Page 11 of A Man for Amanda
She had to laugh. “Now I see why he told me to lock up my sisters.”
“If they’re anything like that one, I expect they can take care of themselves.”
“Oh, they can. The Calhoun women are as tough as they come.” She paused at the top of the iron circular stairs. “I’d better warn you. Aunt Coco claims she saw you in the tea leaves this morning.”
“In the... aah.”
She gave a half-apologetic, half-amused shrug. “It’s kind of a hobby of hers. Anyway, she might start to try to manipulate, especially if she decides the fates have linked you with one of my sisters. She means well, but...”
“O’Rileys are pretty good at handling themselves, too.”
It only took one long look at him to have her believing it. C.C. tapped his shoulder. “Okay then. You’re on your own.”
Sloan started down behind her. “C.C., are there any men Amanda’s involved with who I’m going to have to hoist out of the way?”
C.C. stopped, studying him through the opposite side of the open stairs. “No,” she said after a moment. “Amanda’s done all the hoisting herself.”
“That’s fine.” He was smiling to himself as he descended the winding stairs. When they reached the second floor, he heard an echo of high-pitched screams and the frantic yapping of the dog.
“My sister Suzanna’s kids,” C.C. explained before he could ask. “Alex and Jenny are your typical quiet, retiring children.”
“I can hear that.”
A sturdy pale-haired missile zoomed up the steps. In reflex, Sloan caught it and found himself staring into a curious little face with a pouty mouth and big blue eyes.
“You’re big,” Jenny said.
“Nah. You’re just short.”
At five, she was just beginning to learn the wiles of womanhood and sent him a beaming smile. “Can I have a piggyback ride?”
“Got a quarter?” Giggling, she shook her head. “Okay,” he said, “the first one’s free then.” When she squirmed around to his back, he started down again. At the base of the steps, Amanda had a dark-haired little boy in a headlock.
“Suzanna?” C.C. asked.
“In the kitchen. I was drafted to watch these two.” She narrowed her eyes at Jenny. “The little pig-nosed one got away from me.”
“Oink, oink.” From the tower of Sloan’s back, Jenny giggled and snorted.
“Who’s he?” Alex wanted to know.
“Sloan O’Riley.” Sloan offered a hand, man to man, which Alex eyed dubiously before accepting it.
“You talk funny. Are you from Texas?”
“Oklahoma.”
After a moment’s consideration, Alex nodded. “That’s almost as good. Did you ever shoot anybody dead?”
“Not lately.”
“That’s enough, you ghoul.” C.C. took charge. “Come on, let’s go get cleaned up for dinner.” She swung Jenny from Sloan’s back.
“Cute kids,” Sloan commented when C.C. hauled them up the stairs.
“We like them.” Amanda offered him a genuine smile. Seeing him with Jenny riding his back had softened her. “They’ll be in school most of the day, so they shouldn’t bother you while you’re working.”
“I don’t figure they’d be a bother one way or the other. I’ve got a nephew of my own back home. He’s a pistol.”
