Page 129 of Protecting Love

“I don’t do man-speak.”

“Even with all your brothers and cousins?” he asked.

“The girls stuck together in my house,” she argued. She turned back to West. “Why are we both here then?”

“Because I wanted to see how you were feeling, Paris,” West said. “Then get an idea on if you need Fletcher keeping an eye on you. Guess it’s going to happen regardless.”

“I don’t need anyone to keep an eye on me,” she argued.

“Has she been like this all along?” West asked Fletcher. “She sounds more like London than Paris.”

“I thought that, but don’t know them like you do.”

“Hello, I’m sitting right here.”

How dare they turn this into a joke. “So I see,” he said.

“So Fletcher has no worries that we are dating? You’re not going to give him some long lecture or anything?”

“Why would I lecture him?” West asked. “He’s old enough to know what he wants and what he’s doing.”

“That’s a crack at your age,” she said, elbowing him. “You’re even older than West.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Doesn’t seem to bother you much.”

“Well, I won’t waste either of your time,” West said. “Abby will be here soon and we’re going to visit my new nephew.”

“How is Carson doing?” she asked.

They’d had the meeting with the FBI on Wednesday, Lily was induced on Thursday morning and Carson Carlisle was added to the family tree a few hours later.

“Doing well. She was discharged a few hours ago.”

“That seems fast.”

“She didn’t want to stay there,” West said. “But Braylon has a nurse stopping over tomorrow to check on her.”

The things her family did to care for those they loved.

“My parents stopped over this morning,” she said.

“Their flight is tonight?” West asked.

“At six,” she said. “How long is Aunt Aileen staying?”

“Probably a month. She’ll have plenty of time to visit with Calder and Sam while she’s here.”

“I’m looking forward to my new niece in December. I guess that is the hardest thing being here. I don’t get to see Camden and Elise much.”

Her oldest brother, Phoenix, got custody of Elise when his best friend had died a few years ago. Then he hired Crystal as his nanny, fell in love, had a son, Camden, shortly after and now had a daughter on the way.

“I want to say it’s hard being away from your siblings, but I see enough of them,” West said. “And talk to them when I don’t see them.”

Paris grinned. “It’s not the same with us.” She turned to Fletcher. “We have group chats with all of us. Then one with just the girls.”

Fletcher put his hand on her shoulder and gently nudged her out of the office. “Let’s go.”

When they were in the hall, she said, “Moves like that are going to get us noticed faster.”