Anna’s heart went out to the man sitting behind her. By now she knew his name was Ben Turner, a name she’d heard before, but couldn’t place. She’d also noticed when he went up for more coffee that he was very tall, well over six foot two, and he was lean, as if he worked out often. His dark brown hair was a little too long and fell over green eyes with lashes so long that it just wasn’t fair. She’d seen his job listed in the local paper. It was one of the few that she hadn’t applied for. A live-in situation would be perfect, but being a nanny wasn’t an option for her.

His cell phone rang and two seconds later his baby woke up. The ringer must have woken her, and she was not happy about it. Soft whimpers quickly turned to screams.

“David, can I call you back? Yes, I know we agreed to talk now. Okay, if we can make it fast.”

The baby screamed even louder as if she wanted everyone’s attention and she got it.

“David, can you hold on just one second?” He picked up the baby, and she quieted for a moment, but when he reached for his phone, she screamed again—a piercing, murderous howl. Instinctively, Anna jumped up and held out her arms, and a baffled Ben set down the phone and passed the baby over. He watched for a moment to see what would happen and no doubt to make sure Anna didn’t make a dash for the door with his baby. Anna carefully cuddled her close, and the baby let out a big, satisfied burp and then snuggled in and shut her eyes. A moment later she was fast asleep. Ben’s jaw dropped.

“I think she’s just a little gassy. Take your call. I’m in no hurry.”

He did as she suggested and a few minutes later, ended the call and turned his attention back to the two of them. The baby was still sound asleep and Anna, for the first time in weeks, felt useful.

“Thank you. I can take her back now.”

Anna handed her over, and he got her situated back in her carrier again, snug under her baby blanket.

“Please have a seat for a moment. So I can thank you properly. Can I buy you a coffee or an ice cream?”

Anna laughed. “No, thank you. I’ve already had plenty of both.”

“How did you do that? She went to sleep so easily for you.”

“I used to be really good with babies. I could tell she needed to let out some gas. She’s very sweet.”

His expression softened. “Thank you. I’m pretty fond of her myself.” He held out his hand. “You may have already heard me say this once or twice, but I’m Ben Turner. And it’s very nice to meet you.”

“Anna Kelley. It is nice to meet you too and I’m sorry that you didn’t have any luck finding a nanny today.”

“I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, I will admit. But now that I’ve met you I’m wondering if my luck might be changing.”

Anna laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m not a nanny.”

“That’s too bad. You could be, though. Unless you already have a job?”

Anna felt her eyes grow wet, which frustrated her. She fought back the tears which she knew were there just because her emotions were so raw. She had to find a job, anything soon.

“I don’t have a job. I’ve been looking, but—well, I haven’t found the right thing yet.”

“What kind of job are you looking for?”

“Just about anything,” Anna admitted. “I graduated college last month, a semester early, and was hoping to start law school in the fall. But I may need to push that off a year until I get my finances sorted.” She’d told the University of Idaho that she was delighted to accept but had come to the realization that she might need to defer attending for a year.

She hoped that she’d be able to come up with a plan to get the money by then. Under her family’s income, she wouldn’t qualify for financial aid. If she applied on her own, she should qualify but it would take some time to get that paperwork in order and she wasn’t sure if she’d make it for this year. Deferring for a year would give her time to save up some money and maybe find some kind of permanent part-time job she could do while in school. She still needed to figure out where she would live, as well. It was all more than a bit overwhelming.

“It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. I do, too.” He was quiet for a moment and then nodded as if a decision had been made. “Why don’t you come work for me? I recently moved here from Silicon Valley. My sister was a single mother and died unexpectedly, from breast cancer that they didn’t find until it was much too late. I’ve had Taylor now for almost six months. My priorities have changed since then. I used to be in the news a lot, because of my company, Blue Sky Pages. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Anna stared at the handsome man in front of her. So that’s why he looked vaguely familiar. She hadn’t made the connection before. He was the Ben Turner, the one whose company had exploded. He was all over the entertainment pages for his love life—he used to be seen with a different famous actress or model every other week. Now that she thought of it, though, she realized she hadn’t heard a thing about his love life for months.

Probably since Taylor came into his life. He’d been on the red carpet in recent years, too, for investments in hit movies-an artsy film had even won an Oscar a year ago for best original screenplay. She remembered that because she’d loved the movie, Lilacs by the Sea, and because she was obsessed with movies. She loved movies the way Tammy loved books.

“Yes, I’ve heard of it. Congratulations on Lilacs by the Sea. I loved that movie.”

He grinned. “You’ve seen it? That was a most satisfying win. The screenplay blew me away when they showed it to me.”

“What is your involvement with movies like that?” She found it fascinating.

He leaned forward. “I’m sort of the money guy. I got into it because one of my best friends, Adiel Bozeman, is a show runner, actually—for Pinstripes, the legal drama on Netflix.”

“What’s a show runner?” Anna wasn’t familiar with the term.

“He’s the head writer, often the creator of the story itself and in charge of the other writers and planning the show.”

“I love Pinstripes.” It was one of her favorite serial dramas.

“He’s crazy talented. He introduced me to a buddy of his who had a great script but needed some funding to get a pilot made. Amazon studios picked up that one, and it kind of went from there. I do maybe one or two projects like that a year. Though I may do more now that I’m out of Silicon Valley.”

“Are you planning to stay here in Riston?” It seemed like such a change from his exciting life in California.

He nodded. “Yes. I’d like to. It’s been a lot of fun, but the pace is crazy and I’m too visible there. There’s too much attention on me and I just don’t want that anymore. I want a quieter life and I love it here. People don’t care about any of that.”

“That’s true. Most people here are very nice.” Aside from Elise Cummings, that was.

“Listen, Anna, this could be a good solution for both of us. I need a nanny immediately. You need a job and you’re great with my baby. Why don’t we give it a try and see how it goes? The pay is pretty good.” He mentioned a weekly salary amount that made Anna’s jaw drop. There was nothing else she could do that would pay as well.

“Oh, and you’ll have two nights off per week to yourself.” 

“When do you want me to start?”

* * *

“I’m supposed to start on Monday,” Anna said softly so that only Tammy could hear. There were about twelve people gathered around a big round table to play trivia. Jaclyn was on the other side of her, along with Simon. Wade Weston, the general manager of River’s End Ranch, sat next to him, and then Bernie and Lily who worked in the office with him, and Barbi who used to be their waitress on trivia night, but now she ran her yoga studio full-time. Wade’s friend, Clark Baker, was there too, sitting next to Tammy.

Anna had been to trivia with them a few times before, but hadn’t met Clark yet. He was just as Tammy described, tall and charming. He was an orthopedics doctor and Anna could swear Tammy seemed a little flustered as she spoke to him. He was very handsome and Anna found this quite interesting as she’d never seen Tammy the slightest bit nervous, about anything.

“Well, that’s great news. You’re not having second thoughts are you?” Tammy asked.

Anna was having serious second thoughts.

“I am. I mean it sounds great, and the salary is almost too good to be true, but you know it’s not the right job for me. I have no business being a nanny.”

“I know why you feel that way, and I get it, but I don’t agree. I happen to think you’d make a great nanny. Kids love you. They always have.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Sure it is.” Jaclyn patted Anna’s arm and Anna jumped. She thought they’d been so quiet.

“I don’t think you understand. It’s complicated,” Anna said.

But Jaclyn shook her head. “It seems simple enough to me. I saw you in that coffee shop, remember? I knew then that it was the job for you. You were in the right place at the right time. Sometimes things are just meant to be. You just need to trust that this is one of them and give it your all.”

Anna was still unsure, and a little terrified, but Jaclyn’s words were oddly calming. She seemed so sure that Anna started to feel a bit more confident, too. Maybe she could do this, or at least try. It wasn’t like she had any other options.

“Thanks, Jaclyn. I really do appreciate it. I think I have the new job jitters.”

“I know. You’ll be just fine, though.”

Patty, their waitress, came over and took their dinner order. The restaurant ran a buy-one, get-one free pizza special on trivia night, so they ordered their usual selection and once she left to put their order in, Jaclyn leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye.

As soon as she had everyone’s attention, she spoke. “Wade Weston, what’s this rumor I’m hearing about film people coming to the ranch? Are they just taking a vacation or is something happening that I need to know?”

Anna looked Tammy’s way, and she shrugged. Anna wondered what on earth Jaclyn was talking about? She did notice Bernie and Lily exchange glances, though, and they both worked for Wade. So, maybe there was something interesting going on.

Wade laughed. “You don’t miss much, Jaclyn, do you? It’s true. There is something going on. We’re keeping it quiet still so word doesn’t get out too soon, but I can tell you all and it’s pretty exciting news, I think. A pilot is going to be filmed here on the ranch and if it gets picked up, a TV series will film here. So you may see some construction going on for sets and some vehicles coming and going. You might even recognize some famous faces.”

“Oooh, that is exciting. Can you say who?”

“Not yet. I don’t know until it’s all finalized. But we’ll know soon.”

“Do you suppose there would ever be a need for an older woman, say around my age, for any of their scenes. What do they call it, extras?”

“You know, there might be. I can find out and let you know. I’m assuming you're interested for yourself?”

Jaclyn smiled. “I might very well be. It sounds like fun.”

“Would you want to be an extra?” Anna asked Tammy, and she shuddered at the thought.

“No, thanks. I prefer to be behind the camera, not in front of it.” Tammy did take great pictures.

“I feel the same way. It will be fun to watch, though.”

“Maybe I should look into being an extra, too,” Clark said. “I’ve always thought it would be fun to be an actor.”

Tammy laughed. “You are a bit of a ham. I can totally see you doing that.”

She turned her attention back to Anna and asked, “So, how did the evil step monster react when you told her you’re moving in with America’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, as his nanny?”

“I didn’t tell her. I don’t trust her not to try to ruin it. Especially if she finds out I’m his nanny, of all things.”

Tammy sighed. “I know. I don’t blame you for keeping quiet. But weren’t you tempted?”

Anna grinned. “Of course I was!”

* * *

Anna packed up her room when she got home from trivia. She managed to fit everything she owned into three large suitcases and a few boxes. She started to cry again when she got to the three framed pictures of her father. Even though she’d had years to prepare for it and accept his death, it was still so hard. She thought she was handling it well, but now and then she’d see something that reminded her of him and the tears would come.

Her mother had died when she was very little so she didn’t remember her the way she would have liked. Her father had stayed single for a long time, until about ten years ago, when Anna was thirteen and in eighth grade. That’s when Anna’s life changed again, and not for the better.

She hadn’t realized how lonely her father must have been. It was the two of them for as long as she could remember until Elise came along. But, to her credit, Anna knew that she made her father happy. He only saw the good in Elise and was blind to her faults. Elise never showed her true colors around her father, either. She saved them for Anna and made it clear once she had children that the four of them were her family and Anna was the outsider.

She sighed as she carefully wrapped the pictures with some of her clothes so they wouldn’t be damaged. Her plan was to leave in the morning as soon as Elise was gone and to just leave a note letting her know she was out of her hair. She was not going to leave a forwarding address. If Elise needed to reach her—and Anna couldn’t imagine why she would—she had her cell phone number.

The next morning, she got up and had breakfast as if it was just another day. She wished Elise well as she left for work and as soon as she was out the door, Anna wrote her a note asking her to say goodbye to Tommy and Harley. She felt bad not saying goodbye to them in person, but they were away visiting their grandparents for the week and besides, she thought Elise could best explain why she was no longer living there.

She plugged Ben’s address in her Honda Civic’s GPS and drove off. Twenty minutes later, she reached the driveway to the ranch. It was a long, winding road that finally brought her to the main house—which took her breath away. It had sounded nice when Ben described it but it was truly beautiful. She wasn’t exactly sure where to park but saw a four-car garage just past the house and parked in front of it. She grabbed her purse and her smallest suitcase, a carryon that had wheels. She could come back for the rest once she was situated and knew which room was hers.

She made her way to the front door and it was opened by a roly-poly woman with gray hair and a welcoming smile. She was wearing an apron over her flowered top and black pants.

“You must be Anna!”

“I am, yes.”

“I’m Mrs. Higgins. But you can call me Betty. Come on in. I’ll show you to your room so you can put that bag down, then I’ll give you the tour. Ben’s in the shower, but should be down shortly and he’ll bring in your bags and put your car in the garage. You’ll use the one on the far right. I have the one on the left and Ben uses the two in the middle,” she explained.

Anna followed her to the second level, and down a long hallway to a guest bedroom that was spacious and had beautiful views of the mountains. The walls were a soft blue-gray shade, and the floors were polished hard wood with a plush cream carpet that filled most of the room. Anna’s shoes sank into it as she walked. The bed was a queen size and had a fluffy white comforter topped with an assortment of throw pillows in various shades of blue and gray. It was a peaceful, restful room and Anna was looking forward to a good night’s sleep later.

“Across the hall is Taylor’s room. We thought it was best for you to be near her. Ben’s room is next to Taylor’s and at the other end of the house, there are two more guest bedrooms.”

“Do you live-in, too?” Anna was curious where Betty’s room was.

“I do, but I’m in the smaller cottage you may have noticed as you pulled in the driveway. It’s just before the main house. It’s quite lovely and perfect for me.”

Betty showed her the rest of the house—the cozy office/den, formal living room, comfortable family room, dining room, finished basement with a pool table and theater area. She finished the tour in the kitchen, which looked like a professional chef’s dream kitchen with its all white cabinets, six-burner gas stove, double ovens, and oversized island with a stunning white marble countertop.

“Have a seat. Ben should be down any minute. I’m going to have a second cup of coffee. Would you like one?”

“Sure. Thank you.” Anna settled onto one of the chairs around the island and once she had coffee for both of them, Betty joined her.

“Have you worked here long?” Anna asked her.

“Almost six weeks. Ben hired me as soon as he got here. I do everything for him. Mostly cleaning and cooking and making sure he eats. He’s one of those people who gets so busy that he often skips one, sometimes even two meals.”

Anna laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever skipped a meal in my life!”

“You and me both. I’m usually thinking ahead to what I’ll eat next.” She patted her stomach. “Sometimes that gets me in trouble.”

“Where is Taylor?” Anna noticed that it was unusually quiet.

“She’s sleeping. Ben gave her a bottle before he got in the shower. She’ll probably be down for at least an hour or two. He’s gotten pretty good at managing his schedule around her naps. But it doesn’t always work. Babies have their own unpredictable schedules.”

Almost on cue, Anna heard a plaintive cry.

“Speaking of unpredictable. Poor baby. She’s teething.”

The cries grow louder and a moment later, Ben walked into the kitchen carrying the baby carrier. He set it on the island, not far from the edge and Anna froze for a moment as a wave of fear washed over her. She took a deep breath and then stepped forward and pushed the carrier further into the middle of the island and away from the edge.

“Sorry. I can be clumsy and having that too close to the edge makes me nervous.”

“Thanks. I love that you thought to do that. Maybe you can work your magic again with her.” Ben picked Taylor up, gave her a quick cuddle and then handed her to Anna. The tiny girl’s face looked up at hers and at the sight of her sweet, trusting eyes, her heart melted. She put her finger out and the baby grabbed it in her hand and squeezed tight. She cuddled her close and patted her back until she burped several times and then fell asleep again. When she was sure she was totally out, she carefully set her in her bed and looked up to see both Betty and Ben watching her with pleased expressions.

“See, I told you I found a good one,” Ben said to Betty.

“You did say that. I would tend to agree. Now, shall we all enjoy our coffee?”

Anna settled back into her seat and Betty added a splash of hot coffee to her mug.

“Betty showed you around?”

Anna nodded. “She did. Your house is lovely.”

He smiled. “Thank you. It is peaceful here. I worried that it might be too quiet but I’m loving it. There’s no one distracting me—except for Taylor, of course—but she’s different. And with technology, I can work from anywhere. The wifi is surprisingly good here.”

“He lives on his computer.” Betty shook her head.

Ben laughed. “I do, actually. In fact, I’m going to head into the office in a minute, and I’ll be tied up on calls and online meetings for most of the day. But, don’t hesitate to interrupt me if you need something. I’ll probably skip lunch unless Betty sneaks a sandwich in and I remember to eat it. But, I’ll probably see you back here for dinner.”

Anna nodded. She liked the idea of having the day to herself to get used to the place and for Taylor to get used to her.

“I’ll go grab your bags in a minute, too, and bring them up to your room. Oh, there’s one more thing.” He got up and disappeared into his office for a moment, then came back and handed a slim box to Anna. It was a brand new MacAir laptop. Anna had a laptop, but it was a very old and painfully slow generic windows one.

“What’s this for?”

Ben grinned. “The main office sent me a bunch of files and office supplies that I’d ordered and somehow they sent two new laptops instead of one. It’s easier to just give it to you than to send it back. So, enjoy! Oh, wifi password is Rivers End Ranch. Thought that would be easy to remember.”

A moment later, he was gone, and it was like all the energy left the room. Betty looked at her and smiled, and Anna got the feeling she was reading her mind when she said, “Feels quiet in here now, huh? That’s Ben. He’s like one of those Energizer bunnies, just goes and goes until he drops.”