Page 111 of Bad Wolf's Nanny
Felix joined him in the manual labor, venting all his frustration at the turn things had taken with Red Teeth into lifting heavy things. An approach Dane could applaud. As such, they were both enjoying a cold beer in Rick’s garden, tired from a hard day, content to watch the pack sprawling over the lawn. Lola was ensconced with the women, Sam dozing in her arms, with the same look on her face as she got when she was trying to decipher medieval texts from Europe.
Dane listened to their conversation for long enough to hear Daisy chattering about placenta and estrogen before quickly snapping his hearing back.
“Are you going to have any more?” he asked Felix, glancing over at the alpha. “Cause I think Daisy’s intent on raising a small army from the sounds of things.”
Felix snorted and took a swig of beer. “Not for a long while. Cassie wants to finish her college studies before we even get married. I’m not going to broach the topic of more kids for at least five years. She’s still so young.”
“Unlike you,” Dane grinned. “What are you, thirty soon?”
“Something like that,” Felix said, ignoring the jab.
Typical. Where was his gullible little mate when he needed her?
“What about you, Rick?” Felix asked, straining his neck to where Nicolas and Rick were arguing over tile samples.
Rick looked at him like something he’d scraped off the bottom of his shoe at the interruption. “I beg your pardon?”
“Kids,” Felix repeated. “Do you want more?”
Rick’s nose wrinkled imperceptibly, “I hardly think so.”
“Where is Eva?” Dane asked, peering into the throng of screaming children as they dashed about the place, Danny and Logan at the forefront.
He spotted her, caramel curls bobbing as she trotted politely between the gathered women, watching them with big blue eyes and painful hope. According to Rick, her mother only ever gave her attention when she thought she could get to Rick.
And Rick…
Well. Whatever ‘loving’ was, Rick was the opposite.
Dane whistled sharply in Eva’s direction, and the girl glanced up in shock. Dane waved her over, and she obliged, fartoo well-trained to even consider disobeying, and came to a halt in front of him, little hands clasped behind her back.
“How can I help you?” she lisped, comically well-mannered in her powder blue dress.
Dane laughed. “Christ, Rick, you’ve got her talking like the Queen of England!”
“Better than her talking like you,” Rick replied, regarding his daughter with cool detachment.
Dane’s jaw tightened, but he smiled at Eva, noting her distress at the idea of displeasing her father. “I’ve got a task for ya, little lady, if you’d be so kind?”
She nodded almost aggressively, her expression fierce in its concentration.
“I’m having an argument with your dad, you see? He reckons you can’t convince the other kids to go swimming in his big fancy pool. I think you can. What d’ya say? Wanna run down your friends and see if you can get them in their swimsuits?”
“Oh, I can do that!” Eva said, her expression bright. “Can…can I go swimming with them?”
“Course you can!” Dane said, ruffling her curls, “Why don’t you go tell them, and I’ll take the cover off the pool. Meet you there in ten minutes?”
“Ten minutes,” Eva repeated, smiling a big, gappy smile at him, “I’ll see you there!”
She raced off, determination in every step, and Dane watched as she zipped between the other children. Delight broke across their faces at the idea of swimming, and in Rick’s coveted pool no less, and soon they were trooping towards the pool with several of the females, Cassie and Daisy included.
But not Lola. Lola was still in her chair, looking at him like he’d hung the moon in the sky.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll be over in a minute, yeah? You don’t mind taking the pool cover off, Felix?”
“On it,” Felix groaned as he stood, stretching out his muscles, “you know, you’ve always been great with the kids. All of them. It’s lovely to see you getting to raise some of your own.”
“Aw, come on, man, don’t get all soft on me!”
