The Dragon’s Brave Nanny (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #4)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

***KEITH***

K eith paced up and down in front of the big windows, looking out onto the tarmac, hoping the sight of the big airplanes moving around would distract his son, sure that if the baby didn’t stop crying, he was going to lose his mind. Lack of sleep and the stress of suddenly becoming a father had drained him of both his energy and his patience, something that rarely happened to him. Looking down at Jordan, slobbering and crying all over the crisp white shirt he’d put on that morning, he felt completely helpless and defeated.

He turned to make the next pass down the long row of windows surprised to find an older woman standing a few feet away, a look of understanding on her face. “Sounds like someone is teething,” she said, smiling at him. “Is it his first tooth?”

“Tooth,” he repeated stupidly, then looked down at Jordan realizing that he didn’t know, then pulled the baby’s hand out of his mouth and looked, making him scream even louder. “I……ummm……I guess so.”

The woman gave him a curious look, “You might want to try some ice,” she said. “Something cold can help numb his gums a little bit. Have you given him a pain reliever?”

“Pain reliever?” he asked, feeling like an idiot but desperate. “I saw some in the diaper bag, but I have no idea how much to give him. The truth is I have no idea what I’m doing. His mother showed up at my door three days ago and left Jordan with me. I didn’t even know about him until then. I haven’t slept in three days; I’m just doing the best I can.”

Horrified that he’d just told a stranger his business, he shut his mouth, wondering how his life had suddenly become total chaos. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you all of that,” he said. “It’s not your problem, I didn’t mean to drag you into my mess.”

The woman smiled at him. “I wouldn’t have come over here if I didn’t want to help,” she said, patting him on the arm. “I’m going to go get some ice. Why don’t you find that pain reliever while I’m gone? I’m sure we can figure out how much to give the little guy together.”

Gratitude washed over him. “That would be wonderful,” he said. “I hired a nanny to help me, but she hasn’t shown up yet. This has all been so……”

“I understand,” the woman said, patting his arm again. “I’ll be right back.”

Half an hour later, Jordan was sound asleep on his shoulder, his little body completely limp, a big wet spot slowly forming where the baby was drooling all over his shirt, but he didn’t care. The temptation to close his eyes and drift off was almost overpowering, but their flight would be called in only a few minutes, and he didn’t dare.

It hit him then that the nanny still hadn’t shown up and he jerked into full awareness. Jordan stirred in his arms with a disgruntled cry, and he forced himself to relax again. He held his breath until the baby settled again, then let out a long sigh, his eyes focused down the terminal, hoping to see the nanny rushing toward them, wondering if he’d recognize her from the one picture he’d seen. The entire process had been so rushed, and he knew it was probably a mistake not to cancel the trip to Heart of the Ocean, but he needed the work.

The agency had assured him that Stella Morgan was a professional, an expert nanny, and she seemed perfectly competent when he spoke to her on the phone, but he was beginning to doubt his decision. Eyes still scanning the passengers walking down the terminal, he started to wonder if he should cancel the trip before it was too late, but before he could decide, a dark-haired woman caught his attention.

Dressed in a long skirt and a baggy shirt, her hair a mess of wild curls, she rushed down the terminal, her purse and another bag hanging off her arm, a slightly frazzled look on her face. He was shocked when a thrill of attraction shot through him, followed by another, then another, and he stared at her, unable to drag his eyes away, sure that he was going a little soft in the head.

By the time the woman was only a few feet away from him, his body was tightening and tingling in all the wrong places, and he had to shift in the chair to get more comfortable. Just then, their eyes met, and to his horror, the tingle turned to a throb of need, and before he could get his body under control, the woman was standing in front of him, her chest rising and falling with exertion, only making things worse.

“Are you Mr. Sanders?” the woman asked. “You must be, you’re the only one here alone with a baby. I’m sorry I’m late. Traffic was terrible, and you didn’t give me much time to get ready.”

He didn’t answer right away, couldn’t find his voice with his body throbbing the way it was, the intense physical reaction stronger than anything he’d ever felt before. After a few seconds, it began to fade, replaced by a growing feeling of anger at both himself and Stella for blindsiding him. He didn’t stop to think about how misplaced his anger at her was, just went with it, relieved that the desire had faded, but still slightly off balance.

“You should have planned for traffic,” he said, getting to his feet, forgetting about the baby in his arms. “I expected more from a professional.”

Stella’s mouth popped open in surprise at the tone of his voice, then she narrowed her eyes at him, a flush of anger making her cheeks turn pink, and to his horror and shame, his body responded with another surge of desire. Before Stella could say anything, Jordan woke up, lifted his head, saw who was holding him and began to cry, his little face scrunched up in displeasure. The desire instantly faded, replaced by the frustration and helplessness he’d been feeling for three days and he cursed under his breath, trying to ignore the other passengers now staring at them.

“Do your job and take the baby,” he said, shoving the baby into her arms. “That’s what I hired you for.”

***Stella***

Stella was so shocked to suddenly have the crying baby thrust into her arms, she could only stare at the child for a second, then instinct kicked in, and she cuddled him to her chest. “Hey, it’s okay, you’re alright,” she crooned, rocking back and forth. “Hush, little one, hush now.”

The baby stopped crying, but he was still whimpering, his little face all red, and she looked over at his father, a questioning look on her face. “I guess he’s teething,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ll have to keep him quiet on the flight. I have some work to get done.”

Before she could reply, the man turned and walked away from them, clearly expecting her to follow, and she looked down at the baby, a mixture of sadness for him and anger at his father boiling up inside her. But she needed the job, so she swallowed what she was about to say and walked over to where Mr. Sanders was standing next to a stroller, a car seat, and a diaper bag. He picked a briefcase up off the floor that had been hidden by the pile of baby stuff, then looked over at her impatiently.

“This is all Jordan’s stuff,” he said. “I’ll meet you over at the gate. I need some quiet to make a phone call before we get on the plane.”

He started to walk away. “Wait, I can’t carry all this and the baby,” she said, jostling the toddler in her arms when he began to fuss. “You can’t just leave me here alone.”

Mr. Sanders stared at her like she was an idiot, “Put the baby down in the stroller,” he snapped. “That’s what it’s for.”

“He’s going to cry if I put him down,” she warned. “It might be easier if you just helped me.”

The first boarding call for their flight came over the loud speaker. “I don’t know why I hired you if I’m just going to be doing your job,” he said, then grabbed the car seat and stomped toward the gate.

It took all her restraint not to hand the baby back over and walk away, but she looked down at Jordan, who still had tears in his eyes, and her anger drained away. “Alright, little man, I guess it’s up to us to get the rest,” she said. “I don’t blame you for crying. Your father isn’t the most pleasant person I’ve ever met. How did you get stuck with him?”

The baby gurgled at her, then reached up, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and gave it a tug before wrapping it around his hand. “Okay, then,” she said, untangling his hand from her hair and smiling at him. “It looks like we’re going to be a team. Let’s try to work together. Do you think you can do that? ”

Jordan smiled at her, melting her heart just a little. “I’m going to take that as a yes,” she said, smiling back at him. “I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”

The diaper bag was over one arm, her purse and carry-on were over the other, and the baby was in her arms. She started pushing the stroller across the terminal to the gate, cussing Mr. Sanders under her breath. When she finally made it to the line forming behind the boarding desk, he turned and frowned at her, then shook his head like he was disappointed.

“What took you so long?” he demanded, dropping the car seat onto the floor with a thump. “I feel like an idiot holding that thing.”

Speechless again, she could only stare at him, wondering how such an attractive exterior could hide so much ugliness on the inside, and forced herself to take a deep breath. But she let it out in a whoosh when their eyes met, and a thrill of attraction shot through her, followed by a wave of desire that made her insides tingle. Tearing her eyes away from him, she tried to calm the beating of her heart, hoping he hadn’t seen her reaction and hating the blush that was slowly creeping up her cheeks.

A second later, their boarding call came over the loudspeaker. “That’s us,” Mr. Sanders said, grabbing the car seat again. “Don’t be so slow this time, I don’t want to have to wait for you again.”

He strode off like he was the king of everything, leaving her behind again to manage the baby and the stroller, but this time a nice man helped her over to the gate. “Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. “That was kind of you.”

“It’s hard being a single parent,” the man said, returning her smile. “My son is raising his daughter alone, so I know the struggle.”

“Oh, I’m not……never mind,” she said, deciding not to expl ain. “I bet you’re a great grandfather. Your granddaughter is very lucky.”

“She’s my little princess,” the man said. “I probably spoil her too much, but that’s what grandparents do.”

She opened her mouth, but Mr. Sanders cut her off, “Are you going to stand there blabbing all day or get on the plane?” he demanded. “I’m not paying you to socialize.”

“I was thanking him for helping us,” she said, giving him a dirty look. “Something you seem incapable of doing.”

The man gave her a little wave and then stepped away. “Do I have to remind you that I’m your employer?” Mr. Sanders asked. “I expect you to treat me with respect, especially in public.”

“Respect goes both ways, sir,” she said, emphasizing the last word. “If you don’t like the way I talk to you, I can walk away right now. I don’t need this job that badly; it’s up to you.”

She was bluffing, but he didn’t need to know that. “Let’s just go before they call another group to board,” he said, grabbing the car seat and the stroller. “I can’t afford to miss this flight.”

Deciding that she’d won that battle, she followed him to the gate, and they boarded the plane together. She couldn’t help but wonder what she’d gotten herself into. Her years working as a nanny hadn’t prepared her for the situation she found herself in, and it was really the last thing she needed on top of the other problems in her life. She sensed a lot of anger and frustration in her new boss, and given the choice, she might have walked away, but two things held her back--the sweet little boy in her arms and the wish to stay alive.