Lynda Sandoval - Daddy on Demand / Déjà You - Daddy on Demand / Déjà You

“The only thing I was always sure of—am sure of—is that I have no cause for concern in that department.” For an instant their gazes met and held, then he blinked and continued. “There’s another key with security. That’s Sonny, and Dempsey Freed, who is usually the night guard. Sonny is working extended hours to cover for Dempsey, who apparently couldn’t resist stepping into an altercation on the street this morning and needed some emergency dental surgery.”

“Poor man! Was he protecting one of the building’s residents?”

“More like fighting off a junkie trying to remove the copper numbers on the front of the building to cash in. Dempsey was a welterweight boxer, an Olympian in his youth and he takes his responsibility here as seriously as Sonny does.” Backing into the hallway, he pressed his hands together and tilted his head toward his side of the condo. “If you’re all right, I’ll leave you to it.”

“I’m good. Thanks again.”

“Sweet dreams,” he murmured.

The next morning, grateful that Collin slipped out early, Sabrina called her boss at the warehouse and gave him the news that she was quitting effective immediately. She still felt badly for terminating so quickly, but had to admit Collin was right; if things were the other way around, she would get no such window of time or courtesy to ease into the transition. What’s more, she had been wondering how long she could keep up those strenuous hours that had never been in her job description in the first place, while the district manager kept telling her there was no budget for additional employees.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Burger was displeased to learn that she wasn’t at the store. What made her realize that Collin had done her yet another favor was when Burger finally asked, “How much is it going to cost me to keep you?”

Only now was he willing to negotiate?

Out of sheer curiosity, she told him a figure close to what Collin was paying her and the man laughed harshly. “Good luck, sweetie,” he said, and hung up on her.

She sat there staring at her cell phone for several seconds before declaring with Collin’s accent, “Then all’s well that ends well, I suppose.”

Sabrina made several more calls—all related to her compromised identity and credit situation—and then reached for the list of numbers that Collin had left for her on the kitchen counter. Pouring herself a second mug of coffee, she punched Cassidy’s phone number into the wireless phone on the counter. She fully expected to be asked to leave a message and was unprepared to get Cassie herself.

“Oh! I didn’t expect—this is—”

“Sabrina!” Collin’s sister replied with delight. “I recognized your dismay instantly. How typical of people who spend any time at all around my brother.”

Before this morning Sabrina might have giggled and agreed with her. But she was far more humbled and grateful to him now. “No, I’m fine, really.”

“Well, I appreciate you getting in touch so soon. You’ve accepted the job?”

It was on the tip of Sabrina’s tongue to admit that she didn’t have much choice, but this was Cassidy Masters, who believed in choices and had made critical and smart ones for herself and her family. “Yes, I have. Only I’m not sure I’m qualified to fill your shoes, even part-time. Are you certain that you want me for this? It’s such a serious responsibility.”

“That’s exactly why I told Collin to find you. I knew that’s how you’d see this. Didn’t he tell you?”

Sabrina pressed her hand to her heart. “You’re too kind.”

“And you’re going to be wonderful. My fear is if my kids will want to come back home with me when I return.”

“My fear is how to keep them from crying because they’re missing you beyond bearing.”

Sighing, Cassie replied, “They’re going to cry, Sabrina. And misbehave. And test your wits. But I know if anyone can work through that, you will. While I sensed from the first that you have a tender heart, I quickly came to understand that you’re not a quitter.”

Hoping she was right, Sabrina thanked her again and began asking questions. “You’re going to need to tell me about the girls’ routines, likes and dislikes, and definitely any medical information I need to know about. And will they be able to talk to you sometimes? I know from other people who have had family deployed that they’ll be able to e-mail almost anytime. But the girls are so little yet and that will hardly be enough.”

“Sure, e-mails and phones are both an option. This is not our fathers’ and grandfathers’ war,” she added drolly. “But listen, I want you and Collin to come down here as soon as you can. That way we can cover all of the questions, and you can take some of their things they’ll need back with you. Then you can take the rest when you come for them—or when I drop them off—the last day.”

“The last day.” Sabrina’s throat locked on the words.

“None of that,” Cassie ordered. “This will be a perfect opportunity for you to start getting to know them.”

“Does Collin know this is how you want to do it?”

“He will as soon as I call him.”

Cassidy’s laugh was subtly irreverent and Sabrina was reminded how brother and sister had that in common. “I don’t know how thrilled he’s going to be to have to sit in a car with me for two five-hour trips.”

“If he complains, he’s lying through his teeth.”

Had Collin admitted his attraction to his sister? Surely not—and she wasn’t about to, either, for fear that it would trigger doubts about having her stay on as the nanny after all.

“Uh-oh. You’ve grown very quiet,” Cass said. “Did he pretend to be insensitive and rude to you?”

“If anyone was rude, it was me. I was still angry with him for causing me to quit.”

“So was I, believe me.”

“Oh, dear,” Sabrina replied. “He told you why he transferred me.”

“He didn’t have to. I have good instincts and can put two and two together. Thank goodness the man put you up on a pedestal and refused to drag you off, otherwise he would have had a fling with you, then felt the need to buy you a nice piece of jewelry and find you a position with a deeper pocket than his.”

“Well, I wasn’t interested in having an affair with him then, and I definitely am not now.”

Cassidy sighed. “No, you’re the kind of girl a man marries, and Collin is practically allergic to that union, thanks to our parents, bless their souls.”

What did that mean? She had never broached the subject with him—there had been no reason to, even when she was his assistant, although she did notice that his only contact information in case of emergency was Cassidy. She had assumed that they’d passed away.

“That’s really none of my business, but I hope if he is involved with someone, that he doesn’t bring her here—I mean for the girls’ sake.”

Cass chuckled. “By all means, for the girls’ sake.”

Flustered, Sabrina slid off the bar stool. “I’d better get off this phone. The furniture is being delivered and the security guard is supposed to ring to warn me that they’re on their way upstairs.”

“You’re wonderfully efficient. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have my schedule lined out.”

“I’ll be here,” Sabrina murmured after the other woman disconnected.

It shouldn’t have surprised Collin at how eager he was to get home that evening, but it did. Not good, he thought, yet it didn’t stop him. He’d been invited to cocktails with associates across town; there was also some gala over by the new Dallas Cowboy football stadium in Arlington and another in the Dallas theater district. He felt no temptation whatsoever to choose any of them and, thirty minutes before the rest of the staff quit for the day, Collin told his assistant Geoff that he had an appointment and was leaving.