Montana Match

The girls shook their heads in unison, their braids swinging. “Daddy did.”

“Your daddy did a good job.”

“Thanks.” Parker’s eyes twinkled as he hugged his girls and looked at Brittany. “I’ve had lots of practice.”

Brittany took in the way Parker related to his little girls. Heather had been right. Their presence obviously brightened his life. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place, and Brittany had to admit that she was more intrigued than ever with Parker. Probably not a good thing when she suspected that Heather was trying to push her and Parker together. No matter how intriguing the man, the last thing she needed was a rebound romance.

Chapter Three

“Come on, Daddy. You have to come and play with us.”

Parker turned away from the kitchen counter and toward the sound of his daughters’ pleas. “Girls, I’m talking to Heather and your uncle John. You know better than to interrupt.”

“But you guys never quit talking.” Rose scrunched up her little face, her lower lip protruding.

Parker suppressed a smile and tried to look stern. “That doesn’t mean you should interrupt, does it?”

“No.” The girls shook their heads.

“So what do you say?”

“Sorry for interrupting,” the girls replied in unison again.

“Good. Please remember that.”

“We will. Are you going to play?” Jasmine waited for his answer, her dark brown eyes wide.

“Play what?”

Rose pointed toward the living room, easily visible in the house’s open-floor plan. “Chutes and Ladders with Brittany. We need one more person.”

Parker glanced over to see whether Brittany was watching, but she was talking with Heather’s brother, Mike. A flash of envy sparked through Parker’s mind. What a strange reaction—an uncalled-for reaction.

Before he could reply, Heather leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

He turned and scowled at her. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Yeah, helping Rose and Jasmine find a fourth.” Heather gave him a feigned smile of innocence.

“You’re not fooling me.” Parker stared at Heather and shook his head before he turned his attention back to his daughters. “Mike can be their fourth.”

“Oh, no. Hannah and Lexi have already challenged Mike and me to play Rook.” Heather grinned. “You see, the last time the cousins got together, Mike and I were the Rook champs, so they have to try to unseat us. We can’t let that happen.”

Parker tried not to frown. “Okay, I’ll play.”

“Yay!” Rose and Jasmine clapped.

“Calm down or I may change my mind.”

With the little girls tugging on his arms, Parker trudged across the room. First Heather, now his girls. Was this a conspiracy to push Brittany and him together? Maybe he was being paranoid. The girls were too little to have any romantic ideas. They just wanted to play with their new friend. They’d practically adopted Brittany the moment they met her.

Parker tried to focus his attention on the game board sitting on the coffee table. He forced a smile as he surveyed the situation. Where should he sit? Next to Brittany or across the table from her? Either way, his mind wouldn’t be on the game.

“Sit here.” Rose pointed to the spot opposite where Brittany had taken a seat on the floor.

“Okay.” Hoping to avoid looking at Brittany, Parker sat crossed-legged on the floor. “How do you play this game?”

Rose let out a huge huff. “Daddy, we’ve played this before. You should know.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember now. I go up the ladders and down the chutes.”

“That’s right.” Jasmine shoved the spinner at Parker. “We have to spin to see who goes first.”

“Ladies should go first.” Parker pushed the spinner back to Jasmine.

Jasmine giggled. “I’m a girl, not a lady.”

Parker tugged on one of her braids. “You and your sister are little ladies.”

Rose looked at Brittany. “And Brittany’s a big lady.”

“We say she’s a grown-up lady, not a big lady.”

Brittany chuckled. “It’s not every day that someone calls me big. It’s nice to be taller than someone for a change.”

As the girls and Brittany laughed together, Parker couldn’t help thinking about how the top of her head had barely reached his shoulder when she’d stood near him while they were skiing. There definitely wasn’t anything big about the petite young woman sitting across from him, unless it was her heart, as she showed kindness toward his girls.

While his daughters took turns spinning, Parker finally ventured another look in Brittany’s direction. She smiled again, and he couldn’t deny the way it made his heart jump.

This was nuts. True, he hadn’t associated with a single woman close to his age in a long time, so maybe his response was only natural. He was a man with an appreciation for a good-looking woman. That shouldn’t bother him, except that he kept wondering whether she would make a good nanny for his girls. He was letting his need for a nanny run away with his thoughts.

Brittany took her spin. Tiny freckles dotted the back of her hand as her slender fingers flicked the little arrow, making it whirl around and finally land on the one. She looked up at him. “Well, I’m certainly not going first. Your turn.”

“Okay.” Parker reached for the spinner, and their fingers brushed. Her touch sent a jolt straight to his heart. He hoped the reaction didn’t show on his face. Maybe it was her thoughtfulness toward Rose and Jasmine that had him feeling this way.

The arrow pointed to the number two.

“Yay!” Rose picked up the spinner. “I got the highest number, so I’m first.”

“Yes, you are, and we’ll go around the table this way.” Brittany made a clockwise motion with her hand. “So your dad goes next, and I’m last, since I had the lowest number.”

“But it doesn’t always work out that way, does it, Daddy?” Jasmine looked at him for confirmation.

“No, it doesn’t. Sometimes life isn’t fair.” Thoughts of the unfairness in his life threatened to darken his mood, but he wouldn’t let negative feelings dampen this time with his girls.

Rose patted Brittany on the arm. “Daddy always says that when he tells us we can’t stay up late, even though he does.”

Nodding, Brittany chuckled. “Daddies are like that. My dad says that all the time, too, when I complain.”