Page 66 of Treat Her Right

Zack drew back. Feeling desperate, he said, “Dani has all of us to teach her to do guy things. I wanted a woman who would be a good influence on her, someone who did all those female things you just mentioned, Josh. Someone to be a role model, ya know?”

“You’re an ass, Zack.” Josh shook his head in pity. “Wynn is terrific. She’s independent and intelligent and honest. Yeah she’s outspoken, but so what? You never have to guess at what she’s thinking. And I like the way she dresses.”

Zack’s eyes nearly crossed. Josh had totally missed the point. He opened his mouth to explode with frustration, and noticed Wynn standing frozen just outside the open kitchen door. “Oh, hell.”

Without a word, Wynn jerked around and hurried away. Zack took off after her, slamming the screen door open in his haste. Before it could slam closed again, Josh and Mick were on his heels.

“Wynn!”

“Go to hell!” she shouted over her shoulder. She all but ran—from him—on her not yet healed foot and Zack worried. The blasted woman hadn’t even given him a chance to explain!

He stomped after her, cursing her impetuous reaction, worrying about her foot because he knewshewouldn’t worry about it. Her legs were long and strong, but his were as long, and whether she wanted to believe it or not, stronger. He closed the distance between them.

From Wynn’s yard, he saw his daughter and Chastity look up. On the patio, Artemus and Conan, along with Marc and Clint and Bo all lifted their heads. He could hear Mick and Josh just behind him.

His jaw clenched. When he got hold of Wynn, he thought he might strangle her.

He reached out, caught her arm—and she whipped around on him in a fury, letting out a war cry that rattled his ears and totally took him by surprise. She jerked his arm, stuck her foot out and sent him sprawling.

For three seconds Zack lay flat on his back, staring up at the blue sky, hearing snickers and whispers and feeling his temper rise.

Wynn leaned over him, her eyes red and her mouth pinched. “Don’t ever touch me again. You want rid of me, well you’re rid of me!”

In a flash, he grabbed her elbow and tossed her to her back beside him.

She yelled, “My foot!” and Zack froze at the thought of hurting her.

At the same moment he heard Conan call out, “It’s a trick!” but it was too late.

Wynn landed on top of him, her knees on his shoulders, her hands pinning his wrists to the ground, her big behind on his diaphragm. He could barely breathe. “For the record, you miserable jerk, I never asked to be your wife. As to that, I wouldn’t be your wife now if you went down on your knees.”

It was hard, but Zack managed not to laugh. The fact that he couldn’t draw a deep breath with her bouncing astride him helped. “You were eavesdropping!”

“Another of my less than sterling qualities,” she sneered. “But don’t worry.” She leaned in, almost smothering him with her breasts—not that he was complaining. “I won’t force myself on you anymore. You’re free to go find your little paragon of domesticity! I wish you luck.”

She started to rise, still a little awkwardly since her toe hadn’t entirely healed, and Zack caught her with his legs. “Oh, no you don’t!” He flipped her again and sprawled his entire weight on top of her. He heard her loud grunt, but paid no mind. “You don’t get to just barge in in a huff after listening to a private conversation, just to give me hell and then leave.”

Wynn bowed and jerked and, realizing she couldn’t throw him off, she subsided. “I get to do whatever I please! It’s none of your damn business.” She looked him over with disdain, but Zack saw her bottom lip tremble. “Not anymore.”

His heart hurt. Emotion swelled inside him. “Wynn.”

She jerked again, but couldn’t free herself. “I don’t even know why I bothered with you,” she muttered.

He wanted to kiss her, but figured if he loosened his grip at all, she’d run from him again. “Because I’m sweet?”

“Ha!”

“You’re the one who said it, Wynn, not me.”

He heard low voices and looked up to see everyone gathered around them wearing expressions of curiosity and expectation and anticipation. They blocked the sun.

He turned back to Wynn. “You’re not walking out on me.”

“I don’t think she was walking,” Bo pointed out. “Looked more like running.”

“Did to me, too,” Josh agreed. “Not that I blame her.”

To hell with it, Zack thought, and he leaned down to kiss her. She almost bit him, but he laughed and pulled away. She looked ready to spit on him, and he said, “I love you, Wynn.”

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