A Hopeful New Year, page 1
A Hopeful New Year
THE CHEERFUL SERIES
BOOK THREE
ALEXA RILEY
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
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Read Me Romance
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2025 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com
http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
A Hopeful New Year
BY ALEXA RILEY
Nova is back home in Cheerful spinning her wheels after graduating college. She's looking for direction, so when a friend reaches out about an open live-in nanny position, Nova takes it as a sign. It's not until she arrives in the city and meets her new high-powered boss that she wonders if taking the job was a mistake. Kellan Eve might be handsome and rich, but the way he looks at her is way too overwhelming.
One phone call turns Kellan's world upside down overnight. When he's told he's now the guardian of a ten-year-old niece he knew nothing about, he has to scramble to find help. With a demanding job and no support system, his only solution is to hire a live-in nanny. The arrival of Nova stirs something inside him that he never knew existed. Suddenly he's seeing everything in a new light and is ready to make some big changes.
Welcome to Cheerful, a town that loves Christmas almost as much as it loves Happily Ever Afters. This is the place to be if you need a hefty dose of holiday cheer, or you're looking to have your stocking stuffed. Grab your coziest pajamas and hot chocolate because it's about to get festive.
Wishing you a peaceful holiday season filled with smutty romances.
* * *
Chapter One
NOVA
This is my own doing. Apparently starting a New Year's resolution before New Year's jinxes it. I was so sure it was a sign when I was hanging out at the bakery with a couple of girlfriends. Yes, in a small town you can end up at the bakery hanging out. That said, Cheerful’s bakery is nothing to turn your nose up at. People travel in from the city for Molly’s treats alone.
Ope, that sounds wrong even in my head. I know Noah, Molly’s grumpy man, wouldn’t be too happy about the phrasing, but I digress. I was sipping on my sugar cookie coffee while my friends and I were discussing what our resolution ideas were.
I’ve been back in Cheerful for six months now after being born and raised in the quaint, adorable town. After I graduated with my early education degree, I came back home. There wasn't much of a choice since I had to get out of my dorm, but I wasn't sad about it. I missed home, and I’ve enjoyed my time being back. Living with my parents has gotten old fast, even though I adore them. It's just time for me to start the next chapter in my life. The problem is, Cheerful is a small town, and the local school district doesn't have a single opening.
As of right now, I'm part-time at the library because it gives me something to do. Being a teacher isn't my goal—I mean, I'd totally take it because I'm still not a hundred percent sure what my goal is, but I’ve been mulling over being an au pair. All through high school, I babysat for families all over Cheerful, and I loved it. Now the local high school kids have taken over those spots, there’s no room for me anymore. Plus, the pay isn't enough that I could live off of it on my own. The only option is being a full-time nanny, and not many people are searching for those in Cheerful.
Lately I've been seeing where au pairs go abroad. It’s a contract for six months to a year, which sounds fun but also a little scary. When I was in college, the city could be overwhelming at times. I could handle it, but it felt exhausting. Not sure I could deal with a big city in a whole other country.
I know I can't keep dancing around making a choice. Being stagnant is getting old, and my parents really slipped back into the whole honeymoon phase. I don't blame them. They had five kids, and I was the last one to head off, leaving them with an empty nest.
My mom went a little stir-crazy at first, always showing up at my dorm with food and all kinds of crap, but she settled down after a little while. Now she and Dad are like teenagers who can't get enough of each other. It's easy to see how they ended up with five kids.
So when I declared I was going to shake things up and pull the trigger on a new step in life and my phone rang not even five minutes later, I took that as a sign.
I met Veena my first year in college. She'd been the resident advisor, RA, of my dorm. She was a few years older, and I was super sad when she graduated. We both were getting degrees in education, except Veena was getting her master's in it.
She works for a company called Tiny Treasures. They help place nannies and sitters of all kinds with families in need. It could be for small jobs like after-school pick-up or staying with the kids for a few hours while the parent runs errands. Or it could be with the same family a few times a week to become a full-time live-in nanny.
Veena got me on there, and I did it for about a year. I was what the company referred to as a Last Call, which meant an emergency sitter. It didn't have to be a life-or-death emergency but whenever a parent needed a sitter last second or another employee canceled. It was quick and easy money, but I didn’t love it. It’s hard to connect with the kids when you’re being shuffled from one house to another. I often only saw a family one time, and while in college, I made it work. Once I graduated, I told them I was heading back home and to take me off the call list.
Veena put me right back on the list when she called me yesterday in a panic. A very wealthy and powerful man was in need of a live-in nanny right away. I wasn’t sure about it, but as Veena gave me more details about the situation, I really felt like this was a sign.
The client is a workaholic bachelor who never planned to have children until he suddenly became a parent after the death of a family member. Veena said that the man wasn’t close to the brother that passed away, and all I could think was that if he wasn’t close to his brother, he likely wasn’t close to the child either.
That’s me making assumptions, since I’m not really sure. All of this information has been thrown at me, and it’s been a scramble. Including me packing up as much of my stuff as I could before driving back to the city.
Thankfully, or maybe not, my parents had taken off for a warm beach vacation, so I couldn’t get assaulted with a million questions about this decision. I don’t think they or my brothers would love the idea of me moving in with a random man even if Veena vouched for him and the company did a background check.
I’m not worried about some wealthy man trying to hit on me. I’m sure they have that area covered in their lives. They wouldn’t be looking to score with the small-town girl that has almost no sexual experience and doesn't really fit into their lifestyle.
By the time my parents return from their vacation and my dad sees I took his old truck, I'll already be gone. I’m planning on asking for forgiveness later, or whatever the saying is.
While I’m at a light, I double-check the address, and a horn blares. I look in the rear-view mirror and see a man shout from the vehicle behind me, “Come on, lady, move it! We don’t have all day around here.”
“Sorry,” I shout back as I make my turn. Not sure why, but I smile as I realize how much I missed the city. I hate driving here, but it helped bringing a bunch of my stuff with me.
When I see the building, I start to wonder if I’m underdressed. I pull to the front so I can ask the valet where to park my truck long-term.
“Afternoon.” The valet’s expression is skeptical as he looks over the truck. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Hi,” I chirp. “I’m Nova.” I hold out my hand, and if possible, he looks even more apprehensive before he takes it.
“Jones,” he says, introducing himself.
“Nice to meet you, Jones. I need to know where to park this old guy.”
“Kinda?”
“Well, I guess, I mean I am.” It wasn’t clear how long I’ll be staying, and it’s possible I’ll be a placeholder until they find someone more suited. I’m getting the sense from this shiny building that I’m here because I was available and not because I’m the best fit. “I’m moving in with Mr. Eve.”
Jones' eyes widen a fraction. “You’re the au pair?”
“That’s me,” I say and give him a bright smile.
He tilts his head, and a smile tries to tug at the corner of his lips, but Jones gets that under control quickly as he stands up straighter.
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“Don’t worry about anything. We’ll park the truck for you and bring your items up,” he says as he opens the door for me.
“Oh really? That’s so nice,” I tell him. “Now listen, don’t judge me too harshly because this was last-minute, and I was tossing things into any bag I could find. My parents took all the luggage on their vacation, which, mind you, I wasn’t even asked to go on with them. I would have said no, but still, the offer would have been nice.”
I blurt out everything and leave myself a tad out of breath.
“It’s the thought that counts,” Jones agrees.
“Exactly, see you get it,” I say as I hop out of the truck. “So with that said, these trash bags aren’t trash.”
I nod to the bed of the truck, and Jones steps around to peer down at them.
“I understand,” he says, holding out his hand for the keys.
“You can drive a stick, right?” I hand them over.
“I think I can manage.”
“Great, just watch the second gear; it gets sticky.”
This time he doesn’t fight his smile, but I swear it’s laced with amusement.
Chapter Two
KELLAN
“Mr. Eve, development has requested a video conference in half an hour. I’ve forwarded you the link.”
“Goddamn it, Edith. I told you I wasn’t going to take any more meetings today.” I look up from my computer screen to see my secretary looking at me with a bored expression.
“Yet I seem to remember a certain CEO telling me to ‘get the entire fucking development team on a call before I shove my fist up Watson’s ass and use him as a puppet.’”
Edith’s impression of me is spot on, but I’m not about to tell her that. It will only encourage her to keep doing it. She’s been with me since I took over at Secure, a software company that specializes in data protection. She was here when the company was founded, and she’ll likely be here long after I retire. Edith is my right hand, but I’m not entirely convinced she’s not a vampire. Nothing about her has changed since I got a part-time job here in high school as an intern. Almost twenty years later and she still doesn’t have a single salt and pepper hair out of place.
“Fine, but after that, clear my schedule. The new nanny is coming today, and Aurora asked me to be there when she arrives.”
“Maybe I should ask your niece for tips on bossing you around.” Edith stares down at me, and I roll my eyes.
“Like you need any help. Besides, I’m not sure I need another woman in my life reminding me how I’ve failed them.”
“Come on, Kellan,” Edith says as she rounds the desk. It’s not often she calls me by my first name, though I’ve told her to do it countless times. “With help on the way, things are bound to get better.” She places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a small squeeze before letting go. “It’s not like they can get any worse.”
A month ago, I would have agreed with her, but after the phone call I got in the middle of the night, everything changed. Now I know exactly how much worse things can be, and I’m not trying to tempt fate.
“It’s fine,” I say, brushing off the frustration and exhaustion. “Will you do me a favor and—”
“Go check on Aurora? I already did before I came in here, but I’ll go by and check again,” Edith says as she grabs my empty coffee mug and leftover lunch container off my desk. “She’s set up in the conference room today.”
“Thank you,” I tell her as I run a hand through my hair.
“Anything else?” she asks before she goes to the door.
“No, that’s all for now.” I go back to my computer screen and try to focus on work.
“Mr. Eve?” Edith says, and I look up from my computer. “Try not to be so hard on yourself. Most people don’t get a ten-year-old out of nowhere, but Aurora is a special child. You’ll both be fine.”
I nod as Edith exits my office, but I don’t know if she’s right. How can a child be fine if they’re stuck with me as a guardian? Me, the person who didn’t want kids. I never even put my cock inside a woman because I didn’t want to risk it. The universe has jokes.
Thankfully, what I lack in emotional support, I make up for in wealth. I might not be able to be the person Aurora needs, but I can certainly pay someone to be that person for her.
My shoulders sag as I remember the look of disappointment on Aurora’s face the first time she saw me. My brother and I could have been twins, but our personalities couldn’t have been more different. She took one look at me and knew I was nothing like him, despite the resemblance.
Marshall and I were placed in foster care together after our mom died from a drug overdose. At the time I was around five and Marshall was a year younger. We were able to stay in the same home for a few months, but then we were separated and bounced around the state. Most of my childhood is a blur, and looking back, I think I blocked a lot of it out to protect myself.
By the time I was in high school and working part-time, I had enough money to take the bus to where Marshall was living a few hours away. I’d try to visit him once a month, but it was hard getting out there. Plus, at that point it felt like we were strangers more than brothers, and I didn’t try very hard.
When I went to college, Marshall joined the military. The last time I saw him was eleven years ago when he enlisted and told me he wanted to have dinner together before he shipped out for basic training. My phone kept going off the whole time, and I was distracted with a new contract that I was sure was going to help me gain recognition at Secure. Looking back, I can see now that my brother was trying to connect with me one last time, and I blew it.
After basic training, Marshall was deployed overseas, and I never saw him again. We would talk maybe once a year around the holidays to check in, but nothing more. It wasn’t until the night I got the call that Marshall had been killed in a car accident that I found out my brother had a ten-year-old daughter that I knew nothing about. He never mentioned his daughter in any of our phone conversations, and I still don’t know why.
Marshall’s commanding officer informed me that Aurora’s mother died during childbirth, and I was the only next of kin. He said that I needed to come pick up Aurora or she would be transferred to the state foster care system. Having been through the system myself, I knew how bad it could be. Especially for girls. As much as I never wanted kids, I knew I had the means to care for a child. Certainly not emotionally, but financially I would be able to give her the life my brother would have wanted for her.
It’s been a whirlwind since finding all of this out, and I really haven’t had time to process losing the brother I didn’t know and gaining a child I didn’t want. Hiring a live-in nanny is the first thing on my list because I have deadlines with work I can’t miss. There are several projects happening right now, and I need to be hands-on until they are finished. Once they are complete, then maybe I can unpack what happened with Marshall. Until then, there’s no time for emotions.
The sound on my computer alerts me to an incoming conference call, and I let out a heavy sigh as I click to join. While Watson starts talking about the development strategy, a pop-up message from Edith appears in the corner of my screen.
Edith: Aurora is in the conference room watching some kind of baking show.
Me: Thanks for checking on her.
Edith: Jones from valet called. He said the au pair arrived in some kind of junk vehicle with her possessions in trash bags.
“Goddamn it,” I say, and Watson stops talking.
“Is something wrong?” he asks, and I look at the video conference to see everyone watching me.
“Yes, the proposal is for fifty percent less coverage than the client asked for. The next time you come unprepared to a meeting, I’m going to start charging you for my time,” I tell Watson as I push away from my desk. “Do it again, only this time upload the development schematics with what the client has requested.”
