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“Thanks,” he said when Charlie handed him the extra bottle.
“Welcome. Good game today.” Joining him in front of the grill, Charlie stared down at the burgers sizzling over the charcoal.
“We won.” Barely. As much as he’d enjoyed having Kit in the stands, he’d definitely been distracted. “Coulda been better.”
An awkward silence settled between them, and Austin frantically searched his brain for something to say.
“So. You and my Kit.”
A panic he hadn’t felt since his rookie days gripped him by the throat, forcing him to swallow hard before he could speak.
“Yes, sir. She’s great.”Greatdidn’t begin to encompass his sweet, sassy, brilliant little kitten, or the all-consuming need he felt for her, but he knew damn well there were some things you couldn’t say to a woman’s father.
“She’s the best person I know. She just doesn’t see it.”
Austin shifted to study the older man. Red was creeping up his neck, just like it did with Kit when she was forced to talk about something she’d rather not.
“I don’t get it, either,” he said, shrugging when Charlie glanced over at him. “She’s the whole package, but she’s got this idea in her head that since she’s not a size two, the rest of it doesn’t count.”
“And you? You care she’s not a supermodel?”
“Fuck, no.” Shit. He was just going to have to come out and say it. “Mr. Callahan, I’m crazy about your daughter. I think she’s about the sexiest damn woman I’ve ever known, body, soul, and mind.”
“Good. That’s good.” Charlie took another pull of his beer. “There were these women at the game. Making nasty comments. Just thought you should know.”
So that was why she’d been so stiff for awhile. He’d caught her staring at the scoreboard like it held the meaning of life, but then she’d looked his way and he hadn’t noticed the stiffness again the rest of the game.
“What women? What did they say?”
“I don’t know who they were. Pair of brunettes sitting behind us. They never said anything to her, but they made sure she could hear it, and any idiot could tell they were talking about my Kit. Pissed me the fuck off.”
“So why didn’t you handle it?”
The look Charlie sent him was filled with wry amusement. “You ever try handling things for Kit? Fastest way to piss that girl off. Look, son, I’m not in the business of giving grand speeches or putting my nose where it doesn’t belong. But I’ll give you this bit of advice, if you want it.”
“Sure.”
“She doesn’t need a knight in shining armor to sweep in and rescue her from the big, scary world. Ever since her mom died, she’s learned to be her own knight. I know there’s lots of things she’s never told me, ‘cause she wanted to handle it on her own. But she knows I’m in her corner, no matter what, and I figure that’s what she’ll want from you.”
“All right. I can do that.” It grated a bit, to not be able to protect her, to keep her tucked up and safe from people who wanted to hurt her. But he figured Charlie knew what he was talking about. “So, no tracking these women down and getting them banned from the stadium for life?”
“Well, now, I reckon what she doesn’t know won’t hurt us.”
Grinning, Austin turned back to his burgers.
* * *
Austin
“Thank god they’re gone.”Kit collapsed on the couch beside him, and Austin reached for her, pulling her into his arms.
“You took the words right out of my mouth, kitten.” Pressing his lips against the side of her neck, he tugged at the hem of her jersey. “What’s the rule about clothes when we’re alone?”
“They just left!”
“Five whole minutes ago. That’s five minutes you’ve been wearing too many clothes. Strip, little girl, before I decide to get mean.”
“You’re already mean,” she muttered, pulling the jersey up over her head.
