Page 21 of Nanny for My Billionaire

Really, narrowed down like that makes it sound even crazier. Hilda is looking at me like I have lost my freakin’ mind and I’m not so sure I haven’t!

Anyway, she agrees not to say anything contrary to what we intend to tell the court, and we agree to keep everything at a PG level while she is around. I try to explain that we aren’t planning on going there, but I don’t believe it myself, so I can’t really expect her to believe it either. Not after she’s witnessed the spark between the two of us since the day Melissa first entered the house.

The woman knows better.

“Adam, we need to get the boys enrolled in school this week,” Miss reminds me, and I nod. “I want to set up an appointment to do it on Friday, if you can do it then.”

“Sure, just as long as it’s earlier in the day,” I reply. “You know I’m cooking Friday night.”

“Yes, I’m going to try for mid-morning if we can get it,” she says. She already has her cell in her hand and a pen and paper in front of her on the kitchen table. I can hear Hilda and the boys playing together out in the backyard.

I watch as she dials and speaks to whoever has answered. “Is ten okay?” she asks me.

I nod again. “Sure thing. I’m looking forward to it.”

She takes down the information, including the name of the kindergarten teacher, and sets both the phone and the paperwork aside as she casts me a speculative look.

“What are you thinking about, Miss?”

“The name of the teacher. Miss Pennyworth. Sounds likeThe Sound of Musicor something. Anyway, I’m wondering if we should warn the teacher about Gena,” she admits, pursing her lips in thought. “If she’s going to try anything underhanded at all, she’s likely to start there.”

“Well, at the very least I’m going to insist that Gena is not allowed to have access to the kids or pick them up from school,” I answer. “She might still believe that possession is nine tenths of the law.”

“And unfortunately, with your current status still at joint custody, she might be able to get away with it,” she adds. “I think you should go get a restraining order and cite her abandonment in there. Her sons were highly traumatized by what she did, and I can’t imagine any judge would want her to step in and start hurting and confusing them even more.”

“Hence the reason I didn’t let her anywhere near the boys while she was here,” I point out.

“Oh, I know,” she agrees. “I just want to make sure everyone is on the same page here. If my current job is to be your ‘acting fiancée’ then I want to take that job just as seriously as I would the nanny gig, or even my upcoming business. As a matter of fact, I think it’s got to be the most important task I’ve ever been given. Keeping those boys safe and happy.”

“Miss, I—” I stop before I let the words out. I almost told her I love her. But even if I do, we’re not at a place where I can just say so. Not until we’ve got all the kinks out of the huge mess we’ve made of our—relationship? Friendship? Whatever this is.

There’s a dull ache in my gut that I can’t seem to get rid of. I know it’s there because I want to talk things out with Melissa, but she seems to be avoiding that discussion like the plague. It’s my own fault, though. When she bared her soul about her desire to return here and become my wife, I had specifically told her I wasn’t sure I could trust her. Asking her one day later to forget I’d said it and make things between us real would probably just convince her once and for all that everyone is right about me.

Maybe I really am bipolar.

I roll my eyes at my own thoughts, and Miss notices.

“What’s that about?” she asks, smirking. “Looks like something’s burning.”

I shake my head. “Just some of that thinking you wanted me to do.”

“It’s going to be fine,” she says. “Why don’t we do this? I’ll call my Uncle Ben. He practices family law. We can tell him the whole story and see if he’d like to help you out with this mess. Okay?”

“You seem to have been giving my problems plenty of thought, anyway,” I point out, smiling at her. “But have you paused to think about how all this is going to affect you, Melissa? I’m not trying to take advantage of you, and I didn’t ask you to treat this thing like a job either. That was just you who decided to approach it like that.”

She blushes. “It’s the easiest way to deal with stress. Just get everything you need to do done, and then worry about the little things later.”

“So, you think things will just fix themselves if we leave the elephant in the room?” I clarify, one eyebrow raised meaningfully.

“Well, sure, as long as you keep it fed and watered and clean up after it, just like any other family pet,” she replies, batting her eyelashes at me.

“God, Missy, I don’t know if I want to throttle you or kiss you sometimes.”

She gets a bemused look on her face as she steps closer. “Why don’t you surprise me, then?”

I back up slightly as she enters my space, laughing uncertainly. “Don’t tempt me.”

She steps forward again. “Why not?”

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