Everson nodded. “Correct.”
“Two years ago he nannied for royalty in England. He has a degree in education. He’s a part-time EMT. He speaks four different languages. He’s completed seven Ironman competitions. AND he’s hit the New York Times Bestseller list for a series of children’s books he’s written. Are you out of your mind? It doesn’t get any better than Jamie.”
“You gonna still help with her sometimes?”
“What? Yes. But I can’t guarantee my time with the unpredictability of my job, so I can’t be her nanny, otherwise I would have offered.”
“I get that, Stick. But you’ll be around when you can?”
I shrugged. “Of course.”
“You’ll hang out with Shayna and her nanny?”
“Yeah, sometimes.”
“Great. Wait here.”
I waited. Why? I wasn’t sure.
“Jamie, man… mind if I take your picture for security purposes?”
I peeked around the corner as Everson took Jamie’s picture.
“What’s that all about?” I asked when Everson came back into the bedroom.
He tapped the screen of his phone. “What were all those credentials again? Royalty… teacher, EMT, four languages…” he continued to type into his phone “…Ironman competitions, oh and New York Times Best Seller.”
“What are you doing?”
He held up his phone. “Just sent a picture of Jamie and his amazing resumé to Monaghan to see how he feels about me hiring him to work next door to you.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not going to care. If anything, he’ll be impressed with my skills for finding the perfect person to watch Shayna.”
Everson held up his phone as it dinged with a response from Cage. He smirked. “Yeah, that’s what I figured he’d say.
Monaghan:No. Fucking. Way!
My jaw plummeted to the ground. I couldn’t believe that was Cage’s reaction. However, I refused to let Everson see my shock.
“You’ve got thirty seconds to make an intelligent case for not hiring Jamie, otherwise he’s our guy. I know darn well you have plans over the next few weeks and I can’t be your backup every time, so let’s hear it.”
“He’s a dude!”
I grunted a buzzing sound. “Try again, twenty seconds left.”
“It makes no sense that he’d want to be a nanny. Thatalone should raise enough suspicion.”
Another buzzing sound from me. “Last chance, ten seconds.”
“I’m going to catch shit from everyone I know for having a guy nanny…” he pointed toward the other room “…that looks like pretty boy out there.”
“That’swhy you don’t want to hire him? Because he’s…”
Everson crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s what, Stick? Finish your thought.”
I wasn’t taking the bait. “Give him two weeks and if you don’t like him then we’ll look for someone else.”
Our stare-off lasted for a good minute or more.
