Page 85 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

He smiled down at her as he let her go. “You have no idea how pleased I am to meet you, honey.”

“Same! Ty’s told me a lot about you. Thank you so much for bringing him and …” She frowned when she remembered why he was here. “And for everything.”

He shook his head with a smile. “We’ll get to all of that later, and I’m telling you now – you’re going to be just fine. Right now, I’m going to talk to Alma and Davin. You two have a minute – say hello properly before we dive into the other stuff.” He met her gaze and held it. His light green eyes seemed to shine from within, and they held a whole bunch of questions as he asked, “Okay?”

“Okay. Oh, wait.” She turned to Alexis and Davin. “Guys, this is Ty. Ty, meet Alexis and Davin – the awesome couple I told you were my parents.”

She watched them all shake hands, and relaxed when it was obvious that they liked him.

“It’s a pleasure,” he told them. “I knew you guys were special from the way Shayna talked about you – first as her adopted parents, and then when she told me about how you guys took her in. And then when I found out who you were …” He grinned. “I was grateful that she had good people looking out for her, and when I knew it was you …” He shook his head.

Shayna was relieved when Alexis smiled at him and said, “I have to tell you that I wasn’t thrilled when we learned that Shayna was talking to someone online. But I was more than relieved when I found out who you were.” She cocked an eyebrow and added, “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping an eye on you.”

Davin chuckled. “And she isn’t joking.”

“And if you get on the wrong side of Alma, I won’t be able to help you,” said Cash.

Shayna loved the way Ty met Alexis’s gaze and nodded solemnly. She knew there was nothing he’d be able to say that would make Alexis stand down.

He came as close as possible to doing just that when he said, “We’re on the same side; I’m glad you’ll be watching.”

He wrapped his arm around Shayna’s shoulders when Alexis returned his nod. Then she stepped toward his brother.

“Cash, you old devil!”

He chuckled as he wrapped her in a hug. “Alma, it’s been too long.” He turned to Davin. “It’s good to meet you.”

“And you. I heard a lot about you guys over the years, but our paths never crossed.”

“Heard good things about you and your buddy, Adam. You guys had an impressive record.” Cash laughed. “Although, what impresses me the most is … this.” He gestured between Davin and Alexis. “A man worthy of Alma, is a man worth knowing.”

Alexis rolled her eyes. “Enough with the bullshit, Mac.”

Cash grinned at Davin. “I might have said worthy of her, but we both know I meant strong enough to handle her.”

Davin laughed with him, and Alexis simply shrugged. “Are we done here? Let’s go and talk.” She smiled at Shayna. “And give these two a minute.”

Cash winked at Shayna. “Take your time – I’ll just be wherever she orders me to – doing as I’m told, like a good boy.”

Alexis laughed and pushed him toward the briefing rooms. “You wouldn’t know how to be a good boy if your life depended on it. Go!”

~ ~ ~

Ty kept his arm around Shayna’s shoulders as they watched them walk away. As soon as the briefing room door closed behind them, he turned to face her and crushed her to his chest.

“I missed you so bad!”

Her eyes sparkled as they looked up into his. “I missed you, too!”

He dropped a peck on her lips. “I can’t do it again.”

He knew he’d said the wrong thing when a look of panic crossed her face.

“I can’t go for another whole week without seeing you,” he explained.

“Oh! I don’t want to, either. It’s been the longest week ever, Ty. I …”

He could see the moment that she figured out that he’d said couldn’t do it rather than he didn’t want to. He should have started out slower – eased her into the idea, but that just wasn’t his way.

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