“Hey, sis. What are you thinking?”

I turned around from watching surfers hang ten on the Surfer’s Paradise beach. Cara watched me closely. I could tell she was concerned; her forehead was furrowed. I had seen that look my entire life. Well, Cara was my big sister, and she had a habit of worrying about me.

“Just thinking about where it all went wrong,” I answered, leaning against the balcony railing. Then I smiled, trying to take the sadness out of my words. “Don’t mind me. I’ll get over it.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said. “You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

I knew she was right, deep down. But it was hard to think rationally at the moment. My fashion business, which I had been working so hard to establish back home in San Francisco, had gone belly up. My major investor had suddenly pulled out, due to sickness. I had no choice but to close it down, at least until I found another. Cara had suggested Bryce could invest, but I didn’t know him that well, yet. I just didn’t want to put it on him.

At least I was somewhere beautiful to lick my wounds. Queensland, Australia. I had been here a week, visiting Cara and her new husband, Bryce. And Charlie, Cara’s stepson. They lived in one of the most stunning places I had ever seen in my life. A waterfront mansion, where you could step out onto the beach. Cara had certainly won the jackpot. Bryce was great, and Charlie was the cutest thing ever.

Yes, all up it wasn’t a bad place to think things through.

“Bianca,” Cara said, looking at me gently. “It will be okay. Do you want to start getting ready? I said we’d meet Bryce at the restaurant at seven.”

I nodded. “Of course. I’ll have a shower and be ready in fifteen.”

We were chauffeured to the restaurant. I still couldn’t believe Cara’s new lifestyle. I saw Bryce on the restaurant steps, waiting for us. But who was with him? He was a tall man, with sandy colored hair and a rugged appearance. I turned to Cara.

“Is someone else dining with us?” I asked. Cara looked out the car window, frowning.

“It’s Zane,” she said. “Zane Connelly. One of Bryce’s friends. Funny, Bryce didn’t tell me that he would be dining with us. I didn’t even know he was in town. He lives on one of the largest cattle stations in the Northern Territory.”

I studied the man, surreptitiously. Very handsome, if you like the rugged outdoorsy type. But he looked preoccupied, like his mind was a million miles away.

“Cara! Bianca!”

Bryce came to open the car door for us. He leaned in, whispering to Cara. “Zane turned up unexpectedly, and he’s a bit down. I asked him to join us. You don’t mind, do you?”

Cara smiled, touching his face tenderly. “Of course not. He’s very welcome.”

Introductions were made, and then we all sat down at our table. I looked around, impressed. It was a fancy restaurant, there was no doubt of that. Waiters hovered around us like flies, anticipating every whim. Bryce ordered champagne, only the very best, of course. Well, he was a billionaire; it was an everyday occurrence for him. Whereas I had never even tasted this label before. I took a sip. The bubbles rose to my head like steam in a shower.

I looked at Zane, sitting across from us. He barely touched his champagne. Instead, he kept checking his phone, frowning.

“What’s the story, Zane?” Bryce sipped his drink, staring pointedly at the phone. Zane took the hint, and put it in his pocket.

“Sorry, buddy,” he said. “I’m a bit preoccupied. You know how I’ve been fighting for custody of the kids? Well, I suddenly got them. Jo has relinquished them, completely. She’s taking off with Billy Baker, the rock star. She’s been seeing him for a while, now. They’re jetting off to his chateau in France. Apparently, the kids don’t mean that much to her, after all.” A thread of bitterness ran through his words.

“But this is good, isn’t it?” Cara questioned. “You’ve been wanting the kids back.”

“Yes,” Zane sighed. “It is. But the timing is all wrong. Jo is just dumping them at the Station, with no nanny. The nanny apparently quit as soon as she heard that Jo was going overseas. And Mrs. Price, my housekeeper, is an old lady. They have no one to look after them.”

“Wow,” said Bryce. “That’s a pickle. Especially as you are going to Singapore, aren’t you?”

“I’m catching the flight tomorrow,” he answered. “It’s an important business deal, and I can’t get out of it. It’s been booked for a while.” He sighed, running a hand through his sandy hair. “All the nanny agencies I’ve called can’t help me at such short notice.”

“Bianca could do it,” Cara said, looking at me, her eyes widening. “Couldn’t you, Bianca? It would be like a working holiday. You could save money to open your business, again.”

“Cara…” I looked at my big sister like she had lost her mind. This was all too sudden. Nannying? Me?

But now Zane and Bryce turned to me, entreating me with their eyes.

“Bianca,” Zane said, looking at me beseechingly. “You would save my life. Honestly. And I would compensate you well, don’t worry.”

“Well…” I was put on the spot. Yes, I had been planning on staying in Australia for another month. Cara and I had been planning a trip to Melbourne to visit her best friend Amber. But that didn’t mean that I wanted to go to the middle of nowhere, to mind some brats. Where was the Northern Territory, exactly?

“Please,” Zane said. His eyes shone with fervor. “I could get you on a flight tomorrow, all expenses paid, of course. Business class.”

“Alright,” I sighed, downing my champagne. “As a favor, just until you get a real nanny.”

“Thank you,” Zane breathed. He suddenly smiled, in relief. He really was a handsome man, especially when he relaxed.

Our eyes met, holding a second longer than necessary. I felt a sudden jolt of attraction, right down to my toes.

“You won’t regret it,” Zane said.

Famous last words, of course.