Page 24 of Nanny For The Billionaire Bosshole

“Yes, baby?”

“Can I have more oats?” She shows me her bag with the bottom up, completely empty.

“Well,” I place a finger on my chin, taking on an elaborate thinking stance. “How about we go to the playground, and I push you on the merry go round until you puke?”

“Yay!” she starts to run with her hands up towards the playground.

I laugh as I stand, and Jane looks at me in a mixture of empathy and confusion. “You laugh so easily,” she says, “I admire you.”

“Life is hard enough without laughter, Jane,” I say, following Anna. “If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry all the time. Now tell me something.”

I lock my arm around hers, and she looks at me with interest, “What?”

“Um, what happens at a ball?”

Now she’s the one laughing.

Chapter Eight

LOGAN

Annaisdressedlikea little princess from head to toe with a diamond tiara in her hair to top it off. All I can think is how happy I am that Mrs. Ritz put this idea in her head so I could see her like this.

“Do you really want to go to the ball, baby?” I ask her, while she sits well-behaved on my bed as I finish getting ready.

“U-huh!” Anna says. “Joyce and Aunt Jane will be there too.”

“They will?” I try to ignore the slight shiver at the mention of Joyce. Truth be told, I’ve gotten used to her being around. She really does brighten up everything and everyone around her. Even Anna, who has always been a positive child, is happier.

And as juvenile as it sounds, I can’t stop thinking about that sweet kiss.

I shake my head as I finish with my cuff links.

“Uh-huh! Mrs. Ritz invited them!” she says.

I raise an eyebrow, get my wallet and my keys, then take Anna by the hand and get going.

It’s a long walk in the dark to the country club, so driving over is justified — although the three-minute car ride makes me feel ridiculous for doing so — but at least there’s valet service at the front.

Anna and I follow the staffer inside to be seated. The ballroom is finely decorated and there’s low-tempo music playing. I heard it will be replaced by a live band after dinner is served, and there are waiters in tuxes coming and going with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

I hold Anna by the hand, feeling lost for a moment. I haven’t been in a social situation like this in a while. I used to go to these with Andrea, but I haven’t since…

I see Leslie Mason, president of the Lake Villas’ Homeowner’s Association, and I decide to move ahead and greet him, if for nothing else than a distraction from my previous thought.

“Good evening, Leslie,” I offer my hand to him.

I may be tall, but Leslie is bigger,taller, and fatter, intimidating in a sense, but extremely friendly when you get to know him.

“Good evening, Logan! It’s so good to see you,” he shakes my hand heartily then pats my face like a mob boss.

He turns to Anna, “And you came too, princess?”

“Balls areboring,” Anna says, much to my chagrin.

“How can you say that if you only just got here?” Leslie asks.

“We’re going to dance later!” Leslie’s wife, Ana, barges in. “How are you doing, Logan?”

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