“I want Frankie to read,” Junie says sleepily, as she nestles into my shoulder.
“Not tonight, sweetie,” I say.
“It’s alright. I don’t mind.” Frankie’s voice is soft, her eyes on Junie.
I nod, and Frankie follows me into the house. She waits patiently while I help Junie brush her teeth, put on pajamas, then pick a book. She chooses the one about ladybugs and hands it to Frankie, then clambers into her bed.
Frankie glances at the book, then up at me. “I was expecting more of a story than a book of facts.”
I shrug. “She loves learning about ladybugs.”
When Frankie sits on the end of Junie’s bed, Junie pops up, pats the spot next to her. “Up here, so I see the pictures.”
Frankie sits next to her, upright and a little uncomfortable until Junie cuddles into her, forcing Frankie to lay back against the headboard with her legs stretched out on the bed.
“You too, Daddy,” Junie says, patting the spot on her other side.
Resistance is useless.
And it’s not lost on me that the three of us are stretched out in this bed like we’re some kind of family. The idea of that shouldn’t appeal to me as much as it does. I have to admit, though, Junie’s a pretty good judge of character. She’s scared of Pearl, after all.
She’s also got a way of wrapping almost every adult she meets around her little finger. That’s no different here. Three stories in, Junie’s still not asleep and I can’t free Frankie or myself. Truth is, I haven’t tried. And not just because of Junie’s powers of persuasion.
But when Frankie yawns—not for the first time—I remember she’s had a long day.
“Alright. You go to sleep and in the morning, I’ll make you pancakes.” I roll off the bed and Frankie does the same. Then I tuck the blanket tight around Junie, like I do every night.
Usually that’s enough to keep her contained. I was a pro at swaddling when she was a baby. But tonight, she throws off her covers. “Tomorrow we go to Fingo’s. Flo makes the pancakes. Frankie brings them. I sit in my magic chair.”
Frankie looks from me to Junie. “Oh. I—I won’t be at Flamingo’s anymore.”
Junie frowns.
Frankie bites her lip, thinking, before blurting, “If you go to sleep right now, I’ll make pancakes for you in the morning. We’ll eat them here,” she slows long enough to glance at me. “If it’s okay with your daddy.”
“Of course.” My heart hammers so hard, I barely hear my own words.
“Fine.” Junie says, then flops back into bed and shuts her eyes tight. “I’m sleep now.”
Frankie and I tiptoe into the dimly lit hallway. Everyone else has gone to bed, too. Ranch work starts early, especially during the summer when there’s more to do and no one wants to do the dirtiest jobs in the hottest part of the day.
When we reach the guestroom at the end of the hallway, Frankie stops. “You’re sure it’s alright if I stay? I know I said I didn’t want to, but…”
“Absolutely. I’m too tired to drive into town. Stay as long asyou want.” I gaze at her, resisting the urge to tuck her perpetually loose curl behind her ear, but I can’t stop myself inching forward.
This is the closest I’ve ever been to Frankie, and every cell in my body is a firing cylinder. I’ve got her all to myself; something I had no idea I wanted as much as I do until this moment.
“I don’t want to be a burden.” She lifts her chin and leans closer.
“You’re not a burden.” I rush to assure her before she changes her mind. “I’ll be in trouble if you don’t stay. Mom will never let me hear the end of it.”
Frankie lets out a soft breath, easing some of the building heat between us. “She’s fantastic, your mum. I like her. She reminds me a bit of my mum—only stronger. She’s not easily led, is she?”
“She knows how to hold her ground.” My pulse slows to a more normal pace, but I don’t see it returning to the same, unchanging pace as long as Frankie’s around.
“My mum still hasn’t got the hang of that. Her backbone’s a bit flimsy.” She offers a laugh that comes out so sad, without realizing it, I pull her into my arms.
“You can lean on my mom for as long as you need. Lean on all of us, for that matter.”
