The Christmas Baby Bump by Lynne Marshall Read Free Book Online Page A

than his hair, with a tinge of red. Just before she took her first bite of hot dog, she wondered what his beard stubble might feel like first thing in the morning, and almost missed her mouth.
    “Yeah. I had a knack.” He smiled at her and her heart stepped out of rhythm. He had a “knack” for world-class kisses, too. “I was spoiled and my parents let me do just about everything. By the time I was fourteen, I got recruited for the Corona Pro surf circuit, and therest…” he delivered another one of his knockout smiles “…as they say, is history.”
    “Growing up in the desert, surfing wasn’t exactly on my list of things to do. I’m more of a volleyball girl myself.”
    He raised one brow with interest. “Ever played beach volleyball?”
    She shook her head and reached for her soda. “Looks too grueling with all that sand.”
    “They play beach volleyball every weekend right down the street.” He pointed behind him with his thumb.
    “Oh, yeah, I remember I saw the nets the day I drove into town.”
    “So what do you say? Want to check out the game tomorrow?”
    “What about Robbie?”
    He sat straighter. “I’ll bring him along.”
    She gave him a hesitant glance; her throat tightened, making it hard to swallow the tastiest chili she’d ever eaten.
    “You see right through me, don’t you?” he said. “Truth is, I need some help keeping the kid entertained, and I’ve already run out of ideas.”
    “Well, don’t look at me,” she said, swallowing and taking another bite.
    His playful gaze grew serious. “What’s the deal? I mean, I’ve never seen…”
    Should she tell him? By all accounts, he was still a stranger…who’d kissed her senseless. Did he deserve to know her deepest secret just because he was curious?
    “The thing is…” Two years ago she’d had her tubes tied to cement the point. “I don’t do kids.” No. Better to keep it vague. Keep the distance.
    “But you deliver babies for a living,” Phil said, arms crossed over his black T-shirt, brows furrowed, obviously confused.
    “I deliver other people’s babies.” She took another bite of her hot dog and did her best to pretend there wasn’t anything contradictory about the statement.
    Phil finished his first hot dog, washed it down with cola and wiped his mouth. Stephanie intrigued him with this inconsistency—an OB doc who didn’t do babies. And she was quickly becoming his dream date. When a woman didn’t want kids, marriage didn’t seem to be a priority. And since marriage was the last thing on his to-do list, maybe they could have a good time together, for however long this attraction lasted.
    Beneath her defiant remark “I don’t do babies” he noticed one telling sign—hurt. He could see it in her gaze. Those inviting butterscotch-with-flecks-of-gold eyes went dull at the mention of kids. Something had caused her great pain and the result made her avoid children. He flashed to the moment he’d walked into the clinic the first night, how he’d seen terror in her expression, how she hadn’t been able to get away fast enough. He needed to play this cool, or she’d bolt again.
    “No wonder you looked so uncomfortable when I left Robbie with you.” He wiped mustard from the corner of his mouth.
    She gave a wry laugh as a quick blush pinkened her cheeks. “Uncomfortable is a generous description.”
    “Yeah, okay, more like you freaked out.”
    She nodded. “Sorry.”
    “It’s all right.”
    She made a half-hearted attempt at a smile, and his heart went out to her. He needed to lighten the mood. Maybe he could tease her into submission.
    “So there’s no chance I can change your mind?” He put his hand on top of hers, immediately aware of how fragile she felt.
    “Maybe some other time.”
    “Translation being—get lost, Phil?”
    “Not at all.” She met his gaze, sending a subtle message, then quickly looked away.
    So maybe she was interested in him, just not the whole Phil-and-Robbie