Page 6 of Noble Neighbor
The girls’ mother, he presumed. There was nothing child-like to her full figure where she lay on her side. Her head — brown curls similar to the older girl — rested on a pillow, both arms bent, one tucked under the pillow, the other lay on top. Her bottom knee was slightly bent, and the top one lay at a ninety-degreeangle to her hip. The curve of her well-rounded posteriorpeeked out from the edge of the fraying denim shorts. For the first time in a long while, Oliver felt the stirrings of desire.
Something moved against his foot, and he glanced down straight into the blinking eyes of the child closest to him. She was stretching out, frowning as she stared at him in confusion. In a flash, she was up and over her sibling, kneeling on hands and knees, effectively covering the smaller form.
Protecting her.
Oliver took a step back as his father moved in beside him.
Dark panicked eyes swung between the two of them. “Get away from us,” she snarled from beneath the fall of curls.
They moved farther back, recognizing the abject fear emanating from the child. Oliver crouched, his arms wide, placating. “It’s okay. You’re safe, sweetie.We’re not going to hurt you. My name is Oliver, and this is my dad, Frank. We live just over there.” He inclined his head toward their house. “I’ve a son, Clement.He’s eleven, and waiting by our truck with his dog, Nala.”
The smaller girl shifted. “You’re squishing me, Kenzie,” she groused.
The elder — Kenzie — warily moved to her feet, pulling her sister up. She pushed the girl behind her, but the blonde head popped around her arm, eyes wide, their blue the exact shade of the chicory wildflower the lane was named after. She gazed at Oliver before skipping to his father. “Are you the bad mans?” she whispered, more with wonder than fear.
The whoop of sirens sounded in the distance. His father stirred behind him. “Reckon I need to head them off,” he muttered, turning away.
“What the— Kenzie! Molly! Come here! Now!” Their mom surged up, her foot catching on the strap of a backpack. As she righted herself, Clement darted from behind the trees. Nala, as usual, right on his heels.
His boy skidded to a halt, but not so the dog. Nala brushed against the woman’s knee, causing her to stumble again. She pitched forward.
Oliver moved fast, but not fast enough, and she face-planted into his torso even as his arms hooked under her armpits. They both went down in a tangle of limbs, her shoulder catching his solar plexus. Air rushedfrom his lungs. He lay beneath her, gasping.She muttered a curse and moved off him, but not before her knee connected with his balls. Hard.
Breathless, and in acute pain, he curled onto his side, wheezing and groaning, an anxious Clement hovering over him. Oliver fought to bring his breathing under control; tried to ease the ache in his groin.
Why worry about his balls?It wasn’t as if they were getting any action.
Oliver focused on his father’s deep rumble. “A misunderstanding. Sorry, Beau. Got you guys out here for nothin’.”
Oliver turned on his back and took in a solid breath.
“Dad? You okay?” Clement pressed lightly on Oliver’schest.
“Yeah, Clem.” Deeming himself able, he staggered to his feet, taking in the surrounding scene.
His father was talking to Beau and Felicity. A smirk played on the woman’s lips. Did ithaveto be her? Deputy Graham had made her interest in him clear and just didn’t take no for an answer.
He shifted his gaze. The klutzy woman stood to one side; her arms curled around the girls in front of her. She was tall, a good five-nine, maybe ten, her choppy, dark curls in complete disarray.Eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on the sheriff, Oliver couldn’t determine their color. Full lips, compressed tight. He’d love to see them widen with laughter.Really, Oliver?And her legs … miles of them. More than enough to wrap around his waist while he thrust—
Oliver grunted, disturbed by the turn his thoughts were taking.
She twisted her head. Chicory blue. Her eyes were a match to her daughter’s, and her gaze met and held his for a long moment before they drifted to Clement’s, then back to his. Her mouth tightened further, changing her countenance from merely upset to completely closed off.
Leave me alone, it screamed.
Well, that’s simply fine by him. He wanted nothing to do with her and ignored the clutch of … something in his belly.
“You and your girls okay, ma’am?” Beau intruded in their stare-down, and the woman shifted her gaze to the sheriff.
“Yes.”
“Name’s Beau Stirling, ma’am.”
She inclined her head. “Sheriff,” she said, volunteeringno other information.
Scowling, Beau scraped his throat. “You have any trouble, ma’am, call my office.”
With a final nod in Oliver’s direction, Beau and his deputy left.
