Tali frowns and glances up at me.I chuckle and give her a quick squeeze.“She’s two.”
“And you are?”Owen turns his attention to Winnie.
“I'm Winnie Teller.”
“And who are you to Wheeler and Schmidt?”He arches a brow.
Winnie glances up at me, unsure of how she should respond.I don’t blame her one bit, most team owners wouldn’t be getting involved in their players’ lives, but this is Owen.
“He’s a nosy man.”I chuckle.“He actually cares about us and is invested in his players.”
“I’ve dated Wheeler off and on since our freshman year of college.And I'm Tali’s nanny.”
“Ah, so Wheeler’s jealous.Got it.I’ll make sure you two aren’t near each other as much as I can at the stadium.”
“That would probably be a good idea.”I press my lips into a thin line.
“Hey, Schmidt.Can I get a picture of you and your family?”A woman with pink hair and a camera hanging around her neck stops next to Owen.
“Uh…” I grip the back of my neck, unsure of how to answer her question.I don’t want Tali in the media, but if I tell her this, she’ll be more likely to publish the photos.
“This is Olivia Brooks.She’s a friend of mine and has nothing to do with the media.She’s taking photos of the team for advertising but family photos are just for you,” Owen says softly, seeing right through my hesitation.
“She’s my aunt too.She’d never do anything with the photos without your permission,” Charlie adds.“We get it, Schmidt.We don’t want this little one in the media either.”Charlie glances down at her little girl in Wyatt’s arms.
“Ok.Thanks.”I nod, loving how they’re all willing to help me shield my daughter from unwanted attention.
Olivia moves us to an area set up with a nice background.She smiles at us and takes her time helping us pose.
Tali’s resting on my hip and I wrap my arm around Winnie’s waist, tugging her against me.If they’re offering pictures, I’d love to get one of the three of us.
“Winnie, can you place your hand on Schmidt’s chest?Perfect.”She snaps a few photos.“You guys are adorable together… Ok, look up at Schmidt and hold Tali’s hand.”
She goes on and on, posing us and taking more pictures than I could ever imagine.When she’s finished with the three of us, she asks if she can take some photos of Tali with me and then Tali with Winnie.
Winnie hesitates to agree, but I nod my head.They’re beautiful together and I’d love to have the pictures Olivia’s getting.
“What do I have to do to get a copy of these photos?”I ask softly as she continues taking photos of my girls.
“Ask nicely.”Olivia grins.
“Olivia, could I pretty please have a copy of the photos?”
“Of course.”She hands me a business card.“Text me your email address and I’ll get them emailed over to you this weekend.If you want any printed, let me know and I can do that too.”
“I’ll definitely be contacting you about getting prints… And maybe scheduling a photo shoot.”
“I’d love that.I have so many ideas, especially for Tali.That little girl was made to be photographed.”
Chapter 18
Winnie
“Winnie,canwetalk?”Wheeler approaches me as I'm getting a drink for Tali.
The little princess is soaking up the attention from the guys and loving every second of it.She’s let everyone hold her and Schmidt’s been taking photos left and right.It’s amazing to see these strong guys letting their soft sides show as they talk to Tali and make her giggle.
I'm so happy everyone’s responded so positively to Tali and Schmidt keeping her a secret.They all seem to understand his reasoning and aren’t holding it against him.I'm glad I was right in encouraging him to take this step.He’ll have so much more support now.
