Page 90 of Fierce-Michael

“Not a lot to say,” Cade said. “I just found out but have been busy with a baby at home. We decided to tell you so that you could leave them alone.”

“We?” she asked. “Everyone has known?”

Jolene expected her children in this building. She’d seen them all behind the bar watching her reaction. “Those in the Brewery too?”

“A few,” Cade said.

She scrunched her nose. “Does your father know?”

“No,” Cade said. “I haven’t said anything to him. You know he doesn’t get too involved in these things.”

“Your father loves doing this,” she argued.

“He humors you,” Ella said. “Now that immediate family is all matched up, he’s hands off and just keeping you in line.”

“And this time I’m keeping you in line,” Cade said.

“Like you think you can handle me,” she said, laughing. “I’ll just toss you in the car and take you for a ride.”

Ella snorted. “I think you’d have a hard time throwing him in the car.”

“I’ll feed the kids prunes when he’s got them and they will need help wiping or he has to do dirty laundry with leftover skid marks. I know lots of ways to get back at Cade. He’s easy.”

“She has you there,” Ella said.

Cade was almost gagging at the thought and Jolene wanted to pat herself on the back for that one.

“Listen,” Cade said. “Let them go. Michael isn’t interested in your games. He hasn’t dated anyone since Ty was born. For him to consider dating someone is a big step. He moves slowly, and if you push, you might push him away. I’m not going to deal with it. I’m not joking here either.”

Jolene looked at her son and saw he was serious. “So you wanted me to know that you found out first and that you’re being protective of Alex’s cousin? Or is it of Kelly?”

“Both,” Cade said. “But Michael. He’s a great guy who was dealt a hard hand. He doesn’t need any more crap in his life.”

She sputtered. “Crap? I’m just having fun. Everyone knows it. He was yanking my chain down there. You all saw it.”

She was hedging her bet on that since Michael had to be in on what happened today.

“He might have been,” Ella said. “But I’m with Cade. Let them be for now. Find someone else to work on.”

She wasn’t sure who that would be. “We’ll see,” she said. “What time does Kelly’s lunch end?”

“No,” Ella and Cade said at once.

“What?” she asked innocently. “You said to leave Michael alone, not Kelly. Kelly is a good sport. She asked me to set her up, you all know that.”

“She did but did this on her own,” Ella said. “Don’t get in the middle of this. At least not yet. Make a promise or I’m telling Dad.”

Her lips were twisting around. Gavin would lecture her and sometimes that was worse because, as much fun as it was, it wasn’t when her husband let her know not everyone enjoyed her matchmaking.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll give them space...for now. But you can keep me in the loop, right?”

“If there is anything to report,” Ella said. “There isn’t. They are dating. End of story.”

“I think there is more to it, but I’ll let it go for now. I can follow instructions.”

“Only with the threat of Dad looming over you,” Cade said. “I’ll walk you down to the kitchen and out the door.”

So much for trying to sneak back into the pub. Her kids did know her well.