Page 20 of Sudden Summer

I tried to let it go, ignoring him as I worked to get the rest of the purchases—aside from the largest box that belonged to the bassinet—into the bed of the truck myself.

“Sorry about that. One of the straps in Juniper’s car seat was all tangled, and it took me forever to ease her into her seat without waking her…” I smiled, but from the way his brows pulled together, I knew he saw right through me. “What’s going on? You okay?” Beau took the last of the bags from my hands and pushed it deeper into the back of the truck.

“Do you know that man over there?” I asked. Maybe it was someone who recognized Beau, or the Silver Ridge Ranch logo on the side of his truck.

“Over where?”

I turned, ready to face the man who was staring at us, only to see he was gone.

“Oh…I…I must have been wrong. There was this guy standing over there, by the silver SUV. He was watching…I thought he was watching me.”

His hand slipped along my back. “Go get in the truck with Juniper. I’ll finish up with this stuff.”

I nodded, looking over my shoulder again. I couldn’t place him. But I didn’t like the way he watched us. And I didn’t like that the minute Beau came back to stand by me, he was gone.

“Is this Mama Bear instincts?” Beau asked five minutes later, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the main highway that would take us back to the ranch. I turned my head away from the window, expecting to see a teasing smile on his face, but there was none. He was taking what I said very seriously.

“Well, I’m not a mom, so…” I shrugged.

“Birdie.”

“I’m not. I think it was just womanly intuition. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. The way he watched while you put Juniper in the truck.” I shook my head. “I’m probably overreacting. Just feeling protective of her…”

Beau’s hand came off the steering wheel and covered mine. “I don’t know if I would have even picked up on something like that. Fuck. She’s going to grow up in a world where she has to constantly be on alert like that, isn’t she?”

I didn’t sugar coat things. “Yes. But you’ll teach her how to protect herself. Your brothers will, too. I imagine Colt and Hawk will be great resources for her.”

“And you.”

“Me?”

“You’ll teach her how to trust her instincts. And how to spot something that might be dangerous. There are so many things I have the horrific privilege of never experiencing because I’m a man. I want her to know how dangerous some men can be. How to keep herself safe if there isn’t someone around that she trusts. I can’t imagine if something…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

“She’s four months old and very, very safe right now. There is plenty to worry about today, but you can take that off your plate. Juniper is safe with you, and that’s what matters.”

Beau blew out a deep breath. “It feels like I have to worry about everything right now. My brain is fucking pissed I didn’t pick up on the guy making you uncomfortable.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a very big deal, Chickadee.”

I reached over, running my fingers through his hair until I reached his neck. A little light squeeze, and the stubborn man was moaning from my touch.

“Jesus, that feels amazing.”

“You need rest, Beau. When we get home—” there I went, acting like it was all ours again, “—you’re going to go to sleep. I’ll watch over Juniper and get things organized. I’ll make food, too.”

“You’re not her nanny, and you’re not my maid.”

“So you’ve said. But I don’t know, I think I’d look pretty cute in one of those black and white outfits.”

“Christ,” he grumbled.

“What?”

“Just, the picture of that…never mind. I do need to sleep, and I will accept help with Juniper, but I’ll take care of putting her things away and I’ll help with dinner.”