Page 161 of Falling for the Grumpiest Protector

"You have no idea." Atlas finally gets up and comes over for his share of the attention. A minute later, Diego is crouched in the grass with Noah, Ranger, and Atlas.

I stand beside Maddy and watch. "How are you?" she asks.

I let out a breath. "I don't know." She nods. I look toward Diego. "He found a problem with our irrigation system in about thirty seconds."

Maddy smiles. "Already making himself useful."

"Apparently." Her shoulder brushes mine. She doesn't ask anything else. I'm grateful. After a moment, she squeezes my hand. "I should get back." I lift it and kiss the back of it.

"Thank you." Her expression softens. Then she heads toward the food tents.

The afternoon passes in pieces. Diego meets Atlas properly after Ranger stops monopolizing him. Jack tells him an embarrassing story about me that gets worse every time Jack tells it. Noah convinces him to help choose a smaller pumpkin to take home. At some point, Diego ends up carrying folding tables with Luis as the festival begins winding down.

I watch from across the field. Nate is explaining something about the greenhouse to an older couple. Eric is showing a family the wooden planters from the workshop. Cole is laughing with people near the food tent. Diego fits into the movement of the place more easily than I expected. Quiet at first, then easier.

Diana told me that.

Quiet until he trusts you.

He's like you, Javier. Very much like you.

I couldn't see it when she said it. Now I catch pieces.

Jack comes to stand beside me. "You going to keep staring at him all day?"

"Probably." Jack nods like that's exactly the answer he expected. We watch Diego and Luis stack the last table. "He's a good kid," Jack says.

I glance at him. "You've known him three hours."

"Still true."

Yeah. It is. Diego looks over and catches us watching. He shakes his head. Jack waves. I smile. Diego smiles back.

The last visitors leave just before five. Helen takes Noah home after he finally runs out of energy. Maddy helps Emma pack the remaining dog supplies. Diego stands beside me near the parking area, hands back in his jacket pockets. For the first time since he arrived, there's nowhere we need to be. The silence between us isn't comfortable yet, but it isn't unbearable either.

"You could come by the cottage later," I say. "Stay for dinner."

He hesitates. "I actually have plans tonight. Some friends of mine live about twenty minutes from here."

I didn't know he had friends near Oakridge. Another thing I didn't know. "Okay."

"I haven't seen them in a while. I told them I'd meet up if I made it out here."

"If?"

He gives me a sheepish look. "I wasn't completely sure I'd get out of the car."

I understand that. "You staying with them?"

"No. I got a hotel near there."

"You don't need a hotel. I've got plenty of room at the cottage."

Something moves across his face. "Thanks. Really. I already paid for the room, though."

"Okay."

"But I thought maybe we could get breakfast tomorrow."