Page 186 of Cowboy Daddies

She pointed at herself while Jeb sighed. Why him?

“I’m drunk and disorderly? I don’t think so.”

“You sure?” Happy asked her. “Because you look like you’re swaying. You feeling unsteady on your feet? What did you take?”

“I didn’t take anything,” Casey said indignantly. “And I’m not the one swaying, you are.”

“Are you sassing me, girl?” Happy asked.

Jeb rolled his eyes up, searching for patience. “Happy, she’s not sassing you. You are the one swaying.”

“Oh, right.” Happy peered closely at her. “You were right, Jeb. Her pupils are large. She’s definitely taken something.”

“He didn’t say anything . . .” Casey turned to him. Then something flashed through her face. Something that looked like betrayal.

Although he had no idea why she’d feel that way. They didn’t know each other. And he definitely wasn’t a fan of hers.

Still, there was this weird sense of guilt in his stomach.

“You messaged him, huh?” she asked.

“Well, not him,” Jeb said. “I messaged his boss.”

“Because you think I’m on drugs. You think I took something to get high and then came to a playground where kids hang out while high. Wow. You think a lot of me, don’t you?”

All right, he really didn’t like that his sense of guilt was growing. Especially since he shouldn’t feel bad. She was the one hanging out in a playground. On his son’s favorite swing.

And she had been talking weird.

“Is this because I said your aura was out of whack? Because that’s not my fault, it’s yours.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Jeb told her stiffly. “You need to move on.”

“Right. Sure. Move on.” The life seemed to drain out of her and she looked suddenly older.

Fuck.

What was he doing?

He was being a jerk. Maybe he’d been a bit too hasty to message Tex.

Fuck. Yep. He was a dick.

“Happy, I should⁠—”

“You shouldn’t be mean to Casey, Papa!” Wyatt interrupted him. “She gave me candy.”

Right.

He’d forgotten that part.

She was a stranger, hanging out in the playground, giving candy to children. On second thought it was probably best that Happy move her on.

“Happy, are you going to do your job?” Jeb snapped. “Because I’d like Wyatt to be able to enjoy playing without being accosted.”

“Accosted?” Casey said, her mouth dropping open. “Wow, you really take the cake, you egotistical rude asshole!”

“That’s enough of that!” Happy said to her. “You need to leave before I arrest you.”