Chapter 12

I feel a streak of embarrassment flush my face. God—the things these kids know and notice these days are crazy. And coming from the mouth of a toddler! I never would have imagined Tris knows what breasts are, let alone that her father was looking at mine.

“It’s just an adult versus child misunderstanding,” I tell myself. There’s no way Tris actually knows what her dad was looking at.

I clear my throat and cough to get us back on track, flipping through the clothes quickly to find a better outfit for her.

Together, Tris and I pick out the perfect everything: swimsuit, swim cap, flip-flops, and goggles—a perfect set.

She is absolutely adorable! I want to pinch her cheeks and tell her she looks perfect. However, I’m still very much a stranger to this little girl. I don’t have that relationship to be able to do that.

Tris checks herself out in the mirror, swinging her hips back and forth to examine her entire look. She looks satisfied with our choices and smiles at her reflection.

“You have much better taste than Daddy does,” she says regretfully. She looks at me through the mirror. “Just like my mom.”

My heart beats a bit faster at this, seeing as I know nothing about the girl’s mother—about Derek’s ex-wife. I don’t know what to say to the small girl.

Tris then runs over to another wall of stuff, sifting through what she has there before she comes back with something clenched in her tiny fist.

“Thank you, Miss Esme. I want to give you a gift.”

She holds out her closed fist, waiting for me to give her my hand to drop the gift into. I do as she wants, and a beautiful gift falls into my hand.

“A butterfly brooch…” I can’t help but whisper, looking at the detail of the butterfly with its spread wings and shimmering gems that reflect from the light above the closet. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me,” I tell Tris.

It’s not a lie, either. A monarch butterfly brooch, something I would never have thought to buy for myself. I’m touched by her kindness and smile on her face.

“It’s mine,” Tris tells me as I look back down at her. “But I have a bunch of stuff like that, and I want you to have it.”

Derek has done a wonderful job raising these two girls. I can’t remember the last time I was truly touched by something given to me. Well, Derek did give me the necklace that still sits around my neck.

I touch the gem, the dark blue heart hanging from the silver chain.

The Anderson family is very talented at giving gifts to people.

“Thank you, Tris,” I somewhat whisper. “I love it.”

We head out the door a few minutes later, Tris tugging on my arm to get to the elevator as fast as possible.

“Miss Esme,” Tris asks me once we step inside. “Can you take some pictures when we’re at the pool?”

“Doesn’t your Daddy take pictures of you?”

She scrunches her face up, the elevator heading up. “Daddy’s not good at pictures, too.”

Seems like Super Dad isn’t good at everything.

“Why not?”

“He makes us look like big-headed dollies!” She complains, but I can’t help laughing at her words, understanding what she’s saying.

“Sure thing, Tris. Let’s show your Daddy your outfit, and then I’ll take some pictures, okay?”

She jumps up and down on the carpeted floor of the elevator, clearly excited at the prospect of new pictures with her sister. Her flip-flops slap against the floor, but I just smile wider.

When we arrive on the 24(th) floor, the door opens to the massive pool before us. Wow.

It’s indeed a great pool in size and beauty. I’ve been slacking on my exercise lately, both because my work causes me great fatigue and because of sheer laziness.

And trying to divorce my bastard of a husband.

Once we step out and head over to the water, Tris calls out for her dad. “Daddy!”

She looks so proud to show off her outfit that she goes right up to the edge to wait for her father.

He comes swimming up, running his hand through his wet hair on the top of his head. As he surfaces, I can’t help but see his body.

Damn, his body is like that of a damn Greek God…tan, muscular, and peppered with tattoos. Add in his height, this has got to be the most attractive man I have ever laid eyes on.

I’m fully stunned as Derek climbs out of the pool, smiling as he sees his little girl next to me.

“Well now, let me look at you,” Derek asks Tris, motioning for her to twirl in a circle to show off her outfit. As she does that, he gushes over her. “Beautiful!”

“Thank you again, Miss Esme,” Tris says, grabbing up at her father to pick her up. “Thank you, Esme,” Derek echoes. “As you can see, I’m not exactly great when it comes to picking out the clothes for the girls.”

I force myself to stare directly into his eyes. I don’t want him to know I’d been checking him out.

“It was nothing,” I laugh, feeling breathless. Then, remembering what Tris had asked in the elevator, pulled out my phone. “Oh, she asked if I could take pictures of her and Bea.”

Derek’s smile grows. “Alright then, guess we’re going to have to do some silly stuff for these pictures!” He teases into the four-year-old’s face, tickling her stomach.

Then, checking to make sure no one is in the way, Derek playfully and carefully throws his daughter into the shallow end of the pool, her giggles igniting through the air.

I immediately start clicking away on my phone, laughing at the two girls and their very tall father. Derek takes a few steps back to jump into the water, making a huge splash as he enters the pool.

I watch as Bea and Tris take turns asking their dad to throw them in the water. It makes my heart grow larger.

He picks up Bea again, holding her up as high as he can as she laughs harder, and I snap a few pictures. But then, while he flexes his strong biceps as they cling to his arms, I can’t help but take a picture.

This one is mostly of Derek himself. I tell myself It’s completely innocent. I’d been asked to take pictures, after all, so nothing’s wrong with me snapping this.

Just for a memory. Nothing nefarious and no need to explain. The girls and their father are having the time of their lives, and watching them makes a small ache begin in my stomach.

I’m not just happy for Derek, Tris and Bea. But I’m a bit envious as well. As I lower my phone, I hear a voice screaming behind me, causing me to startle.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” She growls, snarling as she comes stomping up to me with glaring eyes. She looks vicious, like she’s about five seconds away from ripping my head off of my body.

Natalie? What the hell is the model doing here?