“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 nannies 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?”