Page 126 of This Wild Heart

He pointed at Isabel. “She’s your daughter right now. You handle this.”

Isabel’s smile was wide as she got out of her chair and used her crutches to walk over to him. Once she was close enough, she moved one crutch aside and slid her arms around his waist. His face softened, the way it only did for her, and he gave her a gentle kiss. All the girlsoohedandaahed, and when Isabel pulled away, her cheeks were only the littlest bit pink. She turned to my sister with an understanding look in her eyes.

“You know who would’ve done something like that when she was your age?”

Willa looked up, dejection all over her sweet face. “Who?”

Isabel tilted her head toward me. “Your big sister.”

“Really?” she asked skeptically.

Because I was boring and old, apparently.

“Oh yeah,” I said as all the little girls stared up at me like I was a goddess. “Except I probably wouldn't have even asked. They would’ve just found me up there.” Isabel turned and gave me a wide-eyed look. My dad cleared his throat pointedly. “But you know, don’t do that,” I continued. “It’s super dangerous, and I really don’t need any of you falling off the house. We have enough broken bones in this family right now, and it would be a real mood killer for the party.”

That seemed to be enough of a rationale for Willa’s friends, who immediately descended upon the plates of cake like they hadn’t already eaten their body weight in candy. Willa gave a heaving, dramatic sigh, staring over at my dad balefully like he’d single-handedly murdered her dreams.

I shook my head as she grabbed the biggest piece of cake and then ran off after her friends.

“She’ll forgive you eventually,” I told him, laying my head on his shoulder while he stared after her.

“Of course she will. And tomorrow she’ll ask me if she can do plane walking. Be the youngest bungee jumper in history, and I’m gonna have to say no to that too because that girl is determined to give me a heart attack.”

I laughed. “And you thought I was bad?”

He wrapped an arm around my back and squeezed. “You were the best warm-up, gingersnap.”

Violet whistled from the table, turning her phone in my direction. “This one’s hot. Did you see it? Or am I not supposed to be showing you these?”

It was Parker and me on the sidelines.

The picture was undoubtedly sweet, if you didn’t know the reasons behind our facial expressions. Parker was kissing my cheek, and my hand rested on his waist, my eyes closed. Everything about our pose screamed intimacy. Like it was taking everything in us to show some restraint.

The caption read:BRB sobbing. How do I list this in my dating profile for relationship requirements?

It was odd to think about being anyone’s relationship goals, especially knowing what was underneath all that.

All I could see as I studied the shot was my own restraint. From kissing him. From slapping him. From shaking him. From licking his freaking arms. And jaw. And neck. Because he looked sogood. His hair was shorter, and I wanted to know why he’d cut it. I wanted to know everything, and I wasn’t sure it was fair for me to be asking.

“It is a hot picture,” I told her as I handed her phone back.

“You can just tell he’s good in?—”

“Do not finish that sentence,” I warned, narrowing my eyes.

Violet grinned. “Good in the end zone,” she finished lightly. “What did you think I was going to say?”

“Vi,” Dad sighed. “Please help me clean up in the kitchen.”

As they rolled up their sleeves and started tackling the mess—which was substantial after the princess mob had eaten—I watched Violet with a small shake of my head.

“I thinkI’mgoing to get gray hair from that one,” I muttered.

Isabel smiled. “Welcome to the club, kid. Let’s sit and watch them work. It’s my favorite thing to do after feeding a massive group of children.”

I joined her in one of the dining room chairs, propping my feet up with a sigh.

“Someone’s here,” Willa yelled. “I see a truck coming in the driveway.”

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