“Not interested.”
“You’ll want to hear what I’ve got to say.”
“Frannie said no,” my daughter yells loud enough to hush every other voice in this establishment. “No means no! Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness.”
“All right, little lady. Didn’t mean to get on your bad side.” The man chuckles and tips his hat. “Been a pleasure. We’ll be seeing you, Frankie.”
They casually stride to the exit as if nobody will bother to chase them. The urge to follow has me stalking forward. Three against one aren’t the worst odds I’ve had.
“Hey.” A yank on my arm draws my attention back to what matters. Frankie nudges my empty chair. “Forget about them.”
I grumble about a triple knockout, but drop my ass on the seat. “Where did they come from?”
“Who knows and who cares. They’re all talk.”
“Not entirely.” A swig of iced tea makes me wish for something stronger. “Random instances have been happening on our properties over the last several months. A manufacturing error at one of our feed suppliers, scheduling mix-ups, trailer tires have gone missing, minor vandalizing at a few properties. Nothing too serious, but enough to notice.”
Frankie shrugs. “Call the cops.”
“I’d rather find their hideout and level it to the ground.”
A recognizable spark flickers in her gaze and she leans toward me. “It’s sexy when you talk bad boy to me.”
That pulls a grin from the depths of my fading upset. “Go on a date with me.”
Ronnie gasps, that word triggering her to rejoin our conversation. “Yes! Frannie really wants to do that.”
But Frankie rolls her eyes. “Pass.”
“C’mon, menace. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t had the chance?”
The question gives her pause. “Sturgis would be cool.”
A grunt escapes me at her mention of the famous motorcycle rally. “I’ll keep that in mind as August approaches. How about in the meantime?”
She sighs as if I’m hassling her. “I dunno. It’s the middle of winter.”
“You could visit an ice castle!” Ronnie’s suggestion bursts out of her.
“We could visit an ice castle,” Frankie repeats with feigned enthusiasm.
“I think we can find something more to your liking.”
Her low hum isn’t impressed. “Best of luck, stud.”
“I gotta go potty!” Ronnie suddenly bounces in her chair like she’s been holding it for hours.
Frankie is about to get up and take her, but then Christa swoops in from seemingly nowhere.
“I’m headed that way, cutie. Your daddy and future mommy can have a moment alone.” She winks at us before escorting Ronnie to the bathroom.
The redhead watches them go, confusion creasing her brow. I use that to my advantage. My boot hooks the nearest leg of her chair and pulls, allowing me to catch her off guard. The momentum delivers Frankie into my clutches and I don’t hesitate to fuse our lips together. She’s stiff in my arms for a second, but melts as my tongue traces the seam of her mouth. My grin is a stamp of approval against her willingness to display affection.
I groan as our mutual desire rekindles. Frankie’s lashes flutter shut when I deepen the kiss. With her distracted, I lift the cowboy hat off my head and drop it onto hers. The public claim spreads a round of hoots and hollers across The Paddock.
I’m the one to pull away, relishing the dazed gleam in her eyes. “Still didn’t mean anything, little menace?”
Frankie’s heavy-lidded stare openly admires me. “Uhhh…”