Page 78 of Perfect Imperfections

“Of course, real gentle now. Remember, he’s still a wild animal and sometimes animals get scared.”

He watched as his daughter crept ever so slowly toward the tiny bird, her little hand stretching out with the care of a movie thief, avoiding glowing alarm lasers.

“Here, sweetie.”

Ellie released his hand, crouching down herself to scoot closer to Charlotte and Cam. She placed her palm loosely on top of Charlotte’s hand, guiding his daughter to the animal’s back.

“See? He likes it when you stroke him like that.”

“Most men do,” Cam snorted.

Ellie glared at the other woman. “Cam!”

“What? It’s true.”

He chuckled, knowing Ellie was worried about her friend’s word choice in front of Charlotte. But he also knew his daughter wouldn’t get the innuendo.

“You got that right, Red,” his brother said, gaze zeroed in on the woman holding the penguin preening under Charlotte’s touch.

Oh fantastic, Gavin was putting the moves on his girlfriend’s best friend. Not good. His playboy of a brother would show her a good time and never call her again, and then Ellie would be upset for her friend—rightly so. He would not allow Gavin to screw up the best thing he’d had in a while just because his brother’s dick decided it needed a new conquest.

He opened his mouth to tell Gavin to knock it off, but before he could get one syllable out, Cam narrowed her eyes and addressed him.

“Hello, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Camilla. Cam to my friends, but you can call me Camilla. Not Red, or Carrots, or Firecracker, or Hot Potato—”

“Hot Potato?” Gavin raised his brows.

Cam shrugged. “Some men like to think they’re clever.”

She sent a pointed look his way and Sullivan had to cover his mouth to contain the laughter. He didn’t need to worry about protecting Ellie’s friend from his brother. In fact, he might need to get some ice for all the burn the woman was putting on poor Gavin.

“And you are…let me guess, Jolly Green?” Cam said with a smirk.

Gavin glared. “Is that a height reference? Because I could say that right back at you.”

True. Sullivan had noticed Ellie’s friend was as tall as Ellie was short. He liked Ellie’s height. It made it easy for him to wrap his arms around her and snuggle her to his chest.

“Try it and see what happens. Stretch.”

Oh, he really, really, liked Cam. He had to smother another laugh as Gavin stood, open jawed. Finally, his brother found enough footing to mutter.

“I’m Gavin. Sullivan’s brother.”

“Ahhhh! He’s pooping!”

Charlotte’s shriek interrupted the verbal back and forth between his brother and Ellie’s best friend. Everyone took a healthy step back as Bingo was indeed squirting a stream of white liquid out of his backside. He glanced at his brother to see a horrified expression he knew matched the one on his face. Charlotte had curled into Ellie’s chest as much as humanly possible. Ellie and Cam, however, simply laughed.

“Okay, Bingo,” Cam said to the pooping bird in a soothing voice. “I get it. You want to go back out with your lady.”

The woman rose to her feet. Sullivan thought he heard Gavin mutter under his breath.

“See, she’s almost as tall as me. Jolly Green, my ass.”

Sullivan grinned. Anyone who could get under his baby brother’s unflappable skin was someone he wanted around. A lot.

“Well folks, enjoy your day. I gotta take this little guy back out to bask in the sunshine. See ya Ellie, Sullivan, Charlotte.” Her gaze focused on his brother, a smartass sparkle in her eyes. “Sasquatch.”

Gavin opened his mouth, a dark scowl on his face. Sullivan feared he may have to intervene, but then his brother’s expression smoothed. A knowing gleam lit his own gaze, and he curled his lips in a weird smile Sullivan had never seen him give before.

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