“What’s Kwyptonite?” Kyra asked.
“It’s from a movie, sweetie,” Alanis said.
Savannah aimed a dry look at Alanis. “A comic strip, technically.”
Punc shot a serious look at Dalton. “You’re with Savannah. She hasn’t done this before.”
His nephew’s eyes lit up. “Okay. I help her.”
Kyra came to him. “Horses.”
Punc shifted to his hands and knees and heard Dalton telling Savannah to do the same.
“Little man, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Savannah muttered after Dalton climbed on her back.
“Oh, sure it is. This video is going to be epic,” Alanis said.
Punc noticed his sister had her cell phone pointed at them.
“Great,” Savannah grumbled.
It was great, but he had to keep that to himself. Watching her with his sister’s kids only solidified what he’d told her earlier. He wanted a family with the right woman, and the last hour and a half had shown him Savannah was that woman - no matter what she said to refute him.
They spent another half an hour playing with the kids before Nina became too fussy.
“All right, someone’s ready to hit the road and all these kiddos need their naps,” Alanis said, hoisting the diaper bag onto her shoulder.
Punc stood, picked up Kyra, and gave her one last toss in the air.
“Again!” she said, when he caught her.
“No can do, Kyra-Boo. That’ll have to hold you until next weekend.”
She pouted and he set her on her feet.
“Get your shoes on, we have to help your mommy.”
Savannah held Dalton on her hip and slid her feet into her flip flops.
Punc reached out for his nephew. “I’ll take him. You stay inside.”
She shook her head. “It’s all right, Ted. I can—”
“I know you can, but I want to be careful.”
She kissed Dalton’s cheek before handing him over to Punc. “Be a good boy, okay?”
Kyra hugged Savannah’s waist, then bounded out the front door in front of Punc.
He pulled the front door closed as he followed his sister to her minivan. She straightened from the van after strapping Nina into her car seat. “Why are you being so careful? Did you catch whoever was in the backyard last night?”
He buckled Dalton into his seat and looked at Alanis. “No, it happened before I followed Savannah home.”
“Do you think it was the loan shark?”
“Not sure, and what the hell, ‘Nis? You knew she had that big-ass debt, and you didn’t tell me? How long have you known?”
Alanis cocked her head to the side. “Since the night I told her not to do anything drastic like stripping. I never thought she’d do that, and definitely didn’t expect her to end up at Platinum’s.”
