Josh Newsome had been best friends with Clay Trevor for fifteen years. They met through Josh’s wife, Carolyn. Clay had met Carolyn when they were appointed to a committee on the environment, and they became fast friends. 

At first, Clay was like a mentor to Josh, and he sought him out frequently. Josh became extremely attached to Clay mainly because he didn’t make fun of him or put him down in any way. 

Josh’s wife used to jokingly say that she didn’t marry him for his brains. People would laugh about her remark, but Josh never seemed to get the joke. Josh knew he was very handsome. He was muscular and quite tall at over six feet. He always caught the eye of women, and even men were very attracted to him. He was frequently told that he had the most beautiful smile and that his bright blue eyes twinkled. His black curly hair was always a mess, but in a very sexy way. But he was truly a gentle giant. 

 Josh, being slow on the uptake a lot of the time, often missed things in conversation. He never got sarcasm or wit. He was a quiet, somewhat shy man. 

Josh often asked Clay about things he didn’t understand. “Clay, why does Carolyn always say that she didn’t marry me for my brains? I thought she married me because she loved me as much as I love her.”

Clay replied, “She thinks you’re a stud.”

“Clay, do you think I’m a stud?”

Clay chuckled and said, “Josh, everyone thinks you’re a stud.”

Josh sat quietly for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “Cool.”

*

Josh had just returned after being away for a month working. He repaired clock towers, and this time, he’d been in Maine. He fixed all kinds of large mechanical devices. He was brilliant when it came to diagnosing issues with these types of things. Plus, he was capable of manufacturing his own replacement parts. 

Josh became a very wealthy man doing this. In fact, he was a multi-millionaire.

His wife wasn’t only a brilliant woman but strikingly beautiful. Her golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfect figure caught everyone’s attention. She proved wickedly intelligent and earned doctorates in Astrophysics and Nuclear Engineering. She, too, made a ton of money. Early in their relationship, Carolyn had decided she needed a prenuptial agreement before their marriage. It stated that their money would be kept separate, and they would have one small joint account for living expenses. Josh loved her, so he just signed the agreement. This happened before Josh became very rich. 

Josh’s wife loved her job and wanted to work. After the first baby came, she planned on going back to work. 

Josh’s company took off, and he couldn’t take time off from work.

* * * *

One afternoon, Clay found Josh sitting on the sofa in Clay’s house, drinking a beer. Josh looked perplexed. 

“Hey Josh, what’s up?” Clay asked.

“Clay, Carolyn’s going back to work. I’m going to Boston to start a new project. We have a baby. I can’t take him. I would if I could, but I can’t. Carolyn told me to figure it out. Clay, I can’t figure it out.”

“Josh, what’s the problem? You both have plenty of money. Hire a nanny or two.”

“A nanny? How does that work?”

“You contact an agency, and they’ll send people out for you and Carolyn to interview. You hire them. They’ll live with you and care for the baby or babies.”

In the following weeks, two nannies were hired. They’d have one month on and one month off.

Clay sat with Josh on the sofa. Josh asked, “How come you’re so smart, and I don’t know about this stuff?”

Clay answered, “Because you lived your whole life way up in the mountains and weren’t exposed to this stuff. By the way, when do you leave for Boston?”

“In two weeks, you wanna come?”

“No, goofy. I need you to meet a couple of friends of mine. Cora is a business lawyer, and Minnie is a financial wizard. It would be in your best interest to have your business and finances set up correctly and protected. Plus, you have nearly a million dollars in a savings account. That’s a big no. FYI, they’re both good people.”

“Clay? Will you come with me? You know I get all bumbled up by this shit.”

 Clay smiled. “They’re a married couple and two of my dearest friends. They’ll only do right by you. I promise. But sure, I’ll come.”

Clay and his friends helped Josh’s business get set up, licensed, and protected. Poor Minnie nearly broke down when she saw how much unprotected money he had. That was now fully corrected. Plus, money would be sent monthly to the joint family account.