Page 4 of Chasing the Sun

His tone gave nothing away, not that it was her business anyway. She’d been hired as Molly’s nanny, and as long as she did her job, that was all that mattered. The summer would probably fly by, and then she’d be back in Michigan where she belonged.

“Do you have any more questions for me?” he asked, seemingly anxious to change the subject.

“Not that I can think of.”

“Okay. We’ll look forward to seeing you soon, and don’t forget to email me your flight information.”

“I won’t, and thank you for hiring me. You’re doing me a big favor.”

“Likewise,” he said.

After they disconnected, she shut down her laptop and stared into space. It was true she was grateful for the job, but why was there something niggling at the back of her brain? It sounded like the ideal summer job, and she’d get to be near her best friend again.

From what she could tell, Molly seemed like a sweet, well-behaved little girl, and Bryce a loving father. But what of Bryce the man? They’d talked for almost an hour, but he’d revealed very little of himself, almost like he’d been hiding behind his cool, calm veneer.

Later, she’d scold Elle for not telling her how ridiculously hot he was. When his face had first appeared on the screen, she’d had trouble containing her reaction. He had that dark, almost brooding look, with his brown-black hair, deep brown eyes, and thick brows. She recalled the sharp, defined angles of his face and his straight nose. There wasn’t anything soft about his features, yet when he’d smiled, his entire appearance had changed.

Naturally, he had beautiful, straight white teeth. After all, he had to be a walking advertisement for his dental practice. Punctuated by his full lips and the sparkle in his eyes (courtesy of Molly), he’d gone from steely to striking in a flash.

He’d been sitting down, so she hadn’t seen if he had the body to match, but what she had noticed looked promising. He’d been wearing a periwinkle blue golf shirt with the top two buttons undone, showing a sliver of bronze skin. His arms had been crossed over his chest, and they’d looked tanned and toned.

She imagined that between golfing, swimming in his own pool, and chasing after a five-year-old, he kept in good shape.

Then she shook her head in disgust. “Stop it! He’s your employer, not a prospective boyfriend!” Not to mention a single dad who might have a bitch of an ex-wife. It had been quite a while since she’d had sex. That was the only explanation for her stroll down Inappropriate Thoughts Lane.

Springing up out of the chair, she made a solemn vow. “Thou shalt not covet thy hot employer starting right now!”

chapter 2

Bryce lowered the chair for his patient. “You’re all set, Mrs. Thomas.”

“Thank you, dear,” she said and patted his hand. “You always take such good care of me.”

“You’re one of my favorite patients.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls!”

Bryce laughed because Mrs. Thomas was eighty years old if she was a day. Many of his patients belonged to the sixty-and-over crowd, but he didn’t mind. Most of them were retired transplants from colder climates, and they were so happy to be in Florida that even a trip to the dentist couldn’t bring them down.

There was the occasional grumpy customer, but his biggest problem was saying no to the women who wanted to fix him up with their daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and the like.

“Are you still single, doctor?” Mrs. Thomas asked.

Case in point. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Have I ever told you about my niece Olivia?”

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, because, though she meant well, she’d told him about Olivia a few times or ten. “I believe so, but she couldn’t be nearly as pretty as her aunt.”

“Oh, you!” she said and smiled, revealing her newly capped tooth.

After his assistant escorted Mrs. Thomas to the front desk, he chuckled. If this was the worst problem he had to face, he’d take it. He was fortunate to be doing what he did and making a good (correction, great) living at it. Not everyone was as lucky, which got him thinking about Chloe Miller, his new nanny.

When Jamie had first recommended her for the job, he’d been reluctant. He’d rather have hired a stranger so if things didn’t work out, nobody’s feelings would get hurt. After interviewing Chloe on FaceTime, his reluctance had flown out the window.

She’d seemed like a genuinely nice girl, and she was obviously in need of a job. He thought of her as a girl because Jamie had mentioned she was in her mid-twenties and Bryce was already thirty-two. Not that he was old, but having a child made him feel older.

In any case, Chloe had been enthusiastic, energetic, and forthright—all qualities he appreciated and thought fitting for the job. When Molly had come and sat on his lap, Chloe had lit up, and the two of them had talked as if they’d known each other a long time. He knew then that he’d hire her. He only had one concern…