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Minutes later, everyone sat around the table, laughing, teasing, and eating, and Grady wondered what Amanda would think about his crazy extended family. Would she like the two happy couples and their kids? Would they like her?

He took a bite of chicken and thought about how much he really wanted the answer to both those questions to be yes.

Chapter Twelve

After yet another long but thankfully uneventful day at work, Grady arrived home on time for dinner with Rissa. Amanda had crossed his mind more times than he could count, and he couldn’t stop wondering what she thought of his gift. He would’ve paid good money to see her face when she opened the box.

Amused by the thought, he stomped up the back porch steps, knocking as much Wyoming dirt and dust from his boots as he could before toeing them off and leaving them in the mudroom. He then hung his hat on one of several coat hooks on the wall.

As he strode into the large country kitchen, he mentally cataloged the fridge's contents, thinking he probably had everything he needed for sloppy joes. A simple and quick dinner, but delicious. There was no canned sauce in their house either. He made it from scratch the way the good Lord above intended.

Before he met his wife, Grady was lucky enough to know how to make scrambled eggs and bacon, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a few things on the grill. Beyond that, though, he was pretty much useless in the kitchen.

Then Leah brightened his world in more ways than one. While they dated and after they married, they often preferred to stay in and eat rather than go out. She loved to cook for him, but he wasn’t allowed to sit there, watch, and wait for the meal to be ready. Nope. She taught him his way around the kitchen, from basic prep to making full meals from scratch.

Over the years, he learned dozens of recipes and became a damn good cook in his own right. The microwave was only used to reheat leftovers, never frozen boxed dinners. He’d since passed all that knowledge down to his daughter—Leah would be proud.

“Hey, Dad. You’re home on time again. Nice.” Rissa sat at the table, her books and papers strewn over the surface where she’d been doing her homework. She’d been in a much better mood after they visited the JP Ranch yesterday. Sara also seemed in good spirits when the two joined the others for dinner. Hopefully, Rissa helped the younger girl with whatever bothered her.

“Sure am. Gimme a hug.” Tugging on her arm, he pulled her up and into an embrace, loving that she still allowed the contact. In her early teens, she’d gone through a phase where she didn't want her friends to see her hugging him or kissing him on the cheek, but thankfully, that era seemed to have faded. He didn’t know what he would do when she went away to college, but he would soak up every minute he had with her until then—if then ever came. They still needed to talk about it, but he didn’t want to bring it up right then.

After a quick, extra-tight squeeze, she released him, stepped back, and pointed to the kitchen island behind him where a small brown shipping box sealed with black-and-blue tape rested. “A package came for you. I didn’t know you’d ordered anything.”

“I didn’t.” He kept her updated on deliveries because packages sometimes showed up in odd places, depending on the mood of whoever dropped them off that day. He was also wary of surprise packages and encouraged her to be too. As a law enforcement officer, he’d made quite a few enemies over the years. The last thing he wanted was his daughter opening something dangerous meant for him.

“Actually, I kind of figured that when I saw who it was addressed to.” Her amusement was hard to miss.

Curious, he walked over to the island and studied the box before touching it. The shipping label read Sheriff Not-Charming Minor, and he snorted, knowing exactly who sent it. Apparently, Amanda still felt the need to remind him that she was immune to his appeal. He didn’t believe it for a second and had a sneaking suspicion she didn’t either.

Reassured by the name on the label, he picked up the package. Whatever was inside thumped and rattled. He took out his pocketknife, slit the tape along the sides, and opened the box.

Rissa peered over his shoulder. “Sheriff Not-Charming Minor, huh? That sounds like something a woman would call you. Did you piss one off?”

Grady snorted. “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way.” Granted, Amanda probably would, but explaining why would mean breaking his promise to keep her arrest to himself. “I sent her a little something yesterday, and I think she might be flirting back.”

He regretted the words as soon as they passed his lips. He’d just invited a round of nosy questions from his daughter, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for them. Putting that can of worms aside for the moment, he opened the box and burst out laughing when he saw the contents.

Inside was a small stuffed bumblebee with a typed gift card that read, Buzz off.

Still amused, Grady lifted the bee from the box and noticed a patch sewn onto one of its wings that read PRESS HERE. He pushed it, and a loud buzzing filled the kitchen as the wings flapped rapidly. Amanda had gone the extra mile to get her message across, and damn if he didn’t find that entertaining as hell.

“Whoever she is, Dad, I don’t think she likes you much,” Rissa scoffed, laughing along with him. “Okay, so is she someone I know? I’ve never seen you flirt with anyone, and oh, my God! You’re blushing! Who are you and what have you done with my dad?”

He rolled his eyes and mentally smacked himself. His daughter seemed okay with his interest in a woman who wasn’t her mother, and he didn’t know why that surprised him. Leah had been gone for so long, and Rissa was practically an adult who’d already been out on dates herself.

“Her name is Amanda, and I think she likes me just fine. She just won’t admit it. And she’s Edith Sparks’s niece, which is probably how she got our home address.” He held up the toy, delighted that Amanda had declared an all-out prank war. “This is going to be fun.”

He mulled over the list of things he’d contemplated sending Amanda, but then noticed Rissa staring at him with raised eyebrows. Grady cleared his throat as he put the bee back in the box. “I’m... uh, I’m going to change and then start dinner. Wanna help me, kiddo? I was thinking sloppy joes.”

“Sounds good.” She shrugged one shoulder and smirked. “And while we cook, you can tell me all about this Amanda who has you smiling and blushing like crazy, which is adorable, by the way. Maybe I can give you some dating tips. I think you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

“I don’t need any tips, especially from my own daughter.” He pointed a finger at her. “I’m the father here. I’m supposed to be giving you dating advice, not the other way around.”

“Considering how long it’s been since you’ve been on a date, I’m the one with more experience right now.”

Grady narrowed his eyes at her. “Smart-ass.”

Sighing loudly, Rissa shoved him toward the stairs. “You’ve got the town board meeting tonight, right? Go take a shower and put on a clean uniform while I start dinner.”