She nods eagerly and rushes off to the living room, where she keeps all of her art supplies. Gracie crawls after her like an adorable little shadow. I sit on the edge of the sofa and wait.
In the top drawer of one of those stacking cubes, she pulls out an album full of temporary tattoos. Every few days, Emmy picks out a new one to fill the blank space in the Polaroid. Last week, I had a butterfly on top of a daisy. The week before was a smiley face.
“You spoil her, Jax,” Olivia says, standing in the threshold between the kitchen and the living room with her arms crossed over her chest.
I shrug. “That’s my job as her uncle. I take it very seriously.”
Emmy comes back with a glittery unicorn and a rainbow, placing them in the palm of my hand. Olivia disappears into the kitchen and returns with a wet washcloth. I help Emmy apply the tattoos, pressing her palm between mine as the water soaks through the paper.
Olivia sinks onto the sofa beside me with an exhausted sigh.
“Why don’t you go lie down for a while? I can take care of the girls.”
“No. I’m fine. I just need a minute to rest, and I'll be good as new.”
I release Emmy’s hand and pull off the paper backing, revealing my new temporary art.
Emmy gasps and claps her hands. “Pretty!”
“Sure is. You picked a good one.” I shift my arm back and forth so the light catches on the glitter. “What do you think, Emmy girl? Wanna hang out with Gracie and Uncle Jaxy for a few hours while Mama gets some rest?”
“Yes!”
Liv shakes her head. “You really don’t have to?—”
I cut her off mid-sentence. “Go. I’ve got them. Wilder should be off work soon anyway, and I could use the company.”
“Fine. But you’re taking a plate of cowboy cookies home with you.”
I chuckle. “You drive a hard bargain, but I think I can handle that.”
With my two favorite girls in tow and a container of cowboy cookies in the passenger seat of my truck, I head down to the big barn. Griffin’s there, saying goodbye to one of his riding clients, which explains why he didn’t materialize in front of the baked goods sooner.
I put my truck in park and help Emmy out. She rushes over to the paddock, climbing the bottom rung and holding her hand out for Buttercup, the palomino mare Griff had been using for the lesson.
Sometime between the drive from my house to the barn, Gracie managed to fall asleep. I carefully remove her from her car seat and cradle her against my chest.
As Griffin’s clients back out of the drive, Wilder comes out of the barn, running his hands through his dark hair before putting his hat on backward. “You stealing my kids again, Jax?”
“Daddy!” Emmy removes one hand from the fence and waves. It’s a brief acknowledgement. Once she has her sights set on the horses, there’s no stealing her focus.
“Hi, Angel. Are you being good for Uncle Jax?”
“Uh huh.”
Wildermoves Gracie’s dark hair away from her forehead and presses a kiss there. “How long has she been out?”
“Five minutes at best. She was awake when I buckled her in.”
“Car rides get her every time.”
“Liv looked exhausted,” I say with a smirk. “If you head home now, you might have time toreallywear her out.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Wilder jogs over to a nearby ATV and turns the key. “You’re my favorite brother.”
Griffin flips him off as he guns it up the gravel drive.
Emmy hops off the fence and holds out her palm. “That’s a dollar, Uncle Griff.”
