Page 55 of Treat Her Right

Zack snapped a look at Conan and the man backed up two steps. “Okay, okay,” he said, swallowing down a laugh and holding up his hands as if to ward Zack off, “I take it back. You’re not jealous.”

Zack narrowed his eyes. “What reason would I have to be jealous?”

“None! No reason at all. I mean, believe it or not, Wynn’s in pain and… Hey, wait a minute!”

Zack allowed Conan to pull him back around. Wynn was in pain? He couldn’t stand it.

Conan laughed. “I’m sorry. Really, I am.” Zack vaguely heard the other men laughing and offering comments, but he paid them no mind.

Over his shoulder, Conan shouted, “Shut up, Bo!” To Zack he said, “Ignore Bo. He’s been giving Wynn hell all day for beingsmitten. I was about ready to flatten him myself when he finally realized she wasn’t taking it well.”

Zack drew a deep breath and attempted to ease his temper. Most times, he didn’t have a temper, and he blamed the emergence of one solely on Wynn Lane. She brought out the worst in him.

She also turned him on more than any woman he’d ever known. “Why not?” he asked, hoping he sounded merely calm, not concerned. “What’s going on?”

“Whew, finally you sound like a reasonable man.” Conan clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to make Zack lose his balance. “At first you were looking like a charging bull. Nostrils flared, eyes red, steam coming out your ears. Bo told me, but I didn’t really believe him. I mean, when I met you, you seemed so…”

“Conan.”

“Sorry. The folks threw this surprise housewarming party for Wynn, but she’s obviously not really up to it. I mean, her damn toe is broken in two places. Two! Can you believe that? Her feet are bigger than most, that’s true, but it’s still just a baby toe.”

Zack closed his eyes and counted to ten, but he still heard the smile in Conan’s voice when he continued.

“Your buddy has been fending everyone off, including my parents. He pulled Wynn’s foot into his lap after the third person accidentally bumped her and made her yelp. Not a pretty thing to see Wynn yelping.”

“Damn.”

Conan rubbed his neck, looked up at the fading sun, then back at his teammates who were now clustered together and waiting. He faced Zack again. “The folks mean well. It’s just that Wynn never complains much, and she never admits to being hurt, so they don’t realize…”

“Dad!” His daughter ran hell-bent toward him, cutting off Conan’s explanations. Not that he’d needed to continue; Zack already understood the situation and more than anything he wanted to shake Wynn for putting up such a ridiculous macho show. That was something a man would do, but it wasn’t expected of a woman. And despite being hardy and strong, shewasstill a woman.

And damn it, he wanted to protect her.

Dani threw herself at Zack, and he noticed his daughter now wore sandals rather than sneakers. And she had a silver ring on her big toe.

He scooped her up and hugged her to him. “Look at you, Dani,” he teased. “Wearing a dress.”

She laughed, cupped his face and gave him a loud smooch. “It’s not a dress. It’s Chastity’s. She let me wear it while I finger painted. Ain’t it pretty?”

Zack didn’t bother correcting her speech, not this time, not while she was so excited and happy. “Yes it is, especially on you.”

“Conan said I was a flower child.”

“But prettier,” Conan clarified.

Zack hugged her again and started toward Wynn. He stopped, turned back to Conan and said, “Thanks.”

Conan pretended great relief. “Yeah, anytime. I mean, she’s a pain in the ass, but I still love my sister.” His voice lowered to something of a warning. “And I wouldn’t want anyone to upset her. Or hurt her.” He stared at Zack, making sure Zack caught his meaning.

Zack nodded, which was the best reply he could offer, for the time being.

“So,” Zack said to his daughter, staring at that silver ring on her toe, “you’ve had fun today?”

“I’ve had the bestest time! Artemus is teaching me how to dance and look what he did to my hair!” She primped, turning her head one way and then the other.

Her hair had been braided and then twisted into a coronet with tiny multi-colored crystal beads shaped like flowers pinned into place. Two curling ringlets hung in front of her ears.

Zack felt a lump the size of a grapefruit lodge in his throat at the sight of his daughter’s proud smile. Artemus met him at the edge of the patio.

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