The Single Dad's Marriage Wish (Bachelor Dads) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Clearly he was about to tell her to cancel it but the seal and signature on the death warrant was momentarily halted by a delighted squeal of recognition from Bailey as, nappy bag completely empty, he’d looked for the next distraction and, catching sight of Charlotte in the hall for the first time since he’d come home, he actually looked at her, so excited to see her he didn’t even stand, just scrambled along the hallway in a curious impersonation of a crawl and held out his arms to be picked up.
    ‘He seems to like you.’
    ‘Why wouldn’t he?’ Charlotte answered, scooping him up, ‘I’m friendly, house-trained…’
    ‘Look,’ Hamish broke in irritably, ‘I’m sure you’re great, but this simply can’t work. People will think that…’ Hazel eyes held hers as his voice trailed off but Charlotte stared boldly back.
    ‘That were having a steamy, torrid affair?’Now, that really was Cassie speaking, but when she was rewarded with the tiniest of tiny smiles, Charlotte was brave enough to continue in her own voice. ‘I know it must be horribly awkward for you. I’m sure that since you lost your wife your personal life has been fodder for everyone you work with. However, I’m incredibly discreet.’ To that point he had appeared slightly mollified, but his questioning eyebrow prompted insistence. ‘I am discreet—I might chat about everything and nothing to anyone, but I would never talk about things that matter.’
    ‘Whether you do or not—Who the hell is that?’ His response was terminated as Charlotte’s faithful cat padded down the stairs behind her, mewing loudly and blinking with sleep-filled eyes, clearly bemused as to what all the fuss was about.
    ‘That’s Maisy.’ Charlottes smile was finally genuine. ‘He’s my kitten.’
    ‘That’s no kitten!’ Hamish stared in astonishment at the rather oversized feline. ‘It’s a bloody lion. It’s huge!’
    ‘He’s a ragdoll cat—and he hasn’t finished growing yet! My mum used to breed them—this one was the last of her last litter!’
    He did yet another double-take. ‘Isn’t Maisy a girl’s name?’
    “I thought he was a she—the name just sort of stuck.’
    ‘And I thought you just had two horses.’
    ‘One horse,’ Charlotte corrected, ‘and a pony. Fitz is the horse—Scottie’s the pony.’
    ‘Any other animal I should know about, apart from the horse and pony and the kitten with a gender identity crisis?’ His sarcasm was replaced with resignation as a dizzy cocker spaniel fled down the stairs.
    ‘Just Eric.’
    ‘Eric is a boy, I assume?’
    ‘Of course.’ Charlotte grinned. ‘Why on earth would I call a girl Eric?’ Her brave smile faded as he stared back at her then, almost imperceptibly, shook his head, and she knew what was coming, could see his mouth opening to deliver the words she so badly didn’t want to hear.
    ‘Maybe you should hold off on bringing down the horses….’ Hamish stood firm as her world again crumbled. ‘I’m not going to throw you out on the street or anything but…’
    ‘You just don’t want me getting too at home.’
    ‘Exactly.’
    ‘Could we have a trial period?’ She hated begging, hated it more than anything, but she literally had no choice. ‘Look, I need this to work.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Because I’m broke,’ Charlotte answered honestly. ‘Because—as you’ve seen—I’ve got a menagerie demanding that I provide them with a home, and I’m certainly not going to jeopardise that by telling anyone who cares to listen that you snore at night or don’t put the loo seat down.’
    The wariness, the coolness in those proud dark eyes diminished just a touch as Bailey squeezed the life out of her neck and attempted her name.
    ‘Dar-dot!’
    ‘You seem to have made a bit of hit there.’
    ‘So has Bailey,’ Charlotte said simply. ‘He’s adorable.’
    But Hamish wasn’t about to be forced into anything. Instead, after only the briefest of hesitations he walked