“I think all of you should leave your father alone,” she protested to the others, a twinkle in her blue eyes. “He obviously doesn’t require your meddling in order to have a social life.”

All three of his sons hooted. “Meddling?” Luke said to his wife. “You call this meddling? This is child’s play compared to what he put all of us through. You and me included, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“I still think you should leave him alone,” Jessie repeated firmly.

“Thank you,” Harlan said. “But I think you’re wasting your breath with this band of hooligans.”

“I still have a little influence with one of them,” she said, shooting a pointed look at Luke, who was seated on her other side.

“Right,” Jordan said. “And I suppose those bags you toted upstairs a little while ago don’t indicate that you and Lucas intend to stay right here until morning, just so you can catch a glimpse of Janet Runningbear and her daughter. I’d be happy to describe her, if you’d like to turn right around and go back home. Tall, slender, mid-thirties, long black hair. Is that what you were wondering about?”

“It’s a start,” Luke confirmed.

This was definitely a turn of events Harlan hadn’t counted on. Janet was skittish enough around him without having to face his whole darn family. He scowled at Luke. “You’re staying?”

“Just till dawn,” he said with a grin. “I’d hate to make that long drive back tonight. I might fall asleep at the wheel. Besides, you don’t get to see nearly enough of Angela. She misses her granddaddy. Isn’t that right, sweet pea?”

The toddler dutifully scrambled off her chair and ran around to be picked up so she could deliver sticky kisses to Harlan’s face. “Miss you, grandda,” she asserted enthusiastically.

“Did you coach her to do that, just so I wouldn’t toss you out on your ear?” Harlan grumbled.

Jordan glanced across the table at his wife. “Maybe we should stick around, too. What do you think?”

“I think Luke is perfectly capable of tormenting your father without any help from you,” Kelly retorted.

“Thank you,” Harlan said to her.

“But I want to stay,” Dani protested. The seven-year-old’s expression turned wily. “I can help baby-sit Angela. Aunt Jessie says I’m really, really good.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, the whole darn lot of you might as well move back in,” Harlan declared.

“Don’t tempt us, Daddy,” Luke advised. “We just might do it, at least until we see where things between you and Janet Runningbear are heading. By the way, have you been locking up all the cars now that her daughter’s around here all the time?”