Page 54 of Driven Daddy

“Don’t care. You’re at least fifty people over capacity.”

“Christian, we just had more people show up than we expected. What do you expect her to do?” Penn stood and walked over to Ryan’s table.

“C’mon, hot cop, I’m sure you could find a way to help us out.” Ryan’s voice was sultry as she leaned forward, her chin propped on her hand.

“Pardon me?” Christian’s voice was cool.

Instead of being deterred, Ryan only grinned wider. “You’re fully aware that half the women in here are swooning over those shoulders of yours.”

“I am not. What I look like in my uniform has nothing to do with the law and order of this town.”

Ryan laughed. “Law and order of this town? You do realize we’re in Crescent Cove, right?”

“You’d be surprised about what goes on here, ma’am.”

“Ma’am?” She turned around to Preston. “Did you hear that?”

“Don’t make me have to bail you out, Moonbeam,” he answered her easily.

She rolled her eyes and faced Christian.

I bowed my head to stop the smile. I wished I had half the gumption of Ryan Moon. I generally was afraid of my shadow these days.

“Look—”

I stood up, cutting Ryan off. “Why don’t you help me persuade a few people to move the line?”

Penn frowned back at me.

“My readers are very sweet. I’m sure we can figure out a way to get the line under control.”

“And what, my people aren’t?” Penn asked.

“I don’t know, are they?” I asked sweetly.

“We didn’t have this problem until you were added to the signing,” he muttered.

“And yet, looks like a lot of these people are here to see me, aren’t they?” I turned to Christian and held out my hand for help down the stairs.

He took my hand, glancing from me to his brother, then he cleared his throat. “I appreciate your cooperation, Miss Savage.”

“Rita, remember?” I smiled at him. “It’s nice to see you again, Officer Masterson.”

He flushed. “Christian is fine.” He cleared his throat again. “How is Judy treating you?”

“Perfectly. However, Bruce definitely doesn’t like a leash.”

Christian laughed. “Never does.” His stiff shoulders eased a little as I stepped down the last step to the floor. He was very tall, head and shoulders above me to be exact, even with my heels.

I could see the appeal—as did all the woman murmuring around us. “Now, let’s see what we can do, shall we?” I let his hand go and straightened my skirt. I glanced up at Penn still on the dais, his face mutinous.

I guess maybe I had a little of that Ryan style, after all.

I lifted my voice. “Tell you what? I know you all have been so very patient this afternoon, but we got ourselves in a little trouble with the law.” I gave awhat can you dogesture. “I hate to ask you to go back outside?—”

The crowd groaned and grumbled.

“We’ve been waiting for hours already,” someone said from the back.

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