Page 13 of Big Daddy Sheriff

“This is amazing,” she said.

He chuckled. “We think so. Got the idea from what they did down there in Mountainville. Over yonder in Texas.”

“I’ve heard of that place! I want to visit someday.”

He nodded. “We’re not as big and don’t have near the stuff they do, but we do alright. My cousin, Dax, is the marshal down there.”

“He’s a cop, too?”

“Yep. Runs in the family. He used to be a Texas Ranger, but that was a long time ago. Now, he keeps the peace in Mountainville. It’s a full-time job, from what I hear. Those Littles really give him all he can handle.”

“So, uh, law enforcementandbeing a Daddy run in the family, huh?” she said with a grin.

He chuckled again. “I guess you could say that.”

He finished the last bite on his plate and said, “We need to talk about your situation. Little Grace and her Daddy won’t be back from camping until tomorrow.”

“I’ve tried calling them,” she said.

“Yeah. They’re not getting any cell service up there in the Ouachitas. It’s pretty remote.”

“Maybe I can rent one of those vacation homes you mentioned earlier,” she said hopefully.

“Or you can crash at my place.”

The words nearly mowed Alyssa over. “I don’t want to impose,” she said, after pondering the proposition.

“You wouldn’t be,” he quickly assured her. “Truth be told, I’d love the company. Gets a mite lonely by myself. And besides…” He grinned as he leaned closer and shifted his eyes toward the table of firemen across the room. “The only other option is staying with them. They’ve got an extra bunk in the firehouse.”

She laughed.

The thought of spending the night with three, hot sexy Daddies was more than a little appealing. But she didn’t need them.

Quinn Hardin was plenty appealing on his own.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Quinn’s place was a little cottage on Main Street.

As the marshal, he needed to be close enough to town to respond to any emergencies. Though there weren’t many in Big Cedar.

“I’ll warn you,” he said. “The extra bedroom is set up for a Little.”

“Oh. You, eh, have one?” she asked. She seemed disappointed at the prospect.

“Nope. Just thinking ahead,” he explained. “And I have friends in the Community who drop by and visit. Like I said, we don’t have any hotels around here, so they just stay with me when they come through these parts.”

Alyssa seemed to understand that when he saidthe Community, he was talking about the AgePlay Community rather than Big Cedar itself.

“If it bothers you,” he said, “I can crash in there and let you take my room.”

“No, it’s fine,” she quickly assured him.

Bother her? Was he kidding? he asked himself. He suspected it was going to be a dream come true.

That hunch was confirmed when she saw the room and he read the delight in her eyes.

There were two beds—one “normal” and one toddler-style, but sized for an adult. There was a toy box against one wall and a chest of drawers on another. An oversized rocking chair rested in the corner near the window.

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