Page 4 of Forbidden Kisses

"Sure, Grandma," Jeremy said as I took the call off speakerphone, bringing it to my ear.

"Everything okay?" I immediately slipped into problem-solving mode.

"Yes. I was going to ask if you need any help looking for a nanny. Several friends in my reading club have nieces and nephews, and maybe someone has time."

"Sure. Why not? But I’ll also contact some agencies and put out a job posting myself."

"Just so you know, those agencies usually take weeks and possibly months to find someone."

Fucking great."I'll figure something out," I said, then changed the subject. "Is everything good with the store?"

They had their hands full with some renovations. Right after Chase bought it for them, they insisted that they only wanted to do some small changes, like sanding floors and repainting. But recently they’d discovered that the building’s foundation needed reinforcing.

"Yes. Your dad is in charge of the crew, and he's doing it brilliantly."

It still felt weird to hear Mom praise Dad. Growing up, they'd fought constantly. It was why they divorced. I was used to barely being able to be in the same room with them because they would snap at each other all the time. But they'd grown closer during the past two years.

My brother Griffin said he'd caught them flirting once, but I refused to believe it until I heard it myself. He was probably embellishing the story, although that wasn’t like him.

"All right. I'll keep you posted about my search, but I'm grateful for any contacts," I said.

We said our goodbyes, and I set the phone down on the counter.

This wasn't how I liked to do things. I liked to be prepared and took time with important decisions, giving them careful consideration. Finding a nanny for my son on a few days’ notice meant I'd have to cut corners. But I had enough people in my circle that I could find someone soon enough, complete with a background check.

"Dad, we're going to burn the pizza," Jeremy said, sounding frantic.

Apparently I’d been woolgathering longer than I’d thought. Moving quickly to the oven, I immediately opened it.

"I think we've got it just in time." There was a very fine line between burned and crispy. We'd landed just on the right side of crunchy.

I took it out and sliced it, spreading out the pieces and letting the temperature cool a bit. Jeremy knew the drill and already had the plates and salad bowls on the table. He was waiting in his chair.

I brought the pizza over and served us each a slice, then dished out the salad with a touch of dressing.

"You're the best dad in the world," Jeremy exclaimed, his mouth full of pizza.

I’d never tire of hearing him say that.

CHAPTER TWO

Riley

I loved living in Chula Vista. Well, I liked living in San Diego, period. The weather was amazing, the food even more so. I loved the eternal summer, and I loved my best friends. I was lucky to be able to room with Julia and Christine during our last year of law school. Julia had inherited the home from her grandmother, and we rented out the two spare bedrooms from her.

She peeked her head through the open door. "Hey, girl, dinner is ready. Want to join us?"

I sighed. "Yeah. Just a minute."

"What's wrong? Another one bite the dust?" She grimaced.

It was a running joke between us. All of us had sent applications en masse to start working as junior associates at nearby law firms, but the market was competitive.

“No, I actually got good news. Jackman & Sons made me an offer."

"Girl, that's amazing. So why do you look like someone pissed in your food?" she asked.

“Because the position starts in four months. What am I going to do during that time? I need to work and make money.”