Risky Chance Read online

  That had worked for almost three years, and then a few months ago a scandal hit the daycare and forced it to close. Apparently one of the other caretakers had a bit of a sordid history, and a prospective family managed to dig it up in their very thorough research on the facility. They went public with their information, despite the person having been fired immediately and pleas from the owners to reconsider. The newspaper and local television stations ran multiple stories about the daycare's failure to do a complete background check on its employees, which led to them hiring a convicted sex offender. A former high school teacher who had sex with a teenaged, but still underage, student. Sara had never seen anything improper between the employee and her charges, though they didn't normally work in the same room, and the woman was pleasant if a little quiet. In hindsight, she probably kept quiet because she was hiding her past.

  Within a week of the news breaking, seventy-five percent of the families that had attended the daycare removed their children and, without any clients, they could no longer operate. Sara had scrambled to find a job, any job, and ended up working at a clothing store in the mall. She absolutely hated it. Hated the monotony and dealing with rude shoppers. And the store manager, who was two years younger than Sara, but thought she knew everything. Children were way more fun and interesting, even when they were crabby. She loved teaching them new things, watching their young minds absorb new skills like a sponge. Folding clothes with a fake smile on her face all day made her want to pull out her own fingernails with a pair of pliers.

  She desperately wanted this job as Carter's nanny, and not just because she needed to get out of her stupid mall job before it rotted her brain. She wanted to get to know him and be a part of his life because he was family, and family was the most important thing in the world. If not for her grandmother stepping up and taking her in, Sara would have grown up in foster care. She couldn't screw up this interview with Keith no matter how nervous she was. Maybe he'd feel awkward too, meeting his ex-girlfriend's cousin. She didn't know how long they had dated, just that they weren't together when Molly had Carter. One could only hope.

  Sara took a deep breath and scanned the area, searching for him. She'd only seen him once, and he hadn't been at his best after being in the hospital at Carter's side for days, but even then he'd been handsome. Dark brown hair that was a bit too long and curled up at the ends. Matching brown eyes framed by long dark lashes gave him a seductive, romantic look, like an old-fashioned pirate, especially when paired with the long hair. She didn't know if he normally kept it long or if getting a trim just hadn't been a priority at that time. She did know he worked in the local steel factory and had just bought a house for him and Carter, information Angie helpfully provided.

  Thoughts of what Keith might look like now were erased when suddenly the man himself stood in front of her. She knew it was him even though she'd only spent a few minutes in his company almost half a year ago. Same longish hair, same intense brown eyes. Same stony look on his face, though this time he wasn't yelling irately at her. Yet.

  "Sara?" he asked, making butterflies take flight in her stomach. His voice was commanding, even when asking a question with just one word.

  "Yes," she replied after a few seconds of stunned silence. "Hi, Keith. It's nice to meet you." She went to stand and shake his hand, but he motioned for her to stay seated as he took the chair opposite her. She barely had her butt back in the seat before he took control of the situation without even a hint of awkwardness or hesitation on his part, dashing her hope that he shared her nerves.

  "Let's not beat around the bush here, Sara, you know who I am and I know who you are. I'm sure you're aware I'm not a fan of Molly. In fact, I don't want her anywhere near my son, not that she's tried to make contact anyway. I need to hire someone to watch Carter and I'd prefer to have someone who actually cares about him. Angie tells me that you might be that person." He paused long enough for her to nod her head in agreement before he started again. "I'm not sure that you are, but I agreed to meet with you as a favor to her, and because I do trust her judgment."

  Wow! Sara knew he didn't like Molly, but she had no idea his feelings were so extreme. His tone was firm and left no room for discussion. In fact, it sounded like he actually hated Molly!

  Angie hadn't come close to explaining how much of an uphill battle Sara would have to get this job. Looking at Keith and returning his penetrating stare, she straightened her spine and drew on the same reserve of strength she'd called on when Grandma had her stroke. If she could handle that situation, she could make Keith realize that she was the perfect person to take care of Carter.

  "Why don't I tell you about myself and why I want the job?" she offered, giving him her best retail smile and brightest attitude. Keith started in surprise at her perkiness and Sara stifled a giggle. If he thought his speech would scare her off, he was very wrong. It took more than a hardheaded alpha male to scare Sara Saunders away.

  "Sure, let me get a coffee first and then we'll talk," he said, standing and reaching for his wallet. "Do you want another one? I'll buy."

  Sara smiled and gave him her order. As he walked towards the coffee kiosk, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy the view of his backside. And what a view it was! Then she took a deep breath, shook away all dirty thoughts of her future boss and tried to organize her argument. With only twenty minutes of her lunch break left, she needed to make the most of her time. Failure was not an option. She had to persuade Keith to give her a chance.

  * * * * *

  Keith hadn't planned for this to happen.

  In fact, he'd planned for exactly the opposite outcome, and had arrived with a bad attitude and rude words on the tip of his tongue. She was supposed to run away, or at the very least see the foolishness of the endeavor and give up, but, for some reason, instead of Sara being put off by his blunt assessment of the situation, she took it as a challenge and became determined to prove him wrong. When he first approached the table, he could see that she was nervous, twisting her empty coffee cup in her hands, but once he laid his feelings out, she toughened up and flashed him a smile that made his heart beat loudly in his chest. He bought them coffees and she proceeded to spend the next fifteen minutes telling him her history and why she wanted to watch Carter. He asked her a few follow up questions and then she had to get back to work. He promised he'd think about it and call her soon.

  After hearing her story, even Keith had to admit she was a strong and determined young woman. Sacrificing her college education so that her grandmother would have the best care possible showed how deeply she loved her family. She was almost finished with her two-year degree in early childhood education, having taken three years of part-time classes to get to that point. Once her summer classes ended in a few weeks, she was ready to move on to the local university and work on her teaching degree, still going part time. Since Keith worked mostly afternoons and evenings, she could go to school in the morning, and then watch Carter while Keith was at work and study after she put the baby to bed.

  It all sounded good, perfect actually, but anyone could put their best face forward for half an hour. He could tell from the way her forehead scrunched up when she told him about her current job, that Sara hated working at the mall and had only taken it because she needed to work. She lived in her grandmother's old house so she didn't have rent, but still had to pay for utilities and food on her own, making a job a necessity. He admired that about her as well. That she'd do whatever it took to take care of herself, even if it meant doing something she despised, rather than running up student loans like so many other people.

  Even though he knew he'd give her a chance to come over and see how she was with Carter, Keith forced himself to take the night and really think about it. He turned the proposition over in his head, trying to come up with reasons why he shouldn't give Sara a shot, but what kept filtering to the top of his brain wasn't anything about her past or her personality. It was a picture of her face, with that determined smile she ga
ve him in the face of his rudeness, her face framed by silky blond hair that hung past her shoulders. Her clear blue eyes meeting his straight on, without any fear or hesitation, as she told him about herself.

  Sara was the exact opposite of Molly, in looks and personality, at least from what he knew of them both. Molly was a red-headed temptress that he'd met at a club and taken to a motel after having far too much to drink. They parted ways the next morning with no plans to meet up again. He didn't even know he'd given her his number until the day she called two months later and told him she was pregnant. He'd gotten to know a bit about her after that call, and what he learned he didn't like at all. Molly was a selfish user who only cared about where the next party was at and how messed up she could become. She swore she would stay clean while pregnant, but Keith, and the doctors who delivered Carter two months early, seriously doubted that had happened. On top of that, she practically ran out of the hospital the day after the birth and never came back, proving she was an absolute jerk.

  Sara, on the other hand, appeared to be honest and trustworthy, two traits he highly regarded. Carter needed stability, and since he didn't have a mother, Keith had to find an acceptable substitute. Not to mention that Sara looked like the girl next door, something Keith found very attractive, even though he normally went for women who were a little on the wild side, but look where his choices in ladies had gotten him—single father status at age twenty-five. No more crazy women for him, no matter how good they were in bed. Now when he pictured the type of woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, someone like Sara popped into his head.

  He firmly squashed down the faint idea creeping up from the recesses of his mind that Sara could be a mother to Carter, not just his nanny. If she took the job, she'd be off limits as a girlfriend.

  At least that's what he told his rebellious brain, and all the other parts of his body that wanted to get to know her much, much better.

  Chapter 3

  Keith's call the next morning took Sara by surprise, albeit a very pleasant one. After she'd talked non-stop for fifteen minutes straight the day before, telling him her entire history and philosophy of childcare, she couldn't tell what he thought. There was no hint of whether he liked what she was saying or wanted to run far, far away. He maintained the same stony expression throughout her monologue. Then he asked a few questions, thanked her and told her he'd call soon. She expected to hear from him in a week or so, if he even bothered to call. No way had she imagined it would be the next day!

  They agreed that Sara would come over the following Sunday afternoon for a few hours to spend some time with Carter and talk more with Keith. She didn't have the job yet, but Sara felt sure she could win Keith over once he saw how good she was with children.

  With the day off and excitement bubbling inside her until she was about to burst, Sara decided to give Angie a call. They'd become friends after Carter's birth and Sara didn't have anyone else to share her news with.

  Angie answered the phone after the first ring, sounding just as excited as Sara felt. "Hi Sara, I've been waiting for you to call. How did your meeting with Keith go?"

  "Really good. He called this morning to schedule a time when I can go over to his house!" Sara said. "I wanted to thank you for setting it up for me."

  "You're welcome. I hope it works out for both of you. It's really a win—win situation. You need a job and love kids and he needs a nanny that he can trust."

  "Well I know you went out on a limb for me and I really appreciate it. I hope Kevin wasn't too upset with you." Angie hadn't told her boyfriend who Sara was, just that she had a new friend she'd met at the hospital where she worked. Given how much she now knew Keith disliked Molly, Sara understood why keeping a secret that little Carter was her cousin was a good idea.

  "He wasn't too thrilled with me for not telling the truth, but other than having a sore butt for a few days, everything's okay," Angie replied, then sucked in a breath like she'd said more than she intended.

  "Wait, what? Why do you have a sore butt?" Sara asked. Was Angie saying what Sara thought she was saying?

  "Well…I know this sounds weird, but Kevin spanks me when I've done something bad, and honesty is really important to him," Angie said hesitantly. "He was upset that I'd lied to him."

  How did she respond to that? Sara was silent for a second, turning the options over in her head, before deciding that the truth always worked best.

  "Actually, I don't think it sounds weird at all." Sara actually thought it sounded kind of hot, and really comforting to have someone who cared enough to make sure she stayed in line. "My grandmother was pretty old-fashioned and she raised me with a lot of discipline."

  "Oh," Angie said, sounding very surprised. "So she spanked you when you were a child?"

  "She spanked me until I was a teenager," Sara admitted. Until she was eighteen actually. Grandma had believed in the liberal use of the paddle to deal with smart mouths and bad attitudes, which was one of the reasons Sara had managed to turn her life around and break away from Molly. When you knew your butt would be blistered if you got into any more trouble, you had a tendency to behave.

  "It's a relief to me that you understand and don't think it's strange," Angie said, sounding relieved. "Only a few of my friends know, and that's only because their men spank them too. I'm glad I won't have to hide that part of my life from you."

  Sara found it interesting that there were a group of couples that all spanked…which led her to her next question. "Does Keith believe in spanking too?" That thought gave her a tingle as she imagined Keith bending her over and warming her behind with his big hand. She could definitely picture him being a disciplinarian. He was big and strong and tough, exactly the type of man she always hoped to be with someday. Though she really shouldn't be having these thoughts about her potential employer!

  "I don't know for sure, but he knows about me and Kevin and doesn't object," she said.

  "Did he ever try to spank Molly?" Sara said.

  "Molly? No," Angie said, surprised. "They weren't ever really together. It was a one-night stand and then she showed up and told Keith she was pregnant. After that, they pretty much just fought about the baby."

  That was news to Sara, though she didn't know why. Thinking back on her brief interactions with her cousin during the pregnancy, Sara realized Molly had never referred to Keith as her boyfriend. Sara must have assumed they were together. Incorrectly.

  "Yeah, I guess in hindsight I couldn't really picture them together," she said, then hurried to add before she gave too much away, "Not that I know him that well."

  Angie laughed. "I have a feeling you two will be getting to know each other very well. Maybe even well enough to find out if he spanks."

  Sara was about to ask what she meant by that puzzling comment, but was cut off when she heard a male voice in the background calling for Angie. "Listen, I've got to go. We're on our way out for lunch. I'm so glad it went well with Keith. Call me Sunday after you go over there and let me know what happens, okay?"

  "I will. Thanks again, Angie. I'll talk to you later."

  "Bye!"

  Sara disconnected and lay back on her old childhood bed with a sigh. Angie had given her a lot to think about. The first was the fact Angie was spanked, and apparently so were a bunch of her friends. Sara had thought that her grandmother was the only person left on the planet that still believed in corporal punishment as a form of discipline. Although, truth be told, given how well it had worked on her, Sara believed in it too. She just didn't think she'd ever meet someone who felt the same way.

  Sometimes she didn't think before she acted, especially when it came to trying to fix situations or helping people. Having a strong man there to correct her would be a dream come true. She could take care of herself, she'd proven that over the last few years, but it would be nice to have someone she trusted and she could rely on to keep her safe.

  The second piece of news was that Molly and Keith had never really been an
item. That made Sara feel less guilty about being attracted to Keith, though the fact she may be working for him felt like a boulder blocking her from pursuing her feelings. Besides, there was absolutely no indication from him during their meeting that he felt the same way about her, and if he was only attracted to girls like Molly, Sara knew that he never would.

  Where Molly favored short skirts and tight tops, accessorized by her piercings and tattoos, Sara preferred jeans or leggings and sweaters. Sure, she liked to get dressed up and look pretty as much as any other girl, but she didn't flaunt her body. Not that she didn't have a nice body, if she did say so herself. Decent sized breasts, a narrow waist with slightly curvy hips and toned legs, but that didn't mean she had to put all of that on display for the world. Her grandmother raised her to respect herself, and Sara believed part of that was dressing in a way that didn't make her look like a hooker.

  Which is exactly what Molly looked and acted like—especially when she was out for a night on the town. Sara felt bad even thinking so poorly of her cousin, but unfortunately it was the truth. Hopefully someday Molly would grow up and take responsibility for her life, and her family, but for now Sara would work on being there for Carter. If only Keith could get over the fact she was related to Molly, maybe he would be willing to hire her.

  * * * * *

  "Are you sure about this, man?"

  The question hung in the air, and if anyone else had asked that particular question, Keith would be pissed. Since it came from his brother, it was acceptable. Even appreciated. No one knew Keith's situation and struggles better than Kevin. He'd been right there with Keith through all the many ups and downs of the past year. In fact, they hadn't been able to hang out like this in weeks, if not months. When Angie volunteered to babysit for a few hours, Keith jumped at the chance for some adult time out of the house that didn't involve work. Even if it was just to hang out at the local bar, watching football with his brother.