If it hadn’t been for a creepy feeling on her way over of being watched on her walk to Lyndsey’s that afternoon, she might’ve shot down the offer and stayed another hour. But it would be well past dark then, and she had no desire to repeat that experience in the dark or on her own.
Walking back with someone was the smart decision…even if that someone was becoming too interesting and attractive to ignore.
By the time they made it to her house, she noted Noah had fallen asleep on his father’s shoulder. Her heart swelled at the sweet sight.
Amanda smiled at Dante and mouthed a thank you before she rushed her churning hormones inside her house.
Grateful she hadn’t had that creepy feeling again.
Thankful she hadn’t made a bigger fool of herself.
Blessed that cute, little Noah had fallen asleep and saved her from…herself.
Chapter Five
Sunday afternoon, Dante took Noah to the Braddock Sanctuary, owned by Holden and Emily. It was next to their house on their vast acreage, and he loved how he could feel the freedom in the animals as they lived out the rest of their days as they should be—cared for and surrounded by love.
He wanted his son to grow up responsible but also with compassion, and what better way to cultivate both than to volunteer at the sanctuary on a weekly basis.
“Thanks again for letting us help out,” he told Holden as they repaired a fence in the alpaca grazing area that had been damaged in last week’s storm.
“Thankyou,” Holden replied. “The poor llamas aren’t happy sharing their space with the alpacas.”
He stretched the last of the metal mesh fence while Holden fastened it to the post. “How can you tell them apart?”
“Mainly their size and their ears,” his buddy replied. “Alpacas are smaller at about one-hundred-fifty pounds and have short, spear-shaped ears. Llamas, on the other hand, they’re like a big Navy SEAL with more muscles than brains. Llamas can get to four-hundred pounds, and they have much longer, banana-shaped ears.”
Dante laughed. “Yeah, they do sound like a few squids we know.”
Thankfully, none of the SEALs they’d done joint missions with ever fit that description.
“Daddy!”
The sound of Noah’s excited voice had him glancing toward the driveway at the other end of the pen.
His son was a slow eater, so they’d left him with Emily to finish his taco a good thirty minutes ago.
The little dude grinned, walking between the two Harrison sisters. Apparently, Amanda had arrived while he’d been helping Holden with the fence.
Funny, his buddy hadn’t mentioned she was coming today.
He glanced sideways at Holden. “What? People drop in all the time to help out.”
He snorted through the bullshit.
“Look, Miss Amanda is here to help too,” Noah stated unnecessarily.
“Go on over,” Holden said. “I’m going to put my tools away.”
Feeling slightly coerced but surprisingly not mad, he lifted a hand and waved, ordering his pulse to behave as his gaze strayed past Noah to Amanda.
She wore her hair pulled back in a ponytail, a gray sweatshirt with the sanctuary logo on it, and a pair of jeans that hugged her curves to perfection.
The woman made denim look good.
And his body heated without permission.
He focused on Noah and as usual, his need took a back seat. “Hey, little dude.” He smiled at Noah, and when he rounded the fence and reached the driveway, he nodded to the women. “Hi, Emily. Amanda.”
