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I could tell he was about to ask me something else, but a skinny brunet also wearing pajamas came running around the corner and stepped in front of him. She looked a little flustered and gave me one good look before turning her frown to Lucas.
“What did I tell you about opening the door to strangers, buddy?” the woman asked in a stern tone.
The little boy sighed. “Not to do it, but I thought it could be Dad.”
Her expression softened, and my stomach sank. The nightwear and the clear tenderness in her eyes as she looked at Conner’s kid made me question if Conner really was the single cowboy his furniture had led me to believe. Considering I was here for an interview and didn’t need to fill my mind with the distraction, I pushed the thought away.
The woman’s hazelnut eyes turned to me. “How can I help you?”
With a smile, I replied, “I’m Chloe Jones, Alex’s daughter. I have a meeting with Conner.”
“You’re Alex’s daughter?” Lucas asked stepping around the woman to look at me. “He’s my godfather, you know?”
“Yeah, I do,” I told him with a nod. “He took me to see you once, actually.”
Blue eyes that were an exact copy of Conner’s narrowed at me.
“Are you sure, because I don’t remember you.”
I chuckled at his sassiness. “You were fresh out of the oven and asleep. But you were cute as heck.”
The boy looked at me for a few seconds. His eyes were intense and his lips were pulled sideways in a smile. Not knowing what else to do, I stared at him back and narrowed my eyes playfully at him.
“Dad isn’t here,” he informed me in a matter of fact tone. “But Sasha and I were about to have breakfast. I just decided that I like you, so you can come and wait with us.”
I looked up at the woman, but she simply shrugged and turned around to go back to wherever she had come from. Once Lucas and I were alone, he stepped sideways to allow me inside and then closed the door behind me.
“Dad works a lot,” he informed me casually as we started walking toward the kitchen. Then, with incredible energy and enthusiasm, he began babbling. “Our Ranch Resort is huge. We have a bunch of rooms for people to stay in and fifteen horses. That’s a bunch of horses, ya know?”
I nodded. “I do. You know all their names?”
The boy’s excitement seemed to double at my question. He bobbed his head vigorously, took a seat at the kitchen table, and I sat right next to him. The woman placed a plate of eggs, apple slices, and toast in front of him and Lucas started munching as he recited all fifteen names and told me the stories of how he and his Dad had picked each one.
Although the stories were long, I loved hearing them and seeing the excitement on Lucas’ face. Once he exhausted the subject and was assured that I was well acquainted with the equine population of the resort, the boy returned to the subject of his father.
“Anyways . . . because Dad works a lot, Sasha watches me for him. Like right now, right Sasha?”
The woman who was now seated at the table with us nodded. “That’s right, buddy, but your Dad will be here soon, and you’ll be his problem for the rest of the day.” Lucas chuckled at her teasing as she turned her eyes to me. “Since the monkey is laughing and not babbling for once, let me take the chance to apologize for not introducing myself.
I had eggs cooking.”
I waved a hand, but before I could assure the nanny that it was okay, Lucas took over the spotlight again. I chuckled, but she just rolled her eyes and went back to her meal.
“Once Dad’s back, he’s gonna take me to the horses and then we’ll have ice-cream for lunch. We do that every Saturday so Sasha can go see her boyfriend.”
Sasha’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red at Lucas’ comment. Relieved to know that not only was she the nanny, also a committed one, I smiled kindly at her. I quickly understood why she looked flustered. This kiddo was definitely a handful.
“Do you like horses and ice-cream?” Lucas called my attention back to him.
With a deep breath, I nodded. “I love both. Why?”
“Imma gonna ask Dad if you can come riding with us.” He looked at my dress, and, with a mouth full of eggs, added, “You’ll just have to change first.”
Touched by the invitation, I made my voice as sweet as I could as I replied, “I’d love to, but today isn’t the best day.”
“Why the hell not?” Lucas demanded while taking the last bite of his food.
Taken back by his hilarious choice of vocabulary, I opened my mouth to reply, but before I had a chance, a familiar deep voice sounded from behind me.
