Read Online Sheriff Needs a Nanny by Teresa Carpenter - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Teresa Carpenter
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Wilson and Pebbles have a love-hate relationship. She loves the cool air in here, and he hates the fact she’s a dog. Oh, there’s Millie. Did you hear her mother broke her leg? She was washing windows and fell off a stepladder. Her ma likes to have a cold cocktail on these hot afternoons. I hope she had more sense than to drink before climbing a ladder.”
Mrs. Day tucked Pebbles back into her purple habitat and maneuvered her cart around Nikki’s.
“I’ll just go offer my commiserations.”
“Take Pebbles home, Mrs. Day.” Trace issued the warning in his official voice. “I wouldn’t want to have to run you in because Pebbles and Mr. Wilson got into an altercation.”
The woman waved away his advice. “You are so funny.”
He watched Mrs. Day trot on to her next victim, then turned to Nikki with a lifted brow. “She thinks I’m joking.”
Nope, Mrs. Day didn’t know him well at all. Trace didn’t joke about the law or keeping order.
“Lighten up, Sheriff,” Nikki said. “You don’t always have to chase the rules.”
CHAPTER SIX
T RACE tossed his keys on the counter and glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall: twelve-thirty in the morning. He headed straight through the house to Nikki’s rooms to collect Mickey.
The whole town was buzzing about his business. Asking after his son—or, worse, his daughter. Wanting to know about his nanny service. Offering to set him up with their daughter, sister, niece and, in one unforgettable case, an ex-wife.
He just wanted it to end. Had never wanted it to start. But that had been unrealistic, and the hurt expression on Nikki’s face when he’d failed to introduce her to Mrs. Day still haunted him.
He owed her an apology. It wasn’t her fault his privacy was being torn to shreds. She deserved better from him.
He knocked once, and then again. After a few minutes Nikki opened the door. Hair mussed, dressed in shorts and tank top, displaying lots of silky soft skin. There’d been a couple of nights when he’d had to pickMickey up from here, but this was the latest he’d been. He’d obviously woken her.
“Hey,” she said around a yawn, and stepped back. “You’re late.”
“Yeah. Sorry to ruin your day off.”
“Couldn’t be helped,” she said easily. “Mickey was a big hit at my sister’s baby birthing class.”
He preferred not to imagine that scene. “I’ll bet.”
Backlit by the dim room, she looked sleepy, tousled and oh-so-soft. With a fierceness he’d never known, he longed to sweep her up, carry her to the couch and surround himself in her softness. He wanted nothing more than to purge the horrors of the night in the tenderness of her arms.
“Come in.” She stepped back, and he moved past her to get Mickey from the playpen beside the couch. After hours of working at an accident, the sweet scent of her skin nearly drove him to his knees.
“The doctor called today. I gave him your cell number.”
“Yeah, I talked to him.”
“What did he have to say?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Trace shook his head. It was too dangerous for him to be here. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
He lifted the slight weight of his son into his arms. Mickey opened his eyes, focused on Trace, smiled and snuggled into his shoulder and went back to sleep.
The trust of the gesture weighed heavy on a night when he’d witnessed senseless death. How was he supposed to keep his child safe in a world out of control?
“Are you okay?” Nikki ran a light hand from the back of his elbow down his forearm to his wrist. Just as he’d thought, her gentle caress eased some of his despair.
To shatter the illusion he moved away, starting toward the door. “No touching.” He tried for lightness and failed miserably.
The concern in Nikki’s eyes heightened. She smiled. “This is my place. The rules don’t apply here.”
“The rules always apply.” No rules meant anything went, and he’d have no reason not to taste the lush line of
Mrs. Day tucked Pebbles back into her purple habitat and maneuvered her cart around Nikki’s.
“I’ll just go offer my commiserations.”
“Take Pebbles home, Mrs. Day.” Trace issued the warning in his official voice. “I wouldn’t want to have to run you in because Pebbles and Mr. Wilson got into an altercation.”
The woman waved away his advice. “You are so funny.”
He watched Mrs. Day trot on to her next victim, then turned to Nikki with a lifted brow. “She thinks I’m joking.”
Nope, Mrs. Day didn’t know him well at all. Trace didn’t joke about the law or keeping order.
“Lighten up, Sheriff,” Nikki said. “You don’t always have to chase the rules.”
CHAPTER SIX
T RACE tossed his keys on the counter and glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall: twelve-thirty in the morning. He headed straight through the house to Nikki’s rooms to collect Mickey.
The whole town was buzzing about his business. Asking after his son—or, worse, his daughter. Wanting to know about his nanny service. Offering to set him up with their daughter, sister, niece and, in one unforgettable case, an ex-wife.
He just wanted it to end. Had never wanted it to start. But that had been unrealistic, and the hurt expression on Nikki’s face when he’d failed to introduce her to Mrs. Day still haunted him.
He owed her an apology. It wasn’t her fault his privacy was being torn to shreds. She deserved better from him.
He knocked once, and then again. After a few minutes Nikki opened the door. Hair mussed, dressed in shorts and tank top, displaying lots of silky soft skin. There’d been a couple of nights when he’d had to pickMickey up from here, but this was the latest he’d been. He’d obviously woken her.
“Hey,” she said around a yawn, and stepped back. “You’re late.”
“Yeah. Sorry to ruin your day off.”
“Couldn’t be helped,” she said easily. “Mickey was a big hit at my sister’s baby birthing class.”
He preferred not to imagine that scene. “I’ll bet.”
Backlit by the dim room, she looked sleepy, tousled and oh-so-soft. With a fierceness he’d never known, he longed to sweep her up, carry her to the couch and surround himself in her softness. He wanted nothing more than to purge the horrors of the night in the tenderness of her arms.
“Come in.” She stepped back, and he moved past her to get Mickey from the playpen beside the couch. After hours of working at an accident, the sweet scent of her skin nearly drove him to his knees.
“The doctor called today. I gave him your cell number.”
“Yeah, I talked to him.”
“What did he have to say?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Trace shook his head. It was too dangerous for him to be here. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
He lifted the slight weight of his son into his arms. Mickey opened his eyes, focused on Trace, smiled and snuggled into his shoulder and went back to sleep.
The trust of the gesture weighed heavy on a night when he’d witnessed senseless death. How was he supposed to keep his child safe in a world out of control?
“Are you okay?” Nikki ran a light hand from the back of his elbow down his forearm to his wrist. Just as he’d thought, her gentle caress eased some of his despair.
To shatter the illusion he moved away, starting toward the door. “No touching.” He tried for lightness and failed miserably.
The concern in Nikki’s eyes heightened. She smiled. “This is my place. The rules don’t apply here.”
“The rules always apply.” No rules meant anything went, and he’d have no reason not to taste the lush line of
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