Page 27 of Totally Off Limits

Mickey placed Mia beside the ball return. When he spoke, Sierra could barely hear him. “Don’t put your fingers in there, but watch. Your ball will pop up from that hole.”

Mia, meanwhile, had discovered the air blowing out to dry bowler’s hands and was hovering her tiny fingers over it, smiling widely.

“Here it comes!”

Without hesitation, the little girl snapped her head to look at the ball return area Mickey had alerted her to. As the ball rolled to the top like magic, Mia giggled before jumping up and down. “Again!”

As Mickey helped her line up her shot, Sage said, “She sure is a cutie.”

“Thanks, Sage. I’d like to think so—but, of course, I’m biased.”

“Okay, now push!” Mickey said to Mia on the lane.

Even though Sierra wasn’t paying much attention to Sage, he continued trying to make conversation. “So her dad’s a deadbeat, huh?”

Sierra almost protested too loudly but caught herself. “No, not really.” Here she had to tread lightly.

The bowling ball was crawling at a snail’s pace down the lane, and Mickey and Mia were intent on keeping their eyes on its journey—but Sage wasn’t too interested. “Do I know the guy?”

Okay…that line of questioning was getting far too close. And why did he care anyway? “I don’t think so.” To make sure he couldn’t see the lie in her eyes, she stood up, started clapping, and said, “Good job, baby!” While she hated pulling Mickey and Mia away from such a tender shared moment, she couldn’t risk Sage finding out the truth—because ifhefigured it out, Mickey would be right behind him.

And that couldn’t happen. No matter how much she would have loved for them to be father and daughter for each other, she knew it wouldn’t work.

Why the hell was she even here? This was madness. Mickey would never be the right guy, so this moment right here was merely torture. It had been a stupid idea. And even while she watched Mia and Mickey bond even more as the little girl’s ball almost knocked down the remainder of the pins and the two celebrated together, she chastised herself inside for even entertaining for a second that this could work.

And something else she’d never even considered…Mickey didn’t necessarily want a happily ever after with her anyway. All he’d ever promised to her was time tohang out.

So she tried to have fun the rest of the night but, mentally, she was girding herself for what was to come…in essence, a modern-day arranged marriage. When she left the bowling alley that night, she hugged Mickey but didn’t kiss him.

Because there was no sense stoking a fire that needed to die.

CHAPTER9

Sierra looked across the elegant dining room table toward Austin Ackerman. She’d sat here more times than she could count, even including with Mia at her side, but Austin’s presence in this ostentatious room was a first.

And she didn’t want to be obvious.

Honestly…she’d forgotten how good looking he really was. Like model gorgeous. He could have easily been the representative for a clothing line or a cologne—or anything really. It was easy to get lost in his chestnut brown eyes, and his blond hair was super short, nothing like Mickey’s, but that was something a few weeks could easily fix.

For now, it highlighted his strong jaw and cheekbones.

What the hell was wrong with her? Sierra had decided long ago that Austin was not the guy for her…and yet, even today, the man was a bit mesmerizing. Not just because of his disarming looks and musculature, but his voice was commanding and his charisma could grab a person, demanding their attention, daring them to try to look away.

He most definitely had her mother and sisters’ attention.

“So even though my dad didn’t get it then, he does now.”

“And you’ve passed the bar here in Colorado?” Paul asked.

“Yep. Piece of cake.”

“But you won’t be practicing?”

“Not in the traditional sense,” Austin said, cutting off a pat of butter to place inside the baked potato on his plate. “I’ll be taking over dad’s business, and he’s employed house counsel for years. But I’m pretty sure dad’s attorney will be retiring when dad does. I haven’t decided if I’ll hire someone else to fill that position or if I’ll cover it myself.”

“That seems like a lot on your plate, especially while learning the business.”

Austin grinned, causing dimples to appear in his cheeks. Ah, yes, something else that made his appearance irresistible. All those old high school memories were coming back to Sierra. “It might seem that way, Paul, but honestly…the mine could run itself. We have good people in charge on the ground who ensure its success.”

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