Page 45 of Fallout
“What?”
“If creepy nanny is sleeping in your bed, she’s probably already made a copy of your keys.”
“Fuck sake.” He dragged a hand down his face, balled the other in a fist. “Maybe I should quit. Not work until Mad is in school. Or college.”
Ry laughed, as he headed out the door. “Nah, you just need to find the right person to look after him while you’re here.”
Jake was pretty sure he’d found the only person he could comfortably leave Mad with and she didn’t want the job. Lory might be new in his life, and he might not know everything about her, but he trusted her on a gut level that couldn’t be ignored. Or explained. He’d trust her with Mad’s life without batting an eye.
He still couldn’t understand why he felt the way he did about her. The only thing he was sure of right now was that Shelly Armond had to go. First thing when he got home, he’d be telling her he no longer needed her services.
Oh, and he’d be contacting the agency about her too. They needed to know what had happened for him to terminate her employment so quickly. He wouldn’t hold back either. He’d tell them about the clothes, the come-hither looks and the sleeping in his bed. In fact…
Reaching for his phone, he opened up the app again and worked out how to record.
That done, he turned his phone off and tucked it under his pillow. Lying on his back he stared up at the ceiling.
What was it about him that he attracted the crazies? First Renee, now Shelly.
The only woman he met in recent years who hadn’t proven to be a nut job or hiding secrets was Lory.
Maz didn’t count, she was Ry’s. Of course there were other women, the ones he worked with here, and Alyssa, Maz’s best friend. It was only the womenheallowed close, the oneshebrought into his son’s life, who turned out to be untrustworthy.
It was probably why his trust in Lory struck him as strange. He’d guarded himself and Mad for so long and now he’d let her inside his defenses without any real difficulty. She felt closer than any woman he’d ever been with, or friends with, and she was only his tenant.
He needed to get his head around what this thing was with Lory. He liked her, liked the way she interacted with Mad. Liked the way his boy’s eyes lit up when she was around.
Ry was right. He needed to convince her to look after Mad for him. There had to be a way to entice her to not only take care of his son but stay in Sunnyville.
She hadn’t told him her plans, only that her stay was temporary.
Well, he and Mad would just have to do everything they could to convince her to stay for good.
“Hey.” Ry came back into the room, sat on the edge of the bunk next to him. “Maz said she’ll go around to your place in the morning. I’ll go with you from here too. We’ll take care of Mad while you deal with the nanny.”
Jake smiled at his best friend. “Thanks, man, but I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not you we’re worried about. It’s Mad and Mallory. If this woman is a little unhinged, it would be a good idea to get them both out of there. Actually, now that I think about it, the girls can take the boys to the park, and I’ll stick with you while you toss the nanny out.”
“I’m not tossing her out.”
“No. But you might need a witness.”
Jake hadn’t thought of that. If this woman had the balls to sleep in his bed when he’d given her her own room, what else would she be capable of? “Okay. Let’s do that. Then maybe we can get them to pick up some lunch before they come back. I’ll have to wait until a locksmith can come before leaving the house.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Ry stretched out on his bed. “Now let’s get some sleep. Morning will be here too soon.”
“You getting the light?” Jake asked.
“Shit. I knew I forgot something.”
Before Ry could get up, Tate entered the room. “I’ve got it.”
“Thanks.”
“No worries. Now if you two are finished chatting, we can all get some sleep.”
With the room plunged into darkness, Jake had nothing but his own thoughts to focus on. He thought he’d put all the crazy stuff behind him when they’d sentenced Renee. So much for giving Mad a stable home. Instead he’d hired a woman who didn’t seem to understand her role in their lives.
