Her Charming Heartbreaker Read Online Free PDF Page B

if
anybody asks why I’m still single, I’ll pretend I have developed a
phobia about commitment.”
    The sisters looked at
each other and shrugged. “Or you can hold out for the fairy
tale.”
    Helena lifted her glass
in a toast. “That’s what I’m doing. I’ve already drawn up a list of
possible candidates. Doc Fisher is about to retire. I heard him say
his nephew is looking to set himself up in a country practice. I
wouldn’t mind catching myself a vet.”
    “Is that your way of
calling first dibs?”
    Helena grinned. “With
all things being fair and equal, we all stand a very good chance,
but there can only be one winner.”
    “Who needs reality
TV?”
    “Then there’s Luke
Sterling,” Helena continued.
    The sip Eddie took of
her champagne nearly went down the wrong way. “Good luck trying to
land him. Everybody knows Luke Sterling has a girl in Melbourne.
Why do you think he travels there every weekend?”
    Helena shrugged. “I’m
an optimist. He’s tied to the land. No way is he going to end up
with a city girl. It’s just a matter of time before he comes to his
senses. But we’re not here to talk about me.”
    “That’s right, we’re
here to decide how Sophie is going to have her hair done and what
color nail polish to wear on the day.”
    “Nice try.” Helena
refilled their glasses. “We need to put our heads together and come
up with a plan to get you together with Theo Kendrick. You have a
good foundation—”
    “How do you figure
that?”
    “He’s staying at the
pub. That’s a start and an advantage over any other woman. Not that
I would consider putting him on my list of prospective
husbands.”
    “I’m glad we cleared
that up.”
    “Please try to take
this seriously, otherwise you’ll be going to the wedding with one
of our cousins and we like you too much to let that happen.”
    “I think I’ve drunk too
much champagne. I’m sure I said Theo Kendrick is only passing
through and that I’m not interested in a fling.”
    “Okay. If you’re not
game, then that clears the way for me,” Helena said and lifted her
glass in a salute. “How do you feel about that?”
    Eddie refused to
answer. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
     
    * * *
     
    Claire Muldoon slammed
her hands on the driver’s door of Theo’s convertible and did a
convincing job of staring him down.
    “Why are you following
me?”
    Up close, he had
trouble believing she was in her mid forties. She had high
cheekbones, glowing skin. Rich brown locks fell to her shoulders in
a fun, flirty style. Her eyes were large green gems... shooting off
sparks at him. “It’s not what it looks like.”
    Her expression shifted
from angry to surprised. “You’re not from around here.”
    “I suppose my accent is
a dead giveaway,” he chuckled. “I’ve been trying to get in touch
with you, to let you know... to ask if you’d be prepared to meet
with me. There’s something I need to discuss with you. Jon
Kendrick—”
    Claire Muldoon pushed
away from the car as if jolted by an electric shock, took a step
back, and lifted a warning finger. “You need to stay away from
me.”
     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    Theo pressed the phone
to his ear and listened to the update on his father’s
condition.
    Significant
improvement. On the mend. Asking about you. No longer
critical…
    He frowned. When he’d
left L.A. a few days before, his father had been in a bad way but
not critical. He wrapped up the call and brushing his hand across
his face, he remembered how his father had taken hold of his wrist,
not letting go until Theo promised to do everything he could to
find Claire Muldoon.
Find her and bring her back...
    So if he was off the
danger list now, it meant he hadn’t been entirely in the clear when
he’d forced the promise out of him. It made Theo wonder about his
father’s frame of mind. Desperate and anxious, but still cunning
enough to coerce the doctor into backing him up with a misleading
prognosis so that Theo