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Brittainy Cherry’s ‘Eleanor & Grey’ Reconnect Years After Being Torn Apart – Exclusive Excerpt

Brittainy Cherry is a master at second chance romances. The romance author is kicking off the new year with Eleanor & Grey, which launches her traditionally published Chances series. You can grab the new, LYX-published edition, which includes designed edges and an exclusive, never-before-published bonus chapter, on January 20, 2026.

Eleanor & Grey chronicles the love story between the titular characters. In Swooon’s exclusive excerpt, Eleanor crosses paths with Greyson “Grey” East unexpectedly at a job interview. Grey isn’t just an old acquaintance. He was her first crush and closest friend until tragedy tore them apart.

Fate brings them together again when Eleanor takes a nannying job — and Grey is her boss. He is haunted by loss and keeps his distance from Eleanor at first. Slowly but surely, Eleanor starts to see glimpses of the boy she once adored underneath Grey’s armor.

Read our exclusive excerpt of Eleanor & Grey below:

The waiting was the worst part. It felt like we were all just sitting in limbo. I couldn’t wait to be moved from the waiting room to the dining room for round one of the interview.

Round one.

Seriously, who had more than one round of interviews for a nannying position? We’d already had background checks done through the nanny agency. Why did I have to meet with one family member first and then another after that?

I’d been nannying since I was eighteen, and I was certain that wasn’t the norm at all, even in Chicago.

Who exactly was the employer? Susan hadn’t mentioned a name, and when I’d emailed the address she’d given me, it had gone through to the employer’s assistant.

Was Beyoncé behind that door? Would I be taking Blue Ivy and the twins for afternoon walks while their parents ran the world?

It all seemed a bit odd to me, but whatever. For $65,000 a year they could be as odd as they wished.

“Eleanor Gable?” a voice called out, and I looked up toward the sound.

My arm skyrocketed into the air, and I hollered, “Present!”

Heads turned my way, and eyes glanced at my armpit.

Gross, Ellie. Put that away.

I lowered my arm and got to my feet. After clearing my throat, I said, “I’m Eleanor?” My tone almost made it sound like a question.

“Are you sure?” the woman asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m sure. I am Eleanor.

The woman looked at me and smiled. She was older, maybe in her late sixties, and even though I was being weird, she still looked hopeful. “Hi, I’m Claire. Please follow me back.”

I started in her direction while mentally beating myself up.

Did I honestly raise my hand and yell “Present”?

What is wrong with me?

I shouldn’t have been allowed around other humans.

I fit in much better with fictional characters.

The dining room was just like the living room—massive. There were built-in cabinets that held stunning fine china, which the family probably never used outside of holidays. The table sat at least ten people, which made me think they hosted often. It had such a bohemian look to it, as if it had been carved right in their backyard and then set in their dining room. It was beautiful.

Bohemian dining room table was now on my bucket list.

“So,” Claire said, taking a seat as she stared at my resume, “it seems you have quite a bit of nannying experience. Plus, Susan spoke so highly of you.”

I sat beside her and inhaled deeply. “I do. I’ve been at it for a very long time. I nannied while I went to night school and got my degree in early childhood education, and then when I realized working in day cares wasn’t my cup of tea, I decided to stick to nannying.”

She nodded and wrote something down in her notebook.

What was she writing?

I hadn’t said anything interesting enough to be written down.

I shifted around in my seat, and I swore my butt cheeks were sticking to the chair.

If I made it out of this interview with a scrap of my dignity, I was going to buy myself a new skirt.

“And this is something you’re passionate about?” she asked. “Nannying?”

“Very much so. I’ve always had a passion for working with kids, even when I was a kid myself. I started babysitting when I was sixteen, and ever since then, I’ve known I wanted to be a part of shaping the lives of children. Plus, my mother was a nanny, so I guess it kind of runs in the family.”

That sounded good.

Write that down, Claire.

My foot kept tapping against the floor, and I fiddled with my fingers.

“And before working for Susan, you nannied in Florida? Is that home base?”

“Oh, well, no. My father and I moved down there when I was a kid, just before my mother passed away, but a few years ago, I found my way back to Illinois. In my mind, this has always been home. This is where I belong.” I cleared my throat and tried to ignore my sweating.

Claire gave me the kindest smile. “You’re nervous.”

“Shockingly nervous.” I laughed, rubbing my hands together. “Sorry. I’m bad at this part, but I am good at my job. Actually, I’m great. It’s just the landing of the job that I struggle with. My nerves get in the way sometimes.”

“It’s fine. I hate interviews too, but there’s no need for the nerves. I’m the easy one here. Round two is where things get rough. But before we worry about that, I wanted to tell you more about the family. This is a bit of a different situation than what you’ve probably experienced in the past. There are two girls: Lorelai and Karla. Lorelai is five, and Karla is fourteen. The hours are a bit wacky, but mainly you are there early mornings to take the girls to school, you have middays off, then you pick up the girls and prepare dinner and put Lorelai to bed. We’re all still trying to find our footing after losing their mother, so at times things may seem intense.”

“Oh, I thought you were . . . ?” I shook my head, a bit confused.

“The mother? Oh no. I’m their grandmother. Their mother was my daughter.”

The word was stung my ears. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Yes. She was my world. She was everyone’s world . . .” Claire paused for a moment and looked away. It was clear her heart was still breaking over the death of her daughter. I figured a heart always kept breaking when a parent had to say goodbye first.

Claire cleared her throat. “Anyway, their father works quite difficult hours, so over the past ten months, it’s been my job to do the first round for hiring the nannies. I cut out the bad seeds first.”

“Nannies? As in there’s been more than one in the past ten months?”

“Six, to be exact,” she told me, which left me a bit stunned.

“Like I said, it’s my job to hire the nannies, but my son-in-law finds a way to fire them pretty quickly. It’s going to take someone with a lot of heart to last in this position.”

“That’s one thing I have—a lot of heart.”

“Good, good. I’m glad to hear it. Susan told me that too. She told me you were a bit awkward when put in situations like this but said it was worth overlooking.”

“Good ol’ Susan.” I nervously laughed.

“She’s a doll, that’s for sure. Back to the girls. A lot of the time the girls will need you to help them before and after school. Get them to school, karate practice, and therapy appointments, make their meals—you know, the usual things.

The position comes with room and board in the guesthouse if you are interested. It helps, seeing how you have to be over so early, and sometimes you’re not heading home until nine or ten. The hours can run long due to the structure of their father’s work schedule. Sometimes, he’ll have business trips, and you will be paid overtime and bonuses for those times. Allison, his assistant, will notify you far in advance of said travels. If for some reason you’re unable to work those periods of time, a part-time nanny will be brought in to cover you. Also, when summer comes around, the hours will be reworked so you aren’t working day and night.”

“Oh, OK. That all sounds good to me.”

She smiled and nodded. Then she leaned in a bit. “I just want to really make it clear, this position isn’t for the faint of heart. As I said before, within the last ten months, we have had six different nannies, which is why I’m wanting to stress how important it is to understand that this family is different than most. Everyone has changed a lot since the accident. Do you understand that there may be a bit of sensitivity involved with the job?”

“I do understand that, yes. I swear I can do this, Claire, and I know me saying that doesn’t matter at all because it’s just words, but I believe I am the right match for this position.”

“It matters,” she cut in. “I think it’s important, you believing you can do this.”

She asked me a few more basic questions, and I relaxed a little, my nerves somewhat disappearing, but they came rushing back when she told me it was time for me to advance to round two of the interview process.

“Now, this is going to be a bit hard. Lately, my son-in-law is a hard man, and he won’t say much. You will feel as if you are being judged, but don’t let him break you. You need a tough skin to work for Greyson East. Otherwise, you won’t survive.”

My lips parted and I sat there, stunned.

Claire raised an eyebrow. “What is it, Eleanor?”

“I’m sorry, did you just say Greyson East?”

“Yes. Greyson East, the CEO of EastHouse Whiskey. I thought I mentioned that when you walked in.”

“No, you didn’t.” Oh my God. The breeze from the window somehow stopped, the ticking clock on the wall seemed to pause, and a wave of nausea hit me.

“Are you all right?” she asked. “Do you know him or something?”

I nodded slowly as every memory I had of a boy named Greyson East came rushing back to me. “At least I used to. It was ages ago, though.”

“Well, maybe that’s a good thing!” Claire remarked. “Hopefully it comes in handy. Now wait here while I go update Greyson. Then I’ll come back and grab you for the next step.”

She headed out of the room, and the ponds of sweat beneath my arm became oceans.

Greyson East.

Greyson-freaking-East!

He had kids—two girls, to be exact. A family.

He was a CEO!

I wondered what he looked like after all this time. I wondered if those grayish-blue eyes were still as striking as they had been. Did he have the same laugh? The same smile?

My heart pounded rapidly against my ribcage at just the thought of Greyson. When I looked back on the defining moments of my life, he was near the top of the list. He’d come into my life when I had needed him the most, and he’d left sooner than I had hoped he would. Now I was supposed to walk into an office with him to interview for a nannying position for his children.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around that idea.

“He’s ready for you, Eleanor,” Claire said, peeking her head back into the room. She nodded me toward her, and I stood up, smoothing out my tight skirt. “And don’t worry, I left out your name. I thought it would be a pleasant surprise for him to see you.”

I hoped so.

She walked me down the hallway, and we turned into an actual library.

There was a library in this home, one with actual ladders. I was blown away by the concept. In my dream home, there would be a room just like this one.

“Good luck,” Claire whispered once I stepped inside, and then she left, closing the door behind her.

Greyson’s back was facing me as he stared out the window. He was wearing what looked like an expensive suit tailored to his body. His arms were massive, shoulders broad; he was much more built than he had been way back when. He stood straight with no curve to his body. His arms were crossed, and still he hadn’t moved an inch.

Had he heard me enter the room? Did he know I was there?

I just wanted to see those eyes.

I cleared my throat, feeling my body shake. “Well, this is crazy, right?” I choked out.

“Interviewing for a job?” he asked, his voice monotone.

“Yes—I mean, no. What I mean is . . . it’s crazy for us to cross paths again after all this time.” I took a step forward, feeling the knot in my stomach tightening. “It’s just crazy.”

“Do we know each other?” he questioned, still staring out the window, still sounding completely uninterested in my existence.

My gosh, Greyson. Just turn around.

“Grey, it’s me . . . Ellie.”

He straightened his shoulders just a bit, reacting to my words.

With a slow turn on the heels of his loafers, he looked my way. When we locked eyes, I took two steps back, a little thrown off. His were still the same gray, but unlike before, his stare was so cold, like ice. Those eyes I’d once adored were filled with a hardness I hadn’t known they could ever hold.

Those beautiful eyes.

The harshness they projected in that moment made me want to retreat from his space as soon as possible, but also, oddly enough, that same stare kind of made me want to hug him and tell him everything would be all right. This new Greyson stood there with a very Eeyore vibe to him. It was almost as if a raincloud was sitting above his head.

He didn’t have the carefree personality I remembered, that was for sure.

But the longer I looked, the more I realized what I was seeing. It wasn’t coldness from anger. It wasn’t harshness from annoyance.

His stare was sadness.

Sadness didn’t come with words; it ran across a person’s body. It swam in the eyes. It swept across the wrinkles in one’s forehead. It pushed down shoulders and sat uncomfortably at the corners of lips.

No human ever had to speak of their sadness for it to be seen. Others just had to take the time to truly notice someone to see it.

All we truly had to do was slow down and look.

Greyson’s sadness was clear as day, and that was heartbreaking. He kept staring, saying nothing at all. I shifted around in place and gave him a tight smile. “Like, Ellie Gable, from high school. We were . . .”

Friends . . .

We were friends, Grey.

We were so much more than friends.

How could he not remember? He was the one who’d gotten me through the hardest period of my life.

My words drifted because the harder he stared at me, the more uncomfortable it all became. Did he truly not remember me? Could that even be possible? Was it even the same Greyson I’d known?

Of course it was. Eyes never lie.

“I’m sorry, this is uncomfortable.” I chuckled because that was what I did when I was nervous—I laughed awkwardly. “I just thought…” I paused, giving him an opportunity to dive into the conversation.

Still nothing but silence from him.

Say something, Greyson.

“I just . . . It’s been years, Grey. You look great! Really nice. I see you grew into your height.” What, Eleanor? What did that even mean? The palms of my hands were a swamp, and I was having a hard time thinking straight. “Claire mentioned you have two daughters, huh? That’s crazy. I mean, it’s not too crazy, seeing how you’re a grown-up and that’s what grown-ups do—they have families. I mean, except for me. Still single as a daisy,” I rambled, holding my ring finger up in the air like a freaking fool.

What did that even mean? Single as a daisy?

Pull yourself together, Ellie.

I cleared my throat. “Funny how life happens, right?”

Still. No. Words.

“Well, I mean, do you want to ask me anything about the nannying position? I know this is probably weird, but I really would love the job—like, really love it. Life has been pretty crazy lately, and I could really use this position. I don’t want to give you my sob story or anything, but—”

“Thank you, that’s all,” he said. His voice was low and deep with a newfound smokiness to it. He definitely wasn’t a boy anymore, that was for sure.

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I have everything I need.”

He was so dry with his words that I truly wished he had kept with saying nothing at all. He spoke in such a monotone way that it was almost as if he weren’t really even there.

I gave him my forced smile, and he responded with a grimace.

He turned away from me once more and went back to staring out the window.

Gosh, this was so awkward.

There were a million questions running through my mind, a million things I wanted to ask him. How had he become the CEO of his father’s company? How long had he been married?

How was he dealing with the loss of his wife? Oh my gosh, he lost his wife . . .

Oh, Greyson. I’m so, so sorry.

I stood there for a while, uncertain of what to do. It seemed as if he wasn’t going to say anything else to me any time soon, and the way he stared at me as if I had never meant anything to him kind of stung. So I cleared my throat. “Well, OK. I’ll get going now. It was really nice to see you again, Grey. I hope everything . . . works out . . .” I dragged out my words and waited a few seconds to receive a reply, but nothing came, so I nodded. “OK, well, goodbye.”

I turned toward the door, opened it, and felt my whole body relax. I hadn’t known how tense I’d been inside that library. I was certain I had completely forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds.

How was that even possible?

How did I run into Greyson East after sixteen years only to have him look at me as if there hadn’t been a time in our lives when we’d meant so much to each other? How had he not felt the things I’d felt in that intense moment? And how could someone stand so tall while being weighed down by so much heaviness?

Claire looked at me, surprised. “That was quick. How did it go?”

“That was . . . an experience.” I gave her a sad grin. “Thanks for the opportunity, but I don’t think I’m what he’s looking for.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I was hopeful.”

“Yeah, me too.”

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I thanked her one last time and walked out of the house, taking my nerves and disappointment with me. I pulled out my phone to let Shay know about the failed interview, then I heard the sound of heels click-clacking against the ground.

“Eleanor! Eleanor! Wait!”

I turned to see Claire rushing my way.

“Yes?”

She was breathing heavily. “It’s yours.”

“What’s mine?”

“The job,” she said, standing up a bit straighter. “I just spoke to Greyson, and he told me to cancel the remaining interviews for the day because the position is yours. His assistant, Allison, will be in contact with you via email and will be the one to show you around Greyson’s home over the weekend. And—”

Adapted excerpt from Eleanor & Grey, Copyright © 2026 Bastei Lübbe AG, published by LYX, an imprint of Authors Equity.