A Nanny For The Cowboy Billionaire (Brookside Ranch Brothers Book 5) Read online

  A Nanny For The Cowboy Billionaire

  (Brookside Ranch Brothers)

  Hanna Hart

  Copyright © 2020 by Hanna Hart - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  More By Hana Hart

  Exclusive Offer

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Jett

  It was mid-July in Arizona, and the heatwave was intense, making the decision of a backyard celebration of life something of a curious decision.

  The celebration of life was for Jett Brooks’ late wife, Mel-Anna.

  He remembered the first time his friends and family tried to pronounce the girl’s name. They did so as it was spelled.

  Mel, then Anna.

  But her name was much softer and prettier than that. Pronounced Mel-Ah-Nuh, she was a Taiwanese beauty with brown eyes and pale skin.

  She was Jett’s wife, his soulmate, the mother of their three-year-old son Justin, and she had been gone for twelve long months.

  Even as the thought entered his mind, Jett couldn’t believe it had already been a year since his wife had been killed in a car accident.

  His in-laws, Mel-Anna’s adoptive parents, Carol and Anderson Shaw, had spent months planning this gigantic memorial with his parents, Shannon and Roger.

  His in-laws were throwing it on their sprawling Mesa, Arizona bungalow property. They had invited thirty of Mel-Anna’s friends, aunts, uncles, her adoption caseworker, and all of Jett’s immediate family.

  Which, for the record, was a lot of people.

  Jett came from a unique, privileged, but hard-working family: The Brooks.

  They had made a name for themselves through their various luxury dude ranches across the United States and created a billion-dollar brand.

  Aside from the infamy of their many ranches, they were also known for their many children.

  There was Jett, the eldest child, Bennett, Colt, his country music star brother Phoenix—as if they didn’t have enough fame in the family—his brother Hunter, Jaxon, and baby of the family and only sister, Kennedy.

  Everyone was in attendance at the memorial and was currently in the backyard of the immense property. “We release these balloons today to commemorate the life of Mel-Anna Brooks, beloved wife to Jett Brooks and mother to Justin. We’re going to share some of our favorite memories of Mel-Anna as we go around the circle,” his mother-in-law said sweetly into a microphone in the middle of the back yard.

  The idea was that each person would stand in front of a microphone holding a pink balloon, Mel-Anna’s favorite color. After publicly sharing one of their favorite memories of his late wife, the friend or family member would release the balloon into the air—harming the environment and probably a couple of seagulls in the process.

  “Daddy, look at the balloons!” Justin said, tugging on his father’s boots and pointing excitedly into the sky.

  “Yeah, that’s great, buddy,” he said, less enthused about the ceremonial release.

  “Alright, I guess I’ll start. Mel-Anna was all we could have asked for in a daughter-in-law,” his mother began, her tone as sweet as honey. “She was one of our own. My favorite memory was when Mel-Anna was pregnant with Justin.”

  His father laughed as he joined her at the microphone. “She kept telling Shannon, ‘I’m going to do this birth all-natural. I’m going to do it in a pool in the living room, I’m going to do it all-natural,’ is what she kept saying.”

  “Well, I just thought she was absolutely crazy!” Shannon added. She had never been a proponent for Mel-Anna’s all-natural, naturopath leanings. Not until after the pregnancy.

  “These women went back and forth,” Roger said with humor. “‘I’m doing this all-natural!’ ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Back and forth, back and forth, for about seven months. Then wouldn’t you know it, the day comes. Mel-Anna is in labor.”

  “So we had been staying in Arizona and we rush over. And I tell you, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She was so calm, so soothed by the water.”

  “After months of Shannon going ‘She’s in for a surprise!’” his father continued, “Wouldn’t you know it, Shannon was sold on the idea. So sold that when we got home that night, she turns to me and she says, ‘Roger?’ I said, ‘Yes dear,’ and she goes, ‘If we ever had another one, you’d best believe you’d be buying me a pool for the living room.’”

  The guests erupted with laugher, some knowing the extent of Shannon’s stubbornness, others knowing of Mel-Anna’s love for all things natural, and some because they knew how much the two women butted heads until after Justin was born.

  With that, two pink balloons were released into the sky, and Justin’s head flung back to catch sight of them floating away. Several of Mel-Anna’s college friends took the microphone, talking about how they met and the humorous thing they got up to as kids. Then, the next oldest Brooks child, Bennett, took the microphone.

  “Did you know that I was there with your dad when we first met your mom?” he asked, speaking directly to Justin, kneeling in front of the little boy.

  “No!” Justin exclaimed in surprise.

  “We were visiting your dad after he first opened up the ranch and we went to this beach that he couldn’t stop talking about. Perfect sand, great food...”

  “Hotdogs!” his son cheered, and everyone laughed, knowing Jett’s obsession with hotdogs—too many hotdogs—that summer.

  “You know your dad so well, little buddy,” Bennett grinned. “You’re right, great hotdogs! But the beach was packed. You could barely take two steps without crashing into someone. Suddenly, we hear someone start yelling ‘Shark! Shark!’ and everyone, and I mean everyone, just goes running. The beach was basically cleared out.”

  Justin’s eyes went wide, but he smiled along with the other guests as they began to giggle.

  “Of course,” his brother continued. “Jett and I don’t move because we’re the only ones crazy enough to want to see the shark! But all that was left was this pretty girl with black hair in a big giant bun and a lime green bathing suit. Once she and Jett locked eyes, I knew that was it. I wasn’t going to be getting my hot dog that day. He spent the entire day with her!”

  Jett smirked at the memory. Mel-Anna had been determined to find any way possible to get the entire beach to herself; little did she count on Jett and Bennett’s appetite for adventure.

  When the three of them were the only ones left on the beach, Mel-Anna walked right up to Jett and insisted she needed to ‘Meet the idiot’ who would stick around to get eaten by a shark.

  It was the best moment of his life.

  And just like that, Jett couldn’t hear a second more.

  He couldn’t keep reliv
ing moments with her. This year had been painful enough without having to relive the best moment of their relationship in front of dozens of people.

  Jett hated being sat in the front of the crowd. It only made it that much more noticeable—and awkward—when he got up and walked back into the house.

  He could have clenched his jaw, bit the sides of his tongue, done anything else to get his mind off of the sharp, agonizing pain the memories brought to his body, but he didn’t want to. Being polite for the sake of other people was something Jett had been raised to do, but he couldn’t bring himself to put others first. Not on a day like today.

  He made his way into his father-in-law’s study and closed the door behind him. He knew Anderson wouldn’t mind since he’d offered his study as a hideout for Jett if he felt overwhelmed at any point during the day.

  It felt nice to be alone for a change. He sat in the tufted office chair and leaned back to close his eyes.

  What Carol and Anderson were doing was a beautiful thing—it really was. It was good for them and wonderful for Justin to get to know about his mother, but it was a living nightmare for Jett.

  He didn’t need people reminding him how great Mel-Anna was, how perfect they were as a couple, or what hilarious, sweet, or sentimental memories they’d made with her.

  He lived with those memories every day and having them in his head was hard enough without sharing them with a room full of Mel’s closest friends and family.

  He didn’t want to be selfish, but he’d been a saint since Mel-Anna died—listening to people say the most ridiculous things, like asking for the gory details of her death, saying it could have been worse, or asking, “Do you think you’ll be ready to date soon?”

  He’d even had a buxom and overly-flirtatious young employee tell him that he should consider dating because, “Justin is still young” and “He’ll want a playmate soon. You should think about getting remarried and having more kids for his sake.”

  It was one of the rudest expressions he’d heard after Mel-Anna’s death.

  “Here you are,” came Mama Brook’s soothing tones as she pushed her way into the office. His father and youngest brother, Jax, followed behind her.

  “I just need some space,” he offered as an explanation.

  Not even coming close to understanding his need for solitude, his mother came up behind him and began rubbing her hand up and down his arms. “I know, I know,” she said quietly. “But you should be out there with Justin.”

  “He’ll be fine,” he said quietly, not making eye contact with her.

  “I know he will,” she agreed. “But you should take this as an opportunity to grow together. Go tell stories.”

  Jett offered his father a pleading look. He just wanted to be alone. “I don’t feel like telling stories. I feel like going home.”

  “Well, Carol and Anderson put this beautiful gathering on for you. I know it isn’t where you want to be, but it’s good for Justin. Now come on. He wants to remember his mother with you.”

  “I remember her every day,” he snapped. “I don’t need a special occasion to share memories with my son.”

  If he were being honest, as much as he loved his life with Mel-Anna and wished more than anything that he could bring her back or make things better for Justin, what Jett needed was a day to forget. He needed just one day to work, to watch hockey, and to forget that he was ever married. He wanted to forget the numb realization he had every morning that his nightmarish life wasn’t a dream, that his wife’s life wouldn’t have been taken if the other driver had the good sense to call a cab, and that he was now responsible for a billion-dollar ranch, a social life, family obligations, and a three-year-old boy—alone.

  The room went quiet after his small outburst. Despite his silent father and brother, his mother continued to rub a comforting hand along his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, wringing his hands uncomfortably before making eye-contact with his mother. “I’m just tired. I’ve been tired for a year now, it feels like.”

  “Shannon?” one of Mel-Anna’s aunts asked as she barged into the office. His one-time-sanctuary was quickly turning into a packed waiting room. “I’m so sorry, can I borrow you for a quick second?”

  “Sure thing,” Shannon said. She squeezed his shoulder before she left the room and gave his father a pointed look. It was a look at that said: you’d better get him socializing.

  His father raised both brows and took a seat in the chair on the other side of the desk.

  “Dad, I’m going crazy,” Jett said. “I don’t have her. I don’t have my wife. How is this even possible?”

  “It isn’t fair,” his father agreed.

  “All you do your whole life is wait. You wait to start living,” he enunciated, looking at Jax as he spoke. His youngest brother was just starting his journey through life. In a couple of months, he would be taking on his first-ever ranch, moving out of the family home, and probably starting his journey to finding a wife. He still had so many big life decisions ahead of him. “You just wait to find her, and I found her, and now it’s all gone,” he stammered, covering his face with his hands and willing himself not to burst out crying.

  “I know,” his father said with both strength and comfort in his tone. He reached a hand across the desk and waited for Jett to touch it. “But think about all you built together. You’ve got a business, a home, your beautiful son.”

  “She’s gone, Dad,” he said, throwing a hand into the air as he continued, “Yeah, we built a life together, but she’s gone. She isn’t even here to do it with me.”

  “You’re burnt out. You’re tired. But you can get through this, kid. I know you can,” his father said.

  “You need a nanny,” Jax piped up. He took a seat next to his father on the other side of the desk as though they were in the world’s most depressing business meeting and crossed his arms.

  Jett rolled his eyes, exasperated, but his baby brother insisted, “I’m serious! You’ve been running the ranch, having Justin by your side twenty-four-seven, you’re just trying to...to breathe. You need a second to yourself.”

  “I think your brother’s right,” Roger agreed. “You need some help. Ain’t no shame in that.”

  Jett closed his eyes and struggled to take a breath. He could feel tears welling up, so he tilted his head back, not wanting his family to see him cry.

  Hiring help wasn’t what he or Mel-Anna had wanted for their family. They wanted to be the only ones Justin relied on.

  The thought of some woman coming to live at his house—someone who Justin would seek out when he was hungry or hurt or worse, someone he would look to as more of a mother than Mel-Anna—broke his heart.

  But his family was not wrong. He was floundering, and without help, he didn’t know how much longer he could keep his head above water.

  “How did Colt find Shelby?” his father asked.

  “Just put an ad online, I think,” Jax said. “Why? You want lightning to strike twice—hire the most unprofessional nanny ever and have Jett marry her?”

  His brother said the words with an ironic snort, but Roger was quick to reprimand him.

  “Jax!” he cautioned.

  “What?” his brother scoffed. “It’s just a joke.”

  “Go find your brother,” Roger said, and Jax let out a laugh.

  “Which one, Dad?”

  “Just go find something productive to do, okay? Go watch Justin, go help your mother, just give me a minute here, will you?” his father said, waving his youngest boy off.

  Jax left the room as requested, and Jett felt a sliver of his anxiety disappear.

  He talked to his father about hiring help, about Justin, and about the New York ranch property they were supposed to be looking at in three months.

  Jett was the eldest of the Brooks clan, meaning he’d always been the one with the most responsibility. He considered himself a third parent to the clan.

  When it came to business, there was no do
ubt that Roger Brooks trusted Jett the most. Jett was the only one to accompany Roger to buy new properties for the boys—each of whom received a ranch under the Brookstone banner once they turned twenty-one. Soon, Jax would be shipped off to another state and undergo serious training to continue the family tradition of ranching—whether he liked it or not.

  Roger did a great job keeping Jett distracted until he had to go back out into the party atmosphere. He also gave Jett a lot to think about, including whether or not he should hire someone to help with Justin.

  Colt had been widowed for a time as well. His wife, Amma, had a rare heart condition that led to her death some years ago. She left Colt and their two children behind.

  Jett’s heart broke for Colt at the time. They were all devastated by the loss, but it wasn’t until losing Mel-Anna that he could truly understand the depth of pain he must have gone through.

  Eight months after her death, he’d hired a nanny that he ended up marrying. The two had a child now.

  Jett had been happy for his brother, though he could admit he found the whole situation a little distasteful—dating the woman who was taking after his children seemed unprofessional, to say the least. But clearly, it had worked out well for them.

  By the time Jett got back to his hotel room that evening, he felt the heavy weight of the day reach his chest. Emotional exhaustion had taken its toll. It was all he could do to order room service for him and his son.

  He sat on the somewhat tiny brown couch in the living room of his suite and his son sat next to him, each curled up with their favorite comfort food—for Jett, that meant macaroni and cheese and apple pie, and for Justin, grilled cheese and a giant bowl of tomato soup.