The Country Bride: Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book 4 Read online

  “Sounds good. Thanks.”

  “Yep.” Christopher hung up without saying goodbye. From anyone else it would seem rude; from Christopher it was familiar.

  An hour later, Cody was at the keypad in the front of the house, his guilt over selling Kylee’s horse tucked safely away.

  The front door was more of a front gate as it sat between the one-bedroom guest house that functioned as a pool house and the side of the garage. Once through the gate, you were in the backyard, and then there were two doors into the house itself. The first one on the left opened into the living room, which was connected to the kitchen and dining room in an open floor plan. The second door went to the master suite.

  Cody had just gotten through the ten-step process of resetting the four-digit code when the sound of tires on his tree-lined drive brought his head up. A black SUV pulled into the open parking area in front of the garage. His friend Gabe Russell got out and went around to open the door for his wife, MaKayla.

  Cody groaned, even as he pasted a smile on his face. With everything that had happened with Ava, he’d completely forgotten Gabe was coming to pick up a donation check for The Children’s Center. Gabe wanted to open a branch of the charity in Norco, near one of Cody’s dealerships, and, knowing how much good the foundation was doing in other areas, Cody had immediately agreed to help.

  He waved hello and quickly punched in the new code for the front door locks. He’d have to send the information to the maid service, the cook who came three times a week, and the maintenance company in the morning.

  “Good to see you.” Gabe offered his hand.

  Cody shook it, making himself relax and forget his own sorrow. Gabe was a good guy, and this meeting should be pleasant. “You too. MaKayla, how are you doing?”

  “Good. We’re moving ahead with the expansion, and it’s busy but going well.”

  “Wonderful. Why don’t you come inside?” Cody held out his arm to indicate that MaKayla should go first.

  She gasped when she stepped through the gate. “This is beautiful! It looks like the resort we stayed at on our honeymoon.”

  “Without the ocean view,” amended Gabe with a smile. He slipped his arm around MaKayla’s thin waist and pulled her to his side. “We should go back. Soon.”

  MaKayla’s eyes sparked with desire as Gabe kissed her neck.

  Cody felt like an outsider in his own backyard. He cleared his throat. “Do you want me to leave you two alone?” he teased. “Just be careful; Addison’s window is right there.” He pointed to the one overlooking the pool.

  MaKayla’s cheeks turned a pretty pink color, and Cody could see why Gabe had fallen for her fast enough to elope. “We’ll be fine, thank you.”

  “But if you ever need a house sitter …” Gabe kissed MaKayla’s temple and earned a playful shove in return.

  Cody shook his head. Gabe and MaKayla had an amazing house themselves, one he wouldn’t mind spending a week vacationing in. “Come on inside. I have the check in my office.”

  After inviting them to have a seat in the living room, Gabe went to fetch the donation. He came back to find Addison on MaKayla’s lap. Her hair was bunched in the back like she’d been tossing in bed, but her eyes were bright.

  “What are you doing up?” Cody asked with a smile. He handed the check to Gabe and took Addison’s hand.

  “I wanted to meet my new mommy, but she says she’s not her.” Addison pointed to MaKayla, who smiled fondly.

  “Are you getting married?” Gabe asked.

  Wanting to get out of this conversation as quickly as possible, Cody kept his answer short. “No.” Cody picked up Addison and put her on his hip. “I’ll be right back.”

  Addison leaned her head on his shoulder. It wasn’t like her to wake up once she fell asleep. Cody worried that by dismissing Ava, he’d disrupted his daughter’s life once again. Ava was the fourth nanny in less than eight months. If the constant turnover kept up, Addison could develop some real commitment issues.

  He tucked Addison back into bed and left her door open. With Ava gone, he’d sleep on the sofa upstairs so he could be close if she needed him. Rubbing his hand over his face, he resigned himself to a couple weeks of poor sleep.

  When Cody hit the bottom stair, Gabe asked, “Are you sure you’re not getting married? Addison was sure she was getting a mommy.”

  Cody scratched at his cheek. Gabe never was one to be put off easily. It was wishful thinking that leaving the room would change the subject.

  Sinking into the chair across from his guests and propping his feet up on the coffee table, Cody crossed his ankles. “It’s been a long day.” His eyes went back and forth between MaKayla’s and Gabe’s expectant looks, and he decided he might as well fill them in. First he explained about Ava hitting on him, and then he went over her attempt to sway Addison to her cause.

  MaKayla made a face. “How awful.”

  “So you understand why I had to let her go. I was just changing the locks when you two pulled up.”

  “That is a rough day.” Gabe leaned back and threw his arm over the back of the couch. MaKayla leaned in and they locked gazes, some sort of communication passing between them. Finally, Gabe nodded.

  Straightening, MaKayla cleared her throat. “If you were interested in finding someone …”

  Cody leaned forward. “I need a new nanny—yesterday would have been a great day to hire her.”

  “What are you looking for, exactly?” asked MaKayla. She exchanged a knowing look with Gabe.

  Cody picked up a coaster from the side table and turned it over in his hands. “I need someone who can look after Addison. Someone who has experience with children. She’d need to live here and be available at the drop of a hat.”

  Gabe leaned forward placing his hands on his knees. “Aren’t there nanny services?”

  Cody ran his thumb around the edge of the coaster. “There are. I’ve used several since Grandma Mia retired last fall.

  “The first girl turned out to be pregnant and claimed I was the father—though I’d never so much as looked at her. The second said she was looking for something long-term, but was really only interested in covering the break between semesters. The third had a par-tay, if you know what I mean, in the backyard while I was out of town and Addison was locked in her room. And you’ve just heard about Ava.”

  Cody rubbed his eyes. “I just … all the stuff Ava said about a mom made sense. I feel like Addison is missing out on all these little girl things. I’d like someone who isn’t interested and wouldn’t become interested in me. Does that make sense?”

  Gabe nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.”

  MaKayla rested her hand on Gabe’s back. “Tell him about BMB.”

  Cody’s hands went still. If they had an in with a great nanny service, he’d be all ears.

  “He’s not going to like it,” Gabe told her.

  MaKayla nudged Gabe. “It’s the perfect solution. Tell him.”

  Gabe shook his head. “Confidentiality agreement.”

  Cody was more than intrigued by Gabe’s tight-lipped behavior. He enjoyed watching the two of them go back and forth, and wondered how this would end.

  MaKayla folded her arms. “Pamela won’t mind. If you don’t tell him, I will.” Her voice was light and there was no malice there. Cody wouldn’t have even called it a threat.

  Gabe took a big breath, lifting his chest as if he were gearing up for a big project. He dug out his wallet and found a business card, which he handed to Cody.

  Pamela Jones

  BMB

  “What’s BMB?” Cody pointed to the card.

  “Billionaire Marriage Brokers,” Gabe mumbled.

  Cody dropped the card and held up both hands. “No way.”

  “Told you.” Gabe leaned back and threw one ankle over the other knee, looking smug.

  MaKayla crossed the space and picked up the card where it had fallen. “It’s not what you think.” She spoke softly, like she was trying to
get a colt to eat his deworming medicine for the first time. “Pamela specializes in business marriages. She matches up people who have specific needs or talents.”

  Cody eyed the card warily. Business marriages—is that even a thing? He looked at MaKayla, letting all his doubts show on his face. Gabe enjoyed a good joke. Maybe they were pulling one over on him.

  They …

  They!

  The gears in Cody’s head came to a screeching halt. MaKayla’s hasty involvement in Gabe’s charities, their elopement, Gabe’s overwhelming trust in MaKayla from the first day despite what he’d gone through with his ex-girlfriend ... Cody turned to Gabe. “You?” he accused as he pointed to MaKayla.

  Gabe lifted his chin. “Best decision I ever made.”

  MaKayla threw a smile over her shoulder at Gabe before turning back to Cody and pressing the card into his hand. “Not all BMB marriages turn out like mine and Gabe’s. We weren’t supposed to fall in love.” She shrugged. “But it happened. Pamela would find a wonderful woman to watch over Addison. You don’t have to love your business wife; you just have to be able to work with her.”

  Cody gently pushed MaKayla’s hand away. “Thanks, but I’m just not interested in marriage. I’ll find another nanny.” A nanny who would last longer than three months. He’d learned they were difficult to come by.

  Gabe stood and joined MaKayla. “If you change your mind, let me know.”

  “I will,” said Cody. But he knew all the way down to his boots that there was nothing on God’s green earth that would move him to change his mind about getting married again.

  Chapter 3

  Paige pulled into the barnyard with a thrill of anticipation. She planned to get Annie May settled in, introduce her to the other horses, make sure they were all getting along, and then get on with the rest of her responsibilities. If she hurried, she’d be done by early afternoon and could spend the evening in the arena working Annie May.

  A melancholy feeling overtook Paige. Yet again, she’d spent a Saturday night with a horse instead of a boyfriend. As much as she loved her animals, they were no replacement for the strong arms of an attractive man. She was loath to admit it, but her dating life resembled the old mare with the swayback at the auction—not going anywhere fast, and with little hope of any excitement.

  Shifting into park, Paige let her mind drift away into a daydream about a man with dark brown hair and day-old stubble, who was kind to children and looked good in a saddle. Her dream man had a smile that made her heart pound and …

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Paige jumped in her seat as the pounding on the window increased. “What the …?”

  Dad pointed to the barn and then stormed off.

  “Lord, don’t abandon me now,” she muttered as she squeaked open the heavy truck door and slid out of the seat. It would do no good to act repentant for spending every penny she owned on Annie May, because she wasn’t sorry at all.

  Dad paced the length of the twelve-stall barn. His boots sounded heavy on the concrete floor.

  Paige hovered at the doorway before striding confidently to stall number three and swinging the door open. It had been empty for weeks, and she needed to make sure the manger was clean and the water barrel full before she could move Annie May inside.

  “You gonna wear a hole in the floor or just say what you have to say?” nettled Paige. In her opinion, the pacing and the huffing and the grumbling were a bit overdramatic for the situation.

  “You deliberately disobeyed me!” Dad yelled. “You’ve thrown away your money as if it falls from the sky.”

  Paige spun on him, indignant. “I’m twenty-seven; I don’t have to obey you. I followed my gut and it led me right to that horse.” She jabbed her finger in the direction of the trailer. “She’s everything I’d hoped and more.”

  Dad’s eyes had gone as big as oranges. “I taught you better than that. You don’t speak to me that way. You buy a fancy horse and all of a sudden you forget where you come from!” He was still yelling, working himself into a tizzy.

  Paige folded her arms. “Came from,” she ground out.

  “What?”

  A sense of peace washed over Paige, starting at her shoulders, calming her racing heart, stilling her rolling stomach, and ending the restlessness in her legs. She dropped her arms and straightened her back. “Came from, not come from. I’ve been offered a job and I’m leaving.” Pamela had offered to place her somewhere in her company.

  Dad took a step back. His hand shook as he brought it up to cover his eyes.

  Paige’s confidence wavered. Angry Dad she could handle; vulnerable Dad was not familiar territory.

  “When?” he asked.

  “A couple days,” she said softly. In truth, she had no idea if Pamela would hire her, though she’d seemed sincere in her offer.

  “You’d better take that horse with you. I’m not paying to feed it while you’re off playin’ around.” Dad spun on the heel of his alligator boots and disappeared out the back door.

  Paige let him go, her eyes stinging. Nothing worth doing in life was ever easy, her mom would say. She wiped under her lashes with the pads of her fingers. No sense standing around and letting the weeds grow under her boots. Dad would calm down; he just needed some time.

  Paige unloaded Annie May. “You’re special, aren’t ya?” Paige said as they entered the barn. She led Annie May into the stall and turned her around before taking off the halter. Annie May sniffed the manger and inspected her new surroundings. “Don’t get too comfortable,” Paige warned.

  Feeling an urgency she couldn’t explain, Paige hurried to her truck and dug through the receipts to find Pamela’s card. She used her cell phone to call Pamela’s office. Paige panicked, unsure what to say and losing all of her former gumption. What if she’d just quit only to have nowhere to go?

  “BMB, this is Tina speaking. How may I direct your call?”

  “Hi, um, I met Pamela ...” Paige glanced at the card. “... Jones this morning, and she offered—” Paige stopped. She couldn’t very well say Pamela offered her a job. That sounded so presumptuous. “—an interview for an opening.” Paige prayed Tina wouldn’t ask her which opening. If this conversation got any deeper, Paige would have to bail out.

  “Wonderful. I can get you in with Harrison Monday morning. Will that work for you?”

  “How early?” The closer to twelve, the better for Paige. She could get her morning work done and take a long lunch.

  “Will ten work?”

  “Is there something closer to noon?”

  “We can do noon.”

  Paige nodded, then realized Tina couldn’t see her. “Okay. I’ll be there.”

  “Do you have our address?” Tina asked politely.

  Paige popped open the glove box and rummaged for a pen. “I don’t.”

  Tina rattled it off and Paige wrote it on the back of a receipt. The company was about an hour south of Norco. Not a fantastic commute, but manageable.

  “We’ll see you Monday,” Tina said before hanging up.

  Paige melted into the seat. She hadn’t realized how brave she was until her courage evaporated, leaving her hands to shake in its absence.

  “Penny Paige!” Mom called from the back porch, her voice muffled since Paige was still in the truck. “Hannah needs your help in the garden.”

  Paige rolled down the window. “Let me park the trailer and I’ll be over.”

  Mom lifted a hand to let Paige know she’d heard. Hannah always had a hard time getting the tiller started and had probably flooded the engine with her well-meaning attempts. Paige suddenly had a whole new understanding of Hannah’s failure to master the tiller. In her rush to make changes, Paige had flooded her life with questions, sorrow, and uncertainty.

  Knowing she had the rest of the weekend in limbo, a state that usually gave her a migraine, Paige steeled herself for a Sunday full of worry and self-retribution. She’d never looked forward to a Monday in her life, but suddenly Mond
ay was looking just dandy.

  Chapter 4

  Early Monday morning, Cody set his laptop bag next to the park bench and motioned for Addison to join him. He needed to tell her Ava wasn’t coming back, but he wasn’t sure how to do it. She’d been particularly fond of all the girly things they did together.

  The park was sleepy at this hour, so the place was his and Addison’s, and he preferred it that way.

  Addison situated herself on the bench and Cody jumped right in, trying to put a positive spin on yet another loss in his daughter’s life. “I’ve decided it’s time to make some new friends, so I’m going to find you a new nanny.”

  Addison’s big eyes watched him. “Ava’s gone.”

  Cody nodded slowly. He knew this would be hard, and he was prepared to scoop up his little girl and rock her until the tears dried up.

  “Will you get me a mommy now?” asked Addison. Her eyes were clear and she didn’t seem upset, which bothered him more than if she had burst into tears. No sadness, no disappointment. What kind of a robot was he turning his daughter into?

  “I think we’ll just look for a nanny.”

  Addison shook her head, her two golden-brown braids swinging. “No. I’ve had nannies. It’s time for a mommy.”

  Ah, so that’s where the calm resolve came from. Cody chuckled. “Mommies are much harder to come by.”

  “Hire one.” Addison said it with such innocence of the ways of the world that Cody knew she believed it was entirely possible to hire a mommy.

  His eyebrows went up. “Honey, you don’t hire mommies.”

  Addison slouched down in her seat.

  He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her to his side. “Why do you want a mommy so much?” He kissed the top of her head.

  “Mommies love their girls.”

  “Daddies do, too.”

  “It’s not the same.” Addison put her elbow on his leg and rested her chin in her hand. “Mommies know all about being a girl, and they teach you how.”