ROMANCE: Badass Boss (Billionaire Alpha Bad Boy Romance) (Western Mail Order Bride Calendar Contemporary) (22 page)

“Well, thank you John.” Misty told him and gave him a big smile. She was a little overwhelmed and grateful that he wasn’t a chatterbox like most kids, talking her ear off the whole time she was trying to process everything. She liked conversations with most kids, but after such a big journey she needed a break to process and understand her new life, her new environment and it hadn't even started it yet.

“I will let Sir Elderwood know you are here.” John told her giving her a nod and left her to her room. She took a deep breath and looked around after she was alone.

It was powder blue and the bed was a metal frame with a handmade quilt that had patches of different colors. It had a real pillow and the mattress was soft and comfortable. Misty laid on it for a few minutes, sighing quietly enjoying how restfully she would sleep on it. After laying on a pallet on the floor for most of her life, she didn’t realize how she had yearned for how good something this simple could be.

The room was larger than half her house back home. It had a writing desk, two big dressers, a closet for her dresses and storage, a fireplace, and a loveseat along with some bookshelves. It also had a vanity with a stool and a washing bin on its own table.

If this was their guest room, she wasn’t sure her brain could even handle the concept of what the Master rooms looked like. She was floored by how clean and neat everything looked and the quality of the furniture. She was used to rickety chairs that looked like they would fall apart if you sat on them and everything homemade and about function rather than looks.

There were pictures on the wall with frames that were painted and all she could do when she got off the bed was stare at them in awe. Wall decorations were not something her family had ever bothered to have. They couldn't afford them and her father had been a minimalist. If it hadn't been absolutely needed, they didn't get it.

A knock on her door startled her. “Come in!”

The door opened and a good-looking man walked in. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and looked like the man described in the letters. She still had not told Jonas that he had asked her about being a nanny, as well as offering for her as a bride. She wondered if she should bring it up and let him know she could at least help with them until a nanny got hired that he preferred. She also wondered if he was planning to tell her about his kids anytime soon. She smiled at him and waited to see what he had to say first. He opened his mouth and then shut it quickly. He took a breath then opened it again.

“Misty Sue?” The man looked a little nervous and blinked at her. His hands were tense, as if he hadn't quite figured out how to take in this new situation. It made her feel better to know she wasn't the only one feeling like that. She gave him a radiant smile and turned to him, assuming he was as eager as she was to meet her.

“That would be me. I take it you’re Jonas.” She said and her smile faded slightly because of the expression she saw on his face. Seeing him look a little uncomfortable definitely put her more at ease, but now she didn't know how to react to him. She watched him closely, he looked around the room and everywhere else but directly at her. She cleared her throat and got his attention. When they made eye contact, she smiled at him again.

“I’m glad you made the trip in one piece.” He told her and smiled back at her, looking relieved when she smiled at him. He didn't know what he thought but this little urchin standing in front of him with her clothes that barely fit had him feeling like he needed to help her.

“Almost in one piece,” She said, “the train ride wasn't the most fun and I had a little incident on the way here. But I survived. But I definitely would like to avoid any train rides if possible.”

“I'm not super fond of trains myself, so I don't blame you.” He told her and gave her a half smile. “You need to talk to my housekeeper, she has a budget, have her get you some new clothes befitting your new station as my wife.”

“Yes, I can do that.” She told him and shrugged. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful for the new clothes, or feel embarrassed that he noticed that her items weren't of quality.

“I'm glad you answered all my letters.” He finally said, sounding slightly awkward as if he wasn't quite sure how to fill the silence.

She chuckled and then decided to be blunt with him, pulling the letters off the top of her luggage that she had opened before he came in here, she walked over to him. “This is going to sound weird, but you didn’t just write me as a mail order bride. I also got one from you asking me to be a nanny, which means I assume you have children?”

The man looked completely shocked before he swallowed and nodded. “I was afraid a young wife would be scared off by the idea of having children. I have five children. The youngest is two. One is four, a set of twins who are five. and then a six-year-old boy. They are all girls except my eldest. I work full time, and without having had a mother, they've grown a little wild. My housekeeper has tried, but she has other responsibilities here too with the household, it's a bit much for her to do everything without any help.”

“No wonder you needed a nanny.” She nodded at him. “Well, I didn’t come here for that job in particular, but I’m used to children and can definitely lend a hand with them until you find someone, or unless you’d like me to act in that role as your wife, too. I like kids, I can read, write, do basic arithmetic. I can teach your children at least for now if you want me too.”

Jonas was shocked. This woman was not only young and beautiful, but she seemed to be genuinely helpful and kind. He wondered if she was too good to be true, but kept it to himself for now. On the surface she seemed to be everything he needed in his life, but he was still looking for the catch, if there's one thing business had taught him was there was always a catch.

Fine print, you just had to read it and look for the information people didn't want to provide. He was the type to evaluate the situation before making a decision, which is why a forced marriage was not really something he wanted to do. His grandfather was forcing him into this marriage because the children were without a mother. He was a little resentful that he hadn't had time to find a woman without being pushed into it, especially knowing his grandfather and his cousin would be getting involved in the whole process and getting in his way.

“You’d travel all this way, marry me, know I have children, offer to help raise them, and not want anything in return for it?” Jonas asked her suspiciously. He wanted to understand what made her tick. It's not that he doubted her exactly, but he was just always waiting for something to come up. He didn't want something to come up, but he just found it usually did.

“Well, I’m getting a husband, a family, a roof over my head, food in my belly, and you already sent enough money back to my father to help them survive the winter, which helps my younger sisters. Loving and helping to raise children is pretty easy for me. It’s something I have been doing since I was child myself. This part will come east to me. You made it so my sisters won't starve this winter, which is important to me. I'm here because I believed if I stayed with them I would have caused our family to starve, by being here, I can be more useful to everyone, including you and your family,” she told him and gave him a half smile.

Her motivations for being here were not entirely unselfish so she would not lie to him. She needed him as much as he apparently needed her. “I look forward to meeting your children.”

“Wait until you meet my offspring. They’ve chased off every nanny I’ve hired,” he muttered and then straightened his shoulders out. She'd been honest with him, and now it was his turn. “I have to get married by Christmas, or I lose my family business. My grandfather has decided it is not right to raise children without a mother by a single father. Hence, the mail order bride. I just didn’t think a wife would want to walk into a pre-made family and take on all the responsibilities alone.” Jonas sighed.

“But, if we're being honest and upfront, I’m only getting married so I don’t lose my inheritance or the family business to my cousin Bradley. He is a wastrel who has nothing else going on in his life besides seducing women. Speaking of which, if he comes for the holidays, do not be alone with him. He likes married women. I don't trust him and I don't even want him in my home. However, my grandfather and him are both coming for the wedding, so do me a favor and try to avoid my cousin when he's here and I'll breathe easier.”

Misty blinked at him and was not sure if she was offended or not at the idea that his cousin would make a move on her. “He’d do that to you? Go after your wife?”

“Bradley is the black sheep of the family, and yes, he would do that to me if he got half a chance. We tolerate him because he was the only child of my mom’s brother. But he’s definitely not our favorite family member.” Jonas told her shrugging. “I can’t trust him, but I’m hoping I can trust you.”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to get to know me, but I think I’m pretty trustworthy. I promise I have no interest in your cousin, I'm here for your Jonas, and I hope you spend time getting to know me so you know you won't have to worry.” Misty told him and then stood there awkwardly for a moment. She took a step toward him and looked up at him. She didn't know what to do so she just looked at him.

The two of them just looked at each other and then Jonas finally cleared his throat and gave her a grin that did not quite touch his eyes. Giving her a nod he took a step back towards the door as if he was trying to escape the room.

“Would you like to meet the kids? I always tuck them into bed every night, and it's getting late. I read them a story, we have a routine. I don't always have time for the little things, but I always make time for their bedtime and to tell them I love them. I'd be happy to introduce you to them tonight,” he finally asked her. He looked uncomfortable and she felt bad. She wanted to ease this situation for him; it was making her nervous, too. Seeing it on his face had her wanting to reassure him that they were doing the right thing, for everyone involved. Her family needed this, and his children needed a loving family with a mother figure around. She knew it was good for all of them, but it didn't make meeting a stranger any less weird.

“I would love that. You sound like a wonderful father. I don't want to interfere though, so don't feel obligated if it will ruin your routine, otherwise yes, I'd love to meet them.” She said and waited for him to nod at her. Walking over to him she linked her arm through his trying to move forward in the situation and, startling him.

Frowning for a second, she wondered if she had just made a mistake by touching him and blinked up at him. He tensed, and then forced himself to relax.

“Uhm, sorry?” She said freezing, worried she'd offended him. “Should I not have touched you?”

“No, no it’s fine. It’s just been a while since I’ve had a woman touch me in any capacity over the age of five.” Jonas told her and was shocked at how nice just having a woman’s smell next to him was. He did not count his housekeeper. He had grown up with her and thought of her like a sister. Her oldest son helped quite a bit around the house and out in the barns with the animals. She had two other sons, one of which was six like his oldest boy, and the eldest had gone off to learn a trade in blacksmithing. They walked down the hall and he kept looking down at her small fingers curled around his arm and he wondered what it would be like to have her touch on other parts of his body. What it would be like to kiss her. She had such soft, kissable looking lips and the way her eyes got all wide and big when she looked at him. She reminded him slightly of deer frozen when it realized it had been spotted by the dogs and was debating on what direction it should run.

Misty kept sending him shy glances up at him and her lips curled slightly when their eyes met and he could feel the chemistry between them. He just wasn't sure how he felt about it. He hadn't loved his first wife the way some people described passion, but he had loved her, cared for her deeply, she'd mothered his children and had been his best friend.

Misty here represented everything he wasn't sure he wanted. She was young, innocent looking, eager to please him and jump into the situation head first without knowing entirely what she was getting herself into and he wanted her. The way her hair curled around her ears had him wanting to touch the strands, the way her lips parted had him wondering what it would be like to lick her lips with his tongue and kiss her.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and saw her glancing at him from the corner of her eyes giving him a funny look. He looked ahead and opened a door to the stairs where the kids were getting ready for bed.

Walking upstairs, he took her to meet the kids who were playing in the attic. The housekeeper was there with them and looked relieved to see him. She had bags under her eyes. He had a surge of guilt, his housekeeper did so much for him and she really deserved a break. Planning on talking with her tomorrow about using Misty to get more of a break since she'd offered was on his list of things in his head. He had a habit of making mental lists. It kept him more organized. While it seemed she had unlimited patience with the children, she did seem to be getting a little old to be sitting here with them for long periods of time along with the rest of her duties.