Colton Cowboy Hideout. Carla Cassidy

they accomplished this, Tanner couldn’t help but notice every cowboy in the area now wore their guns on their hips.

      Whitney’s son Zane, who was in charge of security on the ranch, would be tearing his hair out knowing somehow somebody had gotten to Eldridge in the master suite of the main house.

      A quick phone call to Moira told Tanner two things—the room next to his suite was empty and everyone was still in virtual lockdown until further notice from the sheriff.

      He now carried Josie’s pink-flowered bag down the hallway to the small, empty staff room next to his. They hadn’t even stepped inside the room when Brianna appeared pushing the stroller.

      “Dada-love! Dada-love,” the twins chanted with excitement at the sight of him.

      Despite the happy greetings from his girls, his gut tightened at the pinched expression on Brianna’s face. She stopped the stroller just in front of him and grabbed the end of her braid.

      “How did lunch go?” he asked, wondering if perhaps one of the girls had misbehaved and that was the reason for Brianna’s obvious unhappiness.

      “They ate fine, they behaved okay, but I can’t do this anymore,” Brianna replied.

      “Can’t do what anymore?” he asked, even though he knew the answer and a heavy dread filled his chest.

      “I can’t work here anymore. There’s just too much tension and I don’t feel comfortable being here where a kidnapping took place. Everyone was up in arms in the staff dining room and I’m not sure my chakra is ever going to be right again.”

      The dread spread through his entire body. “So, are you giving me your two-week notice?” he asked as he set down Josie’s suitcase on the carpeting.

      “No, consider this your two-minute notice,” she replied. “I need to get away from all the negative energy before I’m completely sick.”

      A wild panic took the place of the dread. Two-minute notice? What in the hell was he supposed to do with that? Before he could even respond Brianna raised her fingers in a familiar sign. “Peace out,” she said and then twirled on her heels and headed back down the hall.

      Tanner stared after her and then looked down at his daughters. “Dada-love?” Lily’s lower lip began to tremble and Leigh echoed the cry.

      He bent down and grabbed Lily into his arms, grateful when Josie picked up Leigh. He stared at the pretty young woman who held his daughter.

      Josie had just confessed to him that she was not only the daughter of a serial killer, but had also been a suspect in a string of heinous murders, and yet as Leigh reached up to grab her nose, a crazy plan formulated in his head.

      “How would you like a temporary nanny job?” he asked.

      Her eyes widened in obvious surprise. “You’re insane,” she replied. Leigh laughed and clung tighter to her.

      “It’s too dangerous for us to go back to that tree for the watch for the next couple of days or so. You mentioned you mothered the other children when you were in foster care. If you’ll play nanny to the girls during the day, then when I think it’s safe enough I’ll take you back to the tree to get the watch.”

      Her eyes narrowed. “That sounds suspiciously like blackmail,” she said.

      “Really? To me it sounded like the promise of a desperate father. Look, I’ll pay you what I was paying Brianna and I’ll start interviewing somebody for the position immediately. The girls have already taken to you and did I mention I’m desperate?”

      “Nose,” Leigh said and once again tried to capture Josie’s nose.

      Josie easily dodged the little fingers by turning her head slightly, but her gaze remained locked with his. “Okay,” she said. “You just got yourself a temporary nanny.”

      Tanner should have felt a huge relief. He’d always considered himself a decent judge of character. But he’d certainly misjudged his former wife and then a couple of the women he’d hired to watch his girls. He just hoped he wasn’t making another mistake in trusting Josie Colton with his most precious possessions.