The Badge and the Baby by Alison Kent

Author:Alison Kent
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

HOW A TEN-MONTH-OLD managed to get dirt in every crease of skin from head to toe, Joel would never understand. But somehow Scout had succeeded.

Standing in front of his linen closet, he bounced her on one hip in an attempt to keep her awake long enough for a bath and a bottle.

It had been a long day for all of them.

He’d walked into Jen’s backyard and found Shadow with no food and no water. The dog had been lying in a hole freshly dug beneath the cedar privacy fence in an apparent attempt to escape starvation and solitary confinement

With a vow to return for a piece of Howie Jr.’s irresponsible teenage hide, Joel had loaded the muddy retriever into the bed of the pickup. Willa walked out of Jen’s house minutes later and, after fastening the baby securely in her car seat, had calmed the excited dog and suggested they skip their planned lunch stop and make a beeline for home.

Leigh had been vocally adamant about getting her hands on her pet, straining around in her seat to see out the cab’s rear window and making the drive an experience Joel would just as soon not repeat. Once they arrived at Willa’s place, he’d finally given in, figuring at the worst he’d have to reimburse Jen for a ruined pair of red Winnie-The-Pooh pajamas.

After a quick lunch, he and Scout had spent the rest of the afternoon at the kennels with Willa where all five dogs received her attention. Joel had pitched in, cleaning the pens while Willa made quick work of baths and grooming. The hours gave him a firsthand taste of the exhausting pace her profession required as well as the exacting performance she required of herself.

Leigh had watched from the sidelines, in her Exersaucer, clapping her hands and calling out to the dogs as each was put through its routine. But afternoon had become evening and, though Joel had fed lunch to the munchkin, she became cranky with hunger and the need to sleep.

He hadn’t wanted to come home. Not because his seduction was progressing and he hated to leave, but because he enjoyed Willa’s company.

He had a responsibility to his niece and his sister, however. So, he’d have to be satisfied knowing he’d see Willa tomorrow. And he’d make it a point to do so.

Scout snuggled her sleepy head into his neck. Smiling, he dropped a kiss on her cheek. He loved this baby. He couldn’t imagine loving one of his own more than he did this child of his sister’s.

His family was a bachelor’s dream. They offered loving support—even in his decision to live his life alone. Because of that, in fact, they were there for him probably more than they would’ve been if he had a wife to come home to each night.

He spent a lot of his days off with his dad. They fished. They golfed. Recently, they’d even begun rebuilding a short-block Chevy engine. Joel enjoyed those times. It gave him a chance to talk, really talk, with his father.

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