Big Daddy Sheriff (Big Cedar Daddies #1)

Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Quinn was apprehensive.

He knew his little girl would be in good hands with Theo. The men were good friends. And Theo was more than capable of fending off any threats. Those old combat instincts didn’t die. They didn’t even lie dormant. Once a Marine, always a Marine.

But Quinn was Alyssa’s Daddy. It was his job to protect her. He wanted her to have fun with the other girls, but he’d feel a hell of lot better if he were close by.

He thought of asking Theo if he could crash in the spare bedroom. Of course Theo wouldn’t care. Quinn realized he needed to back off, though. He didn’t want to hover.

It was tough.

As they stood in the living room, the other Daddies preparing to leave, too, Quinn said to Alyssa, “You be a good girl and listen to Uncle Theo. Whatever he says goes. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“And what did I say earlier, before we ate?”

“Not to go beyond the treehouse,” Alyssa said. She looked proud of herself for remembering.

Damn, this little girl is all kinds of cute, Quinn thought.

That was making it hard to leave her, too.

“Good girl.” He put his hands on her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. “Uncle Theo has my permission to spank you if you need it. Or he’ll just call me and I’ll run over here. Heck, we might both spank you. So, watch it, little one.”

“I’ll be a good girl. I promise,” she said, crinkling her nose in an adorable smile.

He smiled, too, then kissed her forehead and lips. Hugging her tightly, he said, “Daddy loves you.”

“I love you, too.”

He knew some would find it odd. They hadn’t known each other long. But they knew each other well. Call it love at first sight or whatever—but it was real.

He kissed the top of her head, breathed in the honeysuckle scent of her hair, and then finally let go.

“Have fun,” he told her as he followed the other Daddies toward the door.

“Don’t worry, man,” Theo said, walking behind him and clapping him on the back. “She’s in good hands.”

“I know that, brother,” Quinn said. “Thank you.”

The men all got in their respective cars. They could have carpooled, all living so close, but when the Littles were with them, no one had a vehicle big enough to accommodate everyone.

He thought of turning on some music, but it was only a three-mile trip back to town, so there wasn’t really even time for one song. The sun had set, so he couldn’t see the gorgeous terrain. Too bad, he thought. He needed a distraction so he wasn’t just worrying about Alyssa.

Were those two guys hiding out around there, just waiting to strike?

He’d be damned if he was going to let anything happen to his little girl.

“It’s probably nothing,” he said aloud, trying to quell that nervousness roiling in the pit of his stomach. “She’s going to have a blast. Everything’ll be fine.”

He turned onto Main Street and saw the firetruck pulled out of the station, the lights atop it illuminating the dark mountain night with a dizzying effect. He slowed and turned into the drive, threw his truck in park, and hopped out.

“Everything okay?” he asked as Cane, Walker, and Austin came out of the garage.

“Yeah. We were just trying to get your attention. Figured you’d see the lights and stop to see what’s up,” Cane said.

“There’s no fire?” Quinn said.

“Nope,” Cane said.

“We were trying to reach you on your cell, but you never picked up,” Austin said.

“Oh, man,” Quinn said. “Sorry, guys. I guess I got so caught up in the festivities at Theo’s that I didn’t notice you’d called.”

Walker grinned cockily. “Must be nice going to a cookout. Some of us actually have to work for a living.”

“Hey, now. You boys are always welcome,” Quinn said.

They’d agreed to stay behind and watch the town, so Quinn knew the teasing was in jest. But he did figure it might be difficult for them to be there, seeing the Daddies with all their Littles while they were still searching for theirs. He knew that feeling well.

Turning their attention back to the issue at hand, Cane said, “A few guys rolled through here earlier in the evening. At first, we only noticed two in the car, but when they came back by a second time, we saw the third guy in the backseat.”

“They came back?” Quinn asked. That apprehension he’d been feeling was growing by the second.

“Yep. We were ready for ‘em,” Cane said. “Hopped in my truck and tailed ‘em as they left town, heading east. Didn’t do anything illegal. But they seemed mighty suspicious.”

“This isn’t anything but a hunch of ours,” Walker added. “But I hope we don’t see them in town again. If you ask me, they were up to no good.”

“Did you get their plates?” Quinn questioned.

“Sure did,” Cane answered with a grin. “Figured you’d ask for those.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a little piece of paper, and passed it to the marshal. “Tennessee. Not Arkansas.”

“I’m much obliged to y’all,” Quinn said, holding up the slip of paper.

“You let us know if you need anything,” Cane offered with a friendly wave.

“We might not carry guns, but hell, we can turn the hoses on ‘em,” Walker chimed in.

Quinn chuckled as he hurried back to his truck.

He was eager to run those plates.