Maggie rolls her eyes and leans into Sam as I get a flashback of that fucking Chad guide who accused me of being Cassandra’s dad. I’m only eight years older than her. What the fuck was with that guy? The age gap between Maggie and Sam has got to be bigger than that.
“What did she do before she was a nanny?” Kate continues, incessant as always.
I press my finger to my lips. “Would you keep it down?”
“Why?” Kate blinks back at me.
“Because she lives in the guesthouse, and I don’t want her to think we’re talking about her.”
Kate swerves her gaze over to the tiny white house nestled along the flowing creek downhill. “She’s in there right now?”
“I believe so.”
“Why isn’t she out here with us?”
I balk. “She’s a daytime nanny. Not a nighttime one. I didn’t want her to think she had to work.”
“But she’s a grown-up. Surely she likes alcohol and adult conversation?” Kate deadpans, looking at me like I’ve committed some unforgivable sin.
“It didn’t seem professional,” I argue.
“Good God, men are the worst,” Kate snaps and thrusts her beer into Miles’s chest and takes off toward the guesthouse, baby still cinched tightly to her chest.
I turn to Miles. “What is your wife doing?”
Miles shoots me a half smile. “If I had to guess, I would say she’s going to make a new friend.”
“She’s totally making a new friend,” Dean confirms, resting his hand on my shoulder.
“Can we stop her?” I ask, watching Kate burn rubber all the way to Cassandra’s place. I really don’t want Cassandra up here right now. I’m trying to get farther away from her, not closer.
Dean sighs heavily. “Kate’s been one of my closest friends for years and the answer is always no.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m so happy you guys came over.”
“Me too!” Lynsey says with a bright smile, clearly not picking up on my sarcasm.
Music wafts down from the deck of the Fletchpad into the open windows of my tiny house. Max said he was going to have company tonight, and of course I didn’t take it personally when he told me I didn’t need to join them. I’m just the nanny. I’m not a friend. And honestly, this is my time off. I should be able to relax and kick back and “do less.”
Yet still, I find myself peering out the window from my loft bed and enjoying the view of the Edison bulbs casting a glow over Max’s big dick…I mean deck! Jesus.
He’s amassed a nice little group of friends over there it seems. Most of my friends have moved on from Boulder. I was lucky Dakota was still around because I’ve lost touch with pretty much everyone else. And I cut off contact with all the people I met in Denver. The more space I get from that life, the better.
The sun is just beginning to set as a couple of girls who look to be Everly’s age splash around with her in the water. The scent of grilled meat seeps into my cottage, making my stomach growl.
Ugh, this is stupid.
Why do I want to be out there? Because I think Max is fucking gorgeous and I couldn’t stop noticing how he kept looking at my legs in his car on our way back from the ropes course yesterday? Because I loved the way he smiled at Everly instead of the camera every time I took their photo? Because seeing him in a suit is sinfully hot but seeing him in jeans and a gray T-shirt with sweat marks from his harness is the stuff wet dreams are made of?
Ugh. No. I’m disgusting.
I pull out my phone.
Me: You have to take me out next weekend.
Dakota: Twist my arm, why don’t you. What’s going on?
Me: I can’t have a workaholic millionaire having more of a life than me.
Dakota: What’s Zaddy doing exactly?
Me: He’s having a pool party.
Dakota: And you weren’t invited?
Me: Not really…I mean, kind of? But I could tell he didn’t want me to come.
Dakota: Why do you say that?
Me: ’Cuz I’m the nanny and it was like a courtesy invite. I hate that I’m here right now. I look pathetic. Let’s dress up and go out next weekend. Make it look like I actually have a life.
Dakota: Your wish is my command.
Me: I need to find a guy to distract me from the Zaddy.
Dakota: I knew him working from home this week was going to be a recipe for disaster.
Me: You have no idea. I’ll tell you everything over drinks.
Dakota: I can’t wait. I’ll see what’s going on in town. Stay tuned.