I step closer to her. “Who do you make a habit of kissing? Yourhusbandby chance?”
Watching Harper’s reaction, I know she’s thinking about it.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I—”
I can’t finish before the girls come running up.
“Daddy! Will you come see the goats with us? Noahtook us and they are so fun! We can feed them,” Sadie tells me. “They’re so cute.”
I groan. “I can’t, girls. I’m still volunteering here.”
Harper crouches low. “Do you want your dad to go see the goats with you?”
“Yes!” they answer together.
Harper glances up at me. “I think I can spare him for a few minutes.”
“You’ll like these goats, Dad,” Sam tells me, grabbing my arm. “They’re so cool.”
“You don’t like goats?” Harper asks, looking confused. “Why don’t you like goats?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
The girls giggle next to me, and Sam taps on Harper’s shoulder. “He doesn’t like goats because one bit his butt.”
“Hey, you little rat!” I tickle Sam’s side before she and Sadie run off, toward the goats I’m guessing.
The fucking goats.
Harper’s sweet laughter fills my ears.
“I’m sorry—one bit your butt?”
“Christ,” I groan, scrubbing a hand down my face. “I took the girls to a petting zoo one of their friends had for their birthday, and it chased me around and took a bite out of me.”
“Oh my God.” Harper doubles over in laughter. “I can only imagine your face when that happened.”
“It hurt.” I’m indignant. “You try getting chased by goats.”
Harper pulls her lips inward, like she’s trying to hold in more laughter. “Do you need me to supervise you?”
I nod. “Yes. I need you to make sure none of them try to take a chunk out of me. You wouldn’t want them to take out one of Nashville’s favorite players, would you?”
“Are you the favorite?” Harper asks, leading the way to the petting zoo.
“Ouch. You’re as bad as the girls.”
“You make it too easy.”
The girls bounce up and down, Noah between them, when the ring of animals comes into view. The look on Noah’s face is one of pure giddiness. I’m not sure who is more excited, him or the girls.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I prod at Noah.
“Nope.” He pops thep. “Right where I need to be.”
“Noah gave us food for them.” Sadie holds up two bags. “He got one for you.”
