Dylan's Daddy Dilemma (The Colorado Fosters Book 04) by Tracy Madison Page B

sister offered you her home and she tends to—in the past, I mean—wear her heart on her sleeve. I overreacted.”
    “Out of protection and concern.” This was a response that Chelsea understood. Finally. “Maybe what you meant to say is that my résumé and references should be considered before an employment offer is made? That would be a logical sequence of events, would it not?”
    “Ah, yeah. That would be logical.”
    “But see, this is why you came into our lives at the perfect moment,” Haley said to Chelsea. “The wedding isn’t until mid-May, which is weeks and weeks away. By the time we leave for our honeymoon, you’ll be up to speed on the necessities, and as a bonus, you won’t require child care. We think it’s an ideal solution all the way around.”
    The theme song from
The Twilight Zone
played in Chelsea’s head. Was this fate or blind, dumb luck, or something else entirely? She didn’t know. This could be—no, it was—exactly what she and Henry needed. Their chance at a brand-new fresh start.
    “I would love to say yes.” Chelsea spoke quickly, before Dylan could declare her a bank robber, as well. She understood his prior response, but she
needed
this to happen. “
If
you feel the same after reviewing my résumé and references. If not, we’ll just agree this isn’t the right fit.”
    “Sounds like a deal to me,” Gavin said. “Dylan?”
    “Not my call, but that...ah...seems reasonable.”
    “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s see your résumé,” Haley said as she stood. “Because the sooner we get this settled, the sooner I can show you to your bedrooms!”
    This was really happening. A job and a home—Chelsea looked over to the fireplace’s mantel, to the framed photographs, and a sense of belonging, of family, filled her heart. Nope, not her family, but maybe this job, here with Gavin and Haley, would help her in far greater measures than any other job ever would. Maybe fate had a hand in this, after all.
    “Chelsea?” Dylan’s voice pulled her back to the present, to him. “What bag is your résumé in? I’ll go out to the car and grab it for you.”
    “Oh. Um.” She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focused on Dylan. He looked better now. Not nearly as stressed. Maybe he’d already gotten over his qualms? She hoped so. “It’s in the outside pocket of the purple suitcase. The upright. In a file folder. But I can get it.”
    “Nah, stay here and chat with Gavin and Haley. Find out more about the job.”
    She nodded and watched as he left the room. If she was here due to fate, then Dylan stood in the center of it all. Because none of this would have happened without him. He’d found her in her car. He’d offered her and Henry a safe haven for the night. He’d convinced her to come here today. He’d tried to lend her money, not once but twice. And he... Oh. Wow.
    Last night, he’d offered to talk to his family about scrounging up some temporary work she could do for them. He’d even brought up the possibility of finding somewhere better than a cheap motel for Henry and her to sleep. She’d said no, firmly and decisively, yet suddenly, this perfect job offer from
his sister
presented itself, which miraculously included room and board.
    Chelsea’s heart dropped. She should’ve clued in to this immediately.
    Dylan and his Good Samaritan nature had orchestrated this entire thing. This had to be his doing...except, well, he’d truly seemed uncomfortable when Haley had mentioned the opportunity, and his reaction had definitely fallen on the bizarre side. Was that a show, put on for her benefit? Chelsea didn’t know, couldn’t know, for sure, but...darn it, that seemed more likely than fate bringing her here, to him and to this house, to this job.
    Fate had never been so kind to her before, so why in the hell would it start now?
    She didn’t need charity. Well, maybe in this exact moment she did, but she didn’t want it and she didn’t see how