Kids Included! by Caroline Anderson

Author:Caroline Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

IT WAS amazing, Molly thought, how often she seemed to make too many chicken tikka salad and egg and cress sandwiches once she knew they were Jack’s favourites!

She dropped them off at lunchtime two or three times a week, and usually ended up staying for lunch with him. It messed up her scheduling, and she found herself shopping more on the other days and occasionally running out of ingredients because she’d left her brain behind or been in too much of a hurry in the supermarket.

Nicky grew attached to her, and she found the little girl quite irresistible. She’d always adored young children and had planned to have more, but David had soon put paid to that idea. So she was happy to entertain Nicky over lunch while Jack sat slumped in the corner of the sofa and looked exhausted.

‘You’re burning the candle at both ends, aren’t you?’ she said to him one day, eyeing him in concern.

‘Just trying to fit it all in. My editor’s getting nervous about the deadline.’

‘And you? Are you getting nervous?’

He closed his eyes and laughed without humour. ‘Oh, yes. Oh, Lord, yes. It just seems to have a mind of its own.’

She smiled encouragingly. ‘You’ll get done. Let me know if I can help.’

‘I will.’

‘I’ll go now, to let you get on. Nicky’s looking sleepy.’

He snorted. ‘It won’t last long enough for a nap—it never does, these days. The afternoons are a bit of a disaster, really, aren’t they, darling?’

‘Afternoons a ’zaster,’ Nicky said with a grin, swarming onto his lap. ‘Nicky’s a pest.’

He laughed and hugged her. ‘I love you, though.’

‘Love you,’ she chirruped. She gave him a smacking kiss on the lips and he ruffled her hair and chuckled.

Molly stood up, swallowing the lump in her throat. What she wouldn’t give to be part of this family, but the thought of six children was too hideous to contemplate. Anyway, he hadn’t asked her.

‘Must go. See you soon,’ she promised, and let herself out hastily, driving away without looking back.

Till the end. He was standing by the door, Nicky in his arms, one hand raised in farewell.

Oh, blast.

Jack knew it was stupid. It was probably the stupidest thing he’d done in ages, but he missed her. She hadn’t been round with sandwiches for over a week, and he told himself it was natural concern.

‘So ring her,’ he muttered, but that wasn’t what he wanted. He knew where she shopped, he’d seen the bags, heard her talk about it. He knew her schedule, and so, with military precision, he arranged for Nicky to stay longer at the childminder’s, set off so that he arrived before Molly, and lay in wait in the coffee shop, watching the car park entrance with eyes like a hawk.

She came in, on time and looking tired and defeated, and he gave her five minutes, grabbed a basket and started cruising up and down the aisles.

One aisle caught his eye, and amongst the few bogus purchases he’d made, he threw in something totally unscheduled.

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