Dating the Guy Next Door Read Online Free PDF Page A

face-painting clown just being the latest in a long line of schemes. She knew her friend meant well, and she did agree that little Lucille was absolutely adorable. But no matter how much time she spent with the small child, Kate knew it wouldn’t make any difference to how she felt.
    She wouldn’t be changing her mind.
    She stiffened as the memories of her six-month-old baby brother, Andy, flooded her mind. She’d only been twelve when he’d died and while it had all happened a long time ago, the pain of waking up to a life without his fat, chubby limbs and gurgling smile had never gone away.
    â€œBesides,” Jenny cut in, obviously mistaking Kate’s panic for something else. “Lucille specifically asked for you. You wouldn’t want to let her down, would you?”
    Kate listened to the wheedling tone in her friend’s voice and knew that once again she’d lost. “I’m still not sure . . .”
    â€œExcellent.” Jenny swooped in like a buzzard to road kill. “You won’t regret it.”
    But Kate was already feeling a familiar lurch in her stomach as she watched Jenny head out the café door. Being around babies and small children was tough, but the thought of letting them down was even tougher.
    Still, the party wasn’t for a few more weeks, so she did what she’d always done. She pushed it to the back of her mind. After all, if it worked for ostriches, it could work for her. Then she quickly finished her muffin before reluctantly retrieving her bag and heading for her old van.
    It seemed to take ages to find her keys, and then there were the problems with readjusting her rearview mirror to her satisfaction. But finally she started the engine. As she turned left, the Space Needle seemed to be peering down at her, as if curious to why she was stalling. She was curious as well.
    After all, she had things to do. A million billion things to do. But they all seemed a little bit daunting when there was an Adonis sitting in the back of her studio.
    Because the truth was that Matt Hunter made her stomach do flip-flops, and right now she had no idea how to deal with them. She squashed the small voice at the back of her head, which demanded to know why she had to deal with it at all.
    Besides, it wasn’t really so unusual that she should be attracted to a man. She had been in the past, and no doubt she would be in the future. The point was there was nothing wrong with a harmless attraction because it wasn’t like anything was going to come of it. Regardless of what Jenny said, Kate knew better and she simply wouldn’t allow it.
    She’d worn that jacket once before and decided that she didn’t like the fit.
    When she’d fallen for Harry she’d been caught up in the heady whirlwind of her emotions and they’d been married within weeks of meeting each other. It had seemed so perfect, helped along by the fact that Harry had sworn that he didn’twant children either. And yet within six months of saying their vows, he’d left her for someone else. Someone else who was pregnant with his child. Which was why she’d promised to never again fall for a man who made her pulse race in such a giddy way in case she ended up right back where she started from. Alone and heartbroken
    Exhilarating relationships were for people who wanted to have it all. But that wasn’t her. She knew what she wanted and, more important, what she didn’t want, which meant that the best solution would be for her to say thank you to Matt for helping her out with Bernie, give him the bagel and then make sure that she never saw him again.
    ***
    â€œHow did it go?” Matt looked up as soon as Kate walked into the gallery. Her stomach immediately reacted with a fluttering sensation. Then she blinked as she looked around the gallery. Something was different. “Did you get to the framer in time?”
    â€œI did.” Kate dragged her