when none of the others do?”

“Your guy doesn’t have to sit in class with the boys unless he wants to,” Sara points out. “He could just stand outside in the hallway or something, right? I don’t know, though, then whoever the bad guy is, they might try to come in through the window.”

“We still don’t even know if thereisa bad guy,” I point out in a surly tone.

“When in doubt, err to the cautious side,” insists Sara.

“Fine, so where do we get a bodyguard, then?” Adam wants to know. “It’s not like we can look him up in the yellow pages, and it’s not any sort of information I’ve ever needed to know.”

“Maybe Elliot could help,” I point out. “Him, or one of his fancy associates.”

“It’s been quite a while since Elliot and I have seen each other in person,” says Adam. “This isn’t the sort of thing I’d want to talk about over the phone. Maybe I ought to see if he’d like to come spend a few days in a small town.”

“Wow,” Sara giggles. “If he does, I’ll finally get to meet the elusive Elliot Ross in person. I have to admit I’m curious what he’s like. I’ve never met a real-life game programmer.”

Adam chuckles. “Put Miss in front of her computer and intensify it by about one hundred thirty percent, and you’ve got Elliot. I don’t really think he’d be your kind of guy.”

Sara shrugs. “I said I was curious, not interested. And how would that even work if I was?”

He laughs outright. “God, Sara, I was only teasing. Sensitive much?”

“So, I admit it, I bet he’s hot, but still—” she says, shrugging. “Anyway, that’s not even what we’re talking about. You need to find the boys a bodyguard, not a date for your ultra-busy sister, all right?”

“Great, so no matchmaking,” he agrees. “But still, I think I’m going to give him a call. Why don’t you go back in and play with the boys while Melissa gets back to work? The Rudolpho accounts aren’t getting updated by the three of us just standing here looking at the computer.”

I bow dramatically. “Sure thing master.

The other two go about their business, leaving me to do the job I’d come in here for.

Since he hasn’t given me any details about any of his accounts other than Rudolpho’s, once I’ve updated Adam’s data as I’d planned, I come out to see what is going on. Adam is still on the phone, I assume with Elliot Ross, and he is laughing about something his friend is telling him.

“What goes on there?” I ask Sara.

“Brainstorming some new game idea, I guess,” she explains. “Anytime those two talk to each other they end up with another best seller. It’s crazy how well they get along.”

“Did he ask about bodyguards?” I want to know.

“He did,” she said, slightly miffed. “Elliot says he’s going to send his brother, Kevin. I guess he used to be a soldier but now he’s branched out into personal protection services. Which means the nerd won’t be visiting yet again.”

I giggle. “So why do you care?”

“I don’t know, I just thought he was a nice guy when he called and I answered it the one time,” she says, shrugging. “And we all know there’s slim pickings among the single guys in Concord. My whole dating life kinda sucks, and I thought a guy like Elliot Ross might perk things up.”

“Hold that thought, there’s somebody at the door,” I say as I turn back around and head into the living room and then the foyer so I can see who it is. Sara follows, and as I get close, she grasps me by the arm.

“How do we know that’s not the kidnapper trying to grab the boys right now?”

I roll my eyes at her. “If it is, what can we do about it anyway? He could just break down the door and go on a rampage if he had a mind to.”

“Oh, God, Miss, you’re so morbid,” she complains. “At least look through the peephole.”

I put my eye to the door. “It’s some guy. But he’s old and not very big. He doesn’t look like he’s up to no good.”

When I open the door, I see that the guy is holding a large yellow envelope.

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