“Let’s go to the park, kiddo. You’ve been cooped up in here all day,” I said, dropping my magazine on my lap and nudging Esme with my foot. We’d been lying on her bed reading, for nearly the entire day. Well, she read. I dodged calls from Colleen. Her threats to come out to the city made me antsy. I needed to get out of here and away from my phone.

She’d drained my account, which meant she had money. I figured she wouldn’t be able to find me, but I knew Jeanine and everyone else at the diner had seen my interacting with Rhys and Esme. Rhys hadn’t exactly been subtle in quitting my job for me, and Martin was a blabbermouth. Everyone there knew where I was now. All she’d have to do is ask and they’d lead her right to me. It made me nauseous. I didn’t want to see her. Ever. I’d moved to keep her states away from me. I didn’t need her showing up and complicating my life even more.

“I don’t want to go out. I want to stay here and read,” Esme whined. “It’s too cold outside and it’s all snowy.” We’d sat up watching the snow fall last night, sharing a bowl of popcorn between us. It was less than a month after Halloween, so I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. How often did I get to play in the snow? Usually I dreaded it because it meant trudging to work in the slush and muck. Growing up, snow meant having to walk to school with my feet wrapped in plastic bags because of the holes in my shoes. But one of my favorite memories was of lying in the snow making snow angels and having a snowball fight with my mom. My real mom.

“Exactly. Let’s go,” I said, trying to get her up. She hadn’t wanted to go trick-or-treating and I got the idea Rhys didn’t like to push her too much. She ruled the roost, but she needed to get out. Get some fresh air, and be around other people, not just her dad, Derek and me.

“I don’t want to,” she said, going back to her book.

“That’s okay. I definitely would have beat you in a snowball fight anyway. It wouldn’t have even been a challenge. You’re right to stay inside. I know you don’t like to lose.” I went back to my magazine, Esme quickly sat up and dropped her book.

“I would not lose,” she said, her little cheeks turning a cute shade of pink.

“It’s fine, Esme. It’s okay. It’s better this way,” I said, watching her fall into my trap.

“Let’s go. I’ll show you. I’ll kick your butt, Mel,” she said in her sassiest voice, standing up and planting her hands on her hips.

“I mean, I guess if you insist, we can go. But no whining when you lose.” She stomped out of the room, missing the laugh I’d been stifling since she'd put her book down. Who knew that stuff worked on kids? Maybe I could handle this nanny business.

The trip down to the park was a lot more trouble than I expected. Calls had to be put in to Rhys and Derek. Getting Esme into her snowsuit might as well have been a journey into a sewage factory for how much she moaned about it, but we finally ventured out into the freezing, crisp fall air. The snowfall happened throughout the morning, so it was still pristine, not the brown mush it would turn into in a day or so.

We made it to the park with Derek trailing us. There were other kids in the park playing in the snow. A few snowmen were already there.

“Can we make a snowman?” Esme asked, tugging on my coat. I flexed my fingers in my thin, shitty gloves. They probably weren’t the best for snowball fighting, but I was committed now. I dragged my hat down lower on my head to cover my ears and blew into my hands, attempting to warm them for a second.

“Trying to get out of our fight?” I asked, quirking my eyebrow at Esme. She was dressed like she was ready for an expedition to Antarctica. I was seriously jealous of the layers she had on. My clothes would have to do. I hadn’t gotten paid yet, so I hadn’t been able to go and pick up any winter-appropriate clothes as of yet. The new coat was a thoughtful gift, but it didn’t come with new gloves or a hat, and I was too embarrassed to ask for an advance. I could tough it out.

The wet snow was already seeping into my shoes, chilling me as I wrapped my coat tighter around myself. I didn’t think Esme would last too long, so I figured it wouldn’t be too bad thawing out.

“Never,” she challenged. It was good to see her with her game face on. I had to admit, Rhys had been right. Esme came out of her shell a little more every day I was there. It hadn’t been long yet, but she was already talking more, sticking up for herself, and trying on her bossy pants. I loved that I’d been able to help. I still didn’t know what I’d done, but I’d keep doing it until she didn’t need me anymore.

Her father was a whole other story. I still didn’t know what was going on with him. He was at the apartment most days. He loved spending time with Esme, whether they spent their evenings reading together or watching a movie. He always made time for her. They’d walk to school together, sometimes with me and sometimes on their own.

Every time Rhys looked at me, I fell down a rabbit hole of confusion and desire. One minute he looked at me like he wanted to eat me whole, and the next, it was like he hated me for it. I didn’t understand, but thoughts of him clouded my brain. It was like he’d woven a spell over me. I tried to push him out of my mind whenever I could, but the entire apartment smelled like him. Minty, clean, fresh, those were all smells I associated with Rhys.

“This looks like a good spot,” I said, finding a space with two rocks that would give us each shelter for our fight. “Let’s get to work making some snowballs,” I said, crouching down, the fresh snow crunching under my feet. I loved the way snow made everything look like a clean slate. Fresh and new even though underneath you knew it was the same old garbage.

We worked together making our arsenal of snowballs. Derek even chipped in, packing them methodically and adding all of them to Esme’s pile. Kids ran by with sleds and inflatables, headed to the small hill nearby. All in all, it was a picture-perfect afternoon. The sun shined high in the sky, giving off a little warmth, but my ears were freezing, my nose had to be the brightest shade of red, and my hands were numb. A few other kids had joined us, excited for a snowball fight. By the time we had our ammo ready, I could barely flex my fingers.

“Why did you come out here with gloves like those?” Derek asked, finishing up the last snowball. I shrugged. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice. I glanced down at his gloveless hands and raised my eyebrow at him. He flexed his fingers with ease and they didn’t look the least bit red like mine. Was he a cyborg? I wouldn’t put it past Rhys to have the first cyborg bodyguard.

“I didn’t really have time to go clothes shopping yet. I didn’t have time for snowball fights before. I wasn’t prepared.”

“Let me see your hands,” he said. I held them out, taking my gloves off so he could inspect them. Derek cursed under his breath. “Are you trying to get frostbite? Thayer will kill me if anything happens to you,” he grumbled under his breath, shaking his head.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m going to get you some real gloves, not these bullshit fake leather things. I’ll be right back. Don’t you two move, okay?”

“We won’t move, scouts honor,” I said, holding up my two fingers. “We’ll start our fight without you, though,” I teased.

“Fine, just don’t leave this area,” he said, glancing around, before jogging off. Derek was a good guy. Annoying at times, but I knew why he was the way he was. I’m sure being security for someone like Rhys wasn’t easy. The threats against a billionaire must be unpredictable, to say the least. I wasn’t going to bust his balls, or make his job harder for him.

“Ready, kiddo?” I asked Esme, crouching down behind my rock.

“Ready!” Esme exclaimed, scrambling behind hers with the other kids.

“You guys ready?” I said to the kids and some parents who’d joined us.

“Snowball fight commencing in three-two-one. Go!” I shouted and there was a hail of snowballs whizzing by. Snow flying everywhere, a cold spray of it hit my face as snowballs exploded around me. Esme’s bright pink hat popped up from behind the rock every few throws. She even managed to get a direct hit right in my face. Good arm, kid. Laughter rang out from every corner of the park, kids face planted and there was complete chaos until the snowball supply dwindled down to nothing.

“Esme, do you surrender?” I shouted from behind my rock, one final snowball clutched in my hand. There was no response, only the laughter of the other kids. She’s already leaving me behind to hang with her friends. “Esme, do you surrender?” I repeated, rounding her rock, but she wasn’t there. My stomach plummeted and every sound around me washed away as the blood pounded in my ears. I whipped my head around, calling her name. Then, before I even realized it, I was screaming her name. My voice cracked as I yelled out for her, spinning in circles, my hands on my head trying to think clearly. Where was she? Why would she leave? What if something had happened to her? Please let her be okay. Please.

Other parents started to glance around too. The parents and kids from our game called her name. Her pink hat sat on the ground, only feet away from where we’d made our snowballs. I snatched it up off the ground, clutching it to my chest. Oh God, where was she? The overwhelming urge to vomit climbed up my throat. I screamed her name again.

I ran toward the people sledding, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. She was still here. She stood under a tree. Relief washed over me, but dread replaced it as I saw the man crouched in front of her. I’d been so focused on her, my mind hadn’t even registered that there was someone else with her at first. He stood and his hand held onto her jacket, tugging her away. Away from me.

I took off running, my hair whipping around my face as my hat fell to the ground. I stepped on it, not caring for one second. Everything moved in slow motion as my feet connected with the ground, sliding in the snow. Please be okay. Please be okay. I prayed as my legs pumped harder than I’d ever run before in my life. My heart thundered in my chest as I got closer to them.

The man had a hold of Esme's coat, and she tried to pull herself away from him. I launched myself at him, ripping his hand off her coat and knocking him to the ground. My breath came out in heavy pants, a cloud of my breath forming in front of my face with each word.

“Get the fuck away from her,” I screeched. I grabbed Esme and stood in front of her, ready to rip this guy’s balls off. “Don’t you dare touch her. Who are you? What were you doing with her?”

“I wasn’t taking her anywhere. I was just trying to talk to her,” the guy said, getting up off the ground, brushing the snow off his black puffy coat. He had on a black hat and tan boots. I whipped my phone out of my pocket to take a picture. My hands shook so hard that it fell into the snow. I tried to commit every bit of detail about him to memory to relay to Derek and the cops. This stuff came up on the news from time to time, but I’d never thought something like this would happen here. Esme’s hands gripped my coat, her tiny fingers trembling. I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or from fear. I hoped it was the cold. But knowing this guy terrified her made me want to rip his throat out.

“You don’t talk to her. You don’t know her. Don’t ever talk to her,” I shouted. A flash of gray whizzed past me and Derek was there. I relaxed a bit, turning to hold Esme in my arms. Derek had his hands around the guy’s collar. His feet left the ground as Derek slammed him up against the closest tree.

“Get her out of here,” he growled at me. My breath came out in stuttering puffs as I allowed myself to breathe again. Derek would handle this. I turned and scooped Esme up in my arms, adrenaline helping me carry her all the way back to the apartment. I didn’t stop until I got back inside, setting her down in the foyer. I tucked her hair back behind her ears, noticing the twin tracks of tears drying on her skin. It made me want to go back down there and help Derek with whatever he decided to do to the guy.

“Hey, Esme. You’re okay now. You’re safe,” I said, getting down on my knees and hugging her to me, rocking her back and forth.

“What happened, kiddo?” I asked softly, leaning back to let her speak. But she clamped her lips shut. “It’s okay, if you don’t want to talk. How about I make you a bubble bath and some hot chocolate?” I offered, trying to catch her eyes. She looked up at me and nodded her head. I got her out of her snowsuit and ran her a bath. As I went to hang up her snow stuff, Derek burst into the apartment, making me jump.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s in the bath. Who was that guy?”

“He was no one. Everything is fine now. He’s been taken care of,” Derek said, handing me back my phone. I didn’t want to ask questions. Whatever happened to the guy, he had it coming. But something told me he wasn’t no one.

“Do the police want to speak to Esme or me?” Derek shook his head. “No police. It’s done.” A shiver ran down my spine, but I wasn’t going to argue. He left, but not before letting me know that security had been stepped up in the building, and not to leave the penthouse. He didn’t have to tell me twice.

After Esme's warm bath, I tucked her into bed and went to make her hot chocolate. The elevator doors slid open and Rhys stormed into the foyer, his eyes laser focused on me. I stepped back, hitting my head against the kitchen cabinets. Rage. He seethed. Anger radiating off him, and it was all aimed straight at me. My stomach churned and I dropped my eyes. My hand wrapped around the mug holding Esme's hot chocolate, burning as drops of hot liquid splashed up and over the top. Rhys’s heavy breathing cut through the subdued atmosphere of the apartment.

“Where is she?” he growled.

“In..In her room. I was making this for her,” I said, holding out the mug, the pain in my hand long since forgotten. He rushed down the hall and into her room. I stood there frozen, I didn’t know where to go. The look he’d given me, it was like he’d reached into my chest and squeezed my heart with his bare hands. I added a couple ice cubes to her mug and crept down the hall, stopping in the doorway. Rhys had Esme in his arms, cradling her, rocking her back and forth, and speaking in hushed tones. She saw me standing there and held out her hand to me.

“Thank you, Mel,” she said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate. The knot that formed in my stomach loosened an inch as her words rolled over me. It was a temporary setback. What happened today hadn’t knocked down the progress we’d made so far. I sat in silence, perched on the end of her bed as Esme finished her hot chocolate and recounted our snowball adventure in the park to Rhys. Like the other part of the day hadn’t happened. Like it was forgotten. I hoped it was. I hoped it wouldn’t give her nightmares like the ones that plagued me. Rhys was all smiles for her, but every glance at me turned my stomach. Esme yawned and snuggled down in bed.

We tucked her in and walked out into the hall. The second Rhys closed her bedroom door, he was on me. He grabbed my arm in a punishing grip and stalked down the hall with me, flinging me into his office.

“Did you tell him to meet you there? What was your plan?” he roared, slamming his fist into the wall. I jumped, my heart thundering in my chest. I had never seen this side of him before. I’d never been afraid of him before, not like this. He thought I had something to do with the guy in the park today. He thought I’d tried to have her kidnapped.

“I didn’t have anything to do with what happened today. I…I was just trying to help Esme have some fun. I didn’t know something like this would happen! She was out of my sight for a few minutes in a park filled with people. I’d have never thought someone would try to take her. If I had, of course I never would have gone,” I said, my voice quivering.

“Why did you send Derek away?” he asked, his arms crossed over his chest, scrutinizing me, dissecting me. It turned my stomach. This wasn’t like before. He’d never looked at me like that before.

Tears welled in my eyes. I knew it was too good to be true. Someone like him wasn’t going to trust someone like me. I’m surprised I’d lasted this long. He backed away from me, fire still raging in his stare, and I lowered my arms. I willed the tears back in my eyes, closing them in a long blink.