Grumpy Cowboy (Single Dad Collection)

It’ll do them good to get out and get the fresh air, and it’ll do me some good to see my brother.

Resolute, I grab my phone with the objective to text Sam back while we eat and set up a plan, and with the other hand, grab the tiny counterpart of Joey’s that she’s got reached up and waiting.

And now…chocolate cake, Joey, and Rhett. I’m not sure it gets much better. Though, I have to admit, a stop by the bathroom won’t hurt.

July 7th, Wednesday

Rhett

Leah looks absolutely stunning in high heels and a yellow-and-pink sundress that buttons all the way down the front. She walks across the parking lot toward Joey and me just outside the front door of Flan Solo, which is evidently Leah and her brother Sam’s favorite restaurant in Salt Lake City. Her hair is down and around her shoulders, and her eyes look so sharply blue tonight it’s almost as if she dyed them.

She hasn’t worn her hair down in nearly a month, having fully given herself over from the done-up princess that arrived to a true working ranch girl.

She looks beautiful both ways, but I’d be lying if I said she didn’t take my breath away tonight. And after several days in the hospital with no time or space to even consider addressing the kiss that very nearly happened before Tex’s heart attack, it’s almost as if it’s amplified.

Joey squeezes my hand to get my attention, and I glance down at her, albeit distractedly. It’s not like me not to give my daughter my full attention, but tonight, Leah’s smile seems to be inescapable—a dangerous thought since we haven’t even made it inside the restaurant yet.

“Daddy,” Joey says, calling for my attention again, noticing that it’s drifted against my best intentions.

I nod and look down at her again, trying to focus on her sweet face and shaking my head just slightly to clear it.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Leah looks like a real live Barbie doll tonight.”

I nod. I couldn’t agree more

Leah smiles and waves at us excitedly, and Joey waves back. I grin, but I don’t necessarily trust my limbs to cooperate right now if I attempt a wave, seeing as a whole hell of a lot of my body’s blood supply is currently trying to migrate to my dick.

It isn’t actually until Leah pulls up short and waits for a man to catch up, looping her arm through his and leaning into him that I even notice her brother exists.

But the way he’s looking at me now that I have spared him a glance suggests he’s been observing me for a while.

Leah breaks away from her brother again when they get to us and pulls Joey in for a hug against her legs. Joey’s chin rests against Leah’s stomach as she looks up at her and makes silly faces.

I tear my eyes away again and stick out a hand to Leah’s brother, Sam. He looks a lot like her, the same hair and eye color and skin tone, but he’s got a little bit of an edge that I very rarely see in her, too. I’m not sure if it has something to do with the responsibility of deadbeat parents or something else, but I can tell right off the bat that he’s got a keen sense of character judgment.

“Hey there. Sam, right?”

He takes the hand I offer and shakes it firmly. “That’s right. And you must be Rhett.”

I nod congenially, settling one hand on Joey’s shoulder as she steps back to her position beside me and slipping the fingers of the other into the pocket of my dark-wash jeans. They’re new, as is everything we’re wearing at this point since we left the ranch to head here in such a hurry, but they’ll get broken in in no time once we get back home.

Joey holds out a hand then, like a miniature adult, sending a pang to my chest over how fast she’s growing up. “Hi, Mr. Sam. I’m Josephine Jameson, and I really like your sister.”

Sam smiles huge, leaning down to get closer to her level and accepting her shake. “Well hello, Josephine. Are you sure you like my sister that much? Doesn’t she smell sometimes?”

Joey shakes her head with a giggle. “Nooo.”

Leah rolls her eyes but lets out a cute laugh of her own at the obvious teasing.

“Oh. Well, that’s good, then.”

I don’t necessarily want to rush things along, but I’m also fucking starving, so that only leaves me with the option of a quick verbal nudge. “Ready to go inside, then?”

Leah nods enthusiastically. “Yep. I can’t waaiit for the crispy mac and cheese.”

I grin. “I guess it’s a good thing I put our name in with the hostess, then, huh? We just have’ta let her know we’re all here.”

“Yesss!” she cheers. “Way to be assertive, cowboy.”