Page 7 of Curvy Nanny for the Cowboy

“I said what I said.” I couldn’t stake a claim. She was too young. She was my employee. She was Hunter’s nanny. She occupied every damn moment of my day and night, and I was a surly bastard because I hadn’t slept well for seven fucking days. How could I sleep when she slept down the hall from me?

“You ain’t said a whole lot of anything, Colt. But a man has to work through things in his own time. I’m off to get some grub. Meet you after lunch at the sheep fences?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. I need to check in with Hunter.” He already loves Molly, and I’m sure they’re fine without me, but it was the perfect excuse to get a glimpse of her.

“Tell Molly I said hello, and she can bring more cookies anytime she wants,” Wyatt called over his shoulder as he walked away, his long-legged cowboy gait slow and steady.

“Asshole,” I grumbled and finished the pen before I headed back to the main house to have lunch with my son.

And his irresistible nanny.

Chapter5

Molly

“What’s for lunch, Molly?” Hunter smiled up at me, one finger perched on his bottom lip, his expression eager to see what was in the pot.

I laughed at his eagerness and turned to stare down at him with one hand on my hip. “You want me to tell you, or do you want to see?”

“I wanna see!” He jumped up and down as his smile grew bigger. “Please,” he added with an impish grin.

I hoisted him up to let him look into the simmering pot. “What is it?”

He looked at me and then back to the pot. “Beans and corn. I see meat.” He gasped and turned to me. “Chili?”

“Exactly.” I set him on his feet and held up my hand for a high five. “Good job, Hunter.”

“I love chili,” he sang, jumping up and down once more in excitement.

“Me too. It warms the bones and feels like home.” I also added plenty of fixins because what’s a good chili without cheese, jalapeños, and sour cream? Not to mention cornbread. “What’s next?”

Hunter held up both hands with his palms facing me and turned them to face him, making the move a few times before he smiled wider. “Gotta wash my hands.”

“Perfect again. Need help?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I can do it!” With enough energy to power all of Texas, he rushed off to the downstairs bathroom, where there was a small stool for him to stand on while he washed his hands before each meal.

I busied myself with getting lunch on the table. It wasn’t my job, technically, but Amelia was working half days now that she didn’t need to care for Hunter in addition to her regular housekeeping duties, and I needed to eat anyway. Colton had added extra to my pay for the added task, which I appreciated even if I felt slightly uncomfortable taking extra money we hadn’t discussed previously.

But there was no arguing with the man when his mind was made up, and growing up with brothers had taught me the value of choosing my battles. It wasn’t a battle I was likely to win, so I bit back my words and focused on what I could control, like my presence at lunch. Today I planned to enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding McCall Ranch while I ate my own bowl of loaded chili. Colton seemed incredibly uncomfortable around me to the point he was mostly silent during meals with Hunter, who adored his father and only wanted to chat with him nonstop. I related to his discomfort, although in a different way, so I figured today I would give him a break from my presence.

I took a placemat, napkin, and silverware to the table between the rocking chairs and set up a nice little spot for myself where I could enjoy the clear blue sky that seemed endless out here, providing the perfect backdrop to the valleys and mountains in the distance. It was a gorgeous postcard, and I snapped a photo to send to my parents. Mom would love it, and Dad would worry about me being so far from emergency services.

The view was no hardship, that was for sure.

I returned to the kitchen just as Hunter did, a frown on his face as he took in the two settings. “Daddy’s not coming?”

“He is,” I confirmed to the best of my knowledge.

“Where’s your food?” He pointed at the missing setting, a frown on his adorable little face.

I gave him a smile as I pulled back his chair with one hand and plucked the cowboy hat from his head with the other. “I’m going to let you and your dad have some guy time for lunch today. Maybe you want to use salty language without a girl around. I’ll be back after lunch, and we can have some outside time. Sound good?”

He weighed my words carefully, mouth twisted in deep concentration before he made his decision. “Okay, Molly. Have a good lunch.”

He really was the sweetest kid. “Thanks, Hunter. You too.”

“I will,” he enthused. “Ilovechili.”

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