Page 84 of The Nanny and the Beefcake
Bloody brilliant! He’d be training in a lopsided town that had a bizarre affinity for donkeys and mystical bullshit. Libby should be over the moon. There must be spiritual yoga people coming out of the woodwork here. This was not his scene in the least, which may be a good thing. What he needed was some bloody peace and quiet to train. Hopefully, Madelyn had worked her magic to secure decent lodging for them in the peculiar mountain town.
“There’s a bunch of little houses down the side streets. And look, there’s the post office, a library, a community center, and a town square,” the boy continued, like a mini tour guide. “Where’s our house? Is it close to here?”
“It’s off Falling Stone Road,” Libby said, glancing at the GPS display. “Up there,” she added, pointing toward a cluster of structures in the distance.
At least they’d have some privacy.
They continued up an uneven gravel road that zigged and zagged until the mountain foliage cleared, and the large structure that he’d spied from the town below turned out to be a grand Victorian mansion. One would assume an English-style home would stick out like a sore thumb against the rocky, mountainous terrain, but it worked.
“Wow,” Libby breathed.
He parked in front of a set of stone steps that led to the front door. They exited the car and inhaled the clean mountain air.
He surveyed their summer lodging.
The place looked like an elaborate dollhouse come to life.
Painted a crisp cream with plum paint outlining the windows and highlighting the fish-scale shingles, the three-story structure rose into the air with a pointy, pitched roof and a tower-like portion with a turret jutting into the sky like a witch’s hat. Several windows were fitted with square glass panes in every shade of the rainbow. A path lined with white stones curved along the wraparound porch. It meandered past three more structures. The first appeared to be a two-story five-car garage, the second a barn, and the third, tucked closer to the back of the main house, was a small cottage built in the same Victorian style.
“Can that be my room?” Sebastian asked, perking up as he pointed to the third-floor window of the grand Victorian below the triangular turret.
“I don’t see why not,” Libby answered, smiling up at the house. She was trying to keep her features neutral, but the awestruck look in her eyes couldn’t be ignored. It was a look he quite fancied. He liked seeing a smile on her face.
Do not concern yourself with her happiness.
“What’s that stack of rocks for?” Sebastian asked, pointing to eight stones stacked from largest to smallest next to the trail leading to the other structures. It wasn’t that big—less than a foot tall.
“That’s an outdoorsy thing, like a signal. It’s a sign to let you know you’re on the right path. Hikers leave them for others, so they don’t get lost in the wilderness,” Libby answered.
“Brilliant,” Sebastian cooed, studying the stones.
Raz turned away, working to even out the competing emotions welling in his chest. He rubbed the tense muscles at the base of his neck and studied the landscape. While it was no substitute for Libby’s captivating beauty, the view still took his breath away. He could see the whole town from here, nestled in the valley between two majestic rocky peaks. Ranches dotted the mountainside with grazing animals moving across the mountainous backdrop. Wildflowers peppered the land. Vibrant reds, yellows, and periwinkle-colored flowers spread across a vast ocean of rocky greenery.
And there was bloody more.
A creek stretched as far as the eye could see, and a lake, or possibly a reservoir, glinted blue-green in the afternoon sun.
If there was ever a time to extend your arms and belt out lyrics fromThe Sound of Music, this was it—not that he’d ever bust out singing like a bloody fool on a mountainside.
Sebastian sprinted down to the garage and threw open the side door. “It’s a whole gym, Dad!” he cried. “There’s even a boxing ring in it.”
“Don’t touch anything, Sebastian,” he instructed.
The boy closed the door, and his shoulders slumped.
Bloody hell! Could he get anything right?
“Why don’t you head inside and find your room,” he said, softening his tone. “It should be open. Madelyn’s people knew we were arriving today.”
The boy nodded and trudged up the stairs leading to the front door.
“You could let your son be a little excited about having a boxer for a father,” Libby chided as she came up beside him.
A heady mix of lust and loathing had him feeling as rickety as this town’s name. Their ten-day separation hadn’t sat well with her. He didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. The thing is—most people weren’t bold enough to give him shit. Crikey, who was he kidding? She’d never been intimidated by him. In fact, with her in his arms, naked and bloody gorgeous as she rocked against him, he was the one ready to surrender.
Get your head in the game, mate.
“Sebastian doesn’t know how to use any of the equipment. He could get hurt,” he explained, but the sharp twist of her lips told him she wasn’t buying that excuse.
