The Rancher's Nanny

“Yes. You’ll be there to pick me up.”

“I’ll even be right on time so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Caleb moved out of the kitchen, and Maddie watched as he pulled his daughter into his arms, hugging her. “You be a good girl now, right. This is important.”

“I could stay on the ranch.”

“There’ll always be chores for you, honey bear, but school work comes first.”

“Can’t I be taught at home?”

He shook his head. “We tried that. You were constantly running rings around the teacher.” He kissed her cheek. “Be good. Learn lots, and make me proud.”

She watched as Paige squared her shoulders, nodding her head. “I will, Daddy.”

They left the ranch, and when Maddie looked back toward the window overlooking the front of the house where the car was parked, she saw him gazing out, watching.

Opening the car door, she waited patiently for Paige to get inside before rounding the vehicle.

“So you ran rings around your tutor?” Maddie asked.

“It wasn’t a big deal. I put frogs in his water and dirt in his boots. Whenever I said I had to go to the toilet, I snuck out so I didn’t have to work.”

Maddie quashed the snigger.

“He was boring, though, and spoke so slowly. Like a sloth. Really slowly.” Paige then began to speak slow, showing her exactly what her old tutor was like.

“I’m in agreement with your father. Schooling is really important, and you should take it seriously.”

Paige blew a raspberry.

Maddie thought of a way to put it so that not only would Paige understand, but the young girl would also see why she should do it.

“Your dad went to school, right?”

“Well, yeah. Uncle Mike did as well, and Grandpa when he was younger and alive.”

She didn’t want her charge crying on the way to school. “Have you ever thought that the reason the ranch is so amazing is because those men and your granny went to school?”

“Huh?”

“Doing all the chores on the ranch is one thing. There’s books to keep, negotiations to be made. It’s not all about working in the fields, which I’m sure is amazing to do, too. Your father and uncle, and your grandpa before them, all went to high school. They learned their trade, which is why it’s an amazing success today. Your father’s part will be given to you. If you don’t have the education, he’ll have to consider allowing someone else to run the ranch.”

She heard Paige gasp.

“He wouldn’t do that?”

“What if you can’t do what needs to be done, sweetie? If you can’t calculate hard formulas or understand negotiating tactics. School is tough and it’s hard, and I hated going every single day. I went though, and now I’m pleased I did.” She pulled up in front of the school and turned toward Paige. “I’ll be here every single step of the way.”

“They all laugh at me because I don’t have a mom, and they think I’m weird because I’ve got, like, the coolest dad on the planet.”

She chuckled. “You ignore those girls.”

“Do you have a mom?” Paige asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Is she your entire world?”

Maddie rubbed at her temple. “I love my parents, but we don’t exactly get along.”

Her mother had blamed the ruined wedding on her, and of course, her father had agreed with her. Her sister Emily had always been her parents’ favorite, even though they tried to hide it.

That was one of the reasons Maddie always liked to work away from town, and to keep busy. Being a nanny provided her with an excuse to be absent on more than one family occasion. Even if she did arrive, she’d be pushed into kitchen duty while they listened to Emily talk about a load of bullshit, but her parents lapped it up, and she was tired of it.

“You look sad, Maddie,” Paige said.

“Some moms and dads are overrated. Your dad is cool, Paige. You’re cool. Don’t let anyone ever tell you any differently, okay? You’re perfect exactly the way you are.”

She was surprised when Paige threw her arms around her. Maddie hugged her back and offered her a smile. “Go on, go and show them how awesome you are.”

Paige left the car and waved at her. She watched as a couple of girls that were clearly mommy’s girls giggled at Paige, and one of them pointed. Paige didn’t even stop. She kept on walking, head held high, proud and ready to take on the world.

Already she had found herself getting close to Paige, and Maddie knew that was dangerous. Nannies were always replaceable, and each time she left a home, she always found a piece of herself had been left there. She had a feeling Paige would be the one to take the largest part of her.

Chapter Three

Late summer was one of the busiest times on the ranch, and for Caleb, he couldn’t believe that an entire month had already passed with Maddie being in his home. Food was always on the table, and she even made enough for the ranch hands when they worked late, or when it was a long day and they arrived early. During the weekends, Paige was out in the pastures with him while Maddie tended the house, cooking and dealing with the following week’s plan.