Last on the List (Wait With Me #5)(7)

Unfortunately for my dad, my three younger brothers seem less than motivated to take on more responsibility. The three of them march to the beat of their own drums. A few years ago, they built these self-sustaining log cabins on a stretch of land up in the mountains outside of Boulder near Jamestown. Now they have their own little commune that they get up to God knows what up there.

Everly loves to stay over. It’s like visiting an adventure park to her. I just have to be careful in the winter when we visit because if it snows, we could be stuck up there for days.

Yeah, my brothers and I…very different.

I’ll stick to my climate-controlled office and focus on the task of integrating a hundred new employees into my workflow.

“She’s here, Dad!” Everly’s voice rips me out of my musings, and I turn on my heel to see my kid standing in the doorway next to the new nanny.

Cozy.

It was a whole ordeal deciding to hire her. We had to have a Zoom family meeting with Jessica and the nanny agency owner to make sure Cassandra was actually qualified. I had to double-check because that was one of the weirdest interviews of my life, and I’ve interviewed plenty of staff. But Rebecca assured us that Cassandra had all the proper qualifications, and her candidates were extensively vetted. Seeing as the owner of the nanny agency is her sister, I guess I took that as a small comfort.

The next ordeal we had to handle was Everly’s summer schedule. The kid broke down in tears to Jess and me on the video call, begging us to cancel all her summer activities so she could “do nothing with Cozy.” It was hell. Everly crying is like an instant surrender button for me. I will do anything to make it stop. I often use Jess as the heavy in our family, but with her being out of the country already, she couldn’t exactly find a better solution. So despite my better judgment, Cozy was hired, and Everly’s busy summer plans went out the window.

“Cassandra, welcome,” I state, striding to meet her at the doorway. I reach out my hand, and she releases her large suitcase handle to shake it. That silvery feeling is back, so I quickly pull my hand back and slide it into my suit pant pocket. “I hope you’ll be comfortable out here.”

“Please call me Cozy,” Cassandra says, offering a soft smile. Her dark hair is up in a short ponytail today, and she looks exceedingly younger than her twenty-six years.

“Your house is cozy, isn’t it?” Everly giggles and grabs Cassandra’s hand, pulling her into the small living area. There’s a long white sofa that lines the opposite side of the sliders with a great view of the creek, plus a small television mounted over the dining room table that pulls down from the wall in the event you need more floor space. “My uncles built it. It’s called a tiny house.”

“Your uncles must be very handy,” Cassandra responds, walking into the kitchen and running her hand along the white granite countertop beside the stainless-steel fridge. She points at the large wooden ladder that leads to the lofted area. “Is up there where I sleep?”

“Yes, let me show you!” Everly peals and begins her climb.

I walk over to the ladder just as Cassandra does, both of our hands reaching out to hold it steady. Cassandra’s green eyes connect with mine, and I swallow thickly before turning back up to the loft, ignoring the scent of coconut that wafts over me at her proximity. “Everly, you don’t have to show her that part. I’m sure Cassandra can manage.”

Everly’s head pops over the edge, her blond hair haloing her face as she peers down at us. “Dad and I had a sleepover up here once.”

Cassandra’s brows lift in surprise as she looks at me for confirmation. “Wouldn’t have taken you for the sleepover type.”

I frown at that response. Is she teasing me? “She was eight, and it looked like a playhouse to her when it was all done. She can be relentless when she wants to be. I hope you’re tougher than I am.”

“I’m sure we’ll be just fine.” She smiles, almost to let me know she was trying to joke with me, and I relax a bit. Cassandra points at the ladder. “Do you mind if I—”

“Of course, sorry…let me get out of your way,” I babble and step back, giving her room to climb. I shove a hand through my hair and force myself to look out the windows and not gape at her legging-clad ass that’s currently eye level with me. At least she’s ditched the matching tie-dyed sweatsuit. But now I’m face-to-face with her curves that leave little to the imagination. Fuck.

“Big bed!” Cassandra calls down.

“With a little reading chair!” Everly exclaims, her voice more excited than it’s sounded since her mother left the country last week. “That’s my bedroom on the far-right top window. My dad’s is down there on the left.” I glance up and see Everly pointing at our house that’s up the grassy hill and past the pool.

“Do you have more bags in your car?” I ask, feeling a bit stir-crazy down here doing nothing.

“Yes, but don’t worry. I can get them.”

“I got it.” Without another word, I haul ass outside, grateful for the fresh air. I unbutton the sleeves of my dress shirt and roll them up. Why did it feel so hot in that cabin all of a sudden? I should check the A/C unit when I get back.

The sun is just beginning to set as I make my way over the large, manicured lawn that looks damn near electric green in this light. The blue pool sparkles, and I have a moment of brief appreciation for the fact that Everly will finally be here for a decent length of time to use all this stuff I’ve invested good money in. I barely remember what it was like to be a full-time dad. Shared custody can really fucking suck sometimes.