Page 17 of Unexpected

I shook my head. “Studying for his bachelor’s.”

“Hmm.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “That seems a bit odd. Want me to have my PI friend look into him?”

“Lauren, the Hartwell Agency already ran a comprehensive background check. Who cares that he’s a little older than your average college student?”

Okay, not just a little. A lot. Most students graduated by the age of twenty-two, twenty-three, max. But he was twenty-six. I knew there had to be a story there, but I also realized the less I knew about his personal life, the better.

She pursed her lips. “Still…why would a guy like him, a guy who could be a freaking model, want to be a nanny?”

I lifted a shoulder. “It wasn’t in the file. And maybe he is a model, but he needs to pay the bills between gigs.”

“As a nanny?” She gave me an incredulous look.

“He had glowing recommendations from every family he’s worked with. And clearly,” I said, gesturing toward the backyard where he and Sophia were talking as they rolled a suitcase across the yard, “he loves children.”

“When he called Sophia ‘princess’…” She placed a hand to her chest and sighed. “So sweet.”

“I know,” I said. “He’s so, so good with her. Which is why this relationship can never be anything but professional.”

“I know. I know.” She held up her hands. “You don’t mix business with pleasure.”

“That’s right.” I stood and rinsed my mug in the sink, hopefully putting an end to the discussion. Even if I’d wanted to pursue something with Preston, I couldn’t. I needed his help.

Lauren started packing up her stuff. “Thanks for the coffee. And the eye candy.”

“Any time,” I said, walking her to the door.

“Really?” She perked up. “I’m going to take you up on that.”

I laughed, knowing she wasn’t serious.Right?

She slid into the driver’s seat of her white Mercedes coupe and rolled down the window. “Good luck with the new manny.” She winked.

I rolled my eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”

“Hey, I’m just excited to see you finally interested in a guy. I was beginning to think you were secretly in love with me,” she teased.

“Oh, Lauren.” I leaned into her window and puckered my lips as I squeezed her cheeks. “You know I love you, pookie.”

She laughed, pulling away from my touch. “Don’t mess up my makeup,” she said in a threatening tone.

“What makeup? Your skin is naturally flawless.”

“Damn right. Thank you, girlfriend. If we’re both still single when we turn forty, we’re getting married.”

I laughed. “Fine. But I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Oh, I’m fairly certain it won’t,” she said with a knowing glance toward the backyard.

“Go on.” I backed away as she pressed theStartbutton, firing up the ignition. “Get out of here.”

I returned to the kitchen feeling restless before deciding I should check on Preston and Sophia. I could hear them talking from the open door of the pool house, and I couldn’t resist listening to their conversation.

“These books are heavy,” Sophia panted, and I could picture her trying to lug around some of the textbooks I’d seen Preston carrying across the yard earlier.

“Yeah, well. As you get older, the books you read will get bigger too.”

“Yeah, but mine won’t. Weigh,” she grunted. “A ton.”