The Single Dad (The Dalton Brothers 3)

Nine

Ford

Iheaded straight for Jenner’s office, walking toward the back, where he’d built a wet bar, and grabbed a bottle of scotch and three glasses, carrying it all to his desk. I filled the tumblers with several fingers’ worth and handed one to each of my brothers, who happened to be sitting there, in the middle of a meeting.

They’d said nothing when I walked in.

And still didn’t as they accepted the glass I gave them and stared at me.

“Drink,” I ordered and raised the scotch to my lips, swallowing.

“Yes, sir,” Dominick replied. “Even though it’s not five yet … and I have a meeting in an hour.”

“Cancel it,” I said. “I need your help.” I looked at Jenner. “And yours.”

“What’s going on?” Jenner asked.

“Oh shit,” Dominick said. “Something tells me this is going to be good.”

I downed the liquor and poured myself more.

“Yep,” Jenner responded to Dominick. “I think you’re right.”

I waited for the burn to subside and lifted the glass off his desk, squeezing it between my fingers. “I had three nannies come in today to interview. Guess who the last one was.”

Jenner shook his head. “Dude, I have no idea. An ex? One of my exes? If that’s the case, fuck.”

“Sydney,” I told them.

“You mean, the girl from the bar?” Dominick inquired.

I nodded. “Yes. That one.” I downed another mouthful. “The girl I’ve been balls deep in—twice.” I drained more from my glass. “Why does this shit happen to me? I finally find a girl I would like to get to know better, and she ends up interviewing to be Everly’s fucking nanny.”

“Dude, I don’t know. But it’s fucked up.”

I wasn’t sure who had said that, but I agreed and nodded again.

“Seems she’s doubling her duties, huh?” Dominick joked.

“Fucker.” I punched his arm. “It’s not funny. I’m in a fucking situation, and I don’t know what to do.” I glanced at Jenner. “You used to bitch about Jo’s age.” I stopped and glared at Dominick. “And you didn’t want to date a client when you first got with Kendall. Well, none of that compares to this.” I took another sip. “She’s twenty-two. After graduating high school, she went straight to work as an au pair, traveled the world with the family she worked for, basically raising their three kids. Four years later, she decided she wanted to be a teacher, moved back to LA, enrolled in college, and I met her on her first night back.”

“How’d she find out you were hiring?” Jenner asked. “I assume that’s why she applied, right?”

“No. It’s a coincidence. When she applied, she had no idea it was me.” Still looking at him, I said, “Yours was just graduating. Mine is just starting.”

“Notice how he called her mine,” Dominick said.

“It means nothing.”

“Bullshit,” Dominick shot back. “But we’ll go with it, for shits and giggles.”

I sighed, annoyed with my brother. “She needs a job to support her while she’s in school.” I quieted for a moment. “Since she’d be so good for the job, I gave her an ultimatum. My daughter or me.”

“That’s very lawyerly of you,” Dominick said.

“Listen, it can’t be both. It wouldn’t work. There’s far too much crossover and—no. If things ended between us and Eve lost her and—no, again.”

“Which did she pick?” Dom asked.

“Everly,” I told them.

“Of course she did,” Jenner said. “Because how the hell could she pick you? You don’t run toward relationships; you sprint the fuck away from them. You don’t think Sydney can tell that by now?”

“No,” I snapped. “And that’s not true.”

“It’s not?” Dominick pushed. “I can think of three chicks from the past who would have given up their implants to have more with you.”

“You’re such a dick.”

“It’s true,” Dominick said.

“It is,” Jenner agreed.

“I didn’t come in here to talk about the problems you think I have.” I swallowed the rest of the scotch and filled my glass again. “I came in because, damn it, she’d make the perfect nanny and I don’t know what the hell to do.”

“You hire her,” both of them said.

I ran my hand over the top of my hair, digging in to tug at the roots. “Just like that? Ignoring the fact that we’ve been together? And I have her move into my house, like I’m not going to picture her naked every time I see her bent over?”

Dominick smiled, recrossing his legs. “Can you stop yourself from sticking it in when she’s in that position?”

My head dropped as I tried to get that perfect image out of my mind. “No.” I glanced up. “Yes.” I took a long, deep inhale. “I’m asking for fucking trouble, aren’t I?”

Silence ticked between us until Jenner rested his arms on his desk and said, “Kids are her passion, obviously. She has experience. She’s going to be a teacher. Hell, there isn’t anyone better suited than that. And if I remember correctly, you said Everly really liked her when they met.”

“She did.”

“Then, what’s the problem?” Jenner said. “Because you always put Eve first, you’ll keep your dick in your pants. You’ll have the perfect nanny for your daughter. Life will be all good.”

Me.