“Almost there, Mr. Connelly.”

I looked up from my tablet at George, my personal assistant. He was staring out the plane window as we circled over Ayers Rock. I smiled wearily.

“It feels like I’ve been travelling forever,” I remarked, stretching. It had been a whirlwind week. I had just returned from Singapore, having completed talks with some potential partners. And now were heading home to Birrimba, my family’s cattle station in the Northern Territory.

The plane circled, slowly. I looked out the window. The famous Rock was receding. It was an amazing landscape, one that I never tired of watching.

Massive salt lakes spread over the land, with rivers veering off them like a mass of spider veins. The earth itself was reminiscent of opal: speckled and lined, colors merging and spreading. The vast deserts of my homeland, folding out as far as the eye could see.

Through my weariness, I felt excited. It was always like this, when I returned home. I was constantly travelling the country and the world, but the old adage was true, there was no place like home. And my home had been in my family for generations. It was one of the first cattle stations built in the Northern Territory, and it was the biggest.

I could see it approaching, now. It was spread out like a small town; various buildings and yards. In the center was the homestead, a huge weatherboard built in 1894. I smiled, again. George looked across at me, giving me a thumbs up. He knew how tired I was, and how grateful to be home.

Roland, my personal pilot, spoke over the intercom. “About to land at Birrimba, Mr. Connelly.”

The plane circled, again. Then I felt the descent. We were about to land.

George and I clicked on our seatbelts in preparation. It was a small plane, and the landing was often bumpy.

Yes, I was grateful to be home. But then the personal problems that I had managed to put on the back burner of my brain suddenly reared up at me. There was a lot going on. I wouldn’t be able to get home and relax. I had three children who had been uprooted once again, who were suddenly home – and without their mother.

Oh, and let’s not forget a new nanny. Hired only last week, spontaneously. I thought of the woman who was now in charge of my children. Bianca. An American on holiday.

She was the sister of Cara, who my good friend Bryce had recently married. It had happened so quickly it still made my head spin.

I had been on the Gold Coast for some last-minute business, when I had taken the call from Jo, my ex.

“Zane,” she had drawled. “Your wish has come true! I’m bringing the children to Birrimba tomorrow.”

“Hang on a minute.” I adjusted the phone to my ear. “What are you talking about? It’s not my scheduled week. I’m flying out to Singapore tomorrow.”

Jo had laughed. “Oh no, you’re misunderstanding me,” she had said. “It’s not just for the week. It’s permanent. You’ve got what you wanted. I am relinquishing custody, once and for all.”

“What?” I almost dropped the phone. I had been battling Jo for custody for over a year, now. She had been adamant that the children belonged with their mother. What had suddenly changed?

“I have to leave,” she continued. “Billy and I are heading to his chateau in France.” She paused. “Billy doesn’t think the kids should come. He wants to spend some quality time alone with me.”

I should have known. Jo had been seeing Billy Baker, the famous lead singer of the Vultures of Energy, for a while now. Not that she had told me much about it. I had read of their volatile relationship in the papers. They were always being snapped at wild parties, and premieres; they were the paparazzi’s new darlings. Ex-wife of billionaire Zane Connelly and the most famous rock star in Australia. They were a tabloid magazine’s wet dream.

It was also one of the reasons I had been pressing so hard for custody. Billy Baker was not a stable person, and he seemed to be leading Jo into his degenerate lifestyle. It wasn’t an environment I wanted my children to grow up in. I was sincerely worried about their welfare.

“Let me get this straight.” I closed my eyes. I could feel a headache starting to thump behind my eyes. “You are just dumping the kids so you can frolic in the South of France with your lover?”

I could hear the sigh on the other end of the line. “Don’t be so dramatic, Zane,” she said. “The kids are fine. They understand. And you are getting what you’ve been fighting me for, don’t forget.”

“Okay.” I swallowed. She was right. “So, the kids and Rosa will be there tomorrow?” Rosa was the kids nanny.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Just the kids,” she said, eventually. “Rosa has quit. Honestly, the woman is a handful! Said she couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Are you telling me that you are bringing the kids to Birrimba without their nanny?” I couldn’t believe this. “I just told you, I am heading to Singapore tomorrow. There is no one to look after them!”

“Get Mrs. Price to do it,” Jo said.

“Mrs. Price is sixty-five years old!” The headache was getting worse. “She can barely keep up with the housekeeping. She’s due to retire at the end of the year, for God’s sake!” I swallowed my anger. I simply couldn’t believe this was happening. Jo had been getting more unstable since she had taken up with Baker, but she had always managed to put the kids’ welfare first. Not anymore, apparently.

“I’ll handle it.” It took all my effort not to scream down the phone at her. “Have a great trip.” I pressed end on the call. My hands were shaking.

Then Bryce had come to my rescue, inviting me out for dinner with his new wife and her sister who was visiting from the States.

I had acknowledged Bianca when we had been introduced, but I was very preoccupied with the bombshell Jo had just dropped. But I had noticed she was a very pretty woman, with dark hair and big blue eyes. In any other circumstance, I would have appreciated that fact.

It was Cara who had suggested it, that Bianca take over temporary nanny duties until I found a permanent replacement. I had been ringing around agencies for over an hour, and not one had anyone free. I was getting desperate.

Bianca had looked shocked, but then she agreed. I had quickly booked a flight for her to the Territory and arranged for Roland to pick her up from Alice Springs airport, flying her the rest of the way to Birrimba in the private plane.

I had spoken to Mrs. Price once, from Singapore. She had confirmed that the kids and Bianca had arrived, but there hadn’t been time for a full brief.

I felt the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac, bumping unsteadily as the plane landed. The brakes came on, and we careered to a stop.

“Touchdown, Mr. Connelly.” Roland’s voice came over the PA, slightly fuzzy. “You may disembark.”

I unclasped my seat belt. George was already up, gathering the luggage. I was home.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. All I wanted to do was rest, have some downtime. But a sixth sense told me that I was dreaming.

Three unsettled kids, and a new nanny. A nanny who had never worked at the job before, either.

Let the fun and games begin.

* * *

“Daddy!”

I was almost bowled over as soon as I opened the front door. Two little girls were upon me, their arms encircling me so that I could barely walk.

I laughed, tousling their heads. “Okay, okay, let me walk,” I laughed. They refused to let go. In the end, I had to walk with them, putting one leg in front of the other like I was walking through heavy snow.

Mrs. Price walked out from the kitchen. “I thought I heard the plane,” she smiled. “Did you have a good trip?”

“Adequate,” I replied. I frowned, looking at her. She was walking a bit stiffer than last time I had seen her. Her arthritis was obviously playing up, again. Poor Mrs. Price. She had been the housekeeper here for as long as I could remember, and she was getting old.

I glanced around. “Where’s Max?” Max was my oldest, a seven-year-old bundle of mischief.

Mrs. Price rolled his eyes. “Out with Robbo, as usual,” she replied. “Thinking that he’s the man of the house.” She pursed her lips. Mrs. Price found Max trying. It was one of the main reasons that I couldn’t have left her in charge of the kids.

“Do you have presents for us, Daddy?” Poppy, my five-year-old, looked up at me expectantly. Harper, her little sister who had just turned four, nodded her head. “Please, Daddy?”

I laughed. “Go and see George,” I said. “He’s got all the presents.” They ran off, trying to locate my personal assistant.

A woman walked into the kitchen, smiling.

Bianca. The new nanny. I approached her, smiling back, with my hand outstretched. “Bianca,” I said. “Good to see you. Thank you so much for taking on the kids at such short notice. You really are a life saver!”

Bianca shook my hand. “Well, it’s certainly been a baptism by fire,” she said. Her American accent rolled around the words.

“Could we have a coffee, and you can fill me in?” I said, walking to the kitchen. “Mrs. Price, could you bring coffee for Bianca and I into my study, please?”

Better to get the worst of it over with. I headed to the study, indicating for Bianca to follow me.

She sat opposite me, not speaking. Mrs. Price brought the coffee and cups in for us, then shut the door as she left.

I took the opportunity to study Bianca while I poured us both a cup.

She was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, which showed off her tan. She was smaller than I remembered; she barely reached my shoulders. The same dark hair, twisted into a casual top knot.

But it was her eyes, which struck me. I remembered she was blue eyed, but not how amazing they were. Huge almond shaped eyes of cornflower blue, fringed with long, black lashes.

Wow. I knew she was very pretty, but this was the first time I had felt it. Well, I had been very preoccupied when we first met.

She couldn’t be more different than Rosa, her predecessor. Rosa had been a forty-year-old sullen woman, who rarely smiled and had the charm of a toad. Jo had employed her because of her impeccable reputation, but also, I suspected, because she was so plain. No one would look twice at Rosa, and if they did, she would probably have eaten them for breakfast.

“How have you settled in?” I asked, trying very hard not to stare at her crossed legs. Long legs, for such a petite woman.

“It’s been…interesting.” She squinted those amazing eyes. “The children are very high spirited, aren’t they?”

I laughed at that. “They most certainly are,” I agreed. “Some might say a handful.” I paused, looking at her. “Let me give you some background. My children have been living with their mother and new partner, and haven’t had a very settled life, from what I’ve gathered. They are also dealing with the aftermath of our divorce. So they are a little more…temperamental, than usual.”

Bianca raised her eyebrows. “That explains a bit,” she said. “They haven’t been very keen to get to know me. I’m trying, but every move I make is rebuffed.” She looked down, a little sadly.

Shit. The last thing I needed was for her to do a runner. “Give them time,” I said. “It will be okay.” I stood up. “It’s almost lunch time, Bianca. The kids need to be rounded up for lunch. I will join you, presently.”

She looked surprised, but stood up also, leaving the room.

I collapsed wearily back into my chair. My head was spinning.

I knew my kids. They were up to their old tricks. And the beautiful, blue eyed nanny was their new target.