Page 137 of Protecting You

Evelyn’s laugh was lighthearted as she gripped her husband’s forearm. “You should talk, Mr. Ogre-Man. You’ve gotfivebeautiful daughters.”

Gavin clutched his chest as if she’d shot him. “I’m wounded.”

Peri giggled at the man’s antics.

Callan tried to ignore a sharp jab of jealousy.

“You have five little girls?” Peri sounded awed by the prospect. “Can I meet them?”

“They’re not so little anymore.” He lowered to his haunches. “You’ve already met Alyssa. She’s my oldest.”

Peri glanced up at Alyssa, who smiled at her fondly.

“You’ve met them all.” Alyssa pointed to her sisters, who were standing and chatting nearby. “Brooklynn, Cici, Delaney, and Kenzie.”

“Oh. You’re all big now.”

Gavin chuckled, low and deep. “They are so big. Have you eaten?”

“Huh-uh.”

“We should fix that. Little girls need to eat so they grow up tall and strong, like Alyssa here.” He held out his hand, not bothering to check with Callan first. “Should we start with the cookies?”

Alyssa said, “Dad?—”

“—Gavin.” Evelyn spoke at the same time.

They were both suitably shocked, giving Callan the freedom to chuckle and say, “How about a little protein first?”

Gavin shook his head. “Fathers take the fun out of everything.”

Peri grinned at Callan, then slipped her hand into the older man’s and walked away.

“Don’t worry,” Evelyn said. “He’ll take good care of her.”

He hated to think about the expression that must’ve been on his face to elicit that remark.

“Oh, I’m sure he will.” Even so, he’d be sticking close. “I could eat.”

“You can always eat.” But Alyssa was teasing as she gripped his elbow again. “Lead the way.”

Step one: meet the family. Check. Step two: tell them about the engagement.

The hard part was still to come.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

Alyssa followed Caleb to the food tables, thankful to be past the bulk of the introductions.

This was harder than she’d imagined, and her imagination hadn’t been kind.

Passing off Callan as her boyfriend wasn’t the only problem. Like Brooklynn, Kenzie had been hurt that Alyssa hadn’t told her about him. Cici had hugged her and demanded more details. Delaney had seemed genuinely happy, though she wasn’t exactly exuberant.

Alyssa never had any idea what Delaney was thinking.

What struck her most was the obvious—none of them questioned it. None of them doubted that Alyssa had started dating a man—a man she must be serious about—and hadn’t told anyone.

They believed it.

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