Page 184 of Cowboy Daddies

Except she was hanging around a child’s playground in the middle of the day, handing out candy and likely on something. Which meant that he should do something.

So he sent a text to Tex, the sheriff of Oddity, letting him know that there was an odd stranger in the playground who might be on something.

“That’s bad for your teeth,” Wyatt informed her.

She pointed the stick of the lollipop at him. “Like I told you before, it’s all a conspiracy to make you go to the dentist. Ain’t nothing wrong with my teeth, small man-child.”

“No, it’s not,” Jeb said with alarm as his son started nodding. “It’s a proven fact that sugar is bad for your teeth.”

She shook her head sadly. “They got your dad, too.”

Wyatt glanced up at him. “Yeah, he’s always talking about that sort of stuff.”

“Conspiracy,” she whispered.

Christ.

“Wyatt, we’re going.” Time to get his son away from her.

“I don’t want to go. I haven’t had a swing. I need to go on my swing,” Wyatt told him.

“Wyatt, don’t test me right now. You ran off when I wasn’t looking. You’re already in trouble. We’re leaving.” He reached down to grab his son’s hand but Wyatt snatched it away from him.

Jeb tried to tell himself that it didn’t hurt. But he had to fight hard not to react.

Give him time.

He lost his mother.

He’s hurt and just a child.

“No!” Wyatt cried.

“Wyatt, we have to go.”

“So you can find some stranger to look after me? I don’t want that. I only want Granny!”

“Wyatt, you know that’s not possible. Now, we’re going.” He reached for his son again and suddenly the girl was up and between them.

“Don’t you hurt him.”

Jeb gaped down at her. “Hurt him? Why would I . . .” He trailed off as he studied her face.

Her pale face. Her clenched hands. The way she was trembling.

Something wasn’t right here. Her freckles were standing out starkly against her pale skin and her wide blue eyes weren’t even focused on him. As though she was seeing someone else.

She looked so small. The top of her head didn’t even reach his chin.

“I wasn’t going to hurt him,” Jeb told her firmly. “I was just reaching for his hand so he would come with me.”

The girl didn’t appear to believe him as she kept herself between the two of them.

“Well, it didn’t seem like he wanted to go with you,” she told him.

“I don’t!” Wyatt complained. “I want to swing. I don’t want to go back to the ranch and have some weirdo take care of me.”

Wyatt stomped over and sat on the swing that the girl had jumped out of.