The Christmas Baby Bump Read Online Free PDF Page A

you want to take me to lunch?”
    “Why not? You’re new in town, probably don’t know your way around…”
    His cell phone went off, saving her from answering him.
    “Cripes!” he said. “Hold on a sec.” He held up one finger and answered his phone.
    After a brief conversation, he hung up with a dejected look. “Evidently Robbie got pushed by another kid and skinned his knees.” He scratched his head, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. “He’s crying and asking for me, so…”
    “It’s a big job being a stand-in dad, isn’t it?”
    “You’re telling me. Hey, I have an idea, why don’t we have lunch tomorrow?”
    Swept up by the whole package that was Phil, including the part of fumbling stand-in dad, she answered without thinking. “Sure.”
    The next day, at noon, Stephanie found Phil standing at her door wearing another expression of chagrin. “I completely forgot we have a staff meeting today.”
    “Yeah, I just got the memo,” she said.
    “You should come. We’ve got some big decisions to make.”
    “I don’t have any authority here.”
    “Oh, trust me, on this topic your input is equally as important as any of ours.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “We have to decide how we’re going to decorate the yacht for the annual Christmas parade.”
    “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet!”
    “Big ideas take big planning. Besides, have you been by the Paseo? They’ve already put up a Christmas tree. Huge thing, too. I took Robbie to see it last night.”
    His deadpan expression and quirky news made her blurt a laugh. When was the last time she’d done that? “Well, seeing I’ve never been on a yacht, not to mention the fact that I suck at decorating, I can’t see how I’ll bring a lot to the table.”
    “Come anyway. You might enjoy it.”
    I might enjoy it. Wasn’t that the pep talk she’d given herself the other day? Be open to new things? Start acting alive again?
    “It’s a free lunch,” he enticed with lowered sunbleached brows.
    “I’ll think about it.”
    “If you change your mind, we’ll be in the lounge in ten minutes.”
    “Okay.”
    His smile started at those shocking blue eyes, traveled down to his enticing mouth and wound up looking suspiciously like victory. The guy was one smooth operator.
    After he left, Stephanie surprised herself further when she brushed her hair, plumped and puffed it into submission, then put on a new coat of lip gloss before heading to the back of the building for the meeting. She stopped at the double doors, fighting back the nervous wave waiting to pounce. The place was abuzz with activity. Claire called out various types of sandwiches she had stored in a huge shopping bag, and when someone claimed one, she tossed the securely wrapped package atthem. One of the nurses passed out canned sodas or bottled water. Another gave a choice of fruit or cookie.
    “I’ll take both,” she heard Phil say just before he noticed her at the door. “Hey, I saved you a seat.” He patted the chair next to him. “What kind of sandwich do you want?”
    “Turkey?”
    “We need a turkey over here,” he called to Claire.
    Stephanie ducked as the lunch missile almost hit her head before she could sit. A smile worked its way from one side of her mouth to the other. These people might be crazy, but they were fun.
    “Sorry!” Claire called out.
    “No problem.” She had to admit that she kind of liked this friendly chaos. It was distracting, and that was always a good thing. When her gaze settled on Phil, he was already watching her, a smile very similar to the one she’d seen in her office lingering on his lips.
    “I’m glad you decided to come.”
    If he was a player, she got the distinct impression he was circling her. How in the world should she feel about that? Lunch was one thing, but what if he asked her out? Hearing how he struggled with Robbie had shown her another side of him. This guy had a heart beneath all that puffed-up male plumage,