Brogan (Carolina Reapers 9)

“Knock knock!” Madeline—one of my best friends—called from the front door of my apartment.

“We brought coffee!” Daisy—my other best friend—followed up as they both found me in my room.

“You’re a lifesaver,” I said, grabbing the coffee from Daisy’s outstretched hand. Her brown curls hung to her shoulders, and she looked fresh off a writing session in her crop top and book-themed joggers.

“I know,” she said, winking at me.

I took a glorious sip of the double Americano and breathed out a contented sigh. Yesterday had thrown me for a serious loop, and I needed the caffeine boost if I was ever going to get my head on straight and finish packing.

“Going somewhere?” Madeline asked, eying my opened suitcases. Her eyes suddenly lit up as she turned to face me, her long, blonde hair flying in the perfect flip behind her. “You said you accepted a job,” she said. “Does that mean you’re finally putting your doctorate to use? Somewhere that requires you to move?”

“Oh?” Daisy chimed in, then frowned. “Not out of state, right?”

I shook my head, waving both of them off. “No,” I said to Maddie. “And no,” I said to Daisy. I took another sip of the coffee before setting it on my chest of drawers.

“But you called us over here to talk about your new job,” Maddie said, sinking onto my bed next to my suitcase.

“I did,” I said, grabbing a pile of my soft cotton T-shirts and loose pants.

Taking care of a three-month-old full-time would require an insane amount of clothes. I had ten brothers and sisters, all younger than me, and I’d pretty much been their live-in nanny too. I knew exactly how much newborns throw up, just as I knew you could never have too many backup-outfit options. I tossed them in the suitcase before grabbing another handful.

“Spill the deets,” Daisy urged.

I put the next armful of clothes in my suitcase, then barely suppressed a laugh. Daisy would go nuclear in three, two…

“I’ve taken a full-time, live-in nanny position for Brogan Grant.”

“What?” Daisy shrieked, nearly bursting my eardrum. She hopped up and down, staring at me in shock. “Are you serious?”

“You’re not serious,” Maddie said before I could answer.

I laughed. Daisy was a die-hard hockey fan, the only one in our little friend group, and when the Reapers had come to town a few years ago? She’d hopped on that fan train without a second thought.

“Brogan. Freaking. Grant!” she said, still giddy. “He’s like the fastest left wing in the league. He had thirty-six goals last season, and rumors are flying about how amazing we’re going to do when the season starts!”

Maddie and I blinked at her for a second, just like we always did when she started spouting off hockey stats. We weren’t opposed to the game, we just hadn’t grown up loving the sport like she had.

“Okay,” I said, returning to packing.

“I didn’t know he had a baby,” Daisy said, furrowing her brow before sipping her own coffee.

“He didn’t know he did either,” I said, then glanced at them both with my serious face. “This info doesn’t leave this room.” I eyed them both, and they nodded. They’d been my best friends since our freshman year in college, and I trusted them both with my life, so I knew I could give them the details without worrying. “Someone left a three-month-old baby on his doorstep early yesterday morning.”

They gasped in unison, and I nodded. Anger simmered in my chest, but I took a deep breath.

“Did he order a paternity test? Is the baby healthy?” Maddie asked, switching to full Doctor Madeline Ross in the span of a blink.

“He ordered the test,” I answered. “And she looked healthy to me, but I’m no doctor. She was just overtired. I got her to sleep, though.”

Daisy shook her head. “What kind of mother would do such a thing?”

I sighed. “A bad one,” I answered honestly. Whoever she was, she’s lucky it wasn’t sweltering that early in the morning. She was lucky Brogan returned from his run instead of catching a ride with Maxim to the arena for practice. She was lucky—

I clenched my eyes shut, stopping the train of angry thoughts.

“You know how I was interviewed for Langley Nyström’s part-time nanny position?”

“Yes,” Maddie said, sighing slightly. “And you know how I tried to talk you out of interviewing for that and using your damn doctorate instead?” she teased lovingly.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I remember. Anyway, she called me yesterday explaining the situation to me, and I rushed over there. The only reason she hadn’t hired me was because I can’t speak Swedish, but she fully trusted me to recommend me to Brogan, who is in a serious bind.”

Maddie sipped her coffee, nodding. She understood, but she still wanted me to actually use my doctorate in child phycology. And I would—someday.