She’d insisted that they read the article to her, which they had, omitting some of the references to the crimes that had happened. And of course, the man who’d been shot by the suspect they’d gone to apprehend.
Since then, they hadn’t been as reserved with Ciela about who McCrae and his friends were, but they were still watchful for any sign that Ciela was upset.
Time, or maybe the people involved were the difference for her daughter.
Now, as she stood at the door, reaching up to the deadbolt on her bare tiptoes, Ciela was almost bouncing with excitement.
“Here, sweetie,” Noelle crossed to the door to help her. “Let me help you.”
“No, mama. I want to open it.”
Noelle didn’t argue with her daughter in words.
Instead, she wrapped an arm around her middle and lifted her up.
Ciela giggled and used both hands to turn the handle on the deadbolt until they both heard it click.
“Got it!”
“Yes, baby, you did.” Noelle put a smacking kiss on her daughter’s head and stepped back. She opened the door with her free hand just in time to see McCrae step up onto the porch.
He had a look on his face that she couldn’t quite read.
There was something guarded about his expression, and she had a feeling that she was seeing more of the Texas Ranger than she was seeing the man.
It didn’t bother her in the least, but it intrigued her.
“Mister King!”
Ciela clapped her hands together and then opened her arms for McCrae.
The man didn’t miss a beat.
He reached out and took Ciela into his arms.
Noelle smiled softly as her daughter wrapped herself around McCrae’s body like a koala bear grabbing onto a tree, turning her face up to his.
“Besos, Mister King! Besos.”
Something changed in McCrae’s expression.
It softened.
The hard line of his shoulders relaxed.
He lifted his free hand and smoothed it over Ciela’s hair as he smiled. “Yeah,” he sighed softly, “you get kisses.”
He put a kiss on the crown of her head and then her forehead.
Ciela tipped her face up toward his, her smile baring all of her baby teeth and a hint of a dimple in her cheek. “More!”
He kissed her nose and then each cheek.
Before he could do anything else, Ciela clapped her hands against his cheeks and she pulled him down.
Noelle knew that if he hadn’t wanted to move his head toward her, McCrae wouldn’t. He was big enough and strong enough to resist, but around Ciela, the man melted.
He leaned down Ciela giggled as she put a smacking kiss on his chin.
