Page 15 of To Hold and Protect

“We just had one of those, and I don’t have time for another no-reason cookout. I need to be in the studio.”

“Well, you tell Skye and Harper that.”

“Nope, I’m scared of them when they put their heads together. I guess I have to eat, but that’s it. No chatting over a beer or two.”

“Understood.”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that those two women were up to something, and when he arrived home at the end of the day, he found out just what. Willow Landry was sitting at the table on the back deck with Skylar and Harper, a glass of wine in front of each of them. His daughter was sitting on Willow’s lap eating a pickle. All of them were laughing.

The only thing different about her from the first time he saw her was the floppy straw hat was missing, but the flowery dress and cowboy boots were there. Her hair was down, the long strawberry curls framing her face. His fingers itched to paint her laughing like that. He glanced with longing at his studio. Unfortunately, if he locked himself up in there, his future sisters-in-law would come drag him out. He took a mental snapshot of her and all that hair and stored it away for later.

“Hey,” she said when she noticed him, waving her fingers at him. Ember trotted over to her new friend and Willow smiled. “There’s my pretty girl.”

His brothers’ women had ambushed him, and he scowled at them. Both looked back at him with fake innocence on their faces. Tristan and Kade came out, carrying a bucket of beer on ice and a plate of cheeses, crackers, grapes, and pickles. Tristan slid into the seat next to Skylar, and Kade sat next to Harper. That left only the chair next to Willow.

“You gonna join us or stand guard,” Kade said with a smirk on his face.

“Daddy! Come sit next to me and Miss Willow.”

“Sure.” What else could he say? Definitely not what he wanted to, that Willow Landry disturbed him, thus he didn’t want to be anywhere near her.

Everly hopped from Willow’s lap to his. “Guess what, Daddy?”

“What, ladybug?”

She leaned over the arm of his chair toward Willow. “Daddy calls me ladybug because the ladybug fairy sneaks in the studio when I’m not there and paints a ladybug on my pictures.”

“Wow, that’s so cool.”

“Yes! You want to come see?”

“I’d love to see the ladybugs.”

“Not now, Ev.” He didn’t need Willow in his space. He didn’t need to be smelling her flowery scent either—lavender maybe, which suited her. “What were you going to say? Guess what?”

“Oh, I almost forgot. Miss Willow brought a chocolate cake for dessert.”

His gaze shot to Willow’s, and when she smirked, her message was clear.You can’t tell me what to do.He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He didn’t want to be amused by her.

“Daddy, we need to go hang up my picture.”

“What picture’s that?”

She sighed, sounding as if he somehow wasn’t keeping up. “You know, the one I painted for her. I found the best place for it, didn’t I, Miss Willow?”

“You sure did, but I can hang it up tomorrow after I get a hook for it.”

“Daddy has lots of hooks.” She leaned her head back and looked up at him. “Right, Daddy?”

As much as he wanted to lie and say he didn’t have any hooks, he’d made a promise he’d never lie to his daughter. “Right. I’ll give her one before she goes home.”

Everly shook her head. “No, we can hang it for her.”

“I think Miss Willow wants to hang up your picture herself.” He stared hard at Willow, mentally urging her to agree.

Chapter Eight

Willow sweetly smiled at the man who didn’t want any part of hanging a hook for her. “That’s so lovely of you to offer, and yes, I’d adore it if you’d hang a hook for me.” She sighed (a bit dramatically). “If I did it, it’d probably fall off the wall...you know, kind of like my swing fell down.” She was pouring it on, but it was so amusing to rattle his cage and get that scowl that was on his face now.

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