Page 25 of Protecting Little Phoebe

“Because he had my phone number from when your pickup was towed there. It must have ended up on the paperwork. He tried calling you, but your phone was always turned off.”

Phoebe winced. “Oops. Is Cherry all right? Is she all fixed?”

“Yes, it’s ready for you to collect. What did I say to you about charging your phone?” he said to her sternly.

“But that was just about having my phone charged before I drove anywhere,” she said hastily.

Drat. That was true. “All right, let me add that you’re to have your phone charged all the time.”

Her lower lip popped out on a pout. “But sometimes I just don’t want to talk to anyone or answer my texts. I’m on vacation.”

“I understand that, sweetheart. But in terms of safety, you still need to have your phone charged. Even if you decide to putsome people on silent, there are still some calls and texts you have to take.”

She sighed, nodding sadly.

“Or you need to give your phone to someone you trust so that they can take care of your life admin for you so you can completely switch off.” He could do that.

“I wish,” she said. “That sounds like heaven. But I don’t have anyone in my life I can trust to do that and you’re right. I can’t just switch off or I miss important calls.”

The offer to be that person for her was on the tip of his tongue. But he forced it back. He didn’t want to come on too strong and that sort of trust would take time to build. It wasn’t something she could just hand over to him. Suggesting it now might just freak her out.

“Why didn’t you just call the Ranch, though?” she asked. “You knew where I was. You didn’t come out here just to tell me that, did you?”

“I could have,” he agreed. “But I didn’t.”

“I’m confused.”

“It’s simple, really.” He reached up and brushed a finger over her cheek. “I wanted an excuse to see you again. Because the truth is that I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind, and I wanted to know whether that feeling was mutual. That night when we went out to dinner when I walked you back to your room?”

She nodded.

“Well, I nearly kissed you. And then I spent these last few days regretting that I didn’t. So I want to know whether you’re as attracted to me as I am to you.”

CHAPTER 8

Phoebe stared up at him in shock. Had he really just said that? That he couldn’t stop thinking about her? That he was attracted to her? What could he possibly see in her?

He was gorgeous. Sexy. Smart. And he obviously had his ducks in a row.

Unlike her.

Her ducks were not all in a row. They were walking off at strange angles, one was riding a horse, another was twirling in a circle, and she was pretty sure that one of them was a touch drunk.

So why would he want her? Sometimes she didn’t want to be around her, and she was stuck with herself. Should she tell him the main reason she didn’t have her phone turned on?

No, no.

She wasn’t ready to talk about it and he wouldn’t be interested in her problems. They were silly problems, anyway. Some people had real issues, like not being able to put food on the table or pay the electric bill. She felt ridiculous for the way she was handling everything and yet she wasn’t quite strong enough to come out of hiding yet.

“You’re interested in me?” she repeated. Maybe she was dreaming. That was likely it. She was having delusions.

“I am,” he said firmly, shattering that thought. “I want you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I know you might not feel the same way. You barely know me and I’m likely old enough to be your father. Perhaps you’d prefer someone younger, less set in their ways, someone less bossy and take-charge. Taking care of others is what makes me happy. But I’m told that I can be rather interfering and controlling.”

Whoa. He’d just laid out a whole lot of stuff and she was struggling to process it all. Someone had told him he was too bossy and controlling simply because he liked taking care of them?

She would kill to have someone take care of her. Maybe he was a tad bossy. She’d certainly never had anyone order her to charge her phone or to wear a jacket and shoes while outside. But she assumed it was because he was a Daddy.

It could also be him. About his needs. Phoebe liked hearing about his needs. Because she wouldn’t want things to be one-sided between them. For it to be all about her.

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