Page 65 of Forbidden Flame

“They don’t want to come all the way to the farm to play with me. They live in neighborhoods. They can walk to their friends’ houses.”

“Ah. I had that same issue when I stayed on the farm. But when I was with my parents, I played with the neighbor kids.” Thank God for that. It provided me with an escape from my house.

Daphne reached us. “Playdates are a problem. We can’t compete with the ease of neighborhoods. No one wants to drive here when you can play with someone down the street.”

“Do you know Addy and Ember? They’re my younger cousins.”

Izzy nodded. “They’re a year older.”

“I could see if they wanted to ride bikes on the farm sometime.” The ramifications ran through my head, but I couldn’t see that anyone would be upset if the girls played together. In fact, it might overcome their objections. Sebastian and Knox wanted the girls to be happy on the farm.

“That would be great,” Izzy said, but I could tell she tempered her response. She was used to being told no.

Addy had Ember on the farm, but Izzy didn’t have anyone. Not even a sibling to play with. I wanted to help her in any way I could. “I’ll talk to them.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Daphne said as Izzy pushed off again, riding toward my truck.

“I want to.”

Daphne raised a brow. “You don’t think your cousins will be upset?”

“My cousins are pushovers when it comes to Addy and Ember.”

Daphne smiled. “Mine are the same way with Izzy.”

I raised a brow at her. “You ever think that’s the way to get into our family’s good graces?”

“Izzy?”

“It’s just a thought. It’s an excuse for you to be at the farm and vice versa.”

A smile spread over Daphne’s face. “It’s not a bad plan.”

“Stick with me. I’m full of great ideas,” I said with a wink before I responded to Izzy’s request that I run alongside her.

I ran next to Izzy until she was tired of biking.

“What do you say we grab some ice cream?” I asked Izzy and Daphne.

Izzy clapped her hands together. “Ice cream!”

Daphne merely raised a brow.

“It’s just ice cream,” I leaned in to say.

She shook her head, but her lips twitched.

Instead of worrying about every little possibility, I’d go with the flow. I’d do what felt good, and right now that was spending time with Izzy and Daphne.

I secured the bike in the back of the van. Then we drove to an ice cream shop in town. It was a farther drive, but I figured we wouldn’t run into our families there.

We stood in line in the shop only large enough for one case of ice cream and a narrow hallway where customers lined up to place their order. Izzy ordered birthday-cake flavor, I got black cherry, and Daphne ordered mint.

We took our cones outside where we walked along the sidewalk until we reached the harbor area. Izzy skipped along the bricks while we found a seat with a view of the water.

“This is the perfect day. Thank you.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” I should have asked Heath if he needed help on the farm. But for once, it felt good to be somewhere other than the farm or a job site.

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