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“Look, Daddy!” she exclaims, pointing at a particularly vibrant pin on Maddie’s backpack.
“Fine,” I manage to say between gritted teeth, shooting Maddie a glare. “You can stay. For now.”
“Thanks for the warm welcome,” she retorts sarcastically, her eyes twinkling with defiance. As much as I hate to admit it, her fire is captivating.
Carmen takes Maddie’s hand. “Come. Breakfast.”
Maddie obediently follows Carmen as she pulls her toward the kitchen and dining room.
Maddie walks past me, and my nostrils flare as her scent fills the air —a mixture of lavender, coffee, and something uniquely her.
I scratch my head. This was not how I imagined my morning or the new nanny. But as Carmen has seemed somewhat uncomfortable with all the others, maybe this will be good. She seems to like Maddie.
I pop my head into the kitchen. “Gina, meet Maddie, the new nanny. Maddie, meet Gina, my chef. She's also the queen bee of this household and keeps track of the schedule and staff. You will follow her instructions."
Maddie nods, looking happy as Carmen instructs her to sit. She barely seems to pay me any attention. The previous nannies have stood as stiff as bricks when I've talked to them, ready to follow my every command. Unfortunately, they seemed to have had little intuition where children were concerned.
"Nice to meet you, Maddie," Gina says. "How about I join you guys for breakfast so we can get to know one another?"
"Excellent idea. And lovely to meet you too." Maddie beams at Gina, and I roll my eyes. Clearly, she's warm and open with everyone but me.
"Get settled in," I instruct tersely. "I'm going to get dressed, and then I'll introduce you to Leo and Erin."
"Thanks," Maddie says, again barely looking up.
I go upstairs and quickly get dressed in a tailored dark blue suit and white shirt. I have a meeting this morning, and I don't want to be late.
When I return to the kitchen, Gina, Maddie, and Carmen are happily munching on pancakes. Carmen looks happy, and I smile.
"Leo, Erin," I call into the hallway, and within seconds both appear. I direct them to follow me into the kitchen.
"Maddie, I want you to meet Leo. He's my driver and will take you and Carmen where you need to go. And this is Erin, my head of security. You do not leave this house with Carmen unless she's with you or has sent someone else with you. Do you understand?"
Maddie looks at us, stunned. I'm not sure she's realized just how rich I am or how big a pressure that can put on a household. Kidnappings aren't unheard of. I might be just a coffee entrepreneur, but my coffee company is now America's largest importer of specialty coffee. What's more, I've invested my earnings wisely, very wisely. Some would say I've been ridiculously lucky, which I guess I have been. I'm a billionaire now. And that's what irritates me about people like Maddie—she might think rich people have no responsibilities and like to play around, but, in reality, we’ve had to fight to get where we are. Well, most of us. And some, like me, didn't come from comfortable backgrounds.
"Sure," she says after a moment's hesitation.
"Good. Security comes first. And, what's more, you need to go through your schedule with Gina. Make sure everything's all right. I'm off to work."
I walk up to the table and hug Carmen. She kisses my cheek. "Bye-bye, Daddy," she says happily.
"Bye, baby," I reply, leaving the kitchen. I find this hard. I hate leaving Carmen with new people, but I know Gina will keep a watchful eye on her.
Chapter three
Maddie
The door closes behind Roland with a soft click, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My hands tremble slightly as I lift the fork to my mouth, the sweet taste of maple syrup-laden pancakes spreading across my tongue. Carmen giggles in her booster seat next to me, her small hands clumsily gripping her own utensils. Gina, the fiery-haired chef, stands at the counter, keeping a watchful eye on us. She must be in her mid-forties, but she looks as fit as some twenty-year-olds I know.
"Sweetheart, let me introduce you properly to Erin and Leo," Gina says, gesturing toward the tall woman who has an air of authority about her and the burly man with a kind smile. Erin has auburn hair and dark eyes, while Leo has black hair and brown eyes. I bet that Leo is of Latin descent. Erin appears to be in her mid-thirties, while I'd place Leo in his late twenties.
"Nice to meet you both," I say nervously, trying to focus on their faces instead of the lingering image of my new boss—the dark-haired, olive-skinned man from last night.
"Welcome to our crazy family," Erin says with a stern expression that belies the warmth in her voice. "I'm the head of security here."
"Hi!" Leo booms, his large hand engulfing mine when we shake. "I'm the driver and general go-to guy for anything you need."
"Thanks, it's great to meet you both," I reply, my mind racing with thoughts of how to navigate this new role, especially with Roland as my employer.
