A Very Special Delivery Read Online Free PDF Page B

scar over his eyebrow, Ethan turned to her. “I hope we didn’t disturb you.”
    Stretching, she asked, “What time is it? I thought we’d all sleep half the day.”
    “A little after nine.” With a wry grin he nodded at the baby cradled in one elbow. “She shows me no mercy. We’ve been up since six.”
    “Six!” She recoiled in mock horror. “That’s obscene.”
    He laughed. “I try to tell her that, but she’s a female. Has a mind of her own.” Balancing the bottle with his chin, he said, “I hope you don’t mind that I came inside. I didn’t want to disturb you, but Laney insisted on breakfast.”
    “I told you last night to come in if you needed anything.”
    He nudged his chin toward the coffeemaker. “I made coffee. Care for a cup?”
    With a mock groan, she said, “Ethan, you are my hero.”
    She’d made the joke without thinking, but she was right. He was a hero. “You sit down and take care of Laney, I’ll get my own coffee. And once I’m fully conscious I’ll make breakfast.”
    Settling onto one of Aunt Patsy’s old chrome-backed chairs with decided grace considering he held a baby with one hand and a bottle in the other, Ethan said, “You don’t need to do that. The coffee is enough.”
    She leaned against the butcher-block counter and poured a cup of the fragrant brew. With the first sip, she sighed with pleasure and said, “People have to eat.”
    Serious blue eyes captured hers. “How much do I owe you for all this? The food, the babysitting, the hotel room.”
    “Don’t insult me with money. People help people. This was the right thing to do.” Placing her mug on the counter with a thud, she opened the refrigerator and removed eggs and milk. The sooner he was fed, the sooner he’d be gone. “Will pancakes do?”
    “Pancakes sound awesome.” He lifted the baby onto one shoulder and patted her back.
    Milk in one hand, eggs in the other, Molly stared at the sweet picture of father and daughter. Ethan stopped patting, and Molly realized he was watching her, curiosity in his gaze.
    She whirled back to the counter, dumped flour and sugar into a bowl, cracked two eggs, and stirred in enough milk to make a nice batter. All the while, she felt Ethan’s eyes boring into her back.
    “Have you checked the weather outside yet?” she asked when she could bear the silence no longer.
    “The sleet has stopped and the wind isn’t as stiff, but snow started falling right after I got up. Snow will be treacherous on top of this layer of ice.”
    “I haven’t seen a storm this bad in several years.”
    She set the cast-iron skillet on the stove and in minutes, the sizzle and scent of hot pancakes filled the kitchen.
    “I ran into a storm like this a few years ago when I was still flying. Grounded us for nearly twenty-four hours.”
    Molly turned, surprised and intrigued. “You’re a pilot?”
    “Was. I piloted medi-flight helicopters out of Tulsa.”
    She paused, spatula in the air, and frowned in thought. “Are those the medical helicopters that carry emergency patients to big hospitals?”
    He tipped his head in agreement. “You know your helicopters.”
    “Hey, I watch reality TV, too,” she teased. “You guys are amazing. Did you like it?”
    An odd expression came and went on Ethan’s handsome face, but he teased in return. “Reality TV? Or flying?”
    It was impossible not to like Ethan Hunter. “Flying, silly.”
    “Flying’s the best. I love it.”
    “Now I see why the company sent you to deliver Chester’s medication.” Turning to flip the pancakes, she spoke over one shoulder. “If you love flying so much, why did you stop?”
    He hitched his chin toward the baby asleep on his shoulder. “Laney. The hours were too erratic for a single dad.”
    Though she wanted to know, Molly didn’t think this was a good time to ask about Laney’s mother. From his reaction last night the subject was taboo.
    She set a plate of steaming pancakes on the table in front of him