Destined To Be A Dad (Welcome To Destiny Book 9) by Christyne Butler Read Free Book Online Page B

object just outside the reach of the outdoor lighting. “Is that a helicopter on the other side of the lot?”
    “It’s for the family business,” Liam said. “A couple of my brothers and I are the pilots.”
    She now remembered seeing something about it on the company’s website, but she’d had no idea... “You fly, too?”
    Liam grinned, gesturing with her suitcase, and Missy started walking again, her heels clicking against the stones. The sturdy pathway continued through the large grassy yard and forest of trees at the back of the house.
    She wondered how far it went. Years ago there’d been only a dirt trail that led from the oversize backyard down to the river. When they rounded the corner of the house, Missy stumbled to a stop. “Oh, my.”
    “I told you things have changed a bit.” Liam’s voice flowed over her shoulder. “And I wasn’t just talking about the boathouse.”
    She turned to him. “I can see that. I wasn’t expecting—”
    “Isn’t it neat? You should see it in the daytime.” Casey spun around, coming dangerously close to the edge of an oversize in-ground pool. “They’ve got their own neighborhood back here!”
    Yes, Missy could see that. The transformation of the yard was stunning.
    “You might remember all we used to have was a simple wooden deck, but my folks wanted a complete outdoor entertainment space. Over the years they added the stone patio, fire pit, pool and the connecting pathways,” he said as he led the way. “We boys built the gazebo back there to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary a few years ago. Mom said it was the perfect final touch.”
    Missy tried to take it all in. The care and thought that had gone into renovating the acreage was evident. Outdoor lights offered a soft glow, making it easy to see everything from the landscaping to the entertainment areas. Lighted pathways veered off in different directions through clusters of trees that gave each of the log homes a sense of privacy despite their relative closeness to each other.
    “And the log homes,” she said. “I’m guessing from what your mother said, you and your brothers all still live here.”
    “Not all of us. Adam has his own ranch down the road and Ric is currently stationed overseas, but yeah—” Liam grinned, and then shrugged. “I guess the rest of us figured the Murphy ranch was as good a place to settle down as anywhere else in town. At least we’re not all still in the main house.”
    “Well, it’s certainly big enough for everyone,” she said, eyeing the house more closely.
    Missy listened to him describe who lived where as they passed his brothers’ homes, Casey a few steps ahead of them. The path sloped downward and led to the lake, and the trees got closer together. When the boathouse with its familiar wooden dock came into view, her stomach clenched.
    “So that must leave this one as yours, right?”
    Casey’s question pulled Missy’s gaze from the boathouse to a two-story log home that sat a bit farther back into the trees.
    “Yes, that’s my place,” Liam said.
    “Wow, it’s big for one person. Since no one’s mentioned it, I’m guessing you’re not married.”
    “Casey!”
    “It’s okay.” His gaze lingered on Missy for a moment before he looked at their daughter. “And you guessed correctly, I’m not. I was—twice, actually—but neither one stuck.”
    Twice? He’d married again? Not an unusual occurrence, but the news still surprised her.
    “So do I have any younger half siblings running around?”
    “Nope, just a handful of cousins, I’m afraid.”
    “Bugger, I always wanted a little sister.” Casey shrugged and headed for the boathouse. “Used to bother my mum for years over that. Of course there was little chance of it happening. She rarely, if ever, dated after my father died.”
    Missy gasped and pressed a hand to her forehead, embarrassed at her daughter’s directness but also to block out Liam’s dark gaze as he turned to