“I’m sorry. I’m Nash Dillon. I’m a Border Patrol agent.”
She tilted her head. “You said you didn’t have a wife. Is the baby yours?”
“Actually, no. I’m watching him for a friend, but I expected her back sooner and I’m afraid three days of being on my own with a baby is wearing on me.”
At least he’d lasted three days. She was not sure she could do it for one day, but she had a fat paycheck waiting for her on the other end of this.
“Oh.” She wrinkled her nose. “Your friend didn’t abandon her baby, did she?”
“Nothing like that. She dropped him off with me. We’re old friends. We go way back. Happy to help.”
She extended her card again, and he plucked it from her fingers. Was he in love with Jaycee? The woman had a certain appeal, if a guy liked the soft, helpless type. Billionaire tycoon Marcus Lanier obviously did, as did Brett Fillmore, low-life druggie.
“I’m staying at the Paradiso Inn. Call me once you do your due diligence and I pass muster—if you’re still interested.” She tapped the card still in his hand. “My website’s on there, which includes testimonials and references. Please feel free to call any one of them.”
She’d been busy during her downtime when Nash had been holed up with the baby. But she knew he’d have to leave the house at some point and the tracker she’d attached to his truck told her exactly where he’d gone.
He held up the card. “Thanks, Emily. I’ll be in touch.”
She ducked into the truck and pinched Wyatt’s foot, avoiding that whole mess on his face. “Hope to see you again, little guy. What’s his name?”
“Wyatt.”
She patted the baby’s soft head. “Be a good boy, Wyatt.”
Nash closed the door of the truck and thrust out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Emily. I think you just might be a lifesaver.”
First time anyone had called her that. She placed her hand in his, letting it rest there limply. She didn’t want him to see her as any kind of aggressive threat.
“I hope I can help, Agent Dillon.”
“Call me Nash.”
“Well, enjoy that little bundle of joy, Nash. I look forward to hearing from you.” She floated back to her rental car and slid behind the wheel, letting out a long breath. First contact successful.
She slumped in her seat and tapped her phone to call Marcus’s private cell. He picked up on the first ring.
“What do you have for me?”
“Looks like I have an in. The guy Jaycee dumped the baby with needs a nanny because of course he does.”
“So what? You’re not a nanny. You’re a fired cop who’s trying to get your PI business off the ground.”
Emily rolled her eyes. Nobody said you had to be brilliant to make a billion bucks. “Oh, but I am a nanny. I set up a fake ID and profile for myself. A quick background check on me, and he’s going to believe I’m Mary freakin’ Poppins.”
Marcus snorted over the phone. “Don’t screw it up, Emily, and where’s Jaycee? Why’d she drop off Wyatt?”
“I lost her when she crossed the border. The GPS went out of range, but I thought it more important to stay with Wyatt.”
“It is.”
“Do you still want me to just watch Wyatt? I mean, if I take him and bring him to you, that’s kidnapping and you’ll be charged.”
Marcus drew a quick breath. “I never said anything about taking Wyatt. You just watch him to make sure he’s okay. I’m still working with my attorneys on this end to make a move for custody.”
“And when Jaycee comes back to collect him?”
“I hired you to follow Wyatt.” Marcus cleared his throat. “Who’s this guy who has the baby?”
“He’s...” Emily squeezed her eyes closed. “Just some guy. An old friend of Jaycee’s.”
For some reason, she didn’t want to expose Nash Dillon to Marcus Lanier’s wrath or even attention. Maybe it was the light in his blue eyes or the way the sun glinted off his sandy-blond hair. Maybe it was because she wanted to protect that handsome face from some serious damage if Marcus thought Nash was standing between him and his son.
Marcus’s voice roughened. “I expect a more thorough report on the guy than that when you’re through with this job. I’m going to transfer another five thousand dollars into your account. I don’t think being a nanny for a few days pays much.”
He ended the call before she could thank him. She stashed her phone in a cup holder and took a long drink from her soda. Talking to Marcus always left a bad taste in her mouth.
As far as she knew, he’d made his money on the up-and-up, but she’d heard rumors of some shady connections. And he didn’t like law enforcement. That was another reason she’d been vague about Nash’s identity. Marcus would probably blow a gasket if he found out a Border Patrol agent had possession of Wyatt.
She pulled out of the grocery store parking lot and headed back to her motel and her laptop. She had a whole lot more research to do on babies before she could convince Nash of her expertise—when in reality, she didn’t even like babies.
The following day, Nash Dillon must’ve done his background checks because he called her cell practically at sunrise. All her fake references had come through like champions.
“It would be great if you could start today. I have to get back to work, so you and Wyatt can get to know each other.”
Emily’s heart skipped a few beats. Alone with a baby? How hard could that be?
“Give me your address, and I’ll be over within an hour.”
He obliged, even though she knew damned well where he lived—that vast house on that vast property. His family owned most of the pecan groves in the area and had a large interest in the packing plant. In other words, the Dillon family was loaded. She’d also
