Page 148 of Beat of Love
The group reached the playground equipment, and he watched Connor lift his sister onto the roundabout and climb up behind her. She clambered on the seat in the center and grabbed hold of the bars, laughing with glee. Connor leaned in and spoke to her. She nodded her head enthusiastically. The boy backedaway, jumped off, and started walking, setting the roundabout in motion.
“Faster, faster,” Sinead cried.
Raegan approached Connor and said something to the boy. He nodded, leaped back on, and moved to stand in front of his sister. The woman gave a solid push, and the roundabout picked up speed.
Sinead squealed with laughter.
A soft chuckle escaped Rafferty, her joy infectious.
And then his smile dimmed.
He knew nothing about small children, and the ones he’d recently encountered shrank from him in fear.
But those two on the roundabout …?
He’d be theirfather.
Their role model.
He silently cursed; he was the worst person for a child to emulate. Common sense said to let them go. They had a good life here. One they were familiar with. A local family prepared to adopt them.
He could hire a protective detail for them until the danger passed.
But.
Selena entrusted him to take care of them.
Fuck.
Rafferty shifted the packages from his right hand to left. On Brandy-Lyn’s urging, he’d popped into a quaint bookstore on his way here. The task was simple, but he’d faltered within seconds. Luckily, the shopkeeper had taken pity on him and guided him with his purchases.
“I’d hoped you’d changed your mind.” Mrs. Bronson jolted him from his musing.
“Never,” he snapped, keeping his eyes on the roundabout.
“I don’t appreciate the manner in which you went behind my back.”
“You need to understand that I will do whatever is necessary to protect those children.”
He’d contacted a lawyer in Lincoln, explained the situation, and requested the man start the process for emergency custody of Sinead. Hannigan then called the head of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, who in turn instructed Mrs. Bronson to reveal the circumstances surrounding the children to the prospective adopted parents.
The financially stable, churchgoing couple had withdrawn their petition.
“And I am sure you are exaggerating the supposed danger.” Mrs. Bronson threw a look at Stas and Ruby and snorted. “Seriously, bodyguards. Is it really necessary?”
He swung to face her full on. “The woman who killed their mother is still out there. Theyarein danger.” Rafferty gave a raw laugh. “The best place for those children is on the ranch with heightened security.”
“Withyouas their father?” she scoffed.
“I might not be father of the year material, but I will—”
“Are you my dad?”
Everything inside Rafferty stilled at the tentative question.
He slowly turned and found a very solemn-looking Connor standing a short distance from him.
He scanned the boy, searching for some trace of Oliveira.
