Page 35 of To Hold and Protect

Next to her where he could feel her body heat and smell her lavender scent? No. He moved to the railing near the swing and leaned back against it. “I’m good here.”

“Suit yourself. Is Everly home by herself? We could go sit on your deck if you want.”

“Kade and Harper are there.” She showed more concern for his daughter than Everly’s own mother ever had. His worry that she’d ever do anything that would hurt Everly eased, especially if she understood why Ev’s art couldn’t go out into the world. He had to tell her.

She picked up one of the bottles of beer from the table next to her and held it out. “Isn’t this the brand you drink?”

It was. She’d apparently paid attention when at his house, and something warm unfurled in his chest that she’d bothered to notice. He took the beer from her. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” She picked up a second one and brought the bottle to her lips.

His gaze arrested on her mouth wrapped around that bottle, and he almost groaned. He needed to tell her his story, then get the hell away before he decided it would be a good idea to learn how his mouth felt against hers, how she tasted. That couldn’t happen because he was afraid if he kissed her, he wouldn’t want to stop.

“About Everly’s illustrations—”

She held up a hand as she stood. “Wait. I’ll be right back.”

He blew out a breath after she disappeared inside. This wasn’t going the way he’d imagined. He wasn’t supposed to come over here, see a new Willow painting in his mind, find her feet sexy, and wonder what she tasted like. Maybe he should leave, just hope that she wouldn’t do anything behind his back with those illustrations. Before he could decide whether to go or stay, she came back out carrying an afghan. She folded it, then set it on the floor.

“Here you go, Ember, a nice soft bed for you while your daddy and I talk.”

This woman.She apparently had the ability of bewitching anyone and everything in her orbit. Everly loved her, his family was well on the way to loving her, and his dog thought she was better than cheese, which was saying something. Ember curled up at her feet, then licked them, giving her a dog thank-you.

Willow toed off one of her flip-flops, and then as she swung, she kneaded Ember’s back with her sexy toes. His dog sighed in ecstasy. Parker had never thought to wish for someone to massage his back with their feet, but he found himself envious of his dog. It was ridiculous.

“So, you were saying?”

He tore his gaze away from her lime-green toenails. He would not go back to his studio and see if he could re-create that color. “Yeah.” He took a healthy swallow of his beer, wishing he was anywhere but here, telling his story. He also wished that he probably wouldn’t go to his studio later tonight and experiment with mixing colors to make lime green. He was ridiculous.

“If I just told you that it was important Everly’s illustrations didn’t go out in the world, would you be satisfied with that?”

She tilted her head, and he could see the wheels turning. A few moments passed, then she said, “Her illustrations or her name attached to them?”

Ding. Ding. Ding. Give the woman a prize.“Her name.”

“If that’s all you feel comfortable telling me, then I’ll be satisfied. You know why?”

All he was capable of doing was shaking his head.

“Because you love that little girl with every fiber of your being, and you’re standing on my porch prepared to tell me something you don’t want to if it means keeping her safe. I have to respect that.”

She was a writer. Was she like him and her creative mind could see things others couldn’t...like she could see right into his heart where the most precious thing in his world lived, his little girl? Understand the fear always inside him of losing his baby if her talent was put out there for the world to see? It seemed she could.

“If my ex finds out about our daughter’s talent, she’ll show up on my doorstep, demanding custody, and then she’d exploit that talent to her benefit.”Shut up, mouth!Willow had as much as agreed that she wouldn’t do anything with Everly’s illustrations, so why was he talking?

“So her mother didn’t die, and she would do that?”

“Without hesitation, despite what that might do to Everly. Why’d you think my ex was dead?” There had been times when he’d wished it, then had felt like the lowest human being on earth for those thoughts.

“I guess because I couldn’t imagine that precious girl’s mother not being a part of her life if she was around, and Everly never talks about her, so I just assumed. Please, come sit.” She scooted over, giving him plenty of room.

He sat. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t a smart thing to do, but Willow Landry apparently had superpowers that had men and dogs doing her bidding. Her superpower also included getting him to talk.

“No one knows this, well, not in this country, and that includes my brothers, so I’m trusting you here.”

“I would never betray your trust.”

He hadn’t thought Simone would either, and look how that had turned out. He picked at the label on the bottle. “I left for France a week after I graduated high school. Paris.” He glanced at her. “That’s where all the starving artists go, right?”

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