Page 84 of A Very Un-Shakespeare Romance
“Later,” he promised, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. “I should go inside and help them get everything ready to go. It would be awful if they left anything here. I mean, Cassidy can’t sleep good without her teddy bear and Reagan just adores that Barbie I bought her. Oh, and before I forget. You asked for a seashell on our aborted first date. Like you said. Details.”
He produced one out of his pocket and held it out to her. Her bones seemed to dissolve as she glanced at the beautiful white shell with the rust and blue-colored markings. He’d remembered that in the midst of all this? She gave in to the urge to kiss his cheek even though they were in plain view. “Somebody really is a knight in shining armor.”
“Don’t be giving me any titles.” He shuddered like he was shaking off a swarm of flies. “I’m fine with being Lieutenant Robbie O’Connor.”
The patio door slicked open, and Billie emerged with a grinning Cassidy, who clearly wasn’t interested in napping. “Hey, bro. Cassidy’s got one last surprise for you before we leave.”
Robbie scrunched his face suspiciously. “What is it?”
“’Cane!” she gurgled.
He heaved a giant sigh. “No f—reaking way I’m changing that diaper, Billie.”
His brother lifted his chin in challenge. “You are if you’re staying here. It’s the only way to keep the score even.”
His curse was muffled but clearly from the heart. “Dammit, it’s not like I can ask Tara to do it. She’s probably talking to Tyler.”
“Oh, come on,” Lily said, pinching his bicep. “You’re a big tough man. You can handle it.”
Later, when she was greeting Agent Petris, Robbie gave a girly scream that echoed throughout the house.
Lily tried to keep her face set, but Agent Petris started laughing. “That sounds like my reaction to one of my kid’s dirty diapers when my wife’s out shopping. I’d rather take a bullet than clean up that foul mess.”
These men…her heroes.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Seeingthose two little girls off was so painful, Robbie imagined it felt like being gutshot.
He hugged Reagan tightly one last time, biting the inside of his cheek as she clung to him. When she wrenched away, Tara handed him a wide-eyed Cassidy, his cousin’s face locked in a forced smile for the girls. He kissed the little girl’s soft forehead, cupping her to his chest. The drool that wet his shirt felt like a badge of honor. “You have a tea party with Miss Rosie. And make Tim put that red bucket on his head and dance like the crab inThe Little Mermaid.”
Her little head shot off his chest as she stared at him, her lip wobbling. “No, you do it.”
God, he actually wanted to, just to make her give that little baby laugh of hers. “Tim is funnier. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
He wasn’t sure what she understood exactly, but she wasn’t smiling. He kissed her again before handing her to Tim, who’d finished helping Reagan into her car seat.
Tara picked up Miss Purrfect and pressed her close for a warm embrace. Robbie eyed the cat warily. Since Tara had arrived, the cat hadn’t ruined any of his clothes or hissed at him naked. He’d been glad for the truce.
But when it glanced over at him with its mesmerizing green eyes, he shifted uncomfortably. There was no way he was saying goodbye to a cat. It pawed its collar, making the rhinestones glitter in the sun.
Lily gasped and clutched his arm, leaning close to his ear. “I forgot to mention it, but we put a tracking device in the cat’s collar.”
He drew back in shock. “When?”
“I’ll tell you later,” she said quietly, sending Tara a conspiratorial smile.
His mind started replaying all the times the cat had used its paw to try and pull off its collar. How Reagan had said it was new and nothing to be concerned about. Could the cat have been bothered by the tracker? Tim said they were sensitive, hadn’t he? Oh shit, he couldn’t believe he was going to do this…
“Tara, I know Miss Purrfect has a new collar, but do you mind if we take it off for a minute?”
Her mouth parted before she set the cat down and started unbuckling it. “Sure.”
He took the collar from her and turned his body toward Lily, giving them some privacy. “Let’s remove it, shall we?”
She nodded, and he watched as she extracted a tiny chip wedged inside the pink suede band. Palming it, she handed him back the collar and he returned it to Tara, who thankfully didn’t ask questions as she reattached it around the cat’s neck.
Cassidy gave a delighted gurgle inside the car, making him smile, but he jumped when he felt something touch his ankles. He looked down and watched in total shock as Miss Purrfect made a figure eight around his feet.
