Chapter 1
Thump, thump, thump.
Alisyn Bennett threw off the covers and gasped for air. "What time is it?" She reached over onto the nightstand, knocked her phone onto the hardwood floor, scrambled out of bed, and checked the time. Eight-fifteen. "I overslept!"
She ran to the vanity. Her curly honey-blonde hair stuck out in every direction and the makeup she'd been too tired to wash off the night before was smudged into a wilder mess than her locks.
"I don't have time for this!" She grabbed a magenta hair tie and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail before running into her bathroom and washing her face. It was going to have to be a no-makeup day. Again. She seemed to have more of those lately than not. Although that was probably for the best. She could hardly stand to look at her own reflection this time of year—not when she had her mom's eyes.
Knock, knock.
Not even a minute to go to the bathroom. Alisyn brushed aside all thoughts and ran into her bedroom to find the door already open. Piper Rockford sat on Alisyn's messy bed, wearing a leotard. The freckled six-year-old twirled a strand of her thick chestnut hair around a finger. "I'm ready."
"What are you doing in that?" Alisyn exclaimed. "It's time for school."
"But I wanna wear this. Isa doesn't believe I'm a gymnast."
"Then bring in one of your trophies to the next show-and-tell day. Let's get you dressed." Alisyn helped Piper onto the floor and led her down the hall to her room. Every single toy and book had been removed from the shelves and strewn across the room. "What did you do?"
Piper grinned, showing off the wide space where she'd lost her two front teeth. "I redecorated."
Alisyn slapped her forehead. "I don't have time to clean up this mess while you're at school. You're going to have to do that when you get home."
Piper's shoulders slumped. "But I like it like this."
"What will your parents think?" Alisyn arched a brow.
"They'll like it?"
"Try again." Alisyn found a matching outfit in Piper's closet and set it on the bed. "You have exactly five minutes to get this on and get downstairs for breakfast."
"Eggs?" Piper fluttered her eyelashes.
"No time today. Get dressed." Alisyn went out into the hall to check on the other three Rockford children. In the next room over, nine-year-old Lacie sat on her bed, filling her ballet bag. Alisyn smiled at the most responsible of the four children. "Breakfast in five minutes."
"I'll be down in four." Lacie zipped up the pink bag and jumped off her bed.
Pookie, the family's ten-year-old white cockapoo, trudged into the room, panting.
Alisyn rubbed the top of Pookie's head. "How are you doing, old girl? The stairs tire you out again?"
Thump, thump.
Groaning, Alisyn headed toward the noise. In eleven-year-old Cooper's room, he and four-year-old Miles wrestled on the floor.
"Stop!"
They didn't.
"Cooper, you're going to hurt your brother. Get off him." Alisyn marched over and pulled the older boy off the younger. "Come on, you guys. We have to leave in a few minutes. Miles, let's get you dressed."
By some miracle, she and all four kids were downstairs in the kitchen four minutes later. Alisyn poured everyone cereal and milk. They all grumbled, preferring the hot, nutritious food she usually cooked.
"Do you remember what today is?" Alisyn asked.
"The last practice before my tournament," Cooper said with a mouthful of food. "Go Wildcats!"
Lacie rolled her eyes. "Don't forget I have to be at ballet early, Alisyn."
"I know. We're dropping you off first today."
"What?" Cooper exclaimed. "But I have to practice for my tournament!"
"You will," Alisyn promised. "Guys, I'm not talking about any of your sports. Guess who's coming in today?"
Eight eyes stared at her blankly.
"You seriously don't remember?"
"Nope." Piper shook her head vigorously.
"Grammy?" Miles asked.
"No, stupid." Cooper shoved his little brother. "She's on vacation, remember?"
"Don't hit," Alisyn warned. "Or name call. No, your older brother and sister are coming in."
Piper's eyes lit up, but the others all went back to their cereal, disinterested. Not that Alisyn could blame them. She'd been their nanny for three years and had never met the twenty-six-year-old twins, Shane and Shayna, who lived up in Seattle.
"It'll be fun, don't you think?" Alisyn asked, hoping to drum up some excitement. "We can show them around town. Have they ever been to Romance?"
"I don't even think they've been to Oregon," Lacie said.
Piper shrugged. "Have I met them?"
"We saw them five years ago when we lived in Vancouver—Washington, not Canada," Lacie informed Piper. "It was for Mom and Dad's ten-year anniversary. I was four, you were one, Cooper was six, and Miles wasn't even born. And we had that mean nanny. I'm so glad we moved and then got Alisyn."
Alisyn smiled. "I'm glad, too! Now let's get into the car before you guys are late for school. Don't forget your sports bags—we won't have time to stop by home after school."
The kids all scattered in different directions while Alisyn put the dishes away and wiped down the table before heading for the front door. "I'm leaving!"
Footsteps thundered on the stairs as the four kids made their way down, carrying both school and sports bags. They hurried to the Escalade, stomping on piles of colorful leaves and ducking under a dew-covered spider web that appeared in the same spot every morning despite someone knocking it out of the way daily. A light fog hung in the air, but it looked like it would burn off soon to make way for the bright October sun.
Alisyn drove to the elementary school first and waved to the three older kids before dropping Miles off at preschool. Once back inside the SUV, Alisyn pulled out her phone and checked the to-do list for the day. She had to grocery shop and run about a dozen errands for Peter and Carrie Rockford, her employers and the kids' parents. Once all that was done, she needed to pick up the house before the twins arrived since the housekeeper was on vacation that week. Double-duty for Alisyn—not that she minded. It wasn't only the Rockford's anniversary. It was also the anniversary of the night that had destroyed Alisyn's life in a single breath.
She cleared her throat and focused on her mile-long list. First, the dry cleaning. She started the car and pulled out of the parking spot.
By the time Alisyn had finished the last of the errands, she was exhausted. She just wanted to get back home and squeeze in a quick shower. Maybe even put on a little makeup. She glanced in the mirror. Blonde strands had come loose from the messy ponytail, sticking out in every direction. It was a good thing she had plenty of time before the twins arrived. She wanted to make a good first impression.
When she pulled up to the house, a bright blue, sporty Subaru was parked in the driveway. Her heart sank. So much for the first impression. Not that Shane or Shayna were likely to care much about the family nanny.
Alisyn pulled in next to the Subaru and unlocked the doors so she could get the groceries out. Just as she closed the driver's side door, the two doors of the sporty car opened. A pretty brunette with long, layered hair climbed out of the passenger side and a guy wearing a dull-yellow beanie hat, dark hipster sunglasses, a plaid shirt, and black skinny jeans stepped out of the driver's side. He removed his sunglasses and rubbed his barely-there beard.
Alisyn's breath caught. He was absolutely gorgeous, and she looked like Night of the Living Dead.