Chapter Two- By Default

Brooks' POV

An Hour Ago

“You need to make a decision, Sir.” I cocked my jaw at the obvious. 

For weeks I'd allowed these pointless resumes to climb this high on my desk. I left the selection process to my current assistant whose exhausted exhale explained yet again why I needed to make the choice. But each interview for either position proved that the only thing they really wanted had been my name.

 Instead of asking about the job as my assistant or the expectations as a nanny, they inquired about my interests that were anything but appropriate. They were kicked out of my office shortly after. There had yet to be a single candidate that came close to supporting either of my two loves. 

My job and my son. 

“I can have Irene send some more applicants from the nanny program but you've already denied her most recommended.” That wasn't saying much. Those she sent had long references but no understanding of Landon. They brought up putting him in therapy for being quiet or introducing him to various herbs or doctors for his asthma. Nobody just accepted him. Everyone had an idea to make him “better” and it pissed me right the fuck off. 

I had more hope of finding an assistant but even they came to me with starry eyes. Men and women alike thought that they had something to offer me below the belt. It was infuriating that the speculation of my private life was wasting the time I could be at home with Landon. 

“I'll keep looking…” Delaney sighed as I swear her gray hair took a shade lighter for the stress I attributed to her. She deserved her upcoming retirement more than anyone I'd ever met and still, it made it that much harder to find someone to fill her shoes. 

I had to have been here for hours before my phone rang on my desk. Usually I am left alone at this time, so when it continued to interrupt my expected silence, I knew it must have been important. 

I didn't even let the poor woman on the other end of the phone finish her explanation before I was a bullet through the halls of my own law firm, headed towards Grace Hospital. 

If it wasn't for Delaney giving me an ultimatum of taking her niece, Robyn, on a date or having her watch Landon, he would have spent the afternoon in my office instead of in the emergency room. The respect I had for her simmered to aj echo of a line as I had prepared the speech against Robyn for her carelessness. 

“Where is my son?” I almost didn't recognize my own voice from the new anger as I was shown to a small area divided by identical counterparts by a single blue curtain. My lips were already halfway to reprimand Delaney's niece before I was chest-to-chest with a complete stranger. 

A girl.

A distracting face who invaded my personal space to which I was always careful to keep expansive. My hands rested on her biceps from the instinct of catching her while hers held the same reaction on my forearms. Even if she felt me tense beneath her dainty fingers, she didn't falter to that or the glare I made against her.

She was naturally beautiful like a sunset or even a thunderstorm. She was made up of a fight that showed in the way she retracted from me and moved in swift steps across the room. My eyes followed her, taking a selfish moment rivaling my usual chivalry, to study her curves. It had been a long time since I noted anything about a woman and this one demanded my focus without even trying. The ideas were completely lascivious and ridiculous. It kept my eyes narrowed in on her. 

When she faced me, I was able to see the details of her face. She was surrounded by a curtain of thick curls that fell in a cascade around her diamond shaped face. Full lips remained parted as if ready to speak, only for her to end up chewing the inside of her cheek in thought. Autumn eyes studied me with a softness that made my jaw clench as I was used to the female perusal of interest. But the full rotundity of the expressive eyes sharpened as if in loathing. 

That was different. 

It was refreshing and equally unnerving.

My entire observation of her took only a matter of seconds before it was interrupted by the doctor making his way inside the small space. 

“Mister Callahan…I've gone over his chest X-rays and everything looks good. Miss Valentine’s quick thinking seemed to ease the symptoms of his asthma. I'll just get him some Albuterol in a prescription to take home and I'll have you discharged.” I retained his words but couldn't focus beyond that as I caught her in my peripheral vision. She looked at Landon with more care than anyone else aside from Delaney. 

It was…confusing.

 I needed her to have an unappealing name that wasn't itching to be spoken off of my wanton tongue. Before I could get an answer, the curtain came open again to display a paramedic. 

It took only a second to realize he wasn't here for Landon and ‘Miss Valentine’ was none the wiser. Even as he offered a coffee and took her ignorance as a window to check her out in the corner of his eye, she was truly oblivious. It would be endearing if it didn't make me seethe looking at him. After all, he was supposed to be professional. 

“There you go, Virginia…” She fumbled for the cup before ultimately accepting it. 

Virginia Valentine. 

Innocent and romantic as if chosen to torment anyone speaking her name. It wasn't forgettable, much like the woman it was attached to. 

The thought of saying it aloud made my skin tight. Was it sweet and smooth as my tongue ghosted the name in secret behind the comfortable veil of my mouth? It didn't matter. I didn't need, nor did I want, the opportunity.

“Since Landon's dad is here, I can take you home.” 

“You should hire better help, ya know? The girl who was watching him was treating him like he wanted this to happen to himself…” I clenched my jaw at the idea as well as her boldness. 

Nobody spoke to me this way. 

Before I could correct her, she looked towards Delaney, who cleared her throat to this brazen girl critiquing a choice that wasn't even mine to make. 

“I'm sorry, Sir, but you are going to be late for your afternoon meetings unless we leave now.” 

Virginia scoffed as if the idea truly disgusted her. 

“Ready?” The paramedic offered as she followed him while pinning me with her stare. It told me to “do better” as if I wasn't sacrificing any chance at a social life doing just that. More than that, those intense eyes also showed pity that sent my hands into fists. 

As she brushed past me with the model first responder, she left behind a trail of jasmine that made my eyes close to endure. It wasn't a popular scent and just enough to be detected in passing, but it was unmistakably and forever embedded along with the memory of her. 

“If you don't hire her, I will.” Another ultimatum from Delaney made my eyes narrow. It probed her to continue and so she did, “Out of everyone we interviewed, none of them even asked about Landon and this woman comes out of nowhere and stays with him?” 

“Girl.”

“What?” 

“She isn't a woman. She's a girl.” And at least ten to twelve years my junior. Not that it was relevant, but it was proving my point. 

“Well she is the only girl to actually want to be around Landon more than you. Maybe she is what you need…” Delaney's words were frustrating because they were true. 

I didn't need an assistant or a nanny who cared about my name or what it could do for them. Virginia didn't seem to want anything but distance away from me. I wouldn't have to worry about her showing up at my job in a trench coat and a lustful agenda like the last potential nanny. 

She was perfect-for the job. 

But she hated me. 

I would have to change her mind.

Somehow…