Sawyer, Rita - Her Mr. Wrong [What Are Friends For 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (12 page)

Amy turned to Slade with a smile. “Are you ready?”

“For anything.” He nodded and fastened his seat belt.

It only took her about three minutes to make it to her father’s house. She chose to park by the curb instead of in the drive, in case she wanted to make a quick getaway. Amy turned off the car and opened her door. She grabbed the picnic basket off the backseat and got out of the car. Slade had a somewhat bewildered look as he exited his side.

He joined her on the sidewalk. “Whose house is this?”

“My father’s.” She smiled up at him. “We’re having a family cookout.”

His eyes widened just a fraction, but enough for her to notice. “Do they know I’m coming?”

“Does it matter?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She grabbed his hand and headed for the backyard.

Slade stopped, and she flew backward into him, almost dropping the basket. His smile grew as he lowered his head. Amy giggled as his lips brushed across hers.

“Who are you, and what are your lips doing on my aunt’s face?” a voice asked from above them.

“His name is Slade,” Amy said, looking up at her seven-year-old nephew, John. “Does your mother know you’re climbing that tree again? If you break your arm again, she might break the other one.”

“Dad told her that it was good for me to get back on the horse, whatever that means.” He shrugged and lost his balance.

She watched in a state of disbelief as John scrambled to keep his perch. They both squealed as he lost the battle. Slade let go of her hand and sprung into action. He rushed under the tree and caught John. Her fearless nephew’s laughter filled the air. Slade set him on his feet, and the brat took off like a shot.

Amy put the basket down and threw her arms around Slade. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Before Slade could say anything, Amy heard John shout, “Mom! This guy was in the driveway kissing auntie, and I asked him what he was doing. Then I fell out of the tree, but he was there faster than lightning and caught me.”

“Brace yourself.” She knew it wasn’t ample warning for what was about to happen.

The gate to the six-foot-high stockade fence that surrounded her father’s backyard flew open, slamming into the fence as her brothers rushed into the front yard. They practically knocked each other over trying to get there first, but they all stopped and parted when her father cleared his throat behind them. Her father wasn’t as tall as her brothers, but he was wider and meaner looking. Amy wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated by him though, because she had something all her brothers didn’t. With one pout or tear, her dad would turn into a big teddy bear, ready to come to her rescue. It had always been that way between them, and Amy figured it always would be.

“Hello, Slade.” He father nodded at him, then turned his gaze to her. “Amelia, do you want to explain why you’re plastered against him, or should I let your brothers ask him?”

“I was thanking him for saving John from another broken arm, or worse.” Amy glanced down at her nephew and smiled. “But that’s not what you meant, is it?”

“Girl, drawing this out won’t be good for anyone.” Her father’s tone held that softness he used whenever she’d done something wrong.

“Slade and I are dating.”

“How long has this been going on?” Her brother Allen took a step forward.

“About a week after I introduced him to you all that day at the shop.” Amy noticed her sisters-in-law creep out of the backyard and join the little crowd.

“I took me that long to get her to agree to go out with me.” Slade’s comment had everyone looking at him.

“I told you he was interested in more than paying his bill.” Her brother Henry punched their brother Bo in the shoulder.

Bo gave him a shove in return. “Yeah, well, none of us thought he’d be dumb enough to act on it.”

“Well, he was.” Slade laughed at himself, and Amy couldn’t help but join him.

“Let’s take this in the yard where we have some privacy.” Her father waved his hand toward the gate.

Slade pick up the basket and held out his hand. Amy smiled as she slid hers into it. Her brothers’ loud mumbles told her this wasn’t over. John ran up and latched onto Amy’s free hand. He started asking Slade all kinds of questions that were probably very serious in a young boy’s opinion. Slade answered them all with patience and even pretended to give the really easy one lots of consideration.

Amy could have kissed John when he was done. She’d learned things that would have taken her months to find out. Slade’s favorite color was green. He knew how to climb tree, and the bigger, the better. And most importantly, he lied when he said he loved all green vegetables.

“So.” Her father closed the gate and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m taking it since you brought him to a family event, this is serious.”

“Yes,” Amy and Slade said at the same time.

* * * *

Slade wasn’t sure what had happened between the time when he’d talked to her on the phone last night and when he picked her up a today. He didn’t care either. If Amy was agreeing things were serious between them, he wasn’t about to complain. Since her brothers hadn’t clobbered him yet, he hoped they weren’t going to give him too much of a hard time. At least not any more than he deserved and would probably give Elias himself for dating his sister.

“How serious can it be after only a few weeks?” her brother Joe asked.

“I knew you were the one on our first date.” His wife winked at him, and Slade tried not to let his amusement show when Joe blushed.

“I’ll be honest.” Slade wasn’t sure if what he was about to do was right or wrong, but he’d made up his mind, so they should all be prepared. “It took a lot just to get Amy to admit she liked me, so I wouldn’t suggest booking a church just yet, but I do plan to stick around as long as she’ll have me.”

Amy laid her hands on his chest. He figured with them on either side of his heart, she had to be able to feel it pounding at a steady gallop.

She smiled and winked, making it go a little faster. “Good, because I think I might love you.”

Her gaze didn’t waver from his while he took a deep breath.

“I know I love you, but I’ll take what I can get.” Slade pressed a quick kiss to her lips, sealing his vow.

“Smart man.” Her father nodded and patted him on the back before heading over to the smoking grill.

Slade watched her brothers follow him. “I take it I just passed some sort of test.”

“For now.” Amy pulled him down for a much longer kiss, which earned
ahh
s from her sisters-in-law, groans from her brothers, and a few
ewww
s from her nephews.

THE END

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