Page 18 of Ricochet

“Cut it out.”

Winters cut in. “Hey, now. My kid’s cute.”

“Aw, Colby, your daughter is adorably cute. Javier’s just jealoushe’s not.”

Winters grinned and laughed.

“I’m going to send this to Mom and Dad,” Sophia said.

“Not Dad,” Colin quickly added. The last thing he needed was for his father to get a picture of him holding a baby and have a panic attack that he was focusing on anything but his career.

He shifted away from the conversation, taking Annie’s hand and pointing to the volleyball court, picnic tables,and water. “When you’re old enough, you can outrun all of them.” She giggled and played with his finger, wrapping her hand around it. “And then you can grab some barbeque. See all the smoke?” He made their hands draw loops over shadowy smoke clouds. “Or you could show off your dance moves or play the guitar.”

Colin’s gaze swept across the outdoor dance floor as he strummed her little hand asif it strummed a chord. Adelia turned as he caught her eye, and her smile lit. Her brows went up as she noticed the baby in his arm.

They didn’t know each other well, only enough that he enjoyed hearing second-hand stories from Javier as he caught up with his long-lost sister. How had they missed the opportunity for their families to get together—

“All right, I’ll take Annie.” Winters swoopedhis daughter from Colin’s arms.

“Hey.” Colin relinquished the little girl, who still hadn’t let go of his finger. “I wasn’t finished telling her a few things.”

“You’re not using my kid to pick up ladies.”

“What?” Colin’s jaw fell, uncomfortable at what Winters thought he saw. Javier’s sister was…, well, not like his sister. Nothing like that. Adelia was just Adelia. Simple. His teammate’s sister.His sister’s sister-in-law. Hell, Adelia was complicated and mixed up with Mayhem, and the woman had shot a gun at him the first time they’d crossed paths. She might’ve been attractive enough to make a grown man groan, but Colin was pragmatic first and genuinely didn’t find women who’d tried to kill him attractive. Plus, Adelia was like family.What the hell?Colin focused on the gravel, kickinga larger rock.

“I saw that.” Winters laughed. “She’s good looking but find another way to get her attention.”

“What?” Heat warmed the back of his neck, and Colin pulled his attention away from the pebbles. “Adelia? Give me a break. She’s like a…” He couldn’t even pretend to say a generic platitude.

“Yeah, Adelia.”

Colin shoved his hands into his pockets. “All right. Whatever you say.”

“Ihaven’t lost my sense of the obvious.”

“Apparently, you have.” Except Colin could feel Adelia casting her eyes on him, just like he had felt Annie’s little legs kicking in his arms.

“You’re a moron if you don’t go talk to her,” Winters finally added.

“I will later.” He glanced back at the dance floor, and Adelia was gone.

“Moron.”

Colin ignored how true Winters’s words rang but was savedby his phone’s buzz.

Sophia brushed against him when he reached into his pocket. “Bet that’s Mom and Dad. You know they love Colin-holding-baby pictures.”

“If you sent that picture to Dad, we’re going to have words.” His father would spend five minutes discussing the importance of a career focus before Colin could get a word in edgewise to reassure his father he had no interest in settlingdown.

“I didn’t. I swear!” She laughed.

He checked the screen and ignored the pang of guilt that came with the swell of relief when Brock’s name registered. “You’re lucky, Soph.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “You’re all talk.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He answered the phone and scanned the crowd, trying to pin Brock down. Colin hadn’t seen him or Jared all night. “What’s up, boss?”

The lack of backgroundnoise was the first clue Brock wasn’t here. “Hate to break it to you,” Brock said. “But work calls. Get to some place quiet. We need to hash out a couple plans.”

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