Chapter Two
There had to be a catch. Caleb wasn’t convinced that Maddie could hack it here full-time. He’d caught sight of her in the window. Her back had been to him, and she’d been looking out across the fields. When he opened the door, and she’d turned to him, he’d caught sight of the happiness in her gaze.
He also saw that she liked what she saw in him, and his cock may have responded. Her red hair had struck him first. She didn’t have it tied back, and the long length fell down her back in waves, looking thick and glossy. He’d been tempted to run his fingers through it, but of course, had stopped himself.
She’d also looked completely taken with his home. Her gaze had been wide, and the love clear to see. Every single emotion played across her face, and again, he didn’t like it. She made it far too easy to read her.
He asked her question after question, starting at the times he woke up, to Paige’s likes, to also creating ridiculous scenarios for her to solve, and she did so as well. He felt his mother’s anger at his questions, but he didn’t care, not at all.
“Ah, here is Paige now,” his mother said, bringing a stop to their questions.
Maddie looked toward the door, and sure enough, his little girl shot into the house.
“I’m going to go and wash my hands.”
No one stopped her as she charged away, going to the downstairs bathroom. Maddie smiled and turned to the table. “She’s so adorable.”
“You’ve not met her yet.”
The instant he said the words, he regretted them. The smile that had been on her face disappeared and she nodded, withdrawing instantly. “You’re right, sorry.”
“Forgive my son. He’s not exactly known for his manners.”
Maddie nodded and offered a smile.
Seconds passed, and Paige finally came to sit with them.
“Would you like some breakfast?” his mother asked, looking at Maddie.
“Would love some,” his daughter and Maddie said in unison.
Paige sat back and stared at Maddie. “Are you supposed to be my babysitter?”
“You don’t look like a baby to me.”
“That’s because I’m not, and I don’t need you.”
“Paige,” Caleb said, shooting his daughter a look. “Watch your manners. You may not like that you need taking care of, but you can’t drive a car, nor can you spell every single word in the dictionary.”
Paige crossed her arms and slumped down in her chair. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not here to baby you, Paige,” Maddie said. “I don’t even know if your dad likes me enough to take care of you.”
He jerked up at that. She wasn’t looking at him though. Her focus was on Paige, and he saw his mother glaring at him now.
“I don’t need taking care of.”
“I can see that. You’ve just been feeding the chickens?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never been around a chicken. Unless I was cooking one, of course. I’ve heard they’re wonderful animals.”
Paige glanced over to Maddie.
He knew from his daughter that not a lot of kids at school understood Paige’s love of animals and pets.
They had three dogs because of that love, and every time he saw a sign for a cat, rabbit, or dog for sale, he couldn’t resist either. He didn’t like to think of them being put to sleep because no one wanted them.
“Do you like animals?” Paige asked.
“I love them. We could never have any growing up. My sister was always allergic, but I wanted one. A dog, cat, duck, rabbit. There was a time I even wanted a pig.”
“We have pigs, but they don’t like it when you touch them. They squeal.”
Maddie smiled, and he was struck by her beauty. She was nothing like Ivory. His ex had always worn a scowl, and would only talk about herself. Maddie’s face was free from any makeup. Her clear skin looked so soft he wanted to reach out and stroke her cheek, but he held himself back.
“I don’t like school,” Paige said, resting her hands in her lap. “Everyone laughs at me because I wear boys’ clothes, and because my mom didn’t want me.”
Maddie reached out, taking hold of Paige’s hand. “I didn’t like school either. They made fun of me. Called me fat, and all other cruel names.”
Caleb felt very protective, wanting to pull Maddie into his arms. She wasn’t fat. The jeans she wore showed off her glorious ass to perfection. It was nicely rounded, and would feel amazing snuggled against his cock as he drove hard and deep into her cunt.
His cock began to thicken as he looked at her. Her tits were huge, pressing against the front of her shirt. The shirt she wore was a man’s shirt, but that didn’t take anything away from the size of her breasts.
She was a woman with a lot of curves.
He’d never been attracted to slim women who were all skin and bones. It’s why he’d never craved Ivory’s touch. She’d been easy and scratched an itch they both had.
“That’s horrible. Did you punch those people?” Paige asked, raising her fists into the air. There was his little fighter.
Maddie shook her head. “No. I took it and ignored them.”
“Daddy says you have to fight for yourself. You got to stop people saying bad words, and then you fight.”
His mother placed their breakfasts in front of them, and he watched as Maddie picked up a fork and dug in. She didn’t complain about the calories, or how much fat was in it. He’d often have to sit opposite Ivory while she ate a no-fat, no-flavor yogurt.
He listened as Paige and Maddie talked throughout breakfast. His daughter was slowly falling for this woman. She softened, and by the end of breakfast, she threw her arms around Maddie. “I want you to stay.”
Maddie patted her back and looked toward Granny and Caleb.
“I’ll leave you two to deal with this. Come on, Paige. Let’s go and feed the dogs.”
He waited for his mother to leave the room, and focused on Maddie. Leaning forward, he rested his arms on the table, watching her.
“If she starts fights at school, they’re going to demand your time away from the ranch. I know it’s important that she stand up for herself, but often that leads to a lot of meetings and time away.”
“I don’t mind. If Paige is sticking up for herself against a bully, then I’ll be at the school no matter what.”
“Your mother said you struggle for time. It’s why I suggested it.”
He watched as she shoved her hands beneath her ass, sitting on them. “Do you fidget?” he asked.
“Excuse me?”
“My brother was forced to do that when he went to school. He struggled not to mess around with anything, and I guess it’s a habit I recognize.” He’d also noticed that she moved around in her seat, often struggling to stay in the same position.
“Yes, I was always messing around with things at my desk in school.” She released one of her hands to push hair off her face.
“The position will be full-time. You’ll have to live on the ranch.” He stood up. “If you follow me. I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
She didn’t complain as he led her upstairs. There were five bedrooms in the home. His room was next to the stairs, Paige’s beside his, away from them, and he opened the third door and showed her inside.
“Paige’s room is right next door. We get up around six in the morning, sometimes even earlier depending on the time of year.”
“That’s perfect. It gives me enough time to feed Paige and get out to the school.” She spun in a circle looking around the room. “This place is amazing.”
“You really like it?”
“How could anyone not?”
“Believe me, it’s not easy to do.”
Her gaze fell on his, the greenness of her eyes trapping him. “I heard about your wife leaving you. I’m so sorry.”
“Ivory couldn’t stand it here. She always had bigger plans. Ones that didn’t include running a ranch.”
“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to leave here.” She moved toward the window. “I mean, look at that view. It’s stunning.”
He moved up behind her, seeing the men at work in the fields. The scent of lemon surrounded him, and when he looked down, she had her neck tilted to the side. He could have easily kissed her, sucking on that pulse and feeling her body in his arms.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you,” he said, taking a step back.
She tensed up and looked toward him. “You heard about that?”
“My mother was a guest?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“It must have been hard.”
“It wasn’t exactly fun, I can tell you that.”
He saw the sadness in her eyes, and he wanted to be the one to take it away. “If you want the job, it’s yours.”
“I want it.”
****
It took Maddie one day to move her few belongings into the ranch. She’d added her personal touch to her room, and of course Paige had been there to see what she’d done.
“You like pink?” Paige asked.
“Yes. Why?”
“It’s really girly.”
Maddie laughed. “What’s your favorite?”
“Orange.”
“I like that color as well.” She liked Paige. The young girl seemed more curious about her than anything else, and she didn’t mind that. She wondered how long it had been since she’d seen or heard from her mother.
According to Granny, Paige had only been one at the time. She didn’t show signs of being upset by it though.
By Monday, Maddie had already gotten into a routine. Caleb was always awake at six, but being the insomniac she was, she didn’t do a lot of sleeping. He’d often glare at her at six in the morning, but she didn’t mind. Granny didn’t live with them, so Maddie made the coffee and breakfast in the morning.
For Sunday lunch, they all descended on Mike, and she got to meet his brother’s family, and also discover the running of the ranch.
Granny often cooked lunch or dinner for the ranch hands. Maddie loved everything she discovered about the Pole ranch.
Even though they lived far apart on the ranch, they were a family. She got to see Paige with her cousins, and of course watch the two brothers interact.
Caleb was hard to understand. There were times he looked at her as if he was trying to figure her out, and other times she was sure she caught heat in his gaze.
Clearly, she was going crazy.
By Monday morning, Maddie was ready for the first real day. She was already at the breakfast table with coffee, pancakes, and sausage cooked and ready.
Caleb looked surprised to see her downstairs using the kitchen. Granny had told her to live in the home as if it was her own, cooking dinners, cleaning, and stuff like that. Now, she wouldn’t dream of moving anything around, but she liked to clean and cook.
“Your coffee,” she said, handing him a mug, which he took without a word. Pouring some fresh juice into a small cup, she watched as Paige entered. She ate with them, aware of Caleb staring at her the whole time, which didn’t make her nervous.
Once breakfast was finished, she got Paige to go and brush her teeth and grab her bag. They were heading to school in a short time.
“Thank you,” he said, stopping her as she placed their dishes in the sink.
“Sorry?” she asked.
“Thank you for helping me.”
She offered him a smile. “It’s no trouble. I really love kids, and Paige is a bright young girl.” She wanted to touch him, but decided against it. Instead, she brushed past him, hating how her body seemed to come alive whenever she was near him. This had to stop. She was a professional, and she hated when nannies were seen as the destroyers of families or even when men thought it was okay to try to sleep with them. There was something about Caleb that called to her, and she would refuse to think about it, or even acknowledge that something was going on between them.
Pushing all of those thoughts to one side, she found Paige waiting for her, ready to face the day, her bag high up on her shoulder. Maddie loved the cowgirl boots that looked so small and cute on Paige.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked.
“Yes. You’ll be there to pick me up.”
“I’ll even be right on time so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Caleb moved out of the kitchen, and Maddie watched as he pulled his daughter into his arms, hugging her. “You be a good girl now, right. This is important.”
“I could stay on the ranch.”
“There’ll always be chores for you, honey bear, but school work comes first.”
“Can’t I be taught at home?”
He shook his head. “We tried that. You were constantly running rings around the teacher.” He kissed her cheek. “Be good. Learn lots, and make me proud.”
She watched as Paige squared her shoulders, nodding her head. “I will, Daddy.”
They left the ranch, and when Maddie looked back toward the window overlooking the front of the house where the car was parked, she saw him gazing out, watching.
Opening the car door, she waited patiently for Paige to get inside before rounding the vehicle.
“So you ran rings around your tutor?” Maddie asked.
“It wasn’t a big deal. I put frogs in his water and dirt in his boots. Whenever I said I had to go to the toilet, I snuck out so I didn’t have to work.”
Maddie quashed the snigger.
“He was boring, though, and spoke so slowly. Like a sloth. Really slowly.” Paige then began to speak slow, showing her exactly what her old tutor was like.
“I’m in agreement with your father. Schooling is really important, and you should take it seriously.”
Paige blew a raspberry.
Maddie thought of a way to put it so that not only would Paige understand, but the young girl would also see why she should do it.
“Your dad went to school, right?”
“Well, yeah. Uncle Mike did as well, and Grandpa when he was younger and alive.”
She didn’t want her charge crying on the way to school. “Have you ever thought that the reason the ranch is so amazing is because those men and your granny went to school?”
“Huh?”
“Doing all the chores on the ranch is one thing. There’s books to keep, negotiations to be made. It’s not all about working in the fields, which I’m sure is amazing to do, too. Your father and uncle, and your grandpa before them, all went to high school. They learned their trade, which is why it’s an amazing success today. Your father’s part will be given to you. If you don’t have the education, he’ll have to consider allowing someone else to run the ranch.”
She heard Paige gasp.
“He wouldn’t do that?”
“What if you can’t do what needs to be done, sweetie? If you can’t calculate hard formulas or understand negotiating tactics. School is tough and it’s hard, and I hated going every single day. I went though, and now I’m pleased I did.” She pulled up in front of the school and turned toward Paige. “I’ll be here every single step of the way.”
“They all laugh at me because I don’t have a mom, and they think I’m weird because I’ve got, like, the coolest dad on the planet.”
She chuckled. “You ignore those girls.”
“Do you have a mom?” Paige asked.
“Yes, I do.”
“Is she your entire world?”
Maddie rubbed at her temple. “I love my parents, but we don’t exactly get along.”
Her mother had blamed the ruined wedding on her, and of course, her father had agreed with her. Her sister Emily had always been her parents’ favorite, even though they tried to hide it.
That was one of the reasons Maddie always liked to work away from town, and to keep busy. Being a nanny provided her with an excuse to be absent on more than one family occasion. Even if she did arrive, she’d be pushed into kitchen duty while they listened to Emily talk about a load of bullshit, but her parents lapped it up, and she was tired of it.
“You look sad, Maddie,” Paige said.
“Some moms and dads are overrated. Your dad is cool, Paige. You’re cool. Don’t let anyone ever tell you any differently, okay? You’re perfect exactly the way you are.”
She was surprised when Paige threw her arms around her. Maddie hugged her back and offered her a smile. “Go on, go and show them how awesome you are.”
Paige left the car and waved at her. She watched as a couple of girls that were clearly mommy’s girls giggled at Paige, and one of them pointed. Paige didn’t even stop. She kept on walking, head held high, proud and ready to take on the world.
Already she had found herself getting close to Paige, and Maddie knew that was dangerous. Nannies were always replaceable, and each time she left a home, she always found a piece of herself had been left there. She had a feeling Paige would be the one to take the largest part of her.