The Billionaire's Nanny

“I wouldn’t be a gracious host if I didn’t show you the sights.”

“You’re not my host,” she countered. “You’re my boss.”

Being her employer was easy to forget. Libby had hired Emma. “I don’t mind playing tour guide.”

Her nose crinkled. “You have a schedule—”

“Subject to change.”

“True, but as your personal assistant I’m supposed to keep you on schedule.”

“True, but you’re also supposed to do what I ask.”

“Even if doing so isn’t in your best interest? I mean, you haven’t been home in ten years. Your grandmother might be peeking out the window waiting for you to arrive.”

He pictured Grandma doing that. “I’ll concede the point.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

His gaze met Emma’s. She removed her glasses to blow on the right lens. Pretty blue eyes surrounded by long, thick lashes. He hadn’t noticed her eyelashes before. “Does your grandmother do the same when you visit?”

“My grandparents are dead.” Emma put on her glasses and stared out the window. “Looks like we’re here.”

A wooden sign on the side of the two-lane road welcomed visitors to Haley’s Bay. The sign was new. The churning in AJ’s stomach wasn’t.

After a decade, the town had likely changed. In that same time, his life had also changed. His family’s opinion of him might never change. That could take a century. Or longer.

The last time he was home his family had tried to shame him into staying in Haley’s Bay. That wouldn’t happen again, but something else might. He wanted to be prepared. “One of your responsibilities is running interference for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I find myself in a difficult situation, I may need you to get me out of it by texting or calling or physically interrupting me.”

She smiled at the sleeping cat before looking up at him. “Afraid you might run into old girlfriends who might want to rekindle the flame?”

“That isn’t likely to happen.” His high school sweetheart and ex-fiancеe, Natalie, had dumped him and married one of his closest friends. AJ had been devastated, but recovered. A good lesson learned—immediate gratification was more important than loyalty to some people. “But there will be people around. My family, too.”

Emma eyed him warily. “Family?”

He nodded once. “Libby and I have a code word. If I text or say the word, she knows to take action.”

Emma removed her notepad from her bag. “What’s the code word?”

“Top secret.”

“If I don’t know what to listen for, I’m not going to be able to help you.”

He rubbed his chin. “We need our own word. Something obscure, but not too random.”

Emma tapped her pen against her notepad. “How about...lighthouse?”

AJ mulled over the suggestion. Ten letters would be a bear to text, but the word could be worked into a conversation without sounding like a non sequitur.

“That’ll work.” Satisfaction flowed through him. The word played perfectly into his plans. “To make sure we remember the code word, we’ll visit one now.”

“No need. I’ll remember.”

“A few hours spent sightseeing won’t make a difference.”

“What’s really going on?” She studied him. “You remind me of a kid trying to put off going to the doctor’s for a shot.”

His jaw tensed. “I’m not scared of needles.”

“You’re scared of something.”

Emma’s insight made him squirm. She had zero qualms pinpointing and commenting on what was going on in his head, trying to fix what was upsetting him. He was used to having people try to fix things for him, but not with nurturing concern, as if she really cared. AJ didn’t like it.

“I’m not scared of anything.” The words flowed quickly, one after the other without any breaks. Not like him. But then again, he was back in Haley’s Bay. That changed everything. “Okay, that’s not quite true. The threat of an EMP, electronic magnetic pulse, making every electrical device obsolete has given me nightmares.”

“You’re not scared about coming home?”

“Nope.” Damn. He sounded like a kid, a scared little kid trying to put on a good front, and Emma seemed to know that. “I lived here for eighteen years. I might be a little on edge, but that’s because I haven’t been here in a while.”

“Ten years is a long time.”

“I’ve been busy.” A stupid excuse, but she didn’t need to know the real reasons. “But I’m free now. Let’s take in a few sights on our way. This is my first vacation in over a year.”

Emma’s not-going-to-happen-on-my-watch shake of her head stopped him cold. “You’ll have a free block of time after your calls this afternoon,” she said. “Plenty of time to see the sights over the next five days.”

Her friendly tone, as though she was using extra patience for her recalcitrant charge, made him feel like an idiot for bringing this up again. He must be back in his hometown. He’d felt like the village idiot living here.

Emma leaned toward the limousine window. The shift of position brought a whiff of her citrus shampoo—grapefruit or maybe lemon. The fresh scent appealed to him like the nanny.

“Wow.” She pressed closer to the glass. “This place is beautiful.”

He followed her gaze to the sparkling expanse of water and the heart of the town hugging the shoreline. Pride welled. Foolish, irrepressible pride he buried in a no-nonsense response. “The town hugs the waterfront. Most of the shops and restaurants are on Bay Street near the harbor.”

“Is Haley’s Bay named after an original settler?”

“Yes.” AJ didn’t know if she was making conversation or wanted to know the answer. Given her occupation, he’d guess the latter. She seemed the type to pay attention and ask questions of white-haired docents leading museum tours. He wouldn’t mind taking her through a couple of the historic sites around here. “Haley was a trader who anchored in the bay during his voyages. That’s according to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The bay was renamed Baker Bay, after a British merchant, but the original town name stuck.”

“You know your history.”

Her praise made him sit taller. A stupid reaction, but returning to his hometown was a stupid move. He should have thrown a royal extravaganza for his grandmother on his turf, in Seattle. Rented the Space Needle. Staged a massive fireworks display. But she’d wanted the party here in the town where she’d been born and lived her entire life. “I learned Washington state history in school, but the old folks around here bring the past alive, especially the fishermen. They love sharing every legend about Haley’s Bay.”

“I’m usually the one telling stories. I’d love to hear some tales.”