Bachelor Dad, Girl Next Door by Sharon Archer

Author:Sharon Archer [Archer, Sharon ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin

CHAPTER SEVEN

LUKE pushed open his car door and stood listening to the high pitched howl of hard-working motorcycle engines.

He was escaping. Just for the day.

At his mother’s behest, he’d left Allie with her for a girls’ day out. Shopping. His daughter was really excited about it. He smiled wryly, hard pressed to think of anything he’d like to do less.

He was also escaping from the lure of Terri. She had the day off but he had no good excuse to invade his colleague’s off-duty hours. Other than the fact that he wanted to.

With Allie gone for the day, he couldn’t casually suggest a walk on the beach…via Terri’s cottage on the off chance that she was around. Having her so close, at the bottom of the garden, was a refined form of torture.

He sighed. Rather than hang around home testing his self-discipline, he was going to face a personal demon. He’d loved hanging out at the racetrack with his cousin Kevin, and Terri’s brother Ryan. He hadn’t been back since Kevin’s accident.

Hadn’t been on a bike either. But that was something to tackle another day…perhaps. For now, being here was an accomplishment.

He’d talk to Mick Butler while he was here, too. An informal follow-up after the diabetic episode. He smiled wryly. Maybe he would earn himself some Brownie points with Terri.

He walked through the tunnel under the track to the pit area and watched the speeding bikes for a few moments. Just an initial tightening in his chest, he noted dispassionately. Nothing unmanageable.

He took a deep breath and looked at the people standing trackside. His lips curved when he spotted a familiar profile. Terri’s uncle.

‘G’day, Mick!’

The man turned. ‘Luke Daniels!’

Their palms smacked together as they used the handshake to draw into a quick, hard embrace of uncomplicated masculine friendship.

Mick stood back, his wide smile and dark eyes familiar and uncannily like Terri’s. ‘About time you showed your face around here!’

‘Yeah, I know.’ Luke shrugged. ‘Time gets away. You know how it is.’

‘I know.’ Mick patted his arm, the gesture awkward but the emotion behind it genuine. ‘I was sorry to hear about Sue-Ellen. She was a bonzer girl.’

Luke nodded. ‘Yes, she was. Thanks. I got your card.’

‘How’s that gorgeous daughter of yours?’

‘Giving me grey hairs.’ Luke smiled.

‘It gets worse.’ Mick chuckled. ‘I remember when my girls—’

He was interrupted by loud whoops and clapping from the men nearest them. Mick’s head whipped back to the course.

‘She’s just taken Russ,’ called one of the appreciative audience. ‘Boy, he’s going to be dirty about that.’

‘She?’ A corkscrew of unease twisted through Luke’s gut. No, it couldn’t be…could it?

‘Terri.’ Mick craned his neck, following the action. ‘She’s on the yellow Honda.’

Luke’s heart leapt into his throat. His eyes followed the motorcycle as it tipped into another sweeping bend in a blur of red leather and yellow bike.

‘That’s Terri?’

Terri! Oh, God.

Desire and fear congealed into a solid lump of cold ice in his gut.

Leaning, leaning…Surely the bike must slide from under her. That long crouching form would be thrown, fragile bones crushed, gentle curves mutilated.

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