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listens when I talk
     to him.”
    The child nodded wide-eyed and settled against her. “Are you going to take care of
     me?”
    Maddy’s heart flipped over. “Your Uncle Asher takes care of you, sweetie.”
    “Can
you
stay with me?”
    “I’ll be here for a bit. Should we get your things together to walk to the bus?”
    Ella nodded and put her little hand in Maddy’s.
    • • •
    Justin was a gem, a master of efficiency with a quick mind who was receiving updates
     from the three most reputable nanny agencies in LA.
    “So, this has to be a live-in position?” she asked.
    “Definitely.”
    “Why?”
    Justin gave her a look, brows arched over the tops of his sunglasses. They were sitting
     in the shade by the pool, laptops on the patio table. “You do know what he does, right?
     The rock thing?”
    “Yeah. So, odd hours?”
    “Yep.”
    “Why don’t you? Seems like plenty of room.”
    “I have. When I was between boyfriends.” He shrugged. “But I’ve been living with Scott
     for a few years now and we have a home together.”
    “Oh, I didn’t know you were serious about someone. That makes sense.”
    “Besides, much as I love Asher,” he glanced from the computer screen to her, “love
     him like a brother, not an employer, I don’t want the job to consume my life. I’ll
     help as much as I can, but I don’t know anything about kids, Maddy. I’m as useless
     as Asher.”
    Maddy laughed. “Not so useless. Ella likes you.”
    He flashed her a grin, exposing absurdly perfect teeth. “She’s a great kid.” The smile
     vanished. “Listen, I don’t talk about Asher with people ‘cause he likes his privacy,
     you know? He has that rock star persona you’ve probably seen by now — the charm, the
     arrogance. But underneath all of the shtick there’s a great guy. A wicked smart, loyal
     guy. The thing is … ” Justin shifted in his chair.
    Maddy cocked her head. “What?”
    He sighed. “You seem like a down-to-earth person, but Asher can be very … engaging.”
    Maddy leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Believe me, Justin, you don’t
     need to warn me about the Asher Lowes of the world.”
    “Yeah, well, I don’t care if you’re a man or woman, straight or gay, when Asher Lowe
     turns on the charm, it’s compelling.”
    Maddy gave a short laugh. “Not interested. You don’t need to warn me away from a forty-year-old
     playboy rock star born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
    Justin said, “But that’s just it, Maddy, he’s a lot more than that.”
    “Whatever. Not interested.” She resumed her search of job applicants.
    Maddy hadn’t had particularly good luck with relationships, and Asher Lowe was more
     like a different species than a man. Between work and school, she didn’t have time
     for much of a dating life. Two casual relationships shortly after landing on the West
     Coast was all she’d managed. The only lasting relationship she’d had was with Trey,
     her college boyfriend. They’d been inseparable for most of two years. Hell, she’d
     loved him, but after what happened, she’d learned to be more careful with her heart.
     There had been a series of guys since college but the relationships were strictly
     for fun. They ran their course and ended painlessly.
    By noon, they had identified four good candidates and went about setting up interviews.
    “Asher insists on meeting them.”
    “Fine. After we’ve vetted them, he can meet them.”
    Justin shook his head. “Nope. He won’t go for that, but he did say he’d make himself
     available.”
    “You said earlier he’s rarely up before noon, and out of the house most of the day.”
    Justin let out a sigh. “Let’s set them up back to back starting at eleven thirty.
     I’ll make sure he’s available.”
    • • •
    At eleven-thirty the next morning, the first candidate arrived. She was an athletic
     blond in yoga pants, the outline of a red running bra visible through her yellow