Page 25 of The Maxwell Brothers
“Exactly. It doesn't count," I added.
He kept his eyes trained on me, but I didn’t look away.
“Dad, when is Aunt Reese finishing her call?” Paisley asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Is everyone in your family an early riser on Saturday?” I inquired.
Tate shrugged. “Not really, but Reese needed some company.”
“Did something happen?”
“Her ex-fiancé is giving her headaches,” he replied in a harsh tone.
And his door is always open to his family, huh?This was completely unexpected.
“That’s it, I turned my phone to airplane mode,” Reese announced, entering the kitchen.
Sitting next to Paisley, she helped herself to a mouthful of her niece’s waffle.
“Tate, you make the best waffles.” She sighed with appreciation. “When is everyone else arriving?”
“Probably not until lunch,” Tate said.
Paisley turned to look straight at me, pushing herself up onto her feet, and standing on the chair. She pointed one forefinger at me.
“Lexi! We’re having a barbecue. Pleaaaaaase stay. I want everyone to meet you.”
She was adorable.
Before I had a chance to reply, Tate intervened.
“Paisley, Lexi is free on weekends. She’s only here this morning because there was a power outage and it wasn’t safe for her to go back home. Now, sit back down in your chair before you fall.”
A knot formed in my stomach. He was right, of course. I was the nanny, not part of the family. I had to keep that front and center in mind. I’d only been here two weeks, and we’d kissed.And now I was swooning because he’d made me a waffle. I was on averyslippery slope.
“But our cookouts are fun,” Reese put in. “Do you have plans for today?”
"I’m meeting a friend in the afternoon. But now, I was going to go home and get something to read, a blanket, and maybe picnic out at the beach in front of my building. I don’t have anything planned for lunch."
“Then stay. Besides, you might need intel about your employer,” she said with a wink.
“What?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“He ran off a lot of nannies because he’s so demanding.”
Tate groaned. “Reese!”
“He should be,” I replied. “They’re caring for his daughter, after all.”
“Pleaaaaase,” Paisley repeated as she slowly sat back down in her chair.
I pressed my lips together before bursting into laughter. I really couldn’t say no to her, huh? Not when she stared with those pleading eyes. I couldn’t disappoint her.
“Okay. If it’s not an inconvenience to anyone, I’ll stay,” I said.
“It’s not. Lexi, let’s step outside the kitchen for a minute,” Tate said.
