Page 24 of Her Delta Force Protector

The amusement in that private look between them had Harper wishing she could wave her hand and make everyone but him disappear. Then she’d walk right up to him and...

“Harper, you with us here?”

Heat spiraled up her neck and across her cheeks. “Um, yeah.” Had he been saying something?

“What did I say?” Her silence and glare must have gotten her point across because he laughed. “I actually haven’t said anything yet.”

“Asshole,” she mouthed, but by the snickers coming from his family, she hadn’t been covert.

Tristan grinned. “Don’t even ask how many times I thought that very word over the years where my brother was concerned.”

She glanced at Kade, wondering if he was mad, but there was only laughter in his eyes. “So, we doing this or not?”

“Doing it.” He put his hands on Everly’s shoulders. “After I take Duke inside, go with Miss Harper.”

“You need to give him something to bring us,” Everly said.

Kade turned Everly to face him. “What do you mean?”

“He finds me when he wants to give me something. Sometimes he brings me a toy, and sometimes a sweater, like if it’s cold and he thinks I need to be warm.”

“Okay, we’ll try that,” Kade said. “But let’s really test him. You hide first, Ev, then if he can find you, Miss Harper will hide.”

“He’ll find me.”

“Make sure you hide somewhere good. Wait until I take him inside so he can’t see where you’re going.”

“I know that, Uncle Kade.” Everly rolled her eyes. “And don’t forget to give him something to bring me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Kade glanced at Harper and winked. “Bossy.”

What was it with a guy winking at you that had your stomach feeling funny? Harper turned away from him so she wouldn’t be tempted to admire his backside as he took Duke into the house.

“Where are you going to hide?” Parker asked his daughter.

“I can’t tell you, Daddy. You might tell Duke.”

“Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem. Okay, go hide yourself.”

“She’s adorable,” Harper said as Everly took off, zigzagging across the yard. She disappeared around a separate building.

Harper had only been here a day, but she already saw how close the family was and how much they cared for each other. Someday she’d have a family, children who loved and took care of each other like the Church brothers did.

“Is she hiding?” Kade said, returning with Duke.

Parker nodded. “Yep. She wouldn’t tell us where she planned to hide because she was afraid we’d tell Duke.”

“Can’t say I blame her. Y’all are a shifty bunch.”

Skylar chuckled. “I can attest to that.” She glanced at Harper. “Tristan once gave me a Danish filled with mayonnaise. You can’t trust a one of them.”

“Eww.” Harper wrinkled her nose. “That’s gross.”

“She deserved it after making me think there were spiders crawling on my neck.” Tristan grinned at his fiancée. “But I love you anyway.”

Kade waved a stuffed frog in front of Duke’s nose. “Duke, find Everly.” Duke sat. “I think him finding the boy today was a fluke.” He held the frog in front of Duke again. “Where’s Everly?”

Duke yawned.

---