Christmas with Daddy. C.J. Carmichael

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СКАЧАТЬ she was experienced. Even better. “I’ll pay you double the going rate.”

      “Mandy’s a sweetheart, Nick, but these guys keep me pretty busy.” She gave the end of her leash a gentle tug. “Plus I have my business appointments, too.”

      The dogs were really a sideline with Bridget. Her main occupation was as a numerology and astrology consultant. He had a hard time taking that stuff seriously, but he knew she did. Generally avoiding the subject seemed to work best.

      “Mandy wouldn’t be that much trouble. Plus, she loves going on walks. You can take her with the dogs. She’ll fit right in.”

      “I’m sure she wouldn’t be trouble, but…”

      “Besides, couldn’t you use some extra cash for Christmas? For gifts and things?”

      “I don’t need extra money.”

      “You’re not giving me much to bargain with.” If she was any other woman, he might try charming her with a smile, but he couldn’t see that approach working with Bridget. Every now and then he came across a woman who was impervious to his brand of sex appeal. From their first meeting his instincts had told him that Bridget was one of those women.

      Still, he had to come up with something. He was due at the station tomorrow at eight in the morning. And he didn’t think his partner was expecting him to bring along his six-month-old daughter.

       CHAPTER TWO

      NICK GRAY WAS THE KIND of guy smart mothers warned their daughters about. After five years of living in the same neighborhood, Bridget had seen him with so many different women, she’d given up asking their names. In the historical novels she loved, he was the rake, the ne’er-do-well but handsome younger brother, the favorite son who always disappointed his father but was the apple of his mother’s eye.

      Sometimes when Bridget looked at him, she felt a crazy, unfamiliar excitement. He made her aware of possibilities that she would never normally consider. Possibilities that were neither safe nor sensible.

      It only took a few seconds for her to shake off that feeling, though. Nick was drawn to glamour, sophistication and style. The women he dated turned heads on the sidewalk. And not because they had four dogs in tow.

      Just as well she wasn’t Nick’s type. She’d never been one for flirting and casual dating. Whereas even Nick’s relationship with the woman he’d married had lasted less than a year.

      It was an appalling record, and she ought to think less of Nick for it. But she couldn’t help liking him, despite his rather obvious character flaws. Someone who loved dogs as much as he did, couldn’t be all bad.

      He had a special affinity for her giant schnauzer Herman. Aptly named, Herman was solid, dependable, unstoppable when he wanted something. And when Nick was around, there was no doubt what Herman wanted.

      She couldn’t blame him.

      “I know I’m asking a lot,” Nick said. “It’s okay if you’d rather not do it.”

      Now she felt guilty. Nick was a good neighbor and a friend, too. They collected each other’s mail when they went on vacations. Occasionally Nick helped her out with the dogs. Just last month when she’d been sick with the flu, he’d taken them all for a long run at the end of his shift.

      But babies required a lot more time and effort than dogs.

      Nick gave Herman one last scratch, then he stood and reached for Mandy. His baby daughter held out her arms to him, smiling as he drew her close.

      They looked so cute together. Gosh, a guy who was good with dogs and babies. It just wasn’t fair. How was any woman supposed to resist that?

      Then suddenly, for no apparent reason, Mandy started to cry. Nick’s face registered surprise as he glanced at Bridget, then back at the baby.

      “Hey, what’s wrong, sweetie?”

      Mandy’s cries grew louder. The dogs pulled in close to Bridget. The baby’s distress made them uneasy.

      “Do you know what time it is?” Nick asked. “I forgot to put on my watch this morning.”

      She shrugged. She hadn’t worn a watch, either. “Almost one o’clock,” she guessed. She and the dogs had left the house at eleven-thirty and the route through the woods usually took them about an hour and a half.

      “One o’clock.” Nick seemed astounded. “I didn’t think we’d been out that long. Mandy missed her nap and her lunch.”

      No wonder she was so upset. “Did you bring any food with you?”

      “It didn’t occur to me. Maybe Jessica packed something in here…” Nick rummaged through the storage pouch on the back of the stroller but came up with nothing. Mandy was sobbing now, and for a guy who never seemed to lose his cool, Nick was looking pretty flustered.

      “What should I do? I’ve got to get her home, but I can’t put her in the stroller when she’s crying like this.”

      “I’ll push the stroller for you.” Bridget tied the dogs’ leads to the handle, then started along the path at a fast clip.

      Nick fell in next to her. “Thanks a lot. I guess I should have been more prepared.” He cuddled Mandy closely. “Don’t worry, honey. Your dad’s an idiot, but he is going to feed you, eventually.”

      As they made their way out of the park area onto the city streets, Bridget noticed they were attracting quite a bit of attention. A man and a woman with four dogs and a crying baby…yeah, she wasn’t too surprised people were gawking.

      Nick seemed oblivious to the stares, though. He was almost panicking by the time they reached his town house. “Will you come inside?”

      She didn’t have the heart to leave him to cope alone. “What about the dogs?”

      “I have a fenced backyard. Will that do?”

      “I’ll need to give them some water.”

      “Not a problem.”

      He dug into his pocket for the keys, and then, she was in a place she never thought she’d see the inside of—Nick Gray’s town house. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe sleek furniture, an opulent TV and sound system…a round bed with satin sheets?

      But his furnishings were plain and sparse. He had just one reclining chair in his living room, along with the television. In the kitchen down the hall, a newspaper was spread over a tiny oak table. Two folding chairs sat around it.

      Nick must have noticed her scrutinizing the place because he apologized. “Jessica took a lot of stuff when she moved out. I haven’t been in the mood to replace it.”

      He paused, frowning. “Is something burning? Hell. I forgot to turn off the coffee machine.” Still carrying Mandy, whose crying had turned into pitiful hiccups, he crossed the room and hit the off button on the coffeemaker. Then he grabbed a big bowl from a cupboard and handed it to her.

      “For СКАЧАТЬ