Page 21 of Reputation (Tempt)

He nodded. “And while it pains me that Brooklyn doesn’t have a mom who realizes how amazing she is, it’s also my job to keep her safe.”

“I know,” I said, feeling that same obligation, nay desire, to watch out for Brooklyn. I felt this fierce need to protect her as if she were my own.

He blew out a breath. “I fucking hate that she still has so much control over our life.”

“You had a prenup, though, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, but she tried to use Brooklyn as leverage to get more money out of me. She knew I didn’t give a shit about the cash, but I would give anything for more time with my daughter.”

Unbelievable. I didn’t even know what to say other than, “I’m here. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Emerson,” he said, his expression solemn. “Lately, it feels like everyone’s out to get me. And it’s nice to know that someone’s on my side.”

“Anytime,” I said, and I meant it.

Not because he was my one-time celebrity crush. Nor because he was my boss. But because I knew how much he loved his daughter. And he’d always do the right thing for her.

“Is there something else going on?” I asked, as if the potential custody battle wasn’t enough.

He scoffed. “You’ve probably seen the rumors about Annalise Windsor and her tell-all?”

I nodded. I’d seen ads for the book, but I’d ignored them. “I haven’t paid them much attention.” Though the paparazzi stationed outside the yoga studio today had asked for a comment about Nate’s wild ways.

“If her book gets published as planned, it could give Trinity more ammunition if she decides to file for a change in custody.”

“Can’t you file a suit against Annalise for defamation or libel or whatever?” I asked.

“My legal team is doing everything they can. Ideally, the book will never be released. But if it is…well, people are going to form their own opinions. And it could potentially sway a judge’s feelings about my ability to parent Brooklyn.”

Fuck.

I wondered how long this had been going on. How he’d been dealing with all of this on top of all the other stressors he juggled. Running a studio. Preparing to star in a film. Solo parenting.

Jackson slowed as we neared Brooklyn’s campus. We were almost there. I felt the need to say something, anything, to reassure Nate. I just didn’t know what.

So, of course, I blurted the first thing that came to mind. “You really know how to pick ’em.” I immediately cringed, wishing I’d just kept my mouth shut.

Nate chuckled, and I was relieved he didn’t seem offended by my comment. “Don’t I know it.”

Jackson pulled onto the school grounds, driving through the gated entrance and then up to the theater building. Nate took a deep breath, his face transforming into the mask I saw him don anytime we were in public. It was fascinating, really. To peek behind the curtain. To know he felt comfortable enough with me to let his guard down.

He exited the car then held out his hand, waiting for me to take it. Other parents were filing in, but all I could focus on was his warm hand clasped around mine.

Feeling off-kilter from our conversation and his touch, I waved to his cousins Jasper and Graham when I saw them waiting on the steps. We stood outside, chatting while other parents arrived. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned to find Sophia’s dad, Preston, smiling at me. Brooklyn and Sophia had been best friends since kindergarten, so I saw their family quite a bit.

I grinned. “Preston, hey. Good to see you. And you—” I smiled at Blair with her pigtails. “Hey, Blair bear.” I glanced around. “Where’s Alexis?”

“Inside,” he said, shaking hands with Nate and his family. “She helped with some of the sets.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Alexis owned and ran a residential real estate firm. But she developed some residential projects on the side. She and her construction team had volunteered their time and skills for the sets.

“Want to sit together?” he asked.

“I’d love to.”

We followed him inside, Preston and I chatting about the girls and their latest schoolwork and developmental stages. He was a pediatric oncology counselor. But before that, he’d been a nanny. Sophia’s nanny, in fact.

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