His Kind of Perfect (Sugar Bay #1) by Kinsley Gibb Read Free Book Online Page A

fucking way.
    “Okay then, how about this one?” Jane’s
unrepentant grin let him know she’d been joking and had thoroughly enjoyed his
panic. She held out a hippie costume with a temporary flower and peace tattoo along
with a beaded headband and fringed vest.
    “Perfect.” He sighed, relieved his niece
wasn’t serious about dressing like a tramp and he could hold off on discussing the
dangers of exposing herself to hormonal boys. Although the fact she’d inherited
his warped sense of humor was worrisome. She’d give him gray hairs in the next
few years. “Now, what about Alex?”
    “She’s coming.”
    A crash sounded at the end of the aisle and
plastic pumpkins scattered everywhere. He winced when he heard his niece breath
out, “Oopsie.”
    Derek sighed. “You were supposed to watch
her.”
    “What? I was. She was right behind me. I
can’t help she’s a walking disaster.”
    He shook his head, already heading down the
aisle. He picked up an armful of pumpkins while a harassed looking attendant
restacked the pumpkins and his niece attempted to assist. Attempted was the key
word, in that more pumpkins fell than were successfully stacked and the
attendant looked pained.
    “Sorry, Uncle Derek, I didn’t see it,” Alex
said when she saw him. She shoved her glasses up her nose and clutched her loot
under one arm. With the other she reached for more pumpkins.
    “That’s okay sweetie.” To the attendant he mouthed
an apology to which she smiled and gave him an appreciative look before glancing
down at his ring finger. Her smile grew when she noted it was bare. He wished
he felt an answering interest but a certain brunette dominated his thoughts, a
certain luscious and completely stubborn brunette, he reminded himself.
    “I found the perfect costume, Uncle Derek. Check it out.”
    His middle niece held up a ghoulish
doctor’s outfit and waggled her eyebrows. “Well? Huh? Huh?” She bounced up and
down. “What do you think? It’s perfect right? I even found face paint so I can
be extra creepy.”
    She looked so pleased, he laughed. He
couldn’t help it. No matter what thoughts filled his mind, the girls brought
him joy and he was glad he’d moved here.
    “I love it.”
    “Good, because I have the perfect costume
for you too, Uncle Derek.” She nodded her head up and down, aquiver in her excitement.
Sometimes his eight-year-old niece reminded him of a golden retriever, it made
him want to pet her shiny golden brown hair.
    “Yeah, Uncle Derek, you’re gonna love it,” Janie said with a slightly evil smirk that
made him a little nervous. Since his sister paid in food, today’s excursion was
going to cost her some homemade strawberry shortcake, for sure.
    He checked his watch, the timeline was
tight but he estimated he could finish the shopping, drop the kids off, and
have enough time to get ready before he crashed a date tonight. He grinned and
ignored the strange looks his nieces gave him.
    He had his own evil plan to set in place
tonight.
    It was time Anabelle saw the possibilities
of dating a younger man.

Chapter 4

 
    A tall, tawny haired man dressed in a pale blue shirt and
cream-colored slacks stood at the sight of her. She was glad she wore three-inch
heels yet still he towered over her by six inches making her level with his
classic red bow tie.
    “Anabelle, is it?” At her nod, her date pushed black-rimmed
glasses up his nose and held out a hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Heath.”
    “Hello Heath.” She looked into his aquamarine colored eyes and
tried to smile, pretending like it was a client meeting rather than a first
date because otherwise, she’d never survive. His grip was strong. She felt
calluses and wondered how he got them when his profile listed him as an
architect. Not many architects did manual labor that resulted in calluses.
    “How are you tonight?” Heath had an English accent similar to
those on the BBC shows she watched on Netflix. She wondered why he was so