Captivated By The Single Dad. Barbara Hannay

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      ‘But won’t they expect you to do it?’ he asked.

      His obvious nervousness puzzled Holly. Perhaps Anna’s tears at dinner had upset him more than she’d realised. She tried to reassure him. ‘Anna and Josh will love it if you read to them tonight.’

      When Gray still looked worried, she added, ‘They need to get used to small changes, and this would be a good first step.’

      He swallowed uncomfortably. ‘I guess.’

      ‘Their favourite books are stacked on the nightstand.’

      ‘Okay.’

      As he left the kitchen, heading for the children’s room, Holly saw a deep red tide that was not sunburn staining the back of his neck. The sight of it caused an ache right in the centre of her chest. Was he nervous about being alone with his children? Was he afraid Anna would cry again? Should she have offered to be there, too?

      She almost called out to him, but there was something about the resolute straightness of his shoulders and the purposeful length of his stride that stopped her. He was like a soldier marching off to war. No, she was being fanciful.

      And in the end everything was fine.

      While Holly cleared the table and stacked the dishwasher, she could hear the deep masculine rumble of Gray’s voice and the bell-like tinkle of the children’s laughter. They were clearly having a great time.

      With the kitchen tidy, she went into the living room and tried to relax, curled on the sofa with her current paperback novel. As soon as Gray was finished with the bedtime stories, she would talk to him about Australia. She only wished the thought of their conversation didn’t make her feel so inordinately excited.

      It was quite a while before Gray returned, however, and he was smiling, his blue eyes reflecting relief and a new contentment.

      ‘That seemed to go well,’ Holly said warmly.

      ‘Yeah.’ He stood in the centre of the room, hands resting lightly on his hips, and he grinned. ‘Seems like I passed my first test as a single dad.’

      ‘That’s great. I suppose Josh pressured you into reading the pirate story.’

      ‘No, actually. I told them a completely different story tonight.’

      ‘Oh, right.’ She couldn’t help asking. ‘Which one?’

      Gray shrugged. ‘I made one up. About Hector Owl and Timothy Mouse.’ He shot her a shrewdly narrowed glance. ‘Your experts wouldn’t object, would they?’

      ‘N-no, of course not. I’m just surprised. Amazed, actually. I’ve loved stories all my life but, even if you paid me thousands, I couldn’t make one up on the spot. Anna and Josh seemed to love yours.’

      Still standing in the middle of the living room carpet, Gray shrugged again and scratched at the shadow of stubble on his jaw, then he quickly changed the subject. ‘Fancy another glass of that wine we opened last night?’

      ‘Why not?’ Wine might help to steady her nerves.

      While he collected the bottle and glasses, Holly set her book aside and stood quickly, taking a surreptitious peek at her reflection in the long mirror on the opposite wall. It was silly. Really, she knew the neatness of her hair, the fit of her jeans or the flounces on her cream silk blouse were of no interest to Gray. But the conversation she was about to launch was almost a job interview. Checking her appearance was an automatic reflex.

      ‘You look great,’ Gray said, coming back into the room more quickly than she expected.

      Flustered, she fought off a blush and sat quickly, wishing she could think of a witty retort.

      ‘No, honestly, that new hairstyle suits you,’ he said, handing her a glass of the rich Australian red.

      A trip to the hairdresser had been part of Holly’s post-Brandon recovery plan, but she was amazed that Gray had noticed.

      ‘Thanks.’ She raised her glass. ‘Here’s to settling the twins happily in Australia. May it all go super-smoothly.’

      ‘Amen to that.’ Gray settled into an armchair and stretched his long legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.

      Holly tried not to stare, but Gray had a way of catching her eye. His jeans were soft and worn and faded, hugging his strong thighs. His elastic-sided boots were tan and clean and made of finely cut leather. Lamplight caught the dark sheen of his hair and accented the ruggedly masculine planes and angles of his face and the shadow on his jaw.

      There was no denying the man was bone-deep sexy. At Chelsea’s wedding, even Holly’s grandmother had been all girlish and coy in Gray’s presence.

      Perhaps she shouldn’t say anything about Australia after all. She didn’t want to spend the next couple of months stealing sneak peeks at Chelsea’s ex just because she was currently without a boyfriend. She was supposed to be getting on with her exciting new single life, making plans for her brilliant career.

      She drank some wine, buying time to compose herself, but her brain refused to let go of one particular thought and suddenly the words just tumbled out. ‘I’ve been thinking that you might need help with the children when you first arrive in Australia.’

      Gray nodded calmly. ‘I’ve been thinking the same thing. I wondered if I should phone ahead to an employment agency.’

      ‘An agency in Australia?’

      ‘Yes.’

      Holly felt a surge of emotion, almost panic. ‘I’m at a loose end.’

      Oh, cringe. How annoying that she could say something in her head all day and it sounded fine, but now, as soon as she said it out loud, it sounded utterly dumb.

      It didn’t help that Gray’s head snapped back as if he’d been punched in the jaw. He was staring at her as if she’d announced she was planning to fly into outer space. On a broomstick.

      ‘How do you mean—a loose end?’ he asked quietly.

      ‘I’m free—for a month or so.’

      ‘I thought you were starting work in a school.’

      Holly’s mouth was suddenly parched. She took a sip from her glass and to her dismay her hand was shaking. ‘The schools here are about to close for the summer.’ She wished her voice wasn’t shaking as well. She cleared her throat. ‘I wouldn’t be expected to start in a new job until August, or possibly September.’

      His eyes widened. ‘So you’re free through the rest of June and July?’

      ‘As long as I’m still in phone or Internet contact. For interviews.’ Seeing the surprise in Gray’s eyes, Holly’s nervousness accelerated. ‘It’s just a thought. A possible option.’

      ‘But it’s a fantastic option.’ His eyes were gleaming, and his face broke into a fully fledged smile. ‘You’d be perfect.’

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