Page 25 of Cowboy Daddies

Sage’s voice became fierce. “I’m worried about how the other kids will make fun of her because she was held back a grade. I’m worried about how bored she’ll feel being taught things that she already knows over and over again. I’m worried about her getting into trouble and developing a bad attitude about school.”

Grady nodded his head. “Okay, little wildfire, I hear you loud and clear. I don’t guess it could hurt for you to talk to the teacher.”

Clapping her hands, she smiled big and bounced up and down. “Can we go now?”

Damn, he wished she wouldn’t do that when he was trying to think. Watching her dance around in those tight jeans didn’t exactly put him in the right frame of mind for thoughtful conversation.

“We’ll go soon. I haven’t finished with my chores yet.” The way Sage’s face fell, he knew that wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Patience, at least with him, wasn’t her strong suit.

Sage glanced at the horse in the next stall and shifted on her feet again, that familiar mischievous sparkle creeping back into her eyes. He braced. There was no telling what was going on in that brilliant mind of hers.

“If it’s too much trouble for you to go,” she said. “I can just ride one of the horses into town. You know, just like in the Old West. What do you think?”

Grady’s eyebrows shot up. A low, ironic chuckle escaped him before he could stop it. This woman. She was going to be the death of him.

He stepped closer, towering over her, and gave her the look. The one that usually made her squirm and bite her lip. “I think you hopping on a horse and riding all the way into town by yourself is a scary proposition, little girl.”

Sage’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink, but she lifted her chin, that quirky, defiant Little fire flashing in her eyes. “Not to me, it’s not. I’m brave.”

Grady’s hand flexed at his side. The urge to pull her over his knee right there in the barn was almost overwhelming. She had no idea what she did to him, pushing every single one of his Daddy buttons without even trying.

“I’ll take the black one and be back before you know it.”

“I don’t think so, darlin’.” He leaned in, voice dropping to that low, gravelly tone he knew affected her. “You’ll stay on the ranch where I can keep an eye on you. Understood?”

For a second, she looked like she might argue. Then her shoulders softened, and that vulnerable, eager-to-please Little side he didn’t get to see very often peeked through. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, the words barely audible.

He clenched his jaw, fighting the overwhelming need to kiss her senseless and remind her exactly who she belonged to.

Two months, he reminded himself. You’ve got two more months to convince her to stay.

“I think you need to pay attention to your attitude, young lady,” Grady said. “I understand you’re excited about this. And I understand that you think Rose is capable. But you need to give me time to think this through without coming up with sassy solutions that are going to get your butt busted.”

When she didn’t argue back, he raised an eyebrow, considering her suggestion. “Do you even know how to ride?”

“Well, not exactly,” Sage admitted, a little sheepishly. Then that bright, trouble-making grin lit up her face again. “Don’t guess you know of a handsome cowboy Daddy who could teach me? If I’m going to be living on a ranch, I should learn.”

She sashayed the few steps it took to reach him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her soft body against his. “There has to be a big, strong cowboy around here somewhere who could, you know… show me the ropes?”

She rubbed against him like a cat against a scratching post. The Daddy in him roared to life so fast it nearly knocked the wind out of him. He could think of plenty of ropes he’d like to show her, and exactly how he’d use them to keep her right where he wanted her.

She knew exactly what she was doing to him. He fought to keep things on track. “Have you even been on a horse before?”

“Nope,” she whispered into his ear. “But I’m a quick learner.”

He just bet she was.

Grady took a slow breath, weighing his options. Part of him—the cautious, wounded part—wanted to shut this down immediately. The other part, the Daddy part that refused to stay quiet anymore, knew she was right. It wasn’t safe for her to live on a ranch without knowing how to ride and handle horses. He leaned away from her and looked into her eyes.

“All right,” he said finally, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I know just the right guy to ‘show you the ropes’.”

Her pupils dilated, and he watched with dark satisfaction as the double meaning landed. She bit her lip, that vulnerable little spark flashing in her eyes alongside the mischief.

“But you have to follow every instruction,” he added sternly. “No arguments. No shortcuts. No climbing on anything you shouldn’t. You do what I say, when I say it. Understood?”

Sage’s breath caught, and for a moment the playful mask slipped. She looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes, soft, eager, and so damn vulnerable it made his chest ache. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, then almost as an afterthought, added, “We are talking about learning how to ride, aren’t we?”

Grady smiled. “Of course we are, what did you think we were talking about?”