Page 11 of The Maxwell Brothers

"Will do," I said.

"Okay, you're both set?” Tate asked as he set his empty cup in the dishwasher. “I'm going to the office."

"Paisley, I'm going to walk your dad out and ask him a few things, okay? I'll be right back," I said.

She nodded, digging into her breakfast.

Tate looked surprised but didn’t say anything. As we both walked out of the kitchen, I could feel the air between us change. It became more charged.

"Tate, do you want me to update you during the day with Paisley's schedule? I can send you pictures.”

"I'd like that. I miss her so much during the day."

Wow.My heart burst at the thoughtful look on his face. And right then I realized it wasn’t just his impossibly good looks that were messing with me. The fact that he was such a dedicated father touched me deeply.

“Okay. Then I’m going to take her out today and keep you posted,” I said, more for myself than for him. “I’ll take a change of clothes for her. I also brought one for myself, and?—”

I stopped abruptly, remembering our conversation from last evening. I’d gotten both of us in trouble by talking about my clothes, and I didn’t intend to do it again. Judging by the playful glint in his eyes, he was thinking about it too. I was rambling again.

He was standing only a foot away from me, and I could smell his aftershave.

“Do you have any questions for me?” I asked.

He looked at me intently for a few seconds, making me squirm. Then he shook his head, clearing his throat. “No, that would be all.”

Remember your golden rule, Lexi.Besides,my parents were counting on me. I couldn’t mess up this job. But it was our first morning together. I was sure I wouldn't be as impacted by him as time went by.

I needed time. That was all. I was sure of it.

Paisley and I had a lot of fun. She was a great kid. We biked along the Lakefront Trail at a considerable speed. She had a lot of stamina, and we only took a break when we reached Oak Street Beach. I'd brought a blanket with us, so we made a picnic of sorts overlooking the water. I took the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I made out of the backpack and handed one to Paisley.

“How often do you bike ride?" I asked her.

"Oh, in the summers, a lot. My dad sometimes takes me, or the nanny does."

"You've had a lot of them?"

She nodded. "Yes. About two a year, I think. When I'm at school, I only have someone in the afternoon, but summers are different."

I wondered what happened to her mother, but I didn't want to ask. She'd tell me when she was ready, or maybe Tate would. It was important for me to know what to expect so I could handle any situation.

"My uncles also like to take me out," she said after a few mouthfuls of her sandwich.

"How many do you have?" I asked her.

"Five," she said proudly.

"Five. Wow." I couldn't imagine six Maxwell brothers. I was sure all of them were hot, and that was too much for the world to handle.

“I also have two aunties. Dad’s cousins. They all live in Chicago. Sometimes they pick me up at school. I think my teachers like it when my uncles stop by."

Yeah, that confirms my theory.

In between bites, I got a lot of intel. She loved Selena Gomez, her favorite color was pink, she could watchSnow Whiteevery day and wasn’t much of a reader. She did like coloring books and crafts, though.

After we finished the sandwiches, I took out the sunscreen. We’d smeared ourselves at the house, but it was time to reapply; the sun was burning, and we were sweating a lot. A few minutes later, we went on with our bike ride, only taking another break to eat hot dogs from a food truck for an afternoon snack. Once we got home later that afternoon, we worked on a puzzle of the Chicago skyline while drinking lemonade. As six o'clock approached, I was on pins and needles again, bracing myself for Tate's arrival.

He came home at six on the dot. The second the front door opened, Paisley jumped into his arms. He gave her a tight hug, smiling over her shoulder. When he looked up, his gaze met mine, and I was delighted at the look of happiness in his irises. He put his daughter down and walked toward me, and I swear to God, with every step he took, my body temperature seemed to rise in anticipation of his nearness. This was going to be much harder than I thought.