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Her head jerks up at the unexpected question, and she blinks once, glancing over at Lily.
“I mean after breakfast,” I add. “Pike, you can entertain Lily for half an hour, can’t you?”
He doesn’t answer, his hands still working wildly, and I realize he hasn’t heard me, his mind fully consumed in his work. “Hey! Pike!”
He stops and frowns slightly. “Hm?”
“Can you watch Lily for thirty minutes after breakfast? I need to discuss some business with Aspen.”
Pike’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t refuse.
“I’ll fill you in later,” I add, watching his eyes return to their normal blue orbs. For all his hermit-like characteristics, Pike doesn’t enjoy being kept in the dark.
“Pancakes, Flint?” Zoe asks pleasantly, setting a cup of coffee in front of me.
I shake my head. “Coffee will do.”
“You should eat something,” Aspen blurts out. “You look like you’ve been losing weight.”
Zoe pauses, her blonde eyebrow rising in bemusement as she waits for me to react.
Once again, Aspen’s attention to detail surprises me, and I’m touched. The chaos in New York caused me to lose a few pounds, my days comprising managing builders and appeasing investors. The meetings and phone calls hardly left any time for meals, many of which I’ve regrettably skipped. But I wouldn’t expect the nanny to have noticed that.
“Fine,” I agree, shocking the housekeeper, who wisely says nothing. “Maybe a pancake.”
“You should have two pancakes, Papa Flint. Then you can have a pancake sandwich,” Lily suggests.
“That’s a great idea, sweetheart!” Aspen agrees. “A pancake sandwich.”
Pike snorts lightly, but I insist on one, and I tell Zoe to bring it into my study as I rise from the table with my coffee.
“Shall we?” I ask Aspen, glancing toward the hallway.
“Now?” she sounds surprised.
“I have work to do,” I remind her gently. “Yes, now.”
Her beautiful face darkens, but she stands, ruffling Lily’s loose waves as she steps away from the table.
“I’ll be back soon, Lil Bear,” she promises.
“I’ll be Big Bear until you come back,” Lily responds.
“Then take it easy on Papa Pike,” Aspen teases, following me out into the hallway.
“Big Bear?” I question when we’re out of earshot.
Aspen shrugs. “It’s just a game we play. She’s Lil Bear, and I’m Big Bear. We go on bear adventures.” A smile quirks at my lips, and Aspen sees it. “It’s no different from the teddy bear picnics, really.”
I snicker and open the door to my office. “The things we do to amuse that kid.”
“She’s worth it.”
I eye her over my shoulder as I make my way around the desk and sit, chucking my chin in agreement. “Yes. She is.”
Aspen sits in one of the overstuffed chairs in front of me and waits. I can’t see her hands, but I can tell she is fiddling with them as she does when she’s nervous.
“You don’t have to be nervous, Aspen. It’s just me,” I assure her. “Are you this uneasy around Pike and Caden?”
