Page 9 of Tech

Oh crap….

I quickly rush over to him and pick him up, while giving Josy her bag and Ollie's, and I state, "I, uh, believe my sister has spoken. Bye, Marco."

With that said, I grab my sister's hand, knowing she's more lethal than Ollie right now with how red her face has gotten.

As I drag her away, she continues to stare at Marco all the way to my Jeep as Ollie waves behind me.

I hear Marco curse behind us, and I try not to laugh. Josy and Ollie need to understand that violence is not okay, even if it was hilarious to see the jackass get his comeuppance.

I help Ollie into his car seat in the middle of my bench seat in my truck, while Josy climbs in next to him. I casually ask, "What else has Daddy said, Josy?"

She looks my way with such innocence as she bats her long eyelashes at me.

Most people would cave, but not me. I tilt my head, raising a brow at her.

Knowing the look, she sighs and admits, "Daddy said that if any boys talk to you, then we need to keep them away from you. Daddy said if you look at the man you're talking to like he hangs the moon and give him goo-goo eyes, then that's okay. You looked like you didn't want to talk to that man."

I snort, shaking my head, before grabbing her belt buckle and clicking it in. She gives me a sweet grin, making me chuckle as I sit back down. Buckling myself in, I start the truck and head back to the farm.

Flipping daddy.

Twenty minutes later, Josy and Ollie are excitedly running toward the cows in the barn, making me smile as I walk over to my dad, who's watching them.

My mother is leaning against him, watching, too. They’re both muddy, which makes me happy that I chose to pick the kids up instead of helping.

I sidle up next to them, lean against the wooden post, and tilt my head toward my dad. His eyes are bright, his smile wide, and yes, I'm ready to knock that smile right off his face.

"Hey, Daddy," I say, and he looks my way, smiling before looking back at the kids.

He replies, "Hey, sweetheart, did they con you into the park again?"

I hum, nodding, watching Josy kiss the brown cow's nose. I say, "They did, but at least this time I didn't give in to ice cream, especially when I'm working my butt off at Barton Vets to save up for all the equipment I'm going to need to fill that barn at the end of the road."

Momma smiles a little before clearing her throat.

"You, uh, changed your mind about moving out of the farmhouse?" she asks subtly, and I smirk as she looks at the kids, gently running her finger along Daddy's arm, which is tattooed with all our names, including my birth mother’s, around his waist, and says, "You know people say not to live where you work."

I chuckle a little. I know Momma doesn't want me to move out. I stayed throughout college, and I'll never regret that decision, but it's time to have my own space. I'll still be on the farm near them, and my siblings will have their own rooms in my apartment.

Daddy spent the past two years building the barn into a veterinary clinic with an apartment on top.

It's perfect. I’ll get that independence, but I’ll also get to be near my family.

"I'll only be up the road. I need this," I reply, looking over to her. Our eyes connect, hers teary as Daddy looks at me with a frown. He may be building the place for me, but he hoped it would be somewhere I'd sleep if I worked too late.

I smirk, though, ready to land him in it. I mean, it's only fair.

"Besides," I say innocently, "me living in the apartment would be better for me, especially with Daddy telling Josy and Ollie to physically harm any male that speaks to me."

Daddy's eyes widen, his body stilling, while Momma slowly turns in his arms, looking at him angrily.

Daddy clears his throat. "I uh, well, you see…."

I cut him off, "You told my ten-year-old sister and four-year-old brother not to allow men to speak to me if I'm not looking at them like they hang the moon." He winces, keeping eye contact with me, knowing Momma is going to kill him. "Daddy, my darling sister kicked Marco Jacobs in the balls and my sweet baby brother threw sand on his head."

Momma bites her lip to stop laughing, though her body shakes.

Daddy nods. "Huh, I guess you can't be too mad about that then, considering he broke your wrist and made your high school experience shitty."

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