Page 67 of Treat Her Right

Her gorgeous golden eyes widened, and then they bothoofedwhen Dani leaped onto Zack’s back and began hopping up and down. “We’re keeping her, we’re keeping her!”

Laughing, Zack said, “Not yet, honey. She has to tell me she loves me, too.”

Dani flattened herself on Zack’s back and leaned over his shoulder into Wynn’s frozen face. She put her tiny hand on Wynn’s cheek and said, “I want you for my mommy.”

Wynn drew a broken, shuddering breath and said, “Ohhh,” and her face crumbled. She blinked hard, but big tears welled up.

Zack turned his head to kiss his daughter’s cheek. “Move, Dani.”

“’Kay, Dad.” She scampered off and stood there fretting until Mick picked her up and whispered something in her ear. Then she smiled and nodded.

Zack nudged Wynn with his nose. “We need privacy, sweetheart. Don’t fight me, okay?”

She nodded, attempting to duck her face against him. Knowing Wynn as well as he did, Zack imagined that to her, a spate of tears equaled the gravest humiliation. She would laugh heartily, yell like a fishmonger, and she loved him with enough intensity to leave him insensate. But she wanted to hide her upset.

He’d allow her to hide her tears from the others, but he didn’t want her hiding anything from him.

Zack stood, hauled Wynn over his shoulder and turned away from everyone to head back into the privacy of his house.

Conan yelled, “For once in your life, Wynonna, be reasonable! Don’t blow it.”

Bo and Clint and Marc all laughed, offering suggestions to Zack on how to best her. They said, “Watch her legs!” and “She fights dirty, so protect yourself,” and “If she gets the upper hand, just remember that she’s ticklish!”

Zack waved his free hand in an absent “thank you.”

Artemus called out, “Darling, Iwilldo something with your hair for the wedding, so get used to the idea right now!”

At that dire threat, Wynn started to push up, but Zack put his hand on her bottom to hold her still. Grinning like a fool, he realized he felt better than good. He felt…incredible.

He went through the kitchen and the living room, took the stairs two at a time, went into his room and dumped Wynn on his bed. He rubbed his back and groaned dramatically. “Damn, you’re heavy.”

She held her arms out to him.

Amazing, Zack thought, loving the sight of her in his bed and knowing he wanted to see her there every day for the rest of his life. He lowered himself onto her. “I love you,” he said again.

She squeezed him tight. “I love you, too.”

His heart expanded until it nearly choked him. “Enough to marry me and be Dani’s mommy?”

She pushed him away. “I won’t change for you, Zack.” Her eyes glistened with tears, but she still looked ferocious. “I am who I am, and I like me.”

“I like you, too.” He kissed the end of her nose and smiled. “You scare me to death, sometimes infuriate me and drive me to unheard of depths of jealousy, but I wouldn’t want you to change, sweetheart. Well, except that I’m going to have to insist all other males keep their hands off you. Other than that…”

She laughed and swatted him, but her humor ended with a quiver. “I so badly wanted to be Dani’s mommy. I love her so much.” More tears gathered in her eyes and she groaned. “Oh God, this is awful.” She used his shoulder to wipe her eyes.

Zack smiled. She so seldom said the expected. “How would you feel about giving Dani a brother? She mentioned that, too.”

“She did?”

“Yes. Back when she first explained to me that she was going to keep you.”

Wynn drew a shaky breath. “I’m twenty-eight. I’d like to have a baby before I’m thirty.”

“In other words, you want me to get right on it?” He nudged her again. “I’m ready, willing and able. And I love you.”

She choked back a sob and then viciously shook her head. “Josh would be appalled if he saw me snuffling like an idiot.”

Zack kissed her wet cheeks and then the corner of her mouth. “Who cares what Josh thinks?”

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