The Sasha McCandless Series by Melissa F. Miller

Author:Melissa F. Miller [Miller, Melissa F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Street Books

8

Leo balanced the hot pizza boxes against his midsection and waited while Sasha coaxed Mocha out of the back of the car.

“C’mon, good dog. Let’s go see the kids.”

At the sound of the word kids, Mocha’s ears perked up. The dog cocked its head toward Leo as if to say, ‘Is she serious?’

Leo started walking toward the house. “Kids, Mocha,” he called.

The dog leapt over the tailgate and bounded past him, racing up the steep stairs leading to the rambling Victorian that Hank rented to house his brood of charges. Leo still found it difficult to believe that his hard-nosed, no-nonsense, confirmed bachelor boss had volunteered to serve as the guardian for six motherless children. Their father, Jeffrey Bricker, was out of the picture because he was serving consecutive life sentences at Florence Supermax, the super-maximum security prison in Colorado that was home to the country’s most violent offenders. And the six Bennett children had begun a new life with Hank Richards. Leo shook his head in amazement as he mounted the steps.

Sasha traipsed behind him, taking the stairs with caution in her stiletto-heeled boots. His amazement at Hank and the kids was rivaled only by his wife’s insistence on wearing the most impractical shoes imaginable whenever possible. He twisted and looked over his shoulder at her.

“Try not to break your neck, okay? I don’t think Fiji will be nearly as much fun if you’re in a body cast.”

She shot him a look that made clear she wasn’t amused.

“Fiji, huh? Does this mean you’ve finally stopped dithering and settled on a destination?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m lying.”

He suppressed a grin. He’d booked their trip weeks earlier, but he’d enjoyed taunting her about the locale. Given the way she packed, though, he’d decided he’d had enough fun. Well, almost enough fun.

She mumbled something under her breath.

“Pardon? I couldn’t quite make that out.”

“I said I love you so much,” she huffed, as she caught up with him and hip-checked him out the way. She jabbed a finger at the doorbell even though Mocha had already alerted the kids to their arrival by banging on the door with his oversized paws.

Cole opened the door and ushered them in from the cold.

“Hey, guys. Here, I’ll take those.” He reached for the pizza boxes as Mocha circled his legs, tail thumping against his shins.

“Thanks. Someone’s excited to see you,” Leo remarked.

“Good dog,” Cole said as the puppy followed him into the kitchen.

“Pizza!” Leah shouted from the top of the stairs. Squeals and shouts drifted down from the upstairs. A moment later, the kids streamed down the stairs and Leo and Sasha were overtaken by several squirmy hugs and excited greetings. She caught his eye over the top of Mark’s head and smiled.

Hank appeared in the upstairs hallway, straightening his bowtie. The children fell silent and gaped at him.

“Very dapper,” Sasha said with a nod toward the tuxedo.

“Thanks. And thanks for watching this crew so I can attend this blasted retirement dinner.”

“Are you kidding?” Leo said. “We’re always happy to hang out with the Bennetts, and it got me out of attending.

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