A Home for Haley Read Online Free PDF

the minute.” She
promptly marched out the front door, looking forward to this next adventure.
     
    ****
     
     “Grab on right here, little
buddy.” Keeping a grip of the fishing pole that he’d given Ryan, Ethan motioned
Haley over. “I don’t think he can hold this himself.” Ryan shot him a ferocious
scowl. “Fine,” Ethan said, letting go of the fishing rod. It dropped about six
inches and Ryan struggled to keep his grip on it.
    Haley tried in vain to hide her
smile as she reached out to help him. Frowning at her, Ryan moved away and
grasped the rod so hard his arms shook. “You’re doing good, Ryan.” Haley bit
her cheeks to keep from laughing. “Let me know if you want me to help.”
    Ethan grinned at the exchange.
Haley was a good mother, loving and caring but not overly-protective. He liked
that about her. Another reason to be glad he’d hired her.
    Kayla handed him a hook, and he
expertly skewered a worm onto it. Haley made a sound of disgust and pressed a
hand against her stomach. He held in a chuckle.
    “Need help casting?” Ethan asked
Kayla, dropping the baited hook.
    She shook her head and cast out,
stumbling a little as she did. Ethan turned to Haley and rolled his eyes.
“Independent aren’t they?” She nodded. “Want to pick your worm?” He raised the
bucket up to her.
    She wrinkled her nose. “Is one
tastier than the other?”
    “Doubt it, but one might wiggle
more than the other.”
    She wrapped her arms around her
waist. “If someone poked me about a million times I’d wiggle too.”
    Their eyes locked and Haley looked
away, her face flushed.
    Ethan couldn’t keep his gaze from
coasting quickly over her. Stifling a groan, he picked up a fat, wiggly worm
and handed it to her. The face she made had him grinning as he handed her the
fishing hook.
    Still grimacing, she ran the hook
through the top part of the worm. Goose bumps cascaded over her arms and neck.
    “Want me to do it?” he offered,
impressed she was going through with this.
    “And be the only one here who needs
help? I don’t think so.”
    The woman was a lot tougher than
she looked. “The kids are just proving their independence. You’re past that
stage, right?” he teased.
    “Unfortunately, independence has
been my middle name these last few years.”
    Admiration for her courage seeped
through him. “Here.” He reached over and expertly threaded the rest of the
worm.
    She started to protest, then shut
her mouth. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
    “No problem. Ever cast a fishing
line before?” She shook her head. “I’ll teach you.” He handed her the fishing
rod and stood beside her, wrapping his hands around hers. Her skin was silky
smooth, and he could imagine only too vividly how soft and smooth she was in
other places. “Stay loose and let me move your arms,” he said, reining in his
vivid fantasy.
    He pulled back, then arched their
arms forward. Haley stiffened and the line fell into the water only a few feet
out. “You have to stay loose. Here, let’s try it another way.” He stepped
behind her and wrapped his arms around her, taking hold of the rod again. “Stay
loose,” he instructed as he pulled their arms back and flicked the line forward.
This time the lure swung far out onto the water.
    As he eased out the line, his body
pressed slightly against her backside. He responded instantly and jerked back
like he’d been jabbed with a hot poker. “If you get a tug, let me know,” he
muttered, stepping away and baiting his own hook with hands that weren’t quite
steady.
    He tried to ignore Haley but he
could see her long, smooth legs out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn’t
seem to stop fantasizing about those legs. Damn. She was so off limits. She was
an employee, and she was married for God sakes. Probably to a dead man, but she
didn’t know that. He wondered how much digging it would take to uncover the
truth about Dale Donahue. He had a few friends in high places. Maybe he’d