Page 46 of Protector Daddy

Whatever that might be.

I was entirely too old for her, too serious, too…everything. Too commanding. I didn’t understand what the words ‘casual fun’ meant. If I was a decent dude in any way, I’d cut her loose to find someone else more her speed.

“I’m having dinner with my family Sunday night. Do you want to join me?”

Oh, yeah, that offer clearly fell under “letting her go.” Absolutely. Because meeting the parents always fell into the category of first date for sure.

“We eat early so we can take a hayride after. They run this weekend too, one time only. I already checked.”

I was so busy staring at Honey’s face to see her reaction that I heard a gasp and didn’t have a clue what direction it came from.

Her forehead creased as if she was thinking it over. “Really?” She lowered her voice. “Or is this some kind of male pissing on my tree nonsense because a cute guy looked at me?”

“You think he’s cute?”

She shrugged.

“He’s not cute.” And he was very obviously listening to us and not even hiding it. As were Brady and Tabitha.

“Why didn’t you ask for her name?” I said to Jimmy, nodding to Tabitha. “She’s just as cute as Honey.”

“Thank you!” Tabitha said with a giggle.

“She’s also very married in case you forgot, dick.” Brady shifted Tabitha into his arms as if he could hide her from Jimmy’s view.

He shrugged. “Y’all are weird.”

“No kidding,” Honey agreed. “Saying hi to a woman doesn’t indicate you want to pin her down and do things to her. Also, a man looking at us doesn’t immediately make our legs fly open.”

“Shame, that.”

I narrowed my eyes at Jimmy. “Don’t you have a ride-along to do?”

“If Officer McNeill can spare the time,” he said pointedly.

“Yeah, yeah. See you later, babe. Kiss Pres for me.” He kissed Tabitha’s forehead and backed up. “Let’s go, Greer. Time’s wasting.”

“Now he realizes.”

The two men jogged off toward the parking lot together, already talking and laughing as if they were old friends.

That was the nature of police work. There was always a fair bit of posturing and ribbing between colleagues, but trusting someone to have your back made every interaction more weighted. Even if Greer was new and unproven, we would give him more leeway than we might someone else as long as he had the credentials. And he’d worked the beat before, just not here.

“I’d still kick his ass,” I mumbled.

The corner of Honey’s mouth lifted. “I shouldn’t be turned on right now, should I?”

“No,” Tabitha said for me. “But from the looks of things, that’s a constant state with you two lately.” It was her turn to hold up both hands when we both swiveled to stare at her. “Just saying. I’m going back in the bakery now. Be good, Honey. Or if you’re bad, try not to get caught.”

I followed Honey inside the police station, grabbing my phone as a personal call came in from the Chief.

“How’s Gina?” I asked in lieu of hello.

“Holding steady. Too steady.” He blew out a breath. “Yet again the contractions seem to have slowed. Bonnie’s going stir-crazy. Says she can’t sit around and not do something if we aren’t sure Caden is coming yet.”

“What happened to the C-section?”

“Last minute change of plans.” His smile came through in his voice, along with his exhaustion. “Since there’s a good chance this might be Gina’s only chance at childbirth, she’s kind of adamant that it be a vaginal birth if a C-section isn’t medically necessary. And at this point, it isn’t. So we wait.”

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