Page 3 of The Manny's Fiery Dragon Bond

That was nice to hear.

I smiled. “Yes, I was with them for quite a while. They were great, but the kids are all in middle school now, and they’ve moved across country.”

They nodded along as I spoke.

“Can you tell me about your kids?”

I knew most parents wouldn’t hesitate to gush about their children—as they well should. And if they weren’t quick to gush about them, then they probably weren’t the type of parents I wanted to work for.

As a manny, I wanted to be a part of a family, not a substitute for either parent. I had seen plenty of parents who treated their children like little accessories. I didn’t want to be a part of that. I was there to help make the parenting job easier, not to take over.

“Well, there’s three of them, so that makes things interesting,” Kier said.

Kier and Tavian had their fingers laced together, their hands resting on the table. They smiled as they looked at one another. They were so in love. I’d always wanted that, but in my profession, I met lots of other mannies and parents, but not single shifters looking for love.

“They’re great kids. Challenging, because there is three of them and we are outnumbered.” There was nothing but love in their tone. “We’ve made it work for the past year, but lately, Tavian has taken on more responsibilities and clients within the clan. I’ve taken on more responsibilities here as well, and we love our clan. We want to help out as much as we can. We’re hoping that having a manny will lift some of the household burden.”

“Absolutely. I’m sure it would be much easier if, when you were at home, you could focus on being with the children, rather than dishes, laundry, that sort of thing. Those are some of the things I can help with.”

“Exactly. The kids are one now, and so they are, of course, running around a lot, learning new things every day. All three of them are walking. It took Flint a while to get the hang of it, but now he’s just as fast as the other two. And I think the three of them can talk to one another. I swear they are conspiring against us.”

I smiled. “I’m sure they have their own little way of communicating with one another. They sound like great kids.”

The interview went on much longer than I expected. They had plenty to talk about with their kids, and I had plenty of questions for them. I was feeling great about the position. Usually when I interviewed for a position, I’d sit on an offer for a few days before deciding. That wouldn’t be the case today. If they offered it to me right now, I’d accept, and I hadn’t even learned the full details yet.

“The job comes with a room, which has its own en suite. You would have any access to the house you need. We have a home gym and a hot tub you’d be welcome to use. Plus, any of the amenities we have here at headquarters.”

I nearly let out an embarrassing squeak at that. I doubted that I’d come to Emberstone headquarters to use the pool or gym, though both things sounded lovely. Being around that many dragons would be nerve-wracking.

“You’ll have days off, of course. We’re not expecting you to be available twenty-four seven. Both Kier and I like to cook, so we won’t always need meals. We can come up with a schedule,” Tavian said. “Our hours here can be challenging. So it won’t always be nine to five.”

“Of course,” I said. “I am well versed in putting together meal plans and meal prepping. That way you aren’t thinking about what to make for dinner on the day of. And I’m not concerned about the hours, just as long as we communicate about when and where I’m needed.”

“That sounds fabulous. Right now, we’re living on hamburgers and bland chicken. We’re running low on everything. There’s no time to go to the store or even put in an order for groceries.”

I could only imagine how hard it was to work full-time at high-powered jobs while spending the time you wanted with your kids and on top of that somehow managing to keep the household running.

I nodded. “I can help manage the grocery lists as well.” I was an odd one in that I loved to meal plan and go through the grocery fliers to figure out the best things to buy each week. I took it as a challenge, a fun one.

The two exchanged a glance. “When can you start?”

And there it was, the offer I’d been hoping for. Little did I know at the time that it was going to be the offer that changed my entire world.

Chapter 3

Malric

\What a long, hectic week it had been. I dealt with far too many different clan issues that all seemed to arise at once, sat through board meetings, and had discussions about the clan’s future with elders. But as intense as the week had been, it ended my favorite way— Friday-night dinner at Tavian’s home. No matter how horrible, how stressful, or even on the rare occasions, boring the week had been, it all melted away at one giggle from my grandbabies. Their smiles were magical. I was sure of it.

Since finding his mate in Kier, my son had been happier than I’d ever seen him. They were fated and knew instantly that they were meant for one another, but even if one of them had no sense of scent, they’d have known. The two fit together so perfectly. I loved to be in their presence so I could soak up some of their happiness. It helped to chase away the loneliness for a short while.

There, I could spend time with my grandbabies. Since they were born, I’d made a habit of having Friday-night dinners with the family, and then on Sunday mornings, I’d take care of the kids so Kier and Tavian could take a break. They were great parents and excellent at their chosen careers, and it was important that they had time together as a couple each week.

I didn’t want to impede too much on their family time. After all, while I was family, I still wanted my son and his mate to enjoy their time with the children. This felt like a good balance for all involved, and if it ever seemed like it no longer was, we’d reevaluate at that time.

My own parents had stayed away when my kids were growing up. Chastain’s parents hadn’t been around at all. I didn’t want to be like that, but I also didn’t want to be overbearing. Thus, I found a nice balance. Still, I wouldn’t have complained about seeing the children more. Whenever they asked me for help, I made sure I cleared my calendar to do so.

My kids had felt the lack of grandparents growing up. They’d wondered why they were the only kids who didn’t have extended family for milestones. I vowed never to miss a single game, recital, school event, or whatever the children were into. I didn’t want them to feel what my kids had, not when it was so easily avoidable.

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