Page 44 of Unexpected Danger (Mountain Justice #2)
Londyn was putting dishes away and turned, just as Xander ran up to her, Spider in his arms and Yukon at his side. Yukon rose up on his hind legs and pressed his paws on Londyn’s leg, begging for a pat.
“Guess what, Aunt Londyn?”
She loved it that Xander considered her his aunt. She ruffled his hair. “What’s that?”
“Do you think we could go outside and search for some bugs to look at under the new microscope Mommy and Daddy bought me?”
“I think that sounds like a fantastic idea, and after that, why don’t we make a batch of chocolate chip cookies?” Londyn patted Yukon on the head, and he offered a multitude of doggy kisses on her hand.
“Yum.” Xander rubbed his stomach. “I could prob’ly have cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if Mommy let me.”
Londyn highly doubted chocolate chip cookies would become Xander’s only meal, and she laughed.
Roarke came to the doorway. “It looks as though I’ve left Xander in good hands. Deputy Huang is out front keeping an eye on things, and I’ll be back at the house doing some yard work.”
“How is Mila feeling?” Londyn asked.
“Puny. I think she’s ready for this little girl to make her appearance, although it’ll be a while yet.” Roarke’s face lit up, and Londyn knew he was excited to be a dad again.
“Well, don’t worry about us here. We’ll be eating cookies and finding bugs.” Xander jumped up and down. “Dad, this is why I told you I wanted to come and visit. Aunt Londyn is my favorite aunt.”
Xander’s words warmed her heart, and the boy hugged his dad while Yukon wagged his tail and ran around in circles.
“Want me to show you the tricks I’ve been teaching Yukon?” Xander withdrew a snack from his pocket. The dog's toenails tapped on the wood floor as he pranced around in excitement, anticipating the treats that were to come.
He held a treat above Yukon’s head. “Sit, boy.” Yukon sat on his haunches, and Xander tossed him a treat. “Now beg.” The dog obeyed and was rewarded.
“Dance, Yukon, dance.”
This time, Yukon stood on his back legs and teetered around in a circle.
“That one will get you two treats.”
“Wow, it looks like you’ve been busy.”
Xander bobbed his head. “Yes, I have, ma’am. And he’s good about obeying.”
Londyn laughed at the little gentleman before her. “You are doing a great job.”
“Did you know that pretty soon I’m going to have a baby sister?”
“I did know that. Are you excited?” Last time, Xander had been disappointed the baby wasn’t going to be a boy.
“Yeah, kind of. Although girls are weird. But I am going to help Mommy take good care of her.”
“I remember when you were born.” It seemed like yesterday that Danny’s wife, Drea, brought Xander home from the hospital.
“You do? What was I like?”
“You were tiny and so precious.”
Xander scrunched his nose. “Precious?”
A few minutes later, they embarked on a bug hunt in the front yard where Deputy Huang was stationed.
“Look! I found my favorite bug—a pill bug. Uncle Brodie calls them roly-polies.” He allowed the crustacean to inch its way across his palm. “I’m going to see what he looks like under the microscope.”
The bug sat still for less than a second before wandering to the edge of the slide and onto the picnic table.
“I think we should probably stick to finding dead bugs,” suggested Londyn.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. How did you become so smart about bugs?”
“I’ve studied them some.”
Xander eyed her suspiciously. “I’m really surprised because you’re a girl.”
“Some girls like bugs, and since I grew up with your daddy, Uncle Brodie, and Uncle Grayson, I was around bugs quite a bit.” She wouldn’t mention how she’d been terrorized with a grasshopper a time or two and how she wasn’t fond of worms.
“I miss Uncle Grayson. I haven’t seen him in a lot of years.” Xander’s brow furrowed. “I was just a little boy last time he was here.”
“I know, I miss him too.” Londyn knew it had been difficult for the Brenneman family after Mr. Brenneman had died and Grayson had subsequently left for a job out of state.
While the rest of the family leaned on each other, Grayson retreated.
In Londyn’s opinion, he hadn’t handled it correctly. Not that she was one to talk.
“When I have a baby sister, I’m gonna teach her all about bugs.” Xander positioned the dead bug on the slide. “God did a really good job on this one.” He moved to the side, and Londyn peered through the microscope as well. It was amazing, all the detail on one tiny insect.
The sound of crunching gravel averted Londyn’s attention to the driveway. For a split second, fear funneled through her until she noticed it was Brodie’s truck, and her pulse quickened. Would Brodie believe her promise that she loved him, not as a brother, but as something more?
“Oh, look, it’s Uncle Brodie!” Xander jumped from the picnic table. “Uncle Brodie, we’ve been ’specting things underneath the microscope. Wanna come see?”
Brodie lifted Xander and swung him around before depositing him on his shoulders. “I sure would like to come see, and guess what I brought?”
“What?
“How about some burgers from Jody’s Restaurant?”
“Oh, yes, I like burgers, ’specially from that place.” Xander held on with one hand and rubbed his tummy with the other. Brodie carefully opened the passenger side of his truck and claimed two white food bags. He greeted Londyn with a handsome grin as he walked toward her.
“I hear you and Xander are spending some time together today.”
“We are.”
“Sounds like the perfect day.” His gaze connected with hers, and her heart did a little flip-flop. Then, in an unexpected—but not unwelcome move, he leaned over and brushed her lips with a kiss.
“That kind of stuff is gross,” Xander announced.
Londyn and Brodie laughed, and Brodie whispered to Londyn, “Wait until he gets older.”
She gestured for both of them to join her at the picnic table, where she pushed aside the microscope. “Let’s wash our hands before we eat.”
Brodie lifted Xander off his shoulders. “I already washed my hands, Aunt Londyn.”
“When was this?” asked Brodie.
“Yesterday,” he said, completely serious.
Londyn attempted to hide her amusement and planted her hands on her hips. “I think you need to wash them again.”
Minutes later, Brodie led the prayer before they ate the hamburgers and fries. Deputy Huang joined them, and the deputy recounted tales of the days when he would get paid a nickel for every grasshopper he caught.
Xander took an oversized bite of his hamburger. “I’m going to ask Daddy if I can do that.”
“What would you buy with all those nickels?” asked Londyn.
Xander finished chewing and tilted back his head to contemplate her question. “I would buy some doggy treats for Yukon, and then I would buy one of those butterfly farms I saw in the store.”
“Sounds like a worthwhile purchase,” said Brodie, “but why does that not surprise me?” He reached out, eyes searching hers as he tentatively took her hand in his.
An electric current zipped through her, and she offered a breathless smile.
He inclined toward her and captured her lips in a quick kiss.
“Eww,” whined Xander.
But Londyn wasn’t paying attention to Xander’s response. She was relishing the warmth of Brodie’s kiss.
The day didn’t get any better than this.
Brodie admired the way Londyn had taken Xander under her wing, not that the kid wasn’t easy to love, because he was.
Although Brodie was more than biased. He recalled the days when he and his brothers teased Londyn by chasing her with grasshoppers and how she enjoyed fishing, but not putting the worms on the hook.
For as much as she loved being outside, there were some things she wasn’t fond of, like worms. And she loved plenty of girly things like her special porcelain dolls, flowers, and the color lavender.
The benefits of knowing someone for years.
Brodie was thankful he’d been able to spend his lunch with her since the day was slower.
The kiss was an added bonus. And now, as he sat there watching Londyn and Xander examine fries and sesame seeds through the microscope, a warm feeling wormed its way through him.
He wanted to someday share a life with her.
But he would tread slowly. So much had changed since their discussion after the adoption fundraiser at Jimmy’s.
After church yesterday, Londyn had packed a lunch and they’d shared a picnic at an out-of-the-way park in nearby Upton.
While they’d only discussed benign, lighter topics, Brodie hoped this latest turn of events was the beginning of a new chance with Londyn.
Things had changed between them for the better. He would take it slow as he never wanted to scare her away again. And if he could apprehend Haack, all would be right with the world.