Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“How? I mean, how does a Navy SEAL take on a one-month-old baby and take care of her?”
“My best friend’s wife, Trish. She came to my rescue. She helped me that night get what I would need, traveled with me to Boston, then interviewed some people for a nanny position. I would have been lost without her. Of course, my mother and father were both overjoyed. I thought my father would be upset with me, but he was so happy to have gotten to meet his granddaughter. I, of course, had a DNA test done. I would have kept Noel either way, though. I fell in love with her the moment she looked up at me and smiled. Trish said it was gas, but I know it wasn’t.”
Emma grinned.
“She didn’t even name her,” I softly said. I could still here the sadness in my voice.
“You named her Noel?”
I nodded. “I did. We were a few days away from Christmas and it felt fitting. Anyway, back to my qualifications. I also helped plan a ball while I was in the Navy. Well, my whole team had to help with it.”
Emma smiled. “I am, once again, put in my place when it comes to you.”
I winked. “You really need to work on that whole judging thing you’ve got going on.”
Rolling her eyes, Emma pointed to the table. “So, back to planning…I was looking at the ballroom and how they had the tables laid out the year before last. It was a good flow and I think we should keep it the way they had it.”
Glancing at the large paper, I pulled it toward me. “I’ve never been to the fundraiser dinner for the library. I take it it’s sit down?”
“Yes. A five-course meal.”
I glanced up. “I was told Pricilla was handling this.”
Emma smiled. “She’s our central library manager. She doesn’t handle this part anymore and gave me the job this year. Do you think we’ll have a problem working together?”
Standing, I replied, “I don’t have an issue working with you as long as you don’t have one working with me.”
A shy smile played across her face. “I can work alongside you, that’s not a problem at all.”
“Okay then. Captain told me to take you out to lunch so, how about we grab something to eat and figure out where we go from here.”
She opened her mouth then quickly shut it. Most likely catching herself before she said something she would regret.
“Just say it, Emma.”
“It was silly and stupid and clearly won’t be a problem.”
My curiosity piqued, but I let it go. “You name the place.”
“There is a great little hotdog stand down the road.”
Smiling, I walked over to the door, opened it, and motioned for her to lead the way.
When she walked by, I closed my eyes and tried not to let the smell of vanilla and some other spice get to my head. The woman clearly didn’t care for me, and we were working together. That meant hands off.
As I watched her walk ahead of me, her perfectly shaped body swinging from side to side, I sent up a prayer for strength up to the heaven above that she wouldn’t drive me insane with lust.
The knock on my front door caused me to jump and nearly spill the hot tea I had been holding.
“Okay, Whiskers, you need to get off my lap so we can see whose food is being delivered to the wrong apartment again.”
My cat, Whiskey, made a protest of being displaced by taking his sweet time stretching, then letting out a long meow that I swore sounded like he had said fuck off.
I opened the door to see Wendy standing there bundled up and snow all over her.
“Wendy? What are you doing here?”
She pushed past me and started to take off her layers of winter protection.
“How could you not tell me the hot single dad was a firefighter and that he was the same firefighter who was helping you plan the Christmas dinner!”
“You came over here in a blizzard to ask me about this?”
Wendy fought to get her jacket off. Once she was free of it, she hung it up, turned to me and stared. “You bet your sweet ass I did. Harrison is a firefighter?”
I nodded. “Not only that, but he’s also an ex-Navy SEAL.”
Wendy gasped. “Shut up!”
Giggling, I made my way into the kitchen. “Tea?”
“Yes! I’m freezing.”
She slid onto the bar stool at my small kitchen island. “Tell me everything. Don’t leave a single thing out.”
“Well, after he showed up for the meeting and we exchanged a few barbs, we called a truce.”
“A truce?”
“Yep. I regretfully admit I was a bit of a bitch. Stuck my foot in my mouth once again.”
“How?”
I shrugged. “Accused him of knowing nothing about planning a dinner, let alone a fundraiser. To which he quickly put me in my place. Rightfully so.”