Page 6 of His Wild Mate

“How old are you again?”

“Four,” she said with a giggle.

“Four. That's way too young to be reading.”

“Audrey’s six and she can barely read,” Cammie informed me.

Audrey reached across me and shoved her sister.

“Hey now. How many times have I told you two I'm Switzerland. No fighting over me, in front of me, behind me, or even in the same room as me. It's against the rules.”

“I can too read,” Audrey argued.

“Not very well,” Cammie muttered.

“That's enough. Does Uncle Emmett need to go home because you guys can't get along?”

“No!” Lilah shrieked wrapping her chubby little arms around my neck until I was certain she was going to choke off my airflow.

“Not so hard, little one. You sure are strong.”

She grinned back at me. “I eat all my veggies.”

“I bet you do.”

“And ladies, just because Willow is a great reader doesn't make Audrey a bad one. Everyone learns to read in their own time, but we all get there eventually. Heck I was almost eight before I could confidently read.”

“Really?” Audrey asked, hopefully.

“Seriously? I thought you were smarter,” Cammie said.

“Don’t you listen to that. You're doing great, and soon you may be out reading everyone in this family.”

“You really think so?”

“I do. I mean your daddy read a lot sooner than me and we all know I'm smarter and more handsome.”

Audrey looked at me like I was insane.

“Are you really telling lies to my daughters?” Thomas asked as he walked in to join us.

“Never. I always tell them the truth. And I am better looking, right Lily? I know you're listening.”

She was always eavesdropping and therefore knew everything that was going on everywhere.

“Don't you drag me into this, Emmett.”

“See. Mommy just doesn't want to hurt Daddy's feelings.”

“Emmett!” Lily warned from wherever she was in the house.

The girls giggled knowing that was her ‘uh-oh, you're in trouble now’ voice.

“Come on, monkey. Let Uncle Emmett breathe,” Thomas said as he physically removed Lilah from me. “We'll talk in my office, without little ears.”

“Yes, sir, boss.”

As I walked past, I reached down and fluffed Willow's hair. She gave me a big toothy grin before going back to her book.

---