Page 36 of Captivating

“Hi, Aunt Tink,” a little voice chimes in, and I’m suddenly giddy and ready to toss aside all my plans for the day. I mean, if I had any, I’d throw those bitches through the window for that sweet voice.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite rose. You should have said it was you, Rosie. Why don’t you leave your daddy outside and you come in and give me a squeeze.”

Beautiful tinkling laughter comes through the speaker as I hear the beep of the gate rising. “We can’t leave Daddy outside.”

The line goes dead, and I know Maverick’s heading up to the house.

“I think that’s it for the day, Tasha. Thanks for your help. I’ll see you Saturday.” I take a sip of my tea and wait for her to pack up. Tasha has been with me for a few years, and she’s great, but I don’t mix my family and work, and Mav and Briar Rose are firmly planted in the family category, even if not by blood.

I think I see a flash of annoyance cross her face, but I can’t be sure because it’s gone as fast as it appeared. “Great. Thank you, Lilah. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Tink...” Maverick’s booming voice is followed by a knock on the door before it opens. “Son of a nutcracker, Tink.”Maverick lets himself in my house as Tasha and I move into the foyer. Mav sees Tasha and scoops Rosie up on his hip, then glares at who he considers a stranger in his presence. One of the only people I’ve ever met more private than me is Maverick, and it’s because of that little girl.

“A nutcracker?” Tasha asks, and I think Mav actually growls.

“Be nice, Daddy,” Rosie tells him as she rests her head on his shoulder. “Mimi says you have to work on that.”

I smother my laughter. I swear Mav’s mom has been saying he should work on that his whole life. He only finds alternative ways to curse because he doesn’t want to use adult words in front of Rosie. I try to watch myself, but I slip at least once every time I see her. If I have kids one day, their first word is definitely going to befuck, and it’s absolutely going to be my fault.

“I’m just going to take that as my cue to leave,” Tasha announces awkwardly before she waves and lets herself out.

Once the door is closed behind her, Mav throws the lock and puts Rosie down. “Was she the last one to come in, Tink?”

I nod, and his eyes darken. “If she leaves that door unlocked again, fire her. I don’t care how much security you have.” He looks down at Rosie and palms her head like a basketball, then runs his hand over her soft hair. No one would know this big, tough football player, who just won the Super Bowl two weeks ago, could be such a softie for his kid, mainly because the world doesn’t even know Briar Rose exists, and Maverick has no intention of changing that any time soon.

I ignore Maverick and his impending lecture and squat down next to one of my most favorite little girls and bop her on the nose. “Hey, Rosie, do you know what I have?”

She shakes her head excitedly.

“I have ice cream.”

Her cherubic face falls with disappointment. “I can’t have ice cream, Aunt Tink.”

I look at her father and wink before looking back at Rosie. “Oh, ye of little faith...”

“Ye of what who?” she asks, confused.

I pop up on my feet and take her hand in mine. “It just means trust me. Aunt Tink has you covered.”

“But I don’t want to be covered. The splotches itch, and they always come if I have ice cream.”

This poor kid. She’s four years old and already knows not to touch dairy, wheat, or nuts. Tree nuts and peanuts. But the peanuts are the worst. The others will give her a horrible rash. But the peanuts—that one is deadly.

I guarantee Maverick has two epi pens in the backpack he’s got hanging from one shoulder. I know there’s at least another one in his car. His parents have two at their house, and everyone in Rosie’s sphere knows the rules. We have to. No slipups. Never.

Noah and I were on tour the only time she’s ever needed her epi pens, and she needed them both. Two Halloweens ago, she was having her weekly visitation with her mother and helped herself to a peanut butter cup from her mom’s purse. Thank God the social worker was there, monitoring the visit, and acted fast or it could have been a very different thing. As it was, they kept Rosie in the hospital overnight. I can’t imagine what that had to be like for her or him.

“Tink...” Maverick warns as we walk into the kitchen.

“You can check the ingredients yourself, big Daddy. But I promise you, I checked. It hasn’t been opened, and you know me. There is not a peanut substance to be found in this house.” I grab the carton out of the fridge and pass it to Maverick, then sit Rosie on my counter and grab two spoons. “Look good?”

“Does it, Daddy?”

Mav smiles, and Rosie cheers.

“I have strawberries we can add too,” I tell her and kiss her cheek.

My front door opens again, and I glance over at the security cameras displayed on the corner counter of the kitchen. Noah. “Tink...” he calls out.

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