EVE WAS BORED.
Sitting on the deck that overlooked a large backyard, Eve wondered how people managed not to go crazy without a job—or three—to fill the hours.
“Take care of Daisy,” Dylan told her before he left to work out at the Knights training facility. “And relax. You’ve earned a little downtime.”
“Easy for you to say,” Eve grumbled. “You get to go and play with Levi and the rest of your friends.”
“We don’t play,” Dylan said, offended by the idea. “We sweat our asses off.”
Dylan’s mother planned to pick Daisy up at one o’clock and keep her all afternoon. Love at first sight, Sylvie Montgomery couldn’t get enough of her granddaughter. The little girl felt the same. Eve wanted them to get along. But Daisy’s fickle affections stung more than she wanted to admit.
“You pay me to look after your niece.” Eve tried her best not to whine but feared she failed. “I feel like I’m taking your money under false pretenses.”
Dressed in jeans and a hoodie—and looking better than any man should—Dylan slung his gym bag over his shoulder.
“Don’t worry.” He finished off a glass of freshly squeezed vegetable juice. The green color made Eve shudder. “Mom just wants to show Daisy off to her friends. In a few days, the novelty will wear off.”
“Daisy isn’t a toy for your mother to play with then discard when the mood strikes.”
Eve knew she sounded irrational. But she was worried. About herself, not Daisy. She felt restless and out of sorts. Dylan was an easy target for her frustrations. Trouble was, he wouldn’t argue with her. He was patient and kind. The jerk.
“When I get home, we’ll sit down and figure out a solution.”
I don’t want you to be reasonable, Eve thought, gnashing her teeth. Yell. Tell me off.
“Don’t you dare pat me on the head,” Eve warned. When Dylan snatched back his hand, she almost kicked him in the shins. “I have a suggestion.”
“Okay.” Wisely, Dylan moved to the other side of the kitchen island. “What’s on your mind.”
“Fire your housekeeper and let me do the job.” Excited by the idea, Eve did a little dance. “I can mow the lawn. And weed the flower beds. One time I worked for an arborist so if you need the trees trimmed, no problem.”
“Eve.”
“Yes?” Anticipating his agreement, Eve smiled. “Tell me how much you love my idea.”
“No.” Dylan sighed, a frown forming between his brows. “I never want to do anything to make you sad. Honestly, seeing your smile fade cuts me to the bone. But you’ve worked so hard your entire life. Now is the time to relax and enjoy yourself.”
“To me, work isn’t punishment.” Eve struggled to find a way to make Dylan understand. “I just—”
“Hold the thought,” he said, holding up a hand as he looked at his watch. “I’m late. Sit. Breathe. Enjoy the view of the lake.”
“Dylan—”
“We’ll talk later.” He rushed out the door. “Promise.”
Three hours later, as Daisy played nearby in the shade, Eve’s mood still hadn’t settled. Up, down, and occasionally sideways, she couldn’t decide how she felt. How she wanted to feel.
Eve understood Dylan’s point of view. He wanted her to experience something she never had before. Stability and security. He thought all the jobs she used to work were a burden.
In a way, Dylan was right. Struggling from paycheck to paycheck wasn’t fun. Some months, she barely scraped by. What he didn’t understand—what she hadn’t properly conveyed to him—was the sense of accomplishment the jobs gave to her.
Whether Eve had two thousand dollars in her bank account of two cents, she was satisfied because it was money that she earned. By herself. No favors. No handouts.
“Your uncle is a kind, considerate man.”
Daisy looked up from the toy giraffe gifted to her by Grandma, and, as though she understood Eve’s dilemma, smiled.
“My sweet Petal.”
Eve sighed, her emotions settling. She wanted to believe Daisy needed her. But did she? The little girl hadn’t missed a beat in the move from Trident to Seattle. She was pampered and fussed over and loved. In other words, nothing in her world had changed.
“Would you miss me if I wasn’t here?” Eve asked, grateful Daisy couldn’t answer. “I promised to stay for a month. But if I left tomorrow, would anyone care?”
And welcome to my pity party, Eve thought, shaking her head and laughing. Rather than wallow and whine, she needed to find something to do with her time.
“I could write a book.”
Immediately, Eve dismissed the idea. She enjoyed reading stories from other people. She didn’t have the patience or skill to craft her own.
“What about a hobby? Needlework? Painting? Baking! I could learn how to make a cake that doesn’t come from a box.” Eve brightened at the prospect. “I do love to eat.”
“Rock climbing is fun,” a deep voice said.
Eve jumped to her feet and whirled around. A tall, slender man dressed all in black including a hat pulled low over his face stood five feet away. Sunglasses covered his eyes.
Heart racing, Eve reached for her phone, careful to keep herself between Daisy and the stranger.
“I’m about to call 911,” Eve said, reminding herself to stay calm. “The police respond quickly when rich people are involved so my advice is to leave now before they arrive.”
“Don’t call the police,” the man said in a rush. He pulled off his glasses revealing his face. “I’m Tanner. Dylan’s brother. Daisy’s—”
“Stop.” Eve interrupted before Tanner could finish. If she heard him declare he was Daisy’s father—now, when the words held little meaning—she might throw a chair at him. “What are you doing?”
“I came to see Daisy.” He looked over Eve’s shoulder, letting out a ragged breath. “She’s beautiful.”
Eve wanted to rage and rail and kick the crap out of Tanner. Knowing Daisy would see and hear everything, she curbed her anger.
“How dare you show up without calling first,” Eve said, keeping her voice a quiet and level as possible. “And what’s the idea of coming around back and scaring the
