Page 36 of Her Delta Force Protector

She gave him one of her soft smiles. “I don’t pity you, but parents should put their child first. That yours didn’t is wrong and sad. Have you ever tried to find either of them?”

“Hell no.” He and his brothers had talked about it once, and they’d all agreed that they had no desire to find people who couldn’t care less about them. Not to mention they’d just be looking for trouble.

“You never wonder—”

“No.” At first he’d spent his boyhood wonderingwhenshe’d come back, then as the years passed it changed to wonderingifshe’d ever come back. For a long time, he’d believed she left because of him. Tristan had been the perfect son, Parker the adorable baby and her favorite, but Kade had been the one to try her patience.

He knew that because she’d said it often when he resisted going to bed early or taking a bath or any of the numerous things that got on her nerves. “You’re giving me a headache, boy.” Or “Why can’t you be like your brother?” Meaning Tristan, the good son. Or her favorite, “You’re getting on my nerves, boy.” He was alwaysboyto her, neverKade.

After some resentful and rebellious teenage years when he’d sorely tried Tristan’s patience, he’d enlisted in the Army after getting caught stealing a car with a buddy, and the military had knocked some damn sense into his head. The Army had taught him to lock down his shit and just soldier on. And why was he thinking of all this now? The past was best left where it was, in the past.

He wanted to ask Harper about the Peace Corps, if that was something she still planned to do, but talking about his mother had him antsy. He checked his watch. “Ev,” he called, “your dad’s going to be home soon. Let’s get your bath done so you’ll be all sweet smelling for your daddy.”

“I don’t wanna, Uncle Kade.” She wrapped her arms around Duke. “Duke wants me to play with him some more.”

“Fine, but no pickle for you tonight.”

She jumped up. “Duke, come on. We have to go in the house.”

Harper chuckled. “Well, that did the trick.”

“Always does,” he said. Everly stopped next to him, and he leaned over and sniffed. “Yep, you’re a stinky girl. Go on inside. I’ll be right there.”

“I’m not stinky, Uncle Kade.” She ran to Harper and stuck her neck in front of Harper’s face. “Do I stink, Miss Harper?”

Harper made a show of smelling her. “You smell like Duke, grass, and sunshine. In other words, you smell yummy.” Harper pretended to nibble on her neck, making Everly giggle.

“Inside with you, pickle girl. I’ll be in right behind you.” His niece was the one female in his life that he’d give his heart to.

“She’s about the cutest thing ever,” Harper said after Everly and Duke went inside.

“No argument on that from me.” He stood. “Why don’t you stay out here and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day while I...” A flash of metal from the trees reflected in the sunlight, and Kade dived for Harper, taking her down to the deck with him a second before a bullet split the air above their heads, right where Harper had been sitting.

“The hell, Kade,” Harper sputtered as she struggled to get out from underneath him.

“Quiet. Someone’s shooting at us.” At her specifically, but he didn’t want to scare her more than necessary.

“Uncle Kade.” The glass door slid open, and Everly stepped out. “Are you coming?”

Harper stopped fighting him. “Oh, God, don’t let her come out here.”

There had been times when he wasn’t sure he was going to walk away from an operation unscathed. He’d walked into the middle of firefights, had been shot at, had almost stepped on an IED, and nothing—nothing!—he’d endured had ever scared him more than the sound of his niece’s voice as she stepped onto the deck.

“Don’t move,” he ordered Harper. He pulled the wrought iron table onto its side so it was in front of her, hiding her from view to whoever the fuck was shooting at her.

“Uncle Kade, why are you and Miss Harper on the floor?”

A bullet pinged as it hit the table. He raced across the deck, grabbed Everly, brought her against him, shielded her with his body, then ran into the house. Duke, thinking this was a new game, bounced around them, barking and trying to lick him and Everly.

“Sit,” he commanded the dog. Duke sat, but Kade didn’t take the time to praise him for getting it right. Kade had to face the hardest choice he’d ever made. Stay inside with Everly, keeping her safe and leaving Harper outside alone with whoever was shooting at her, or leave Everly unprotected while he rescued Harper. He couldn’t turn his back on either one.

“Hey, kiddo, want to play a game?”

“Yes!” she yelled.

“Your daddy’s almost home, so you hide from him, and I’ll tell him to find you.” He had to get back to Harper. “He’ll never think to look for you under my bed. Take Duke and go hide there.” He set her down. “Go now, baby girl!”

She giggled with delight. “Come on, Duke.”

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