Page 14 of Worth the Try
Because she looks like she’s about to cry.
“Um, are you okay?”
She sniffs hard and wipes at her eyes, then looks back at me. “I’m good. Really good. Sorry. Just…holy smokes, I can’t believe I get to live here!”
Holy smokes? She’s not only sweet; she’s adorable. “You’re welcome,” I say warmly. And I mean it.
She turns, still taking it all in. “Built-in bookshelves? Am I Belle? I’m Belle. That must be it.”
Rosalie skids through the hallway and crashes into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and looking adoringly up at Elodie. “I love Belle! She’s not my favorite, though.”
Elodie’s entire demeanor changes, going soft and fuzzy at the edges. “Yeah? Who’s your favorite? Wait—don’t tell me.”
Rosie giggles. “You’ll never guess.”
Elodie pretends not to notice theBraveT-shirt that Rosie’s in. “Hmm. It’s…Snow White!”
Rosie makes a face. “No way. She’s not self-reliant atall.”
I may or may not preen at this declaration.
With a laugh, Elodie dips her chin. “Good point. But it’s okay to rely on your friends, too. And Snow White was friends with everyone, wasn’t she?”
Rosie nods seriously. And all I can think is,well, shit.Because I should have seen that lesson in the movie, too. All I ever think about is how shrill her voice is when she sings. Am I the asshole here? Probably.
“Cinderella,” Elodie declares.
Rosie giggles again. “Nope! One more guess.”
“Hmm.” Elodie taps her lips with her finger. “I bet…it’s…Merida!”
“You got it!” Rosie says. “Daddy says I’m brave just like her.Andthat my hair is just as wild.”
I smile ruefully down at her. “That’s true.” But believe me, I can wield a detangling spray and brush along with the best of them. It’s why Rosie’s hair is in two slicked-back braided pigtails…and why it usually stays in those. I learned that trick pretty quickly.
“Hey, Ansel? Think the pizza’s here!” Cash calls from the front.
“Come on, Rosie Posie,” I say, picking my daughter up and relishing the sheer solidity of her. “I ordered your favorite.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes, then mashes her forehead to mine. “You look funny like this.”
“You look funnier,” I counter.
“Pineapple and ham?”
“That’s still your favorite, right?” I start the walk to the front of the guesthouse, moving slowly so I don’t trip over a rogue box.
“Ooh, yay!” Elodie cheers from behind us, pumping a fist in victory.
“Let me guess: you also love the worst pizza on Earth?” I ask over my shoulder.
“Watch yourself, Ansel,” she warns. “You’re on thin ice with a statement like that.” Then her cheeks flush, as if she can’t quite believe she’s just let herself utter the words.
It might be the first real thing I’ve heard her say. Until now, she’s been in interview mode. But declare a certain type of pizza a terror, and suddenly the real person emerges.
I laugh. “Is that so?”
Rosalie cups my cheeks with her hands and pulls my attention back to her. “Be nice to her, Daddy.”
