Chapter 1- Book 4

Allena Jasmin took a deep breath, clutching the resignation letter between her fingers. Quitting was never easy. And she knew her boss wouldn’t take it well. There would be questions. Demands. And annoyance and irritation, too. Actually, it probably wouldn’t even register since irritation was classified as an emotion and Justin De Nero was a robot. A self-made billionaire who retired from his former work at the CJ Johnson Software company and made a name for himself.

Of course, he wasn’t really a robot. He was a flesh-and-blood man. She’d worked as his nanny for over four years. And, in truth, Allena loved the work. She especially loved his kids. Jayden and Cassie were wonderful children, and being their nanny was a joy.

But…

I can’t do it forever.

Because Allena wanted her own life, not one that revolved around Justin and his adorable children. She was thirty-three years old and hadn’t had a boyfriend since forever. And that wasn’t going to change if she spent every waking hour thinking about Justin De Nero’s needs and not her own. No, her resignation was a long time coming. Sure, Justin was generous—she had the privacy of her own suite in one part of the house, drove a top-of-the-range Jeep supplied by her employer, and received a Christmas bonus every year. But none of that mattered. At some point, Allena knew she had to start considering herself.

She’d been planning this move quietly for weeks. For months. Heck, for the last year. It was a secret she’d been holding close to her chest, only sharing her intent with stepsister Tess, who had remarried her ex-husband ten months earlier and now had a baby of her own. Mitch was Justin’s cousin and best friend, and although Justin didn’t have the Caster surname, he was certainly one of them in character.

The Casters were one of the oldest families in the county. On the Triple C, Mitch ran cattle and also bred and trained some of the best quarter horses in the state. By comparison, the De Nero ranch was smaller and more of a hobby farm, but it was a beautiful place to live and raise children.

Except they’re not my children. They belong to another woman. Justin’s wife, Jayne, and his mother, Sandra, had both been killed in an aeroplane crash over four and a half years earlier. The family had closed ranks after the accident. All six Caster siblings had tried their best to shelter Justin and his children, even as they struggled with their own problems. They were close and good friends as well as family. And for the last few years, Allena has been welcomed into the fold and made to feel like one of them. Which was about to change. She needed to forge her own life away from Justin, his kids, and Cesar River. With a population of over three thousand, the small town sat quietly in the shadow of Chicago. Once a vibrant mining town, it is now used as a stopover for people going through the state line. She loved Cesar River but knew she needed to move on. If she stayed in town, Allena knew she was bound to run into Justin and the kids all the time—and that would simply be too hard to bear.

Allena headed down the hallway and stopped outside Justin’s office. It was a Saturday—usually his day off—but she knew his grandmother was watching the kids for an hour while he worked. He owned a large accounting and financial planning practice in town and had clients from across the county. He was well respected in his field and very successful. He was also a good and caring dad, and she knew he loved his kids.

She sighed, squared her shoulders, and knocked on the door. “Yeah…come in.”

Allena opened the door and stood on the threshold. The office had timber flooring, a couple of filing cabinets against one wall, a large white board against another, two computers, and a stack of files on a desk in the centre of the room.

Allena stared at him, and a familiar feeling wound through her system. He was staring at the computer screen, tapping on keys, his dark-framed glasses perched on the edge of his nose. His brown hair flopped over his forehead, and the dark denim shirt he wore stretched over his broad shoulders. During the week, he preferred formal pants, shirts, and ties, but on the weekend, he dressed casually. She always thought it was a good look on him. Too good.

“Justin, um—can I talk to you?”

He waved a hand to usher her into the room, not glancing up. “Sure. What's up?”

She stepped into the room and closed the door. It was a conversation that required privacy. She certainly didn’t want the kids to overhear. Because she knew, without a doubt, that Justin wouldn’t accept her resignation easily. "Um." The words sat on the edge of her tongue, tormenting her. He was still looking down. Still immersed in his work. Completely oblivious, even though they were in the same room.

She tried again. “Justin? Hello? I can come back if you’re really busy, but it’s kind of important." Her voice trailed off when she realised that his focus was so complete that he hadn’t heard a word. His disengagement fueled her frustration and her determination to do what she planned. He really had all the sensitivity of a rock.

“Justin!” The sharpness in her tone quickly got his attention, and he paused, midtype. “What is it?”

Allena sucked in a breath. “I’m leaving.”

He glanced at her. “Sure, see you later,” he said, and then averted his attention back to the

computer screen. “No.”

He sighed impatiently and looked at her. “What?”

Allena pushed strength into her knees and walked towards him, dropping the envelope on his desk, before stepping back a little. “I’m leaving,” she said again. He looked at her, then at the envelope, then back to her. “I don’t understand. What’s this?” he asked and motioned to the white envelope. “My letter of resignation,” she said quietly, waiting for the pin to drop in the room.

When one didn’t, she crossed her arms and waited for him to respond. “Ah…what did you say?”

“My resignation,” she said again. “Like I said, I’m leaving.”

He tilted the chair back, pushed his glasses up a little, and stared at her, his handsome face etched with a frown. “What’s this about, Allena?”

“I’m giving you two weeks’ notice,” she replied, drawing in a shallow breath. “That should be enough time to find a replacement.”

“A replacement?” His words echoed around the room as he lifted the envelope. “You can’t be

serious?”

“Perfectly,” she replied, trying to breathe.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

She tried to shrug, tried to look confident, and tried to do anything other than stand like a statue. But her feet were stuck to the floor. She noticed the tiny furrow between his brows and the expression he made when he wasn’t pleased. And then she thought about how ridiculous it was that she knew his moods and expressions so well. It was foolhardy to think about how much she knew about Justin. He was her boss. End of story.“It’s time I moved on from here,” she said and shrugged. “No job lasts forever.”

He didn’t break their gaze and sat back in the chair, tapping his fingers on the desk. “I see. So my children are merely a job to you?”

His words were exactly what she expected. “I hate to point out the obvious, Justin, but taking care of them is a job that you pay me to do.”

His stare narrowed. “Is that what this is about? Do you want a raise?”

Irritation wound up her spine, and she wanted to roll her eyes. “Of course not. You’re already very generous.”

“Not generous enough, obviously,” he said, getting to his feet. “Okay, how’s a ten-percent increase sound? And an extra week attached to your annual vacation time?”

Of course, it was all about the numbers. He was so blind that he hadn’t even bothered to ask if it was personal. Because Justin didn’t see her as anything other than a member of his staff, someone on the payroll, or as much an employee as a ranch hand. “I don’t want any more money,” she said firmly. “I want to leave.”

His frown deepened as he moved around the desk. “This is a little unexpected, Allena. I thought you were happy here.” At last, she thought, some level of sensitivity from the man. “I have been. However, things change and—”

“Have you been headhunted?” he asked bluntly. “I know there are several families around here who would like to hire you.”

She shook her head. “No. This is…personal.”

“Personal?” he echoed, still frowning. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means,” she said with emphasis, “that it’s personal. And I’d prefer to leave it at that.”

“I’m sure hell you would,” he said quietly. “But after all these years, I think I deserve a little more of an explanation.”

She sighed. Of course, she thought irritably. It was about what he wanted. What he demanded. Allena glared at him, aware that they were suddenly only a couple of feet apart, and she had to tilt her head to look up and meet his penetrating gaze. If he wanted the whole story, he’d get it. She pushed back her shoulders, glaring hotly into his eyes, and spoke.

“All right,” she said in a huff. “The truth is... I want to get married.”

“What?” he frowned. “What did you say again?”

“I want to get married.”