Page 23 of A Tempting Seduction (Protectors of Jasper Creek #5)

Chapter Thirteen

I heard the sound of a car pulling up at exactly six o'clock.

I smoothed down my emerald-green sweater and checked my reflection one more time in the hallway mirror.

The v-neck showed just enough skin to be interesting without being obvious, and the soft cashmere felt like a luxury against my skin.

I'd paired it with dark jeans that actually fit my curves thanks to Zoe's shopping intervention.

I opened the door and burst out laughing.

Ford stood in my driveway beside Fiona's little sedan, lifting JR out of his car seat.

A diaper bag was already slung over his shoulder like he'd been doing this for years.

On the other side of the car, Fiona was unbuckling Suzy from her seat, JR was chattering excitedly about his adventure at Miss Ruby's house.

“This is fortuitous,” I said, stepping onto the porch.

“This is good planning.” Ford straightened up with JR in his arms, then put him down and reached back into the car for what looked like a portable playpen.

His cobalt blue sweater stretched across his broad shoulders as he maneuvered the playpen out of the backseat. The deep color made his skin look golden in the evening light, and I found myself staring at the way the fabric molded to his chest.

My heart did that annoying flutter thing it always did when I saw him after any separation longer than twelve hours.

Fiona appeared with Suzy on her hip, looking radiant in a way I hadn't seen since she'd moved back to Jasper Creek.

Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her makeup was perfectly applied.

The little black dress she wore was definitely not mom-appropriate, but it looked amazing on her.

“Unca Ford!” Suzy threw her arms toward Ford the moment she spotted him.

Ford's face lit up with triumph as he carefully balanced the playpen under one arm and reached for the squirming toddler with the other.

“Did you win?” I asked, remembering the ongoing competition between Ford and Walker for first place in Suzy's affections.

“You bet I won.” Ford bounced Suzy gently, making her giggle. “Didn't I, sweetheart?”

JR tugged on my sweater to get my attention.

“He didn't win,” the four-year-old announced with the brutal honesty that only small children possessed. “Suzy said Unca Walker first.”

Ford's expression shifted to mock betrayal as he stared down at his nephew.

“I thought I paid you ten dollars not to tell.”

JR's eyes lit up with mischief.

“You paid me ten dollars not to tell Uncle Walker.”

Fiona and I dissolved into laughter. Ford shook his head in defeat while Suzy clapped her hands, delighted by all the attention.

“You've been outmaneuvered by a preschooler,” I told Ford, wiping tears from my eyes.

“Story of my life.” Ford shifted Suzy to one arm and ruffled JR's hair with his free hand. “Next time I'm hiring a lawyer to write the contract.”

We made our way inside, Ford carrying both the playpen and Suzy while JR held my hand. I watched Ford disappear into my bedroom to set up the portable crib, then returned to find Fiona checking her reflection in my hallway mirror.

“I can't remember the last time I went out without the kids,” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Sarah and Michelle promised to show me all the good places in Pigeon Forge.”

I could see Ford's protective instincts kicking in as his jaw tightened as he took in the length of Fiona's dress, the way it hugged her curves and showed off her legs.

“Make sure you stick with your friends all night.” His voice carried the authority of an older brother who'd been looking out for his baby sister since she was born. “Don't accept drinks from strangers. Don't leave your drink unattended. Don't walk to your car alone.”

“Ford,” Fiona started, but he was just getting warmed up.

“Keep your phone charged. Text me when you get to wherever you're going. Text me when you leave. If anyone bothers you, call me immediately.”

JR looked up from the toys he'd been unpacking from the diaper bag.

“What's Uncle Ford talking about, Mommy?”

Fiona shot Ford a warning look, but he was staring at her dress like it personally offended him.

“Is that dress supposed to be that short?”

“Ford James Larson.” Fiona's voice carried the edge that meant he was treading on thin ice. “I'm twenty-eight years old, not eighteen.”

“You're my baby sister.”

“Your baby sister who's been married and had two children. I think I can handle a girls' night out.”

Ford ran his hand through his hair, frustration radiating from every line of his body.

“Just promise me you'll be smart about it. And if you drink too much to drive, call me. I don't care what time it is.”

“I'm not stupid, Ford. Quit worrying.”

Fiona kissed both kids goodbye, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door before Ford could launch into another round of protective big brother warnings.

The moment the door closed behind her, I started laughing again.

“How would you be if you ever had a daughter?” I asked, imagining Ford trying to cope with a teenage girl who wanted to date.

“I intend to marry a woman who would only give birth to sons.” Ford's expression was completely serious. “It's a requirement.”

“That's not how biology works.”

“Then I'll adopt only boys.”

“What if your wife wants daughters?”

Ford considered this for a moment.

“Then I won’t get married. I'll move to a monastery and become a monk.”

I laughed until my sides hurt, picturing Ford in monk's robes, trying to pray away his protective instincts.

“Uncle Ford, what's a monastery?” JR climbed onto my couch, his four-year-old brain processing our conversation.

“It's where men go when they're scared of little girls,” I told him.

JR looked confused.

“Why would you be scared of little girls? Suzy's little and she's not scary.”

Ford sat down beside JR and pulled him onto his lap.

“You're right, buddy. Little girls aren't scary. It's when they grow up that the trouble starts.”

“Mommy's grown up and she's not trouble.”

“Your mommy's different. She's special.”

“Is Suzy gonna be trouble when she grows up?”

“Probably.” Ford grinned and tickled JR's ribs, making him squeal with laughter. “But the good kind of trouble.”

I watched the easy affection between uncle and nephew, feeling that dangerous warmth in my chest again. Ford would be an incredible father. Patient, protective, funny, completely devoted to his children's happiness.

Stop it, I warned myself. You're getting way ahead of yourself.

But the image wouldn't leave my mind. Ford teaching a little boy to throw a baseball. Ford braiding a little girl's hair. Ford reading bedtime stories in that deep voice that made me feel safe and cherished.

“Can we order pizza now?” JR asked, bringing me back to reality.

“Absolutely.” I pulled out my phone and called in an order for two large pizzas with enough toppings to satisfy everyone's preferences and enough for Ford to take some home.

While we waited for dinner, we got down to the serious business of fort construction.

Ford proved to be an expert architect, helping JR arrange couch cushions at strategic angles against the furniture.

They created slides, tunnels, and hiding spots that turned my living room into an adventure playground.

Suzy discovered the cushion slide immediately. She climbed to the top with determined concentration, then slid down on her belly, giggling with pure joy.

“Again!” she demanded the moment she reached the bottom.

“Again!” she repeated after her second trip down.

“Again!” she insisted for the fifteenth time.

Ford lifted her back to the top of the slide with infinite patience, never showing any sign of boredom with the repetitive game. The sight of his large hands carefully supporting her tiny body made my chest tight with emotion.

JR grew restless after twenty minutes of watching his sister's one-woman slide show.

“Can we pick tomatoes from your garden, Miss Ruby?” I gotta say, I loved the Southern tradition of people calling me ‘Miss’ Ruby. It tickled the hell out of me.

“Of course.” I led him out to the small vegetable garden behind my duplex, where late summer tomatoes hung heavy on the vine.

JR approached the plants with reverent excitement, carefully selecting the reddest specimens and handling them like precious jewels. He filled my smallest basket with three tomatoes that he deemed acceptable.

“These are gonna taste so good,” he announced with satisfaction. “Can we cut ‘em up and put them on the pizza?”

“I don’t see why not.”

He followed me into the kitchen and watched while I diced one of the tomatoes so I could add it to the margarita pizza.

The pizza arrived just as we came back inside, the delivery driver grinning at the sight of my living room transformed into a fort wonderland.

We spread blankets on the floor and had an indoor picnic, eating pizza surrounded by cushion mountains and pillow valleys.

JR concluded it was the best pizza ever because of the ripe tomato he had picked.

After dinner, we settled in to watch a movie. JR had strong opinions about our entertainment options, finally selecting an animated film with two girls and a snowman.

The story captivated both kids completely. JR was particularly fascinated by the talking snowman, watching with wide-eyed wonder as the character did silly things to make him laugh.

“I want to be a snowman when I grow up,” JR announced during a quiet moment.

“That's a good career choice,” Ford said seriously. “Snowmen are very important.”

“What do snowmen do?”

“They make people happy. They help children have fun in the winter. They guard snow forts and protect snow angels.”

JR nodded solemnly, apparently satisfied with this job description.

Suzy had been unusually quiet during the movie, but as the credits rolled, she suddenly pointed at the screen and spoke loudly.

“Pwincess!”

“That's right, sweetheart,” I said. “She's a princess.”