Kinsley’s eyes widened, then narrowed with conviction. “Lincoln and I will protect our…” she stopped, blinking. “Can you tell me if they are boys or girls? Would that violate your ethics? I don’t want to ask you anything that would violate your code.”
Frankie smiled, grateful for Kinsley’s consideration. “It’s a boy and a girl. They are about four years old and look alarmingly like Edward, if that helps to form a picture.”
Kinsley smiled. “Goodness, Edward might be a bastard, but he is a good looking one. Well, he was. Cancer has certainly taken a toll on him.” She thought about that for a moment, a smile forming again. “So those kids are just as good looking?”
Frankie nodded. “Yeah. They’re adorable. But…I just can’t let Edward get his claws into them.”
Kinsley leaned forward, her eyes determined. “Talk to the mother. Maybe the father is still alive and can protect his children. But if he isn’t, then come to us. Heck, tell the mother to come to us. You know that Lincoln and I will protect those kids, no questions asked. If the mother ever needs anything, she should call us immediately.”
Frankie sighed with relief. “Thanks, Kins. You’re the best!”
For the next hour, the two women chatted happily before departing to get to work.
Frankie typed up a letter to Stevie Hunt, and dropped it off at her house. The letter simply explained her mission as well as Kinsley’s offer of kinship and protection, but no details. If the woman wanted information, Frankie would help her. Hopefully, Frankie could find out who the father of those cuties was as well. But if the guy was gone, for whatever reason, she felt good knowing that Kinsley and Lincoln could keep an eye on them.
Chapter 11
“Momma!” Halley called out. “Herbie is eating…!”
Stevie didn’t hesitate. She dropped the letter and ran. If that enormous dog was eating anything, it would come out the other end and Herbie wasn’t good about waiting until he went outside. The animal was sweet and lovable, but he tended to eat everything, and he had a sensitive stomach.
“…my bunny!”
Oh no! That was bad!
Stevie rushed into the family room and spotted the giant canine. Sure enough, the dog had the stuffed bunny’s ears in his mouth and was trying to tear off the head with his paw. “I’ve got him,” Stevie assured Halley, grabbing the bunny’s tail. Thankfully, the stuffed animal wasn’t Halley’s favorite. Stevie and the dog fought for possession of the bunny, which was complicated by Halley and Harrison clapping, each cheering for a side.
“Go Herbie!” Harrison called. “You can do it!” Herbie’s tail started wagging, which was another danger. His tail was so long it could clear everything off of the coffee table in a single swipe!
“Momma! Don’t hurt my bunny!” Halley called out, jumping up and down.
Stevie groaned. “Stop cheering, you two. Herbie thinks this is a game.”
Halley slapped her hand over her mouth, those silver eyes of hers staring at the tear that was slowly forming along the neck of the stuffed bunny. “Momma!” she cried out.
Harrison bounced in time with his applause. “Go Herbie!”
No! Not more cheering! “No Harrison! Stop calling out to Herbie! He’ll hurt Halley’s bunny!”
Harrison shrugged and grabbed Halley’s stuffed elephant, offering it to the dog. “Here. You like this one better.”
Not the most compassionate response, Stevie thought, rolling her eyes, but he was right. Herbie definitely would prefer the elephant because of the trunk.
That wasn’t the point though. Realizing that she was losing the battle, and stuffing was leaking out, Stevie took a different tact. She released the stuffed animal, and knelt by the dog’s head. This confused Herbie. He chomped a bit more on the bunny, keeping at least half of the stuffed animal in his mouth, but he stopped pulling. Stevie rubbed Herbie’s ears soothingly. Herbie’s eyes closed with happiness. Unfortunately, his mouth didn’t open. In fact, the dog kerplunked onto the floor and stared up at Stevie with abject adoration, silently begging for more. He was such an attention hound.
And because Herbie was now prone on the floor, Halley and Harrison rushed over to help rub his belly. The dumb dog rolled over, his long, bony legs up in the air as he exposed more of his belly to his lucky benefactors. Still, he didn’t release the bunny.
“Herbie,” Stevie soothed. “Give me the bunny.”
Herbie’s big, dark eyes opened and he looked at her. “Give it to me,” she urged, more softly this time, and with more rubbing.
Slowly, the dog’s mouth relaxed. Stevie rubbed his ears more. “Keep rubbing his belly, guys,” she instructed the twins. “He loves it.”
The kids rubbed his belly and his chest and Herbie sighed happily, his bliss complete and his jaw slackened. Finally, the bunny was released, but they all three continued to cuddle the dog, praising him for doing the right thing.
Several minutes later, Stevie considered that it was okay to stop the love-fest. “Thank goodness!” Stevie sighed, standing up, the bunny tucked under her arm. She shuddered at what this stuffed animal would look like after it had gone through Herbie’s system. Gross! Just too gross!
Crisis averted, she headed back into the kitchen. “Okay, I’m going to make dinner. Can you two keep Herbie occupied?”
Halley looked at her mother. “I was reading when he took my bunny.”
“Well, maybe Herbie was upset that you weren’t reading to him,” she suggested.
Halley considered that possibility, then ran to get her book, which was really just a picture book since Halley could only read a few words. She sat down next to Herbie and leaned against him, “reading” her book aloud for him. For his part, the dog curled around her, nuzzling
