Page 224 of Cowboy Daddies

“I promise. I won’t let you fall.”

“What if you get tired?” she asked.

“I don’t get tired.”

“You don’t get tired?” she asked.

“No.”

“Everyone gets tired,” she murmured.

“Not me. I won’t get tired. I won’t let you fall. I won’t allow any harm to come to you. I promise.”

“You promise. No harm. Don’t get tired. Right. Right.”

But she still didn’t move.

He couldn’t believe he was about to say this . . . but he said it anyway.

“Look at me,” he told her. “Right now.”

“Jeez, no need to get so bossy,” she told him as she turned her head to stare at him.

He really couldn’t believe he was going to do this. “What is my aura like?”

“Um. What?”

“My aura. Does it tell you that I’m calm? That you can trust me?” He had never asked such awkward questions in his life.

“I don’t know,” she cried.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” he asked.

“That stuff is all bullshit! I make it up because I like to see people’s reactions. I can’t actually see auras.”

That wasn’t what he was expecting her to say. And now he felt more of an idiot than he had before.

“Right. You’re turning around and you’re trusting me.”

“Don’t wanna.”

Was her Little peeking through? Her voice sounded young and high.

Hmm.

“Wyatt?” he called out.

“Yes, Papa?”

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Yep!” Wyatt replied, bouncing from foot to foot.

He hadn’t been this excited about helping him in a long time.

“Could you get me a blanket and some water, buddy? I think Casey will need them when I get her down.”

“Okay!”