Page 12 of Rejected Nanny Mate (Crystal Creek Wolves #3)

I still wasn't sure that I'd forgiven Joe completely, but he made it hard to stay mad at him. Watching him care for and play with Rose, cooking them dinner, and adhering perfectly to the new schedule we'd worked out made me soften towards him more than I would like to admit.

Now that everything had been written down, I'd been able to settle into a routine.

I had a lot fewer hours at the cafe than I would have liked, but something told me that Joe and Scott conspired to make it that way.

At first, I thought it was because Joe wanted me to be with Rose more, but when he made an offhand comment about how he was a more generous employer than Scott, I realized he'd manipulated things that way so I could make more money while still staying a waitress.

It had made something warm bloom inside me, a welcome replacement for the anxiety that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my chest.

It had started the night Joe confronted me on the porch, and no matter how much I went through the breathing steps and relaxation techniques I'd learned, the feeling wouldn't go away.

It felt like a looming anxiety attack...

but then again, not really. It was a tension, sure, but it wasn't overwhelming.

It was just different, and for me, different is scary. It rarely led to anything good.

So, I pushed the weird feeling out of my mind and got on with my life.

Rose grew more and more every day, it seemed like, and my affection grew right alongside her.

I loved Joe's daughter; that much was clear.

But I was starting to feel, for lack of a better word, maternal towards her, which was totally out of line.

I'd never speak a world of that truth to Joe or anyone else, but it was true.

When I looked into her eyes and saw the adoration I felt for her reflected back at me, I melted. Rose felt like she belonged to me in all sorts of ways that were totally overstepping for a nanny, but I couldn't help it.

Rose was on my mind a lot during my shift at the cafe.

It was a slow day, and I was musing on what kinds of new baby food I could make for her, and the sounds she was starting to string together during her babbles.

She would be saying 'da-da' soon enough, and I couldn't wait to see Joe's face when she did.

I was still thinking about the baby when the bell over the cafe door rang, and three women walked in.

My mood immediately lifted—it was Kiera, Nayeli, and, surprisingly, Rhie.

The newer Shadowbay she-wolf had a murky past that I knew very little about, considering she wasn't in my pack, but the shy Omega had been having a hard time until Nayeli swept in and took her under her wing.

Nayeli had an odd sort of superpower, where she was awkward on her own, but when someone was threatened or needed help, she transformed into a tornado of anger that made even high-ranking wolves stand down.

I barely knew Rhie, but if my two best friends wanted her around, then I'd gladly welcome her into our little friend group. It had done wonders for my self-esteem; maybe it would do the same for her.

“Hi, girls!” I chirped, going to hug them, careful not to bump into Nayeli's pregnant belly. “This is a surprise! What are you doing here?”

“We've heard that there's a certain Alpha in town who's been giving you trouble, and we came to check it out,” Kiera said, leading the other two to a table. I looked around to make sure there were no other guests at the moment and joined them.

Rhie giggled, and I shot her a friendly smile. I knew how intimidating it could be to hang around the big wolves, but now that she'd settled in a bit, I hoped she felt more at ease.

“Joe's not giving me trouble,” I protested, waving my hand. “We've worked things out.”

Nayeli arched a brow, and it was clear she didn't believe a word I was saying.

“Oh, come on,” Kiera groaned. “You've been keeping secrets. We want details.”

“You can't hide anything from me,” Nayeli added. “I'll find out eventually. This is the safest option.”

“It really was nothing,” I insisted. “We just got into a little...spat downtown over a week ago, and I wasn't really speaking to him for a while. But we talked things out.”

“What did you argue about?”

“Just, um, a misunderstanding.”

Nayeli and Kiera exchanged a look, and I knew what they were thinking.

“Joe's not the flirt with me that he is with everyone else,” I told them quietly.

“I know you guys probably think he's just trying to get in my pants or whatever, but I'm not naive, and he's not interested in me.

Besides, he has a baby, and I'm her nanny. He has a lot more important things on his mind.”

Nayeli rubbed her belly thoughtfully. “You know, I've been trying to do a little research on Rose's mom, but nothing's turning up. No missing wolves, no female rogues, no sign of her.”

I shrugged. “I haven't really thought much about it. Maybe her mom left her with Joe for a reason, and it's none of my business.”

“Or maybe she was killed,” Rhie interjected, and the rest of us gaped at her. She smiled. “Just a possibility. It's happened before.”

“True,” Kiera nodded, but she looked uncomfortable. Rhie's smile faltered, as if she realized she'd said something strange, so I took up the conversation thread before things could get awkward.

“Either way, Rose's mother will come forward eventually,” I told them, a bit defensively. “No need to look into it now.”

“Well, anyway,” Nayeli cleared her throat. “I know you say that, Mr. Charmer, Joe Longwood isn't into you, but how is he as a housemate?”

“Perfect, actually. Zero complaints in that department.

He's great with Rose, and the house is big and beautiful.

Plus, he has a cleaning service that comes twice a week, and he's given me a little corner of his greenhouse to grow some herbs and vegetables.

He's a good cook, too. It's been...” I trailed off, realizing that I was smiling.

Kiera and Nayeli both wore matching grins, and even Rhie was smiling, hiding it behind her hands.

“What?” I demanded.

“Oh, nothing.” Nayeli leaned her cheek on her fist. “Nothing at all.”

“He's an annoying ass,” I snapped.

“Uh-huh.”

“Really. You know him. He's flirting with everyone, and he's constantly joking, and...”

“And...?” Kiera prompted.

“And...” I trailed off, blowing a strand of hair that had escaped my braid out of my face. “A really good dad and a good boss. Friend. Whatever. Why are you guys so nosy about this?”

“Because, Gwen,” Nayeli leaned forward, “I've never seen you defend a guy before, or talk about him so passionately.”

“And he's not your type at all. You're usually into nerdier guys,” Kiera added, and then clapped her hands. “Oh, my goddess, Gwen. Do you have a crush on him?”

“Absolutely not!” I gasped, a blush creeping across my cheeks. The memory of our single kiss flashed through my mind, and the blush deepened. “Are you insane? That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said.”

“I don't know. Seems like it makes sense to me,” Rhie muttered, and the others nodded.

“You guys are the worst. And, for the record, you're all terrible at gossiping. This feels more like an interrogation.”

They laughed, and I joined in after a moment.

None of them knew that Joe and I had a sort-of-romantic history, and I wasn't about to let them know.

They'd never leave me alone about the subject if they knew.

I knew how perfect it looked on the outside, each of us mating with an Alpha, but they were just going to have to put that little fantasy to rest. It was not happening.

Just as I stood to get them some drinks, the bell above the door rang again.

This time, it was Joe, having appeared as if somehow he knew he'd been talking about him.

I saw Joe every day, for multiple hours, but somehow his presence still made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

He was wearing old, faded jeans and a white t-shirt that stretched over his chest, with a few smears of soil on the fabric.

He must have just come from his plant and garden shop, Emerald Blooms.

“Well, hello, ladies,” he grinned, looking at all of us. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hi, Joe,” Rhie smiled shyly, and I watched Kiera elbow her.

“Where is Rose?” I asked, immediately alarmed.

“Relax, I left her with Deb. She's sound asleep after her lunch bottle.” Deborah, Joe's older store manager, had fallen in love with Rose the second she met her, and was one of the few people outside of me that Joe trusted with the little girl.

With that settled, he returned to charming the other girls.

Joe, of course, knew the two Lunas and was probably familiar with Rhie as well, but he was still putting on the full flirtatious show.

It made me scowl, but he didn't seem to notice, all of this attention on the other three women.

He grabbed the chair I had vacated, turning it around so he was straddling it with his long, muscular legs, folding his arms on the back of it.

“How fortunate that all the most beautiful lady wolves in all of Crystal Creek just so happen to be at my favorite coffee shop,” he said. “You must be stalking me.”

“Ha, ha,” Kiera snorted, “We're here because we wanted to check up on Gwen. You know, our best friend, that you have kidnapped and whisked away to your giant house in the middle of the woods.”

“Is that so?” His gaze flickered to me, but only for a moment. “Did she tell you I'm on my best behavior?”

“Oh, please,” Nayeli said, shaking her head.

“You know what,” Joe said suddenly, reaching over and squeezing Nayeli's hand. “I've got a new variety of wildflowers blooming right now, and I would be honored if the Luna of Shadowbay would accept a sample.”