the reasons why he should not hire Kelsey loomed before him as obvious as her pregnant belly. That was the number one reason right there. Pregnant women made him nervous. No, not nervous. Terrified.
But she was someone he knew, at least had known. Kelsey had been the nice, ordinary girl in the front row whose hand was always in the air, volunteering to head the homecoming committee or to do cleanup after the dance. Only she looked so different. Really different. Her glasses had hidden the most stunning blue-green eyes he’d ever seen and a delicate, heart-shaped face framed by long, loose hair the color of his bedroom furniture. Mahogany. And he shouldn’t be thinking of his bedroom in the same sentence with a nanny applicant.
Sheesh. He was tired.
“What makes you think you’re right for the job?”
“What makes you think I’m not?”
The fact that I want to shut that sassy mouth of yours with a kiss.
For a horrified second, he thought he might have spoken aloud but when she didn’t slap his face, he breathed a sigh of relief and said instead, “My daughter seems quite taken with you. Her needs are paramount.”
“As they should be.” She shifted uncomfortably. An airport was no place for a pregnant woman. She didn’t look too far along, but her face and arms were thin, as if she’d recently lost weight instead of gaining. She could be about to pop for all he knew. A shudder of dread quivered up his spine and, in spite of the frigid temperatures, sweat broke out on his upper lip.
“I have a number of people to interview once we’re back in Dallas. I’m sure I’ll find someone suitable.”
She gave him a look that said she questioned his sanity, a legitimate concern at the moment.
“Look, Ryan,” Miss Pregnant and alone said.
“Let me be honest here. I need a job and a place to live. I allowed my Texas teaching credentials to expire and even after I renew them, it’s the middle of the term and I’m pregnant.” She would have to bring that up again. “Finding a position isn’t going to be easy.”
No. She wouldn’t do. He couldn’t put himself through the agony of being reminded of those last days with Amanda.
“I’m an excellent teacher,” Kelsey said. “And a good person who adores kids and knows how to get the best out of them. You know me, at least somewhat. That has to be a plus. I can do a good job for you and for Mariah.”
He could read through an applicant’s motives faster than gossip and Kelsey’s were nothing short of desperation.
Sympathetic feelings had no place in business dealings, but he had to admit to having some. The Kelsey he remembered was a nice girl, almost too good, if talk among the guys was to be trusted. But hiring a nanny who could also homeschool his daughter in the manner he considered best was business. Purely business. If Kelsey had those qualifications—and she did—those were the only things that mattered. However, her attitude toward child-rearing was far different than his. He knew what was best for his daughter and if he hired Kelsey, she’d have to do things his way.
But he didn’t want to hire her. She was pregnant. And a little too bossy. Nope, no way. No deal.
Then why couldn’t he get past the lines of tension around her soft mouth or the worry in those stunning eyes? Why did he keep sitting here beside her, listening to the soft drawl in her voice and wondering what it would be like to have her in his employ, in his house?
“What about your family?” Surely, she was returning to Dallas to be with caring family members. Someone who could keep a close eye on her until the baby came.
Pink tinged the crest of her cheekbones. Any makeup she might have worn was long gone by now, and a smattering of freckles popped through the clear, lovely skin. The color of her hair, the fascinating freckles were like sprinkles of colored sugar on a bowl of cream.
Good lord, when had he become a poet? He really was too tired.
“My dad and stepmother still live in Dallas,” Kelsey was saying, a little too stiffly. “But I’m not a charity case. I do not want to live off them or anyone else. I earn my way.”
Ryan realized he had insulted her somehow.
But in doing so, he’d discovered something important. For whatever reasons, Kelsey was down on her luck but she had a lot of pride. He’d been there, done that. Could completely relate. So much so that he admired the thrust of her chin and the glitter of pride in her eyes. She was stubborn, opinionated and pregnant. But she was also smart and qualified and someone he knew.
Mariah was right. They did need Kelsey Slater, boy hater. He’d interviewed half a dozen women already, but none that suited. On the other hand, none were pregnant former classmates who attracted him either. Everything in that sentence, other than the former classmate part, was not in Kelsey’s favor.
Still, he needed to concentrate on his work, especially right now with the Toliver takeover on the horizon. Something about Kelsey annoyed and worried him as much as it attracted him—but maybe that could actually work to his advantage. He was gone sixteen hours a day or more anyway. No need to even see her or her pretty mouth or pregnant belly.
He shivered at the last thought. That was the deal breaker right there.
But his schedule next week was now doubled due to this airport delay. Given his aversion to day-care centers, he needed someone reliable—and fast.
If not for the pregnancy, Kelsey Slater, boy hater could fill the bill very well.
In high school, she’d been friendly to him even though he’d never run in her social circle. Truth was, his social circle had been on the outer edges, the group of boys and girls just shy of trouble. He’d been their leader, though most of his after-hours were spent working and trying to keep his family afloat. With a father who wandered in and out of his life at odd intervals, the role of man of the house had fallen to him most of the time. He’d worked his butt off, too, all the while plotting his way out.
His jaw tightened. He’d made it. With the sweat of his brow, unholy hours and a few unholy alliances he wasn’t particularly proud of, he’d scratched his way to the top. By all that was good and right, he was going to stay there. Mariah would never know what it was like to come from the bottom of the barrel.
To keep his relentless work pace, he needed someone reliable to care for his daughter. He flicked another glance at the familiar woman with the blue-green eyes.
In his world, those who hesitated were lost. Deals could make or break on five minutes of indecision. He was known to make decisions quickly on gut instinct. So he swallowed down the last inner scream of protest and made one.
“You’re hired.”
Kelsey couldn’t believe her ears. A gift horse had arrived upon the scene, literally falling from the sky. Did this mean the fickle finger of fate had decided to smile on her for a change?
“But I can’t be.”
Annoyance flashed on chiseled features. “Are we going to have this argument again?”
“Don’t you want references? Shouldn’t we discuss expectations and
