I looked around for her mother. She wasn’t that far from the back door to the lodge, so she might have slipped away unseen. We’d grown up wild and in a neighborhood that looked out for everyone else’s kids, and I knew it was safe for her here to be out on her own, but my protective instinct kicked into high gear.
I stepped forward, then bent down in front of her. “Well, hey there. I’m Vic. Just Lars, he’s the biggest one. He ate not just his spinach but ours too, so he grew twice as big as us. But Sven and Axel and I are just regular men.” I pointed to them and they each raised a hand in greeting.
She erupted into giggles. The infectious sound lessened my concern that she’d be upset.
Luna peeked around me and looked Lars up and down. “I never eat spinach, so I’ll be regular like you.” She turned her attention back to me and grinned.
“You bet. Say, where’s your mama?” I attempted to keep my tone even, keeping any interest out of my voice. My brothers could smell weakness from fifty feet away, and the last thing I needed was for them to know about my interest in the lovely Caitlyn. In fact, I didn’t want either Axel or Sven to even meet her.
“She’s in the kitchen with two ladies. I forgot their names, but they’re cooking supper. Am I in trouble?” Her eyes turned glassy, on the verge of tears, and the need to reassure took over.
“Not a bit. I’ll go back with you.” Before I could question myself, I put out my arms and asked, “Want a piggyback ride? You haven’t been gone that long. I bet she won’t be mad at all, okay?”
Nodding her head excitedly, she put her arms out, and I got her settled. “Lars, don’t let them inside until I get back. I’ll show them around. That is, if you two are staying, or is this just a quick drop in?” The three of them exchanged a weird look as I walked off with Luna waving goodbye excitedly. “Bye, giants!”
I hadn’t gone far before I heard Axel exclaim, “Since when does he like kids? Me thinks we need to stick around and meet the mom, Sven.” All three of them laughed. Let them.
But they didn’t. Axel warned they’d be back when they could stay longer. They were on their way to the airport. Something about a new opportunity that involved their areas of expertise. Sven had been in special forces and Axel a Ranger, so that meant a wide variety of things.
I didn’t ask. Didn’t really care. Not today. Because I’d already decided to shoot my shot with Luna’s mom and now was as good a time as any to start.
CHAPTER FOUR
CAITLYN
Luna had been bugging me to go exploring through the woods since we arrived but I’d distracted her with movies and a shopping trip into town to get some new cooler weather clothes for the both of us until I got my bearings with the layout of the mountain.
So it wasn’t a big surprise when she used the first opportunity to sneak out the back door.
Actually, Chassie had noticed as well, and we shared a look as I stood watching my daughter through the door’s glass window. Luna had made a beeline for the closest cabin behind the lodge, which belonged to Lars and Dylan.
Standing in front of the structure were four men. I recognized two of them. Debate warred within me. Do I follow her or let her think she had a bit of independence?
In Texas, there’d been no question that Luna could never go off on her own. But here? I liked the idea of her gaining confidence and independence, even at this young age. Hoping, unlike me, that she wouldn’t spend her childhood looking over her shoulder for the boogeyman everywhere she went.
I knew it would be a fine line as she grew up, but I was determined that she’d never see herself as incapable of handling adversity, unlike I had. Until recently, when I’d finally found a backbone and ended things with her father.
Whoa, where had all that come from?Guess I hadn’t worked through all my relationship issues like I’d thought had this past year.
Now as I watched my little girl march right up to four grown men without a care in the world, a lump formed in my throat. Oh, to have that sense of self again. She’d already met Lars and Vic, so letting her continue on her little adventure felt safe. And since I did, I relaxed and allowed my gaze to skip to Vic, then back again to Luna.
What was it about him that had me on edge whenever I saw him? He made me feel…oh, I don’t know, giddy seemed to fit.
Then he did something unexpected, and just when I thought I could fight off the attraction I was feeling. He swung Luna onto his back. She wrapped her little arms around his neck, and he trotted like a pony toward the door.
Her squeals and giggles reached me, and damn it all. Why’d he have to be super hot and a nice guy?
“Hey there. Looks like you have something on your back?” How I managed not to sound all tongue-tied was a miracle.
“Hey. Yup, found it just a hundred yards back that way. Figured I’d make sure the giants back there didn’t recruit her.” Vic kept his features even, but I saw the merriment in his eyes as he gently helped Luna down.
More giggles followed, then I swear my daughter snorted out a laugh as she jumped down. “Mommy, it’s me. Did you know that Vic isn’t a giant like his brother Lars, but he is super strong!” Luna tried to flex her muscles, but couldn’t pull it off, and frowned. Then she shrugged her shoulders and tipped her head back as she looked at Vic. Like he was her new hero. Over a piggyback ride of all things.
“Thank you. That was fun. See yah. Mom, are my aunties still inside? They said I could have a cookie when they’re ready.” With her hands interlaced under her chin, my daughter chanted, “Please, please, please?”
Looks like I’ll need to have a discussion with Chassie and Sami about spoiling Luna. But since they’d already said she could, telling her no now would only spark a debate with my headstrong daughter. I’d leave it for later, and when we didn't have an audience. “Only if you promise that next time you want to go off on your own, you will need to ask first. And there will be more rules, okay?” I tugged on each of her pigtails, which was hard to do since she was also doing the ants in your pants dance.
Grinning, I said, “Go potty first, then wash up. I’m sure the cookies are done by now.” She was off and running before I finished, and suddenly I was left alone with the impossibly good-looking Vic, who’d been quietly observing our interaction. And now that Luna was gone, all his attention was on me.
