Page 20 of Jay Bird

Lily practically melted against her, and Willow wrapped both arms around her daughter, burying her face in her hair.

“Momma,” Lily mumbled against her neck.

“I’m right here, Lily bug.”

Tears burned Willow’s eyes as she kissed the side of Lily’s head, then her forehead, and then her cheek because apparently one kiss wasn’t enough. She pulled back just far enough to look her over, checking for anything that shouldn’t be there.

Apparently satisfied that her momma wasn’t going anywhere, Lily settled against her for another few seconds before lifting her head. Her eyes immediately went to the huge man still standing near the door.

Her whole face lit up. “Jay fry,” she said with a giggle, pointing at him.

The man smirked and lifted the container in his hand. “I was wondering how long it would take you to remember these.”

Lily immediately started squirming in Willow’s lap, reaching toward him. “Fry!”

The man took a step forward but stopped almost immediately. His eyes shifted to Willow, and something in his expression changed. Like he’d noticed the way she’d tensed without her even realizing she had.

“Is it okay if I come over?”

The fact that he asked caught her off guard. He could have just walked over. Instead, he stood there waiting, giving her the choice. Willow appreciated that more than she could explain.

She gave him a small nod. “It’s okay.”

Only then did he approach the bed and hold the container out to Lily.

“Your fries, peanut.”

Lily giggled and immediately grabbed one. Then, instead of eating it, she held it up toward him.

“Jay bite.”

His smirk turned into a grin. “Oh, so these are my fries now?”

Lily nodded like that was exactly what she meant and pushed the fry closer to his mouth. “Jay bite.”

Apparently realizing he wasn’t going to win this argument, the man leaned down and took a bite from the end of it.

Lily burst into giggles.

He chewed with an overly serious expression before giving her a nod. “Not bad. But I think I need another one to be sure.”

“No.” Lily immediately pulled the container closer.

His eyebrows shot up. “Wow. Okay. So I get one bite, and then you cut me off?”

“Mine.”

A quiet laugh escaped Willow before she could stop it.

The man glanced at her, and for the first time, Willow really looked at him.

He was big. Really big. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, and the kind of presence that normally would have had every instinct inside her screaming to keep her distance. And if she were being completely truthful, part of her still wanted to.

But there was something about the way he was with Lily that didn’t fit with the warning bells in her head.

He hadn’t crowded her, and hadn’t reached for Lily without asking. He had noticed Willow’s hesitation and stopped before she had even said a word.

And Lily clearly adored him.