Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I frown.
“Life is different when the kids are your responsibility, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know how to be a dad,” I mutter to Hound.
“You put sunblock on them and life vests. I’d say you’re doing just fine.”
“I didn’t consider that issue with the damn car seats,” I complain. “What would’ve happened if we’d gotten into an accident? It was really irresponsible.”
“Parenting is a series of hits and misses. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong. No one was hurt, so there’s no sense in beating yourself up about it.”
I nod. The man has like five kids of his own with Kincaid’s daughter, Gigi. He has to know a thing or two by now.
“I just think—”
My words stop suddenly at the squeal from the other side of the yard.
Sutton is squirming at the sight of the pool and the other kids playing.
My eyes, however, are locked on her mother. Jesus, the woman is absolutely stunning with her long dark hair piled on her head. She has changed her clothes but isn’t wearing a bathing suit. She has on a tank top and shorts that make me wish I had a couple hours alone with her.
St. Louis was still too chilly for her to wear anything but pants, but New Mexico is always warmer during the day. I have no doubt the pool is still a little too cold for anyone with a lick of sense, but it won’t stop me from climbing in just to try and get control of what this woman makes me feel.
I watch as Mila looks around the pool area. I have no doubt that she’s looking for me since I’m the only person she really knows, but I hate the way her gaze gets snagged on many of the guys out here.
I look around the pool, trying to see what she sees. It’s no secret that all of us are fit. It’s a requirement of our job. It’s hard to stay safe in the field if you get winded or if you aren’t able to prevent things from falling on you. One of the benefits is getting looked at the way she’s looking, only she’s not being exactly subtle.
“She looks like she’s in shock,” Hound says. “May want to mark that territory.”
“She’s the mother of my little girl,” I say, not attempting to hide the disdain in my voice.
“Make sure Oracle knows that,” he says, nodding toward the pool.
The man who was tossing the kids for fun now has his eyes locked on Mila.
Hound laughs when a territorial rumble bubbles out of my chest as I start to walk toward her.
I watch relief fill her eyes when she notices me.
“It’s a lot to look at,” she says, making my heart clench. “I bet Em is so very proud of those hydrangeas.”
“What?”
She points past me to the very far side of the pool. “Especially those purple ones. Flowers have such a short life back home with the shorter growing season. I had a hard time keeping some alive last year.”
I blink at her.
“Really?”
“What?” she asks, handing Sutton over when the little girl practically dives out of her arms in my direction. “I only had a small pot of them. It’s not like I killed them on purpose, but our apartment was so dreary.”
“I mean, I thought you were looking at all the guys.”
“There are other guys here?” she asks in a tone that I know means she did notice them, but it’s not my business to call her out on it.
“Smooth,” I tell her. “Where is your suit?”
“I looked at the weather app. It got down into the forties here last night. That pool isn’t warm enough for me to get into.”
“I was really hoping Sutton would be able to get in.”
“Sutton can get in with her daddy. I’m going to go sit in the sun and try to get my pasty legs to turn any color other than cream.”
“Does she need anything special to get into the pool other than sunblock?”
“Em thought of everything and included swim diapers in the bathroom in our room, so she’s good to go. I rubbed sunblock on her before we left the room.”
“Okay, baby girl. Let’s go freeze our tushes off.”
If you would’ve asked me three weeks ago if I’d ever say something like that in my lifetime, I would’ve said no, but a lot has changed.
It isn’t until Sutton squeals again that I realize I’ve been watching Mila walk toward one of the poolside loungers. A quick look in Oracle’s direction tells me that he’s distracted enough by the kids rushing him to be tossed that I may not have to kill him today after all.
The kids are smiling yet exhausted two hours later. Kincaid made hot dogs and burgers on the grill, and Jace got a little taste of the same joy he had when he ate a little of everything at breakfast the other morning.