The Heart of Devin MacKade (The MacKade Brothers 3)

“Hi there, Sheriff. Locked anybody up lately?”

He swiveled on the stool and looked into the stunning and not altogether friendly face of his sister-in-law. Savannah MacKade always made a statement, Devin thought. When that lush siren’s body sauntered into a room, men’s hearts stopped. There was all that thick black hair falling past her shoulders, those almond-shaped eyes the color of sinful chocolate, and those ice-edged cheekbones against gold-dust skin.

And there was, Devin mused, all that attitude.

“As a matter of fact, no, not lately.” He grinned at the boy beside her—his nephew, whether Savannah liked it or not. Tall for his age, and as dark and handsome as his mama, Bryan was sporting his baseball uniform and fielder’s cap. “Riding in the parade today?”

“Yeah. Me and Con and the guys are riding in the coach’s pickup. It’ll be cool.”

“Kind of early, aren’t you?”

“We had some things to pick up,” Savannah supplied. “Including Connor. We’re on our way to get him as soon as Bryan here fills his stomach.”

“I’m starving,” the boy claimed and, eyeing the plate of doughnuts, he leaped onto the stool beside Devin.

“Hey, Ed, you got a starving boy out here.”

“I’m coming.” She slapped the swinging door of the kitchen open and strolled out. Her grin flashed at Bryan. “Well, it’s my champ.” As sponsor of the Antietam Cannons, Ed preened with pride. “Hell of a game Saturday.” She saluted Savannah, leaned over the counter long enough to coo at the baby in the stroller, then fell into a deep and serious discussion with Bryan about food and baseball.

Devin didn’t ask. He’d be damned if he would. He slid off the stool long enough to pick up his niece, then settled back down with the wide-eyed Layla on his lap.

Beneath the frilly sun hat, Layla’s hair curled thick and dark. Her mouth—her mother’s mouth, Devin mused—was serious as she watched him out of big eyes that were already easing from birth blue to MacKade green.

“Hello, beautiful.” He bent over to kiss her, and was pleased to see that pretty mouth curve. “She smiled at me.”

“Gas.”

Devin looked up into Savannah’s bland eyes. “The hell it is. She smiled at me. She loves me. Don’t you, Layla? Don’t you, darling?” He traced a finger over her hand until she gripped it. “She’s got MacKade eyes.”

“They’re still changing,” Savannah claimed. But she was softening. Despite the badge, and the fact that she tried to resist him, she grew fonder of Devin every day. “They might turn brown.”

“Nah. MacKade eyes.” He looked up again, smiled at her. “You’re stuck with them. With us.”

“Apparently.”

His grin only widened. He knew she liked him, no matter how cool she tried to be. “Want a doughnut?”

“Maybe.” She gave up and slid onto a stool. “You don’t have to hold her.”

“I want to hold her. Where’s Jared?”

“Doing some lawyer thing. He’s going to meet us at the inn about nine-thirty.”

“So, you haven’t been by yet,” Devin said casually, very casually, as he shifted Layla to his shoulder and rubbed her back.

“No.” Savannah bent down to take a cloth from the stroller and smoothed it over Devin’s shoulder. “I nursed her right before we left. She’s liable to spit up all over that pretty cop suit.”

“Then I wouldn’t have to wear it. You’re just picking up Connor?”

“Mm-hmm…” With an expert’s eye, Savannah selected her own doughnut. “Rafe and Regan are swinging by later to get Cassie and Emma. Shane’s going to drive Jared in so we don’t have so many cars when we head to the park for the picnic.”

She glanced over, saw that her son was well on his way to demolishing the two doughnuts Ed had given him. “You angling for a ride?”

“No. I’ve got to take the cruiser so I can pretend I’m working.”

“I didn’t see you at the game Saturday.”

“I swung by for a couple of innings.” He’d spotted Cassie in the stands, and he hadn’t wanted to make her uncomfortable.