Page 31 of Treat Her Right

Wynn didn’t shock him a bit when she bent down and scooped Dani high, tossing her in the air and then hugging her close. “What have you been up to munchkin?”

“You can eat peanut butter and jelly with me!”

Wynn glanced at Zack, saw the paper plate with the neatly sliced sandwich that he held in his hand, and said, “Ilovepeanut butter and jelly. You don’t mind sharing?”

“Nope.”

When Wynn sat Dani down, she took her hand and stood staring at Zack. He cleared his throat. “How’ve you been, Wynn?”

“Busy. My folks are moving in tomorrow. I had to get everything put away and organized so they’d have a place to store their stuff. This moving on top of my moving is exhausting.”

She snagged the sandwich, handed half to Dani and took a big bite of the other half. “Mmmm. Delicious.”

Zack ignored that to ask, “Who are your guests?”

She gave a negligent shrug. “Guys from the gym. They wanted to see my new house and visit. They’re also going to help me set up my patio furniture. I bought a picnic table with an umbrella and a glider and chairs and tables. I’ve got some plants, too. I can’t wait to see it all together. The delivery truck should be here soon.”

“It takes three giants to set up lawn furniture?”

Her eyes sparkled at the acrimony in his tone. Hell, he’d sounded almost…jealous.

Enunciating each word carefully she said, “They wanted to see my new house, too.” Then she added, “You do have a problem listening to me, don’t you? Or rather, you only hear certain selective parts.”

Dani said, “I’ll help, too.”

“I dunno.” Wynn pretended to study her. “I need strong laborers. Let’s see your muscle.”

Dani immediately flexed her skinny arm. She tucked in her chin and puffed out her cheeks and ground her teeth, with no visible effect.

Still, Wynn made approving sounds and squeezed the non-existent muscle. “Wow. All right, I think you’re strong enough.” She glanced at Zack. “That is, if your dad doesn’t mind.”

“He don’t mind.”

“Dani.” She had jelly on her upper lip and a pleading look in her big blue eyes. He meant to reprimand her further, but she looked so cute…

“Please,”Dani begged in her most hopeful tone.

Wynn chuckled at her theatrics, then leaned toward Zack, her hands clasped together now that she’d finished her half of the sandwich. Mimicking his daughter to a tee, she pleaded. “Pretty please, Zack. C’mon. We’ll be careful. And I promise to watch her real close.”

Zack eyed Wynn. She wore a baggy gray T-shirt today with denim cutoffs. She was barefoot, her frizzy flyaway hair in a ponytail on the very top of her head resembling a frazzled water fountain.

In a different way, a funny way, she was the most appealing woman he’d ever seen.

He gave up without a grumble and denied, even to himself, that he was using his daughter’s wishes as an excuse. Dani wanted to be with her, so he’d allow it. But as her father it was necessary that he be there. That sounded plenty logical to him. “All right. But I’ll help, too.”

Wynn drew back. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I go where my daughter goes,” he told her, letting her assume he didn’t entirely trust her or her friends. She scowled in reaction, narrowing her beautiful eyes until they glittered golden with ire. He just grinned at her. Provoking her was way too easy.

“Fine.” Then she said, “But you have to pass the muscle test, too.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Hey, you’re the one insisting. And fair’s fair. Dani took the test.”

Dani bounced. “Show her your muscles, Dad!”

“Yeah, show me, Dad,” Wynn prodded, and Zack had the horrible suspicion that his neck had turned red.

---