A Baby for the Officer: Boys of Rockford #1 Read online

  Otherwise, I would’ve applied somewhere else.

  As it was, I’d been stupid enough not to.

  When I heard about this job, sitting in my pajamas in my bleak and cold apartment in Philly, Rockford seemed like the place for me.

  It sounded like a perfect fit. A small-town life for a big-city girl sounded like exactly what I needed. I sank down onto the steps and placed my head in my hands as I stared at my beat-up old Corolla and wondered what to do next.

  I would have to start job hunting again. I ran my hands through my blonde hair and scrubbed my face, wishing that I could climb into a hot shower and wash everything away. As it was, I was tight on money and had to find a job within the next few days, or I would be forced to live in my car.

  I sighed as I walked towards my car and yanked the door open. I sat there for a few minutes as I counted out the bills. Indulging wasn’t the best choice right now, but after the day I had, I would kill for a mocha, and the map said that there was a diner not too far from here.

  I went over the map once more, backed out of my parking spot and gave the elementary school a withering look over my shoulder. I gripped the steering wheel tightly and let my mind switch off for a few minutes as I drove on autopilot.

  I arrived a few minutes later, and I quickly ran my hands over my clothes to make them look somewhat presentable. I was dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose floral top that I thought made me look friendly and approachable.

  Perhaps too friendly?

  After all, I looked like I wasn’t older than 15 on most days. I had no idea. Genetics, I supposed, as I swung the door open, and a little bell signaled my arrival. It was a quaint place with a vintage feel.

  It was done in bright neon colors, and the Elvis posters gave it a retro look. I liked this place a lot. I smiled as I walked towards an empty booth, keeping my eyes trained forward.

  I sank into the cushions and took a cursory look at the menu, happy to find that they did indeed serve mochas here. I wasn’t sure they would because I’d never been in a small town before, and Philly had had pretty much everything.

  “Hi, there. What can I get for you?” A young and perky brunette in a high ponytail asked in a bright voice.

  “Hi,” I said, awkwardly unused to someone being this friendly, or this awake, this early in the morning. People mostly shuffled and groaned at this time of day. “Um, can I get a mocha, please?”

  The waitressed jotted down the order. “Would you like any cream or sugar with that?”

  “A dollop of cream, one spoon of sugar, and a little bit of milk please,” I instructed as I handed her the menu with a small smile.

  “Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” the waitress asked as she took the menu from me and tucked it underneath her arm.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  She ambled off, and I placed my hands in front of me, tuning in and out of conversations around me.

  “Did you hear about what happened?” an old lady in the booth right behind me was saying to her friend.

  “About Sheriff Baker?” the friend tutted. “Yes, I heard. Poor thing can’t seem to catch a break. All he really needs is a proper nanny, but apparently he can’t find one.”

  “This is the 4th nanny he’s gone through, right?” The first older lady asked.

  “Yes, I believe so, or was it the fifth?”

  “Regardless, he’ll be looking for another one soon. That little girl is just shy of five months after all. He can’t possibly manage on his own.”

  My ears perked up as I leaned back in my booth and pretended to be reading the paper that was left in my booth. A sheriff who needed a nanny?

  This sounded like just the lucky break I needed.

  I needed to know more though. Like why four people had already come and gone. That didn’t sound like a good omen. Although, honestly, I wasn’t in a position to be picky.

  Beggars can’t be choosers after all.

  “Hasn’t he had enough bad luck? First, that runaway grants him custody of a girl, something he never asked for, and now he can’t find decent help,” the old lady said sympathetically. “Poor Sheriff Baker. I’d offer to help, but I’m too old for this now.”

  “Me too,” her companion agreed. “We should make him something to eat though. Poor man will be in desperate need of a proper meal right about now.”

  My mind was reeling.

  I didn’t understand the logistics of the situation, but it seemed like this was the right job for me. I had experience with infants. The only question was whether he’d hired someone else already.

  When the waitress placed the steaming mug of mocha in front of me, I impatiently began to tap my feet as I waited for it to cool off. Eventually, I gulped it down, counted out the money, and hurried out of the diner.

  After a quick peek at my map, I was able to determine where the station was, and I was on my way.

  3

  Clay

  “How’s it going, man?” asked Jack Nelson, a friend of four years and also one of my deputies. We started at around the same time, and so we bonded instantly over our love of football, among other things.

  Jack stood at 6-foot even, with a buzz cut that drew attention to his dark hair and coffee-colored skin. His dark eyes were currently regarding me in pity. I admired his sharp mind, and his ability to be honest no matter the circumstances.

  But this was one of those times where I didn’t want either.

  I groaned as I placed my head in my hands.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Worse,” I mumbled. “I have no idea what I’m doing, Jack.”

  “Most of us don’t, buddy. Do you think I’d have the slightest clue what I’m supposed to do if Betty wasn’t there?”

  Betty was Jack’s wife of 2 years. They’d met a year after he became a deputy, and he fell for her instantly. A year later, they had a baby boy who was the source of a lot of frustration and joy.

  “How do you guys do it?” I asked, for the umpteenth time.

  Jack and Betty were always ready and willing to give me a hand with Emily, but it wasn’t fair of me to continue asking them to do that. They had their own family to look after, and I was taking up a lot of their time. Besides, their little boy was at that age where he was sticking his fingers into sockets and putting everything in his mouth.

  They needed to keep a close eye on William, and being asked to babysit Emily every week wasn’t helping matters. I knew that they would never turn me down because they knew I had no other choice, but I would rather I didn’t have to keep asking them.

  This was a mess though.

  When I first got custody of Emily, Emmett put me in touch with an agency that he said was reputable and well-known. I got in touch with them, but their prices were either too steep, or they’d quit after a while.

  They claimed it was because the responsibility was too much, but I was doing my best not to burden them. I came home at the same time every day, and soon as I did, Emily would be my responsibility.

  I’d change her diaper, feed her, and play with her until she was ready to go to sleep. The second her eyes drifted shut, I’d place her in her crib and go to sleep myself. The nanny was just required to be there during the day, and she got one day off a week.

  I thought that was more than generous, and my friends agreed with me, but the nannies that I’d hired so far had other thoughts. Most of them were too self-obsessed, or too distracted by their phones, to pay the right amount of attention to Emily.

  I’d come home on several occasions only to find that Emily was red-faced and teary-eyed because she was hungry, or they’d neglected to change her diaper. I tried to take it in stride the first few weeks, but after a while, it started to irritate me.

  How hard was it to find some decent help?

  I knew the salary wasn’t glamorous, but they had room and board too. I thought that made up for it. I was aware that I was beginning to develop a reputation around town. For nitpicking and driving nanni
es away, but I didn’t care.

  If that was what it took to get decent help for Emily, then I’d do it.

  In the few short weeks since she’d entered my life, that little girl had stolen my whole heart. When I’d stood on the steps of the courthouse that day, I was terrified and completely at my wits end. But the second she blinked at me and smiled, I knew I was a goner.

  With her cherub cheeks, soft skin, and that baby smell, I couldn’t get enough of her. It scared me at first, to realize how quickly I’d gotten attached to her, but Jack assured me that it was normal.

  It was an adjustment at first, but once they got under your skin, it was too late to have it any other way. Not that I would change this for the world.

  The only downside was this nanny business, and I’d just had to put up with another one prattling on about unreasonable work hours. I popped a quick aspirin in my mouth and was just swallowing it down when the door opened, and a petite blonde walked into the station.

  My reaction to her was almost instant.

  Suddenly, I was erect.

  Fuck.

  I wasn’t some hormonal teenager who couldn’t keep it in his pants. What the hell was happening? She paused by the main desk and bent over to ask a question. Lucy pointed in my direction, and the blonde gave her a small smile as she walked towards me.

  I shifted, so as not to make my arousal obvious, but I sure wasn’t going to get up and introduce myself. Instead, I stayed where I was and pretended to organize my desk.

  “Sheriff Baker?” she asked, her voice unsure.

  I looked up. “Yes?”

  “You’re just the man I was looking for,” she revealed as she took a seat beside me, her blonde hair spilling forward. She patted her pockets, and I was curiously fascinated as she tied her hair up, leaving a few stray wisps that framed her face.

  Jesus. I really needed to get laid.

  “What can I help you with?”

  “It’s the other way around, actually.” She paused and cleared her throat. “What can I help you with?”

  “Excuse me?” I asked, confused.

  “I heard you were looking for a nanny for your daughter.”

  “Yes, I am,” I confirmed as I spread my hands out across the desk.

  “Good, because I happen to know someone who needs the job,” she said, the relief evident on her face as she rummaged around in her messenger bag. My attention was drawn to her breasts, and the way they jiggled when she did that.

  I tried to push the thought out of my brain, but I couldn’t help myself. Particularly when she drew her bottom lip between her teeth in concentration.

  Please let the person who’s looking for a job not be her.

  Please.

  I couldn’t be attracted to the woman caring for my daughter. That would cause all kinds of complications I didn’t want to face.

  “Aha,” she said, triumphantly. She whipped out the paper and held it above her head as if it were a holy tablet and not just a CV.

  “Let’s take a look then,” I responded lightly, as my eyes scanned the paper.

  Shit.

  Shitty fuck.

  She was applying for the job, after all.

  Not only that, but she was actually good. She’d had years of experience in spite of her age, and she had a degree in education as well.

  I wanted her to be inexperienced or unqualified, so I wouldn’t have to hire her, thus solving my attraction problem.

  No such luck.

  Her full and sensual lips were pressed together expectantly as she waited for my verdict. I lowered the paper and looked at her, and I was surprised to find that she was blushing.

  Whatever path her thoughts were taking, it was obvious they weren’t all innocent, because the second my gaze met hers, she blushed even further and ducked her head nervously.

  Well, I’ll be damned.

  It would appear she was attracted to me too.

  I couldn’t decide if that was an asset or a liability.

  “I’m confused,” I confessed after what felt like minutes.

  “About?” She leaned forward in her chair, eager to clear up any clarifications. “Is there something that isn’t clear on my CV?”

  I shook my head. “No, your CV is great actually. I’m just confused why someone as qualified as you would want this position. It seems like you could apply for a better job.”

  I secretly wanted her to, which would be better for both of us.

  She sighed as she twirled a loose strand of hair around her thumb and forefinger. “Well, the truth is I did, but I didn’t get it.”

  “No?” I wondered. “Why not?”

  “Because that asshole who runs the school offered me the job then went and pulled the rug out from underneath me by offering it someone else,” she responded, her tone dismissive.

  “Yeah, he can be a bit of a jackass,” I agreed as I leaned back in my chair, suppressing the desire to curl my lips into a smile.

  She was obviously new to town.

  “You noticed that too?” she asked, her face alight with something akin to relief. She wasn’t in this alone.

  “Yes, but to be fair, I’ve known him his whole life, ever since my bedroom was right across from the hall from his.”

  “Shit,” she cursed as her face colored. “The principal is your brother?”

  She looked stunned, like she’d never imagined this particular scenario. Then again, when she walked in here applying for the job, she clearly didn’t know we were related, or she wouldn’t have said those things.

  “The one and only,” I confirmed, lightheartedly as I watched a myriad of emotions play out across her face. She went from frustrated to ashamed to apologetic to sheepish in the span of a minute.

  It was rare to come across someone who was as bad at hiding her emotions as she was. Fortunately, it made it easy for me to read her.

  “Crap, I’m so sorry,” she stammered, her ears turning bright red. “I had no idea, but of course I should’ve known. It’s a small town, and you’re the only two Bakers I’ve encountered. How stupid of me.”

  “It’s okay, you’re forgiven. How could you possibly have known? You’re new here after all,” I assured her as she gave me a sheepish smile.

  “Still, I really am sorry.”

  I sighed deeply as I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m sorry my brother did that. He tends to be impulsive. That’s what this is about. It’s not a reflection on you.”

  This much I knew.

  Chris was a lot of things, and rash was at the top of the list, which is why everyone was surprised when he decided to become a principal. He flew off somewhere to make it big, but when mom and dad died, he came back and revealed that instead he’d gotten into education.

  No one was more stunned than I was that my spoiled baby brother would straighten up and get his act together. Of course, there were still remnants of his old personality that surfaced every now and again.

  “He said as much. He said they decided to go for someone local,” she revealed, the weariness clear in her tone. “Why haven’t you?”

  “To be honest, Emily and I just haven’t found the right fit yet.”

  She smiled. “Is that her name?”

  I nodded. “It is.”

  “That’s a beautiful name. I’ve always loved that name,” she said, softly.

  “I’m not sure if you’ll be able to adjust to life as a nanny, Lyla,” I began, her name rolling off my tongue smoothly. It suited her. “However, I’m willing to give this a shot if you are.”

  “Really?” Her eyes lit up, and a grateful smile graced her features. “I’ve taken care of babies before. Not full time, of course, but I’m a fast learner.”

  The words came tumbling out in her excitement.

  I smiled. “That’s okay, so just stop by the house tomorrow, okay?”

  4

  Lyla

  The next day

  Shit.

  I had my work cut out for me. I’d been known
to put my foot in my mouth, but I obviously hadn’t planned on doing that with a man who could potentially be my boss.

  Note to self: insulting your future boss’s brother isn’t the best way to get started. Especially if you were going to rant about what a jackass he was and ramble on about how you uprooted your entire life just for this one job.

  It made me seem a tad desperate.

  And that was never a good impression to leave. He wouldn’t want to hire someone who threw herself at him and didn’t respect his brother. Even if his brother did deserve it.

  Next time, I’d bit my tongue before sharing information with a random stranger.

  Not that I would put myself in that situation again.

  Okay, Lyla, think.

  How was I going to get myself out of this pickle? Well, I think a good place to start was to dress the part. I rummaged around my suitcase for something appropriate to wear, but instead I ended up throwing clothes all over the room.

  It looked like a tornado had passed through, and I huffed in irritation as I glanced around in dismay. I placed my hands on my hips and critically eyed the room hoping that maybe I’d be able to pick out an outfit amidst the mess.

  A moment passed.

  Then another.

  And nothing.

  Finally, I threw my hands up in the air, checked my watch and decided to go get something to eat from the café across the street. I marched down the stairs a little too forcefully, my feet pounding on the floor as I muttered under my breath about bad timing.

  When I returned, I had a clearer head, and I was feeling inspired, so I carefully combed through my clothes until I found what I was looking for. It was a dark pencil skirt that was knee length, and I paired it with a button white blouse.

  I nodded in satisfaction as I slipped the clothes on and quickly ran my fingers over them to make sure there weren’t any creases. It wasn’t an iron by any means, but it was better than nothing. When I was done, I found a pair of cream-colored heels, and I slipped those on as well.