She stood when the little boy braced himself on the pumpkin. âDefinitely his first steps.â And then she threw herself into his arms. âOh, my gosh, Justin. Heâs walking.â
âI know.â
And he was excited about that, too. But damn it, Emma felt so good in his arms, pink jacket, funky hat and all. He couldnât help himself and pulled her in tighter for full body contact. Being this close to her had him thinking about long, slow kisses in his bed. There was no question that he started breathing faster, and it wasnât his imagination that Emma was, too. He saw it when she stepped away and couldnât look at him.
âItâs getting cold,â she said.
Justin hadnât noticed. He was hot all over and wanted to do something about it.
* * *
The Bachelors of Blackwater Lake: They wonât be single for long!
Chapter One
âIâm not looking for a wife.â
âThank you for clarifying, because thatâs not the box I checked on the nanny application.â
Justin Flint, M.D., stared at the young woman sitting across the desk from him, liking the fact that Emma Robbins had a sharp, sassy sense of humor. On the other hand, that didnât change the fact that his comment was out of line.
It was just possible he was trying to discourage her because she was too pretty. He was a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon and had relocated to Blackwater Lake, Montana, to give his almost one-year-old son a normal life. That didnât include being taken in again by a pretty face, but saying so out loud would be too weird.
âIâm sorry.â He dragged his fingers through his hair. âThis is going to sound egotistical, but women applying for the nanny job have been coming on to me. Thatâs not the qualification Iâm looking for in the person whoâs going to take care of Kyle.â
âYouâre right. That does sound egotistical.â She smiled and, if possible, was even more beautiful. âIt also makes you a concerned father, which I can respect. But let me assure you, Iâm not the least bit interested in anything but a job.â
âGood.â It was good but still took his ego down a peg or two. âOkay. Letâs take it from the top. This interview didnât start off very well. My fault entirely. And I assure you that normally I behave in a completely professional way with my employees.â
âIâd expect nothing less. But I can see why women flirt with you. It just has to be said that Iâm not one of them.â
If he were still in Beverly Hills, an agency would vet all nanny candidates, but in this small town things were different. Advertisements in the local paper and recommendations from the employees here at Mercy Medical Clinic, in addition to those of the mayor and town council, had generated half a dozen prospects. Unfortunately, the first four had clearly been more interested in batting their eyeslashes and giving him a look at their cleavage.
âAll right, then.â He browsed through the paperwork. âSo, Miss Robbins, youâre from California.â That was the address sheâd listed.
âYes, Studio City. Itâs in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles.â
âBlackwater Lake is a long way from there.â
She smiled. âI can see that.â
He knew the Southern California neighborhood and it wasnât far from the entertainment capital of the world. With a face like hers, she could be a starlet and heâd stake his professional reputation on the fact that sheâd had no work done. The flawless skin and stunning features were nothing more than excellent genes.
Emma Robbins looked as if she belonged on a movie screen. Long, shiny brown hair streaked with gold fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were brown and framed by thick lashes. But it was her mouth that mesmerized himâfull, sculpted lips made for kissing, and he couldnât seem to drag his eyes away from them. That thought definitely hadnât been vetted by his common sense.
âSo, what brought you to Montana, Miss Robbins?â
âVacation.â
âHave you ever been here before?â
âNo.â
âWhat made you decide to come here? As opposed to, say, Hawaii?â He would bet sheâd turn heads in a bikini. Although right now she looked like a preppy college girl with a white collar sticking up from the neckline of her navy pullover. Tailored jeans and loafers completed the look. âIâm just trying to get to know you.â
Was it his imagination or did she not quite look him in the eyes?
âThis will sound corny, but one of my favorite books was set in Montana. I was between jobs and did some research. This town was advertised as the new and unspoiled Vail or Aspen. I wanted to check it out.â