Her chin lifts. “That’s not your decision.”
“Fuck around and find out, menace.”
The flicker in her green eyes is the swish of a blade in darkness. It’s obvious I’m toeing a very thin line. My cock twitches as I contemplate nudging her a bit further.
If Frankie wants to disappear, it would be easy to do in this crowd. But she won’t abandon Ronnie. My gut tells me so. If it were just me holding her in Cloverleaf Meadows, I’d be left for dead weeks ago.
“Daddy!” Ronnie tugs on my flannel sleeve. “I gotta tell you a secret.”
Talk about perfect timing. The nanny needs a reminder of why she’s here.
My knees creak as I squat beside our distraction. “What’s up, cupcake?”
She shields her mouth with a curved hand while whisper-shouting in my ear. “Frannie wants a horse.”
The redhead in mention makes a choked noise. “Um, no. Frankie does not.”
Ronnie scowls at her. “I’m telling Daddy a secret. It’s rude to listen.”
Frankie rolls her lips between her teeth, trapping what I imagine to be a throaty laugh. “Pardon me, prissy pants.”
“What’re prissy pants?”
“Look at your attitude and find out.”
I smother a chuckle. Damn, this fiery woman is bickering with my kid like they’re catty best friends. It appears the polite polish on their relationship is smoothing into a more comfortable shine.
My daughter scoffs, filling the role seamlessly. “I don’t have an attitude.”
Frankie buffs her manicure on her leather jacket. “Whatever you say.”
Ronnie purses her lips. “Are you getting your period or something?”
Another strangled sound escapes the unqualified nanny. “Excuse you?”
“Brenna at school told me that her older sister said girls get crabby when they’re on their period. Daddy,”—my little girl turns to me—“what’s a period?”
“It’s, uh. Uh…” My mouth opens and closes uselessly for too many seconds. A cold sweat breaks out across my forehead. It’s too early for this discussion. I should have five more years, at the very least.
“It’s lady business,” Frankie fills in. “And for the record, I’m not due for it until the end of the month.”
Relief whooshes from me in a noisy gust. I could kiss her. But I won’t. That would be… inappropriate? It’s unclear. My thoughts are jumbled into muddled confusion.
The redhead bends low to join me at Ronnie’s level. She taps my little girl on the nose. “There’s also a thing called girl code. You can’t be calling me out like that, sis. We gotta stick together.”
Ronnie tilts her head at an exaggerated angle. “Huh?”
“I don’t want that horse,” Frankie simplifies.
My daughter blinks at her. “But you said you did.”
“That was in a dreamy sort of way. It’s like when someone wishes they could afford a fancy car or diamond necklace. That doesn’t mean they’re serious about it or, for that matter, will ever get it.”
Ronnie thinks on that for a brief moment before returning her focus to me. “Can we buy Frannie the dreamy horse? She doesn’t have any money.”
I cough out a laugh as the redhead stammers on her shock. My gaze slides to the grulla mare in the arena. Her color alone will draw attention and raise the bid. The smoky grayshade is a rare variation, especially when paired with excellent conformation. Even from this distance, I can tell this quarter horse is put together well. Her muscular build and smooth gait speak highly of her performance too.
After another glance, I find myself grinning. “Sure, cupcake.”