Page 91 of Her Delta Force Protector

“Don’t trust my eyes.” Wait, was that a bark? One she knew well? She opened the door, stumbled over her own two feet, and landed against rocks. Rocks with arms that caught her. The rocks were muscles. She giggled, she who never giggled...except apparently when her brain was prosecco pickled. Something wet touched her leg, and she giggled again. “Duuuke! I missed you soooo much.”

“You are drunk,” he said as he lifted her back on her feet.

“And you’re Kade.”

“In the flesh. Want me to pinch you so you know you’re not dreaming?”

She snorted. “Nah. Dreaming. I’ll wake up any minute and hate you for making me cry.”

“It kills me that I made you cry, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart?Didn’t the man have enough pet names for her already? He really was here and not just a figment of her imagination, but why? “Why?”

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside. “There’s only one answer to that question, snookums. Want to hear it?”

She wanted to be mad at him, but as hard as she tried to be, she couldn’t find the anger. Another reason to never drink wine again. This man had crushed her heart, made her fall in love with him, and then stomped on that organ that kept her alive.

“Want to hear it, cuddle bear?”

“You think you’re very clever with all the pet names.” She gave him a grin that felt rather loopy. “You kind of are.” Huh? What was she saying? That he was forgiven? Oh, hell no.

He carried her into the living room, plopped himself down on the sofa with her on his lap. “Well, Petunia, I am clever. You want to know why?”

She yawned. She just wanted to curl up in his arms where she’d always be safe and go to sleep, but then she’d have to wake up eventually, and she didn’t want to let go of this dream she was having. “Don’t go away,” she said before closing her eyes.

Chapter Forty-Eight

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kade said to the woman in his arms. She’d fallen asleep before he could tell her he loved her. It was for the best, though. They needed to talk, but not until she was sober and wasn’t thinking she was dreaming. He met Duke’s interested gaze. “She’s asleep.” It was probably a good thing she was drunk. If she’d been sober, she likely would have slammed the door in his face.

Duke padded over and looked at Harper, then he shifted his gaze to Kade with worry in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, bud. She’s ours.”

The dog sighed as if that was all he needed to know, then he settled down at Kade’s feet.

“You’re mine and I’m yours,” he told his sleeping girl, and that was how her father found them.

Kade expected the man to get one of his guns and shoot him, or at the very least, show him the door, but David only smiled and said, “I knew you’d come through.”

That reception was a surprise, and after Kade carried Harper to her bedroom, the two of them tucking her into bed, they popped open a couple of beers and had a long talk.

Kade came away from that conversation with two realizations: that he wished he’d had a father like David, and that all her father wanted was for his daughter to be happy—and apparently he thought Kade was the man to make that happen. He’d added that if Kade broke her heart again, he’d learn that a father’s wrath knew no bounds.

It was a sentiment that Kade could only respect, and he made her father a promise he meant to keep. He would never hurt her again. As for Harper, Kade would have to wait until morning to learn if she too thought he was the man who could make her happy. He’d never hoped for anything to be truer in his life.

The next morning, Kade was in the kitchen with David when Harper stumbled in with Duke—who’d chosen to sleep next to her bed—following her.

“Morning, sunshine,” he said, smiling when she slapped her hands to her head.

“Don’t talk so loud.” She squinted at Kade. “Huh. I didn’t dream you. Figured I didn’t unless Duke ran away from home and managed to find me here.”

He shared an amused glance with her father as he handed her the two ibuprofens and glass of water he had waiting for her. While she downed the pills, he poured a cup of coffee, added the right amount of cream and two sugars, then set it next to her on the counter. “Drink up, sugarplum. We got some talking to do, and you need a working brain.”

David chuckled. “I think that’s my cue to leave.” He stopped next to Harper. “Don’t leave without telling me. In person, not from a phone call saying you’re gone.” He squeezed Kade’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family, son.”

“What did he mean by that?” Harper said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Bring your coffee and let’s talk.”

---