Family Ties. Bonnie K. Winn

giving both girls a hug, then putting them back down.

      “We have to let Daddy go practice,” Cindy explained.

      “Me play, too,” Beth demanded.

      “No,” Cindy told her firmly. “This is Daddy’s day.”

      “She could walk to the field with me for a few minutes,” Flynn replied.

      Cindy wanted to thump him. And he thought she was spoiling them? “I spent quite a bit of time explaining to the girls that this is a grown-up game, that little girls don’t get to play.”

      “I didn’t intend to let her play.”

      “No, but I’ll spend the entire time keeping her off the field if you take her out there.”

      “That’s an exaggeration,” Flynn replied.

      Tom cleared his throat. “I’d better get back to the practice.” He held up the cooler. “I’ll put this on the bleachers.”

      “Thanks,” Cindy replied, wondering why Flynn was scowling as though he had ants in his shoes.

      “Sure,” Tom replied, walking away quickly.

      “What’s with you?” Cindy asked.

      Flynn’s scowl didn’t lighten. “Problem?”

      “You just chased away one of the nicest people here. Some special reason why?”

      “You tell me.”

      Puzzled, Cindy grasped Alice’s hand a little tighter. “So, are we going to grapple over taking the girls on the field?”

      He looked at her for a long moment. “No, I don’t guess we will.”

      Then his gaze shifted toward Tom. “Nothing to argue about at all.”

      Confused, Cindy stared after him as he stalked on to the field. And for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t taken to Tom.

      “Men,” she muttered.

      “Men?” Beth asked.

      “Yes, sweetie. We’ll talk more about them when you’re older. For now we’ll stick to Cinderella and Prince Charming.”

      Mandy drew her brows together. “Like Daddy?”

      Yep. However, Cindy was the only girl in the world whose glass slipper wouldn’t fit. At least not for Prince Flynn.