Page 29 of Entangled with a Mountain Man

"Girls," I call out, my voice gruffer than I intended. "Time to go."

Their faces fall immediately. "But Daddy," Hazel whines. "We want to stay with Miss Kenzie!"

I look to Kenzie, helpless. She gives me a small smile before kneeling to the girls' level.

"Remember what I said about how big girls behave?" she asks gently.

The twins nod solemnly. "Big girls listen the first time," they recite in unison.

Kenzie smiles at them, and an unfamiliar tension coils within me.

"That's right," she says. "Now, I promise I'll see you soon. And no more worms in the nanny's bed, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," they chorus, looking appropriately chastened.

Kenzie stands, turning those hypnotic eyes on me. She mouths, "You're welcome," and now I feel properly put in my place.

Then she kneels, pressing a gentle kiss to each of my girls' foreheads.

"Be good for your daddy, okay?" she says softly.

"We will!" Harper chirps.

Hazel nods solemnly. "Promise."

I feel like I should apologize for my thoughts. Because I know I saw Kenzie kissing Ian at the bus station. But what if what I saw isn't what happened?

I clear my throat. "All right, girls. Time to go."

They scamper towards the door, but I linger for a moment. Kenzie's eyes meet mine, and suddenly, it's hard to breathe. There's something in her gaze—a warmth, a vulnerability—that slams into me like a cold, hard blow.

I want to say something, anything, but the words stick in my throat. Instead, I give her a curt nod and turn to follow the twins.

As we step out into the late afternoon sun, I can feel Kenzie's eyes on my back. I resist the urge to look over my shoulder to catch one last glimpse of her.

"Daddy?" Harper tugs at my hand. "Can Miss Kenzie come over for dinner sometime?"

I stiffen. "We'll see, peanut."

The walk back to the truck home is filled with the girls' chatter, but my mind is elsewhere. I can't shake the image of Kenzie with my daughters, the easy way she interacts with them. It's been so long since they've had a maternal figure in their lives...

No. I push the thought away. I can't let myself go down that road.

At home, I settle the girls with a movie, the familiar sound of animated laughter filling the living room, a comforting backdrop to the day's chaos.

I take a moment to breathe, letting the warmth of their joy wash over me before retreating to my office. Work. That's what I need—something to occupy my mind and distract me from the lingering tension of the afternoon.

Once in my office, I sit at my desk and open my laptop, but the familiar lines of code blur before my eyes. I lean back in my chair, willing myself to concentrate, but all I can see is Kenzie’s face, her warm smile lighting up the room, and her eyes crinkling when she laughs with the twins.

The memory of her standing up to Paige plays on a loop in my mind, the admiration I felt watching her assert herself lingering with every replay. I grit my teeth, frustration mounting at my inability to focus.

I’ve faced countless challenges, but Kenzie has somehow managed to slip under my radar.

With a sigh, I push my laptop away, the work forgotten for the moment. I wonder how she’s faring after the confrontation. I want to check on her to see if she’s okay. The urge to protect her—a feeling that both excites and unnerves me—grows stronger.

As the evening stretches on, the sounds of the movie filter through the walls, but my thoughts remain entangled with Kenzie. I try to drown them out, focusing on the girls’ laughter, but my mind drifts back to her as if there’s an unvoiced understanding between us.

"Fuck…" I groan.

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