The Single Dad (The Dalton Brothers 3)

I was deep into my emails, finally having a few minutes to respond to my clients and their questions, when my phone rang. I reluctantly pulled my eyes away from the computer screen, and the caller ID showed it was my assistant, phoning from her desk on the other side of the wall.

I held the receiver to my face and said, “Morning, or is it”—I glanced at the monitor again, seeing that it was after three—“afternoon? Sorry. Hell, it’s been a day. What do you have for me?”

“The nanny is here for her interview. The final candidate.”

“Is she a good one? Because I’ve got to tell you, I haven’t loved the personalities of the last two. Excellent on paper, incredibly qualified, but too stern. I don’t need someone dripping in warmth, but I need someone Everly can connect with on some level.”

I’d expected professionalism, but I’d been met with icy exteriors. Middle-aged women, certainly well suited but more interested in education than athletics. I didn’t know how they would keep up with my constantly moving daughter, who preferred hiking over spelling and playing outside over coloring.

I also couldn’t picture either of them living in my house.

“This is my favorite of the three,” my assistant said. “She’s not the most qualified of the group; however, something tells me you’re really going to like her.”

“Excellent. Send her in.” I lifted my coffee cup to take a drink, realizing it was empty. “Any way you can grab me a coffee?”

“Of course.”

I hung up and returned to my emails, eventually hearing a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I announced.

The door opened as I was typing. But I didn’t glance up. I needed to get this whole thought out before I focused on anything else, especially given that the client I was responding to was paying me by the minute.

I hit Send and finally looked up.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, for me to realize what I was looking at.

Or better, who I was looking at.

“Sydney?”

“Hi.” The warmth on her face was contagious. “Your assistant told me to give you this.”

She smiled as she set the coffee cup on my desk and backed up to the set of chairs that were in front of me, taking a seat in one of them.

She looked stunning.

Her hair was down and curled around her face, and she was wearing a bright blue dress that flowed well past her knees, the color making her eyes pop. She had little makeup on, aside from a strong swipe of gloss across her lips.

A mouth I’d never seen glossy before.

A mouth that already owned my attention, and now, I couldn’t look away.

“What are you doing here?” I leaned my elbows on the desk, surrounding the cup with both hands. “Bringing me more dessert?” I glanced toward the closed door, hoping my assistant wouldn’t send in the nanny until after Sydney left. Since I hadn’t seen her in a couple days, I needed time with her, time to hear why she’d come to my office—something that seemed extremely out of character for her.

“No dessert.” She laughed, almost bashfully. “I’m here to be interviewed.” Her hands rested on her lap as she added, “Looks like I applied to be Everly’s nanny.”