Page 7

CHAPTER

SEVEN

DELANEY

W hat am I doing here?

I stand on the front porch of Max Park’s house, staring at the oversized door like it’s about to bite me.

A job is a job, right? That’s what I keep telling myself.

Sure, I have an aversion to cocky assholes—and everything about a professional hockey player screams cocky asshole to me—but I also have a brand new car with a hefty payment, insurance, and a growing pile of bills that aren’t going to pay themselves.

So here I am. Swallowing my pride. Pushing down my judgment. Getting ready to ring a doorbell I’m not sure I want anyone to answer.

Iris swears this Max guy is different. “He’s not like the others,” she says.

“He’s a good guy.” And maybe that’s true…

but I can’t help thinking, If he’s so different, how did he knock someone up and not find out about it until a year later?

That doesn’t scream “upstanding” to me. It screams exactly the kind of womanizer I’ve spent my adult life avoiding.

Am I being judgmental? Absolutely. Do I care? Not really. I know myself—and I have very little patience for a certain kind of man.

Then again, I stuck it out with Mr. Newmeister a lot longer than I should have, smiling through lingering stares and brushing off less-than-subtle advances. I did it for the job. For the kids. Because I loved those boys, and they needed me.

The same thing applies here. Max is offering a paycheck I can’t turn down. And there’s a baby involved. A four-month-old little girl who didn’t ask to be dropped into this mess. I haven’t met a baby yet that I didn’t fall for.

So here I am. Ready to work. Ready to meet Max Park.

I take a deep breath and press the doorbell.

It only takes a few seconds for the door handle to turn, but it feels like an eternity.

When the door swings open, my heart plummets straight into my stomach. My mouth falls open. Because while I knew his name… I realize I definitely know his face.

He stands there with an adorable baby girl perched on one strong arm, her tiny fist curled around the collar of his T-shirt like she owns him.

His free hand runs through his dark hair, ruffling it in a way that makes him look annoyingly effortless.

And those bright blue eyes? Paired with a slow, knowing grin that stretches across his full mouth?

Shit. I’ve seen that grin before.

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice warm and amused, “are you here to try to steal my car again?”

My mouth opens and closes. No words form. Not one.

I blow out a breath and shove my hand toward him. “Hi. I’m Delaney. Iris’s friend.”

His lips twitch as he takes my hand in his. His grip is firm, his skin warm. “Interesting. So… are you a car thief who moonlights as a nanny, or is it the other way around?”

I shrug, fighting back the flush creeping up my neck. “It was an honest mistake. Could’ve happened to anyone.”

He chuckles, deep and low. “I’ve gotta hand it to you—you committed. I was this close to giving you the keys to my Bronco.”

I hitch my thumb over my shoulder, already half turned toward the steps. “Should I just go? We can forget the interview?”

“Are you kidding?” He smiles wider and steps back, motioning me inside. “Come on in. I’m only teasing. As you said, it could’ve happened to anyone.”

He winks.

And I don’t like the way it makes me feel.

I hesitate for half a second before stepping through the doorway. His house smells faintly like cedar and laundry detergent, and it’s so clean I wonder if he hired a crew before I arrived—or if he’s one of those secretly tidy guys. Though, somehow, I doubt it.

Max closes the door behind me, still balancing the baby like it’s second nature. “This is Caroline,” he says, adjusting her slightly so I can get a better look.

She’s beautiful—big blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and a faint fuzz of dark hair sticking up on top of her head like a little duckling. My heart squeezes.

“Hi, sweet girl,” I murmur, smiling softly. She blinks up at me, curious, her tiny fist working its way toward her mouth.

“She likes to chew on pretty much everything,” Max says, shifting her higher on his chest. “I think she’s teething, but I could be wrong.”

I smile, already slipping into my familiar rhythm. “You’re probably right. I’ve cared for babies who cut their first tooth around four or five months. She could be working on one.” I glance at him. “And for what it’s worth, you’re holding her like a pro.”

His gaze meets mine, something warm flickering there. “Thanks. I’m trying.”

I nod, letting my eyes sweep over the entryway. “Nice place.”

“Thanks,” he says. “I live here with one of the guys, but he’s moving in with his girlfriend soon. So if you take the job… it’ll just be us.”

I swallow. That shouldn’t bother me. I mean, I knew the deal. But still, the weight of those words sits heavier than I expected.

Max gestures toward the living room. “Want to sit? I can grab you some water or something?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

I follow him into a surprisingly cozy space. A playmat is spread out near the couch with a few baby toys scattered across it. There’s a bottle on the coffee table and a soft blanket draped over the arm of a chair. It feels lived in, like a home. And somehow, that eases something in my chest.

Max drops onto one side of the couch, Caroline cradled against him like she belongs there. It’s hard to believe he’s only had her a week. They’re already so comfortable together.

“You’re really good with her,” I say before I can stop myself.

His mouth tips up in a crooked grin. “I’m trying. She kind of threw my whole life upside down, but… I wouldn’t change it.” He runs a gentle hand down her back. “It was pretty much love at first sight. She’s so easy to love. That makes it simple.”

I blink, caught off guard by his honesty. And… okay, maybe I misjudged him. At least a little.

“So,” he says after a beat. “You’ve got experience with babies?”

I nod. “A lot. I’ve been a live-in nanny for years. Infants, toddlers, siblings… I’ve done it all.”

“Well,” he says, leaning back, “Iris swears you’re amazing, and that’s good enough for me.

I’m not gonna lie. The interviews I’ve had before this were disasters.

I’m insanely desperate. Name your price.

I’ll pay whatever you want. I’ll try to give you as many days off as possible.

Summer’s the best time for extended breaks since it’s the offseason.

During the year, I’m gone a lot, and we’ll need you the most then. ”

I stare at him. “Wait. That’s it? You’re offering me the job?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” He gives me that grin again, the one I’m realizing is dangerously charming. “If the worst thing you’re gonna do is give me some attitude while trying to steal my car, I’ll take it. Plus, did I mention I’m desperate?”

I huff out a quiet laugh despite myself. “Should I hold her? Make sure we have good chemistry?”

He shrugs, already handing Caroline over. “Sure. She’s pretty easygoing. She likes everyone.”

I settle Caroline into my arms, and the moment I do, something shifts. She curls into me with a little sigh, her tiny hand grabbing my necklace. “Hi there,” I whisper, my heart doing a little flip.

Max watches me with an expression I can’t quite read. “Looks like you passed the test.”

I glance up at him. “I’ve never lived with an employer full-time before. I’ve worked long hours, traveled with families, stayed overnight when the parents were away—things like that—but never fully moved in.”

“Yeah,” he says, slow and thoughtful. “We might have some growing pains with that. But I’m pretty easygoing.

And like I said, I’m gone a lot. I clean up after myself, I keep a tidy house—or at least I think I do.

” His lips twitch like he’s aiming for humor, but there’s an edge of exhaustion he can’t hide.

“We’ll figure it out. To be honest, I’m not sure how any of this will work yet.

Maybe you and Caroline can travel to some road games when I’m gone for extended stretches.

She’s already lost her mom… I don’t want her thinking I’ve left her too. ”

He glances down at his daughter. “Right now, the nights are hard. During the day, she’s pretty easygoing, but after dark?

” He lets out a tired breath that’s almost a laugh but not quite.

“She doesn’t want to sleep. And I know I must be doing something wrong.

But if I don’t get some sleep soon, I’m worried I’ll lose my job altogether.

” He chuckles again, but there’s no amusement in it—just bone-deep weariness.

“I can cover nights so you can rest,” I say, shifting Caroline gently in my arms. “She just needs a consistent routine and a little sleep training. She’ll be good to go.”

His shoulders drop like he’s letting out a breath he’s been holding for days.

“That sounds incredible.” He scrubs a hand over his jaw, his voice rough with emotion.

“I’m just… really tired. A week ago, I was out partying with the guys—young, free, and stupid.

Now I feel like I’ve aged a decade overnight.

” He pauses, shaking his head as if he can’t quite believe it himself.

“But what choice do I have? I’m all she has. And I want to do right by her.”

His blue eyes find mine again, and something in the way he’s looking at me makes my pulse skip. Open. Vulnerable. Honest. Nothing like the man I’d built up in my head.

“So”—he smiles, his voice softer now—“what do you say? You in?”

That smile… dammit. My stomach flips before I can stop it, and it pisses me off more than it should. I shouldn’t care that he’s attractive or charming. It’s better than hating him as I thought I would, but it bothers me that in a matter of minutes with Max, I’ve completely let my guard down.

My heart clenches unexpectedly. I didn’t come here to like this guy. I was prepared to tolerate him. But sitting here, holding his baby, listening to him lay it all out… I feel this pull. Like maybe he doesn’t just need a nanny—maybe he needs me.

All my reservations are still there, whispering in the back of my mind. But so are all the reasons I need this job. And now there’s something else—a gut feeling that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

I take a slow breath, steadying myself. “I’m in.”