The Nanny (The Fabulous Dalton Boys Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

this one and hold my head up."
    "Don't you throw my words back at me!  When your mother was dying, I promised her that I would do everything in my power to take good care of you.  I'm not taking good care of you by letting you live with three men known for womanizing in Texas , of all places!"
    "I'm twenty-five years old.  You made that promise when I was five.  I think she'd be fine with me taking care of myself now."  Ashley rolled her eyes.  This was why she'd moved to New York with her aunt.  She needed to be able to take care of herself for a change.  Of course, her aunt had just been like a spy for her father, reporting back to him and her step-mom every move she'd made.  Well, almost every move.  "And what's wrong with Texas?  I kind of like it here!"
    "It's Texas!  Do you realize that every third person you see is carrying a gun?  That little old lady in the grocery store?  She has a gun in her purse!"
    Ashley sighed.  "You have four guns, Dad, and you never once shot me.  I think I'm all right."
    "I want you to promise me that you'll leave if even one of them does something he shouldn't!  Promise!"
    Ashley sighed.  She knew her father would want her out of there just for the kiss she and Barrett had shared earlier.  She hadn't fought Barrett on it, though, so was it really something he shouldn't have done?  "I promise.  Now stop worrying!"
    "When I'm dead and buried."

Chapter Three
     
     
    Ashley's first couple of days at the ranch went much more smoothly than she'd first hoped.  She did her best to stay out of Barrett's way and rarely left his wing of the house, so she didn't run into his brothers much at all. 
    Out the window of her room, she kept seeing a pool and hot tub.  On Friday morning, her third full day at the ranch, she felt comfortable enough to wander out of the massive wing of the mansion.  Each wing was like a house of its own, with full kitchen, multiple beds and baths, and living areas. 
    The main part of the house was more of an area for entertaining she saw, as she cradled Baby Dalton to her, giving herself the tour.  It had a full commercial kitchen, huge living area, and the longest dining table she had ever laid eyes on. 
    There was a sliding glass door that led to the pool and hot tub area.  She wished it was warm enough to get into the pool for a bit.  Taking Baby Dalton into the hot tub was not an option, but as soon as she could, she'd have him in the water.  Babies were such natural swimmers that she wanted to get him started early.
    She noticed an old-fashioned house phone on the wall, and she walked to it, picking it up.  She noticed there were three buttons, each labeled with one of the brother's names.  Nice.  That might come in handy some day.
    She heard the doorbell ring and hurried to get the door, a little intimidated by the woman she found there.  Ashley thought she seemed like she thought a little more highly of herself than she should have.  Once she'd used the nifty intercom she'd found, and Cage was with his guest, she wandered back toward Barrett's wing. 
    She had yet to use the baby monitor they'd purchased, instead leaving the doors of the bathroom open at night so she would hear the baby crying.    But she decided that today, when he napped, she was going to put her bathing suit on and go check out the hot tub.  It looked glorious.
     
    *****
     
    Barrett got home from work, rubbing the back of his neck on his way into his wing of the house.  He needed to relax a little.  Missing work Monday and Tuesday had left him scrambling all week, fighting to catch up.  Now that it was Friday, he'd decided to take the entire weekend off.  His son wasn't going to know him if he kept working the kind of hours he had been. 
    Changing into his bathing suit on a whim, he headed out the sliding glass door from his kitchen out to the hot tub.  When he got there, he gulped in a breath.  His snooty little nanny was sitting in there, her head