Love Profound (Cowboys & Angels 2)

I swallowed hard. “I have your permission to ask her out?”

“Oh hell, dude. Let me school you on the Parker women. They don’t need their brothers’ permission to do shit, even though we like to pretend they do. They’re stubborn. Fireballs that love to have as much fun as their brothers do. Outlaws who have both been known to cause trouble. I love my sisters, but I pray for the man who can wrangle in their hearts.”

He laughed and shook his head like he was thinking. “Just ask my daddy. He fought like hell for my mama.” His eyes lifted and met mine. “You ready for a fight, Wade?”

The corners of my mouth rose into a full-blown smile. “I’ve always been one for a challenge.”

“Good,” he said with a chuckle. “Challenge is what you’re gonna have with Amelia Parker.”

I stood at the kitchen sink and stared out the back window. Wade and Trevor were pressure washing the pool deck for the party the boys were throwing to welcome Waylynn home.

Waylynn walked up next to me. “You do realize you’ve been holding that same plate for five minutes.”

I jumped. Glancing at the dish, I replied, “No, I haven’t.”

My sister laughed. “You like him. Why can’t you just admit it?”

After a quick glance over my shoulder to our mother and Aunt Vi, I glared at Waylynn. “Hush your mouth. If Mama even thinks I’m interested, she’ll be trying to push us together. I want to see how things go naturally.”

Her brows lifted. “You really do like him?”

My cheeks heated. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Grabbing the plate, Waylynn dropped it back into the soapy water and spoke loudly. “I just remembered I need your help with something, Meli. Now. It’s a letter. I need your writing expertise.”

She dragged me out of the kitchen while Aunt Vi called out, “We need to go shopping, girls!”

“Okay, Aunt Vi!” Waylynn called back. She pulled me into Steed’s office and shut the door.

“Spill it.”

I stared at her. “Spill what?”

Waylynn lifted her finger and waved it back and forth. “Oh, no, don’t play innocent with me. You said you like him. Spill it.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “There’s nothing to spill. I’m attracted to him. Have you not seen him?”

Her brows lifted. “Oh, honey, I’ve seen him. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and you look at him. Ever since that day you spent with him, and you’ve been walking around in a damn bubble.”

“I have not been in a bubble!” I said, my hands landing on my hips.

Waylynn looked at me with a really look on her face.

“Fine! He wanted me to read Pride and Prejudice to him! What guy wants that? And have you seen how he is with Chloe? Or how he helped Steed make the crib for Paxton as a surprise? What about his voice?”

My hands clutched at my chest as I sat in the loveseat in Steed’s office. “Oh. My. Gawd. His voice when he sings.”

I groaned and dropped my head back against the cushion.

“Why are you groaning?” Waylynn asked.

My eyes squeezed. “I can’t let him into my heart for so many reasons.”

“Name one.”

Lifting my head, I turned to her. “Trevor being the main one. He’s Wade’s best friend.”

Waylynn half shrugged. “So what? When did you ever let that stop you? You’ve dated plenty of guys who went to school with Trevor.”

“This is different. Trevor and Wade are close. Brother close. They probably have a bro code, or some shit like that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, what other reason do you have for not going after that fine piece of cowboy?”

“He’s got a broken heart! I mean he lost his family and his girlfriend up and left him. I don’t think he’s looking for a relationship.”

“Have you asked him?”

I laughed half-heartedly. “Why in the hell would I ask him that?”

“Because you want him.”

My head jerked back. “I don’t want him.”

“You don’t?”

“No.”

“You’re not the least bit curious about how big his cock is or what it would feel like inside you?”

“What in the hell did I walk in on?” Steed asked, standing at the door, his face white as a ghost.

I jumped up. “Nothing.”

Waylynn, of course, wasn’t about to let it go. “Amelia likes a guy.”

Steed smiled as he headed into the room. “Oh, yeah? Wade?”

I had been walking toward the door to leave when I stopped. “What?”

“Is it Wade?”

My eyes shot to Waylynn. She made a face like she didn’t have anything to do with Steed’s knowledge.

“Why would you think it’s Wade?” I asked.

Steed walked to his desk and before he had a chance to say anything, Chloe came rushing in.

“Daddy! I need a giraffe!”

Stopping what he was doing, Steed stared down at Chloe. “What?”

I turned to Waylynn and said, “That’s another thing. He watches April!”

She smirked and rolled her eyes. “A match made in damn heaven.”