Free A Kiss for Cade by Lori Copeland Page A

going to attract a whole lot of men…with the exception of Fell and Perry Drake. If those two turn you down, you’re out of luck.”
    He watched her swell with indignation. She needed an explanation as to why he wouldn’t give the kids to her. This was as good as any—a lot better than the truth.
    Will ran back to them and thrust the frog in Cade’s face. “Uncle Cade, Uncle Cade, look! I caught him!”
    Taking a stumbling step back, Cade dodged the slimy offering. “Don’t stick that thing in my face.”
    “Put the frog back in the water,” Zoe ordered.
    The boy’s disappointed expression made Cade want to let him take the frog home with him, but instead he watched them take it to the water’s edge and give it its freedom.
    “How do you say no to them?” he asked.
    “You have a lot to learn about children.”
    Taking her by the shoulders, he forced her to look at him. “That’s why I intend to spend time with them. The kids and I are eating together tonight, either at Glori-Lee’s or your house. You decide.”
    Zoe pulled away and kicked the dirt. “They’re burnt to a crisp, half starved, and exhausted. What they need is a vinegar bath, supper, and bed.”
    Missy ran back and tugged at Zoe’s dress. “Please, we nevew eat at Glowi-Lee’s!”
    “I want to eat at the café,” Will joined in. “I’m not crisp or the other thing you said!”
    “We’re not ‘accosted,’” Holly blurted. Cade wanted to laugh at Holly’s mispronunciation, but he knew that if he so much as smiled, Zoe would slap him silly. “I want to eat with Uncle Cade at GloriLee’s too!”
    Cade’s gaze locked with Zoe’s. Get out of this one gracefully . “You’re outnumbered, Red, so you might as well join us.”
    She tossed her head. “That would be a waste of money. I have a perfectly good chicken waiting for me at home.”
    He glanced at the kids and grinned. “Come on. You prefer a chicken’s company to ours?” The kids burst into giggles. Zoe didn’t.
    “Before the meal’s over, a chicken’s company will look good, Cade Kolby. Have you ever eaten in public with four children?”
    “No, but eating’s eating, isn’t it?” He winked at the kids. “They’re big enough to feed themselves. What’s the problem?”
    “Fine,” she said. “Pick them up in an hour, and may I remind you again that my name is Zoe, not Red.”
    Her sudden acquiescence made him wary. His smile faded. “Why won’t you come with us?”
    “I have chores, thank you. Come along, children.”
    Zoe stalked off as the youngsters hung back, trailing behind her and waving shyly to him. Cade lifted a hand and waved back. How hard could feeding four children be?

 
     

Chapter Eleven

     
     
     
    R eeking of vinegar and smeared with baking soda paste, Cade marched his brood into Glori-Lee’s café a little past seven. The tiny, birdlike widow glanced up and sniffed the air.
    “Who tipped over the pickle barrel?”
    Cade took off his hat and held it in front of him. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Glori-Lee. You’re even better looking than when I left.”
    “You better believe it!”
    “You got a man yet?”
    “Been savin’ myself for you.”
    Cade laughed. “You surely can do better than me.”
    She kissed him on the cheek. “You’re too old for me anyway. I got my eye on one of the Pointer boys. He’s young enough to raise the way I want him.”
    “You’re a fickle woman, Glori-Lee.”
    Grinning, she motioned him to a large table near the front window. A vase of roses sat on a freshly ironed red-and-white checked tablecloth. The savory aroma of pot roast and baking bread drifted from the kitchen. A couple of the male diners smiled as the kids fought over chairs. The women gave Cade the cold shoulder, holding their napkins to their mouths as if they were protecting themselves from unsavory riffraff.
    The children took their seats, and Cade sat down at the head of the table, admiring his newly acquired family. Despite