Finding Forever with the Single Dad by Becky Wicks

Author:Becky Wicks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-06-09T13:51:31+00:00

* * *

‘I got the results of Constance’s colonoscopy!’

Lucie burst past him with bulging bags of shopping the second he opened the door. She dropped them to the counter so hard that three oranges rolled out, and then turned to him, holding out her phone.

‘AJ, Jetson was right. Look.’

Mind reeling, he took the phone from her, studied the report and scans.

‘The tumour is tiny...in the lining of the bowel. Treatable with surgery, of course. It hasn’t spread...’ She tailed off.

He didn’t know what to say. She didn’t give him the chance to speak—she just threw her arms around him.

He hugged her back, stunned into silence, still trying to get his head around the news. Jetson had picked up on this cancer before they had. This was huge. They could analyse the chemical compounds in the cancer he’d sniffed out and put another piece of the puzzle together.

‘This is massive, AJ.’ Lucie still held his shoulders, elated. ‘Your dog is so smart. And you are amazing for training him.’

Her eyes were shining with pride and awe and, caught in the moment, he almost kissed her. Almost.

Quickly, he stepped back—just as she did the same, flushing.

He helped her unpack the shopping, discussing with her what this meant for Constance, for his research. They were both so excited he almost forgot that things had been so tense between them before.

Four hours later, Lucie was still there. She and the kids were deep into a programme on the mysteries of Ancient Egypt—Josiah’s new fascination—and Ruby had painted Lucie’s nails. If it wasn’t for the occasional sneeze and foghorn blow into a tissue, he might have assumed no one was sick at all...

‘Daddy, can Lucie sleep over?’ Ruby asked from the sofa cushions, where she was huddled against Lucie. Josiah, on her other side, was lost in a book.

Lucie bit back a smile. ‘I don’t think so, sweetie. You need to get better.’

‘And you don’t want to make Lucie sick too, do you?’ Austin followed up from the adjacent armchair, even while his chest hollowed out.

It was late already—gone seven p.m.—but the twins were clinging on to Lucie like glue, and he had been able to do a few things around the house that he’d been planning to do, thanks to her looking out for them.

If he was planning to sell the house he’d have a lot more to do, he thought as his insides twisted.

When Josiah started yawning he stood, ordering them both up the stairs. They protested, of course, but Lucie offered to read from his favourite book about Egypt.

Austin shot her a questioning look as he scooped Ruby up in his arms, and she shrugged. ‘I like Egypt,’ she offered. ‘I got stuck in a pyramid once, in Cairo. They almost closed it up with me inside it...like a mummy.’

‘Are you going to be our mummy?’ Ruby interjected sleepily.

Austin froze. Lucie’s face flushed red.

‘That’s not what she meant, honey,’ he said quickly, motioning Josiah to follow him up the stairs—but not before catching the look in Lucie’s eyes.

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