Single Dads Collection. Lynne Marshall
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relationship followed the same pattern of blonde jokes, man jokes and evenings when he sat with his feet on her table in the kitchen, watching while she cooked, a bottle of beer snuggled in his lap.
And now they were into December and there was no sign of a man who was even remotely close to fulfilling Lizzie’s criteria for a daddy.
David hadn’t asked her out again and she’d resigned herself to the fact that he was probably now dating Nina.
‘Are you upset about that?’ she asked Jack one evening, when they were curled up in front of the fire. She was writing Christmas cards and he was staring into the flames with a distant look in his eyes.
‘Upset about what?’
‘Nina.’ She said the other woman’s name as lightly as possible. ‘Someone told me that she’s seeing David Armstrong.’
‘Is she?’ Jack suppressed a yawn and stretched long legs out in front of him. ‘Well, good for him.’
‘You never should have sent them home together. I’m amazed you’re not upset.’
He gave her a mocking smile. ‘Come on, Blondie. How long have you known me?’
She stared at him. ‘You engineered it, didn’t you?’ Her pen fell to the floor as she suddenly realised what had happened. ‘You got rid of her.’
His gaze didn’t flicker. ‘I encouraged her to find someone else, yes.’
‘Why?’ Bryony shook her head, puzzled. ‘She was nice. And she seemed crazy about you.’
Jack looked at her steadily. ‘She was.’
Which was why he’d ended it.
It was Jack’s usual pattern.
Bryony sighed. ‘Jack, you’re thirty-four,’ she said softly. ‘You can’t run for ever.’
He gave a funny lopsided grin that made her heart turn over. ‘Watch me.’
‘Listen…’ She put her pen down and gave up on her Christmas cards. They could wait. ‘I know your parents’ divorce was really difficult for you, but you can’t—’
‘Drop it, Blondie. I don’t want to talk about it.’ His eyes glittered ominously and she saw the warning in the blue depths. Taboo subject.
She sighed. ‘But, Jack, you can’t—’
‘Why did the blonde tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?’ he drawled lazily, and she rolled her eyes, exasperated by his refusal to talk about his emotions.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Because she didn’t want to wake the sleeping pills.’ Jack gave a wicked smile that made her heart jump in her chest.
He was so shockingly handsome it was totally unfair, and when he smiled like that she just melted.
‘How many men does it take to change a toilet roll?’ She smiled sweetly. ‘No one knows. It’s never been done. So what did Nina do wrong?’
Jack gave a sardonic smile. ‘Frankly? She said, “I love you”,’ he said dryly, and gave a mock shudder. ‘Which is the same as “goodbye” in my language.’
Bryony rolled her eyes. ‘They always say that if you want to get rid of a man, you should say “I love you, I want to marry you and most of all I want to have your children.” It’s guaranteed to leave skid marks.’
Jack laughed. ‘That’s just about the size of it. Why do you think I bought a Ferrari?’
Bryony sighed. ‘Poor Nina.’
‘She knew the score.’
But Bryony was willing to bet that knowing the score hadn’t made it any easier. On the other hand, Nina seemed to have moved on quite happily to David so she couldn’t have been that broken-hearted.
‘One day you’ll settle down, Jack,’ Bryony predicted, licking another envelope. ‘You’ll be such a great father.’
‘That’s nonsense.’
‘Look how great you are with Lizzie.’
‘That’s because I have all the fun and none of the responsibility,’ he said shortly, frowning slightly as he looked at her.
‘I don’t think that’s true. Lizzie expects a lot from you and you always deliver. How many netball matches have you been to this year?’
Jack grinned. ‘Lots. You know me. Rugby, rock-climbing, netball—my three favourite sports.’
She laughed. ‘Precisely. The sight of you standing on the side of a netball court would be funny if it wasn’t so touching.’ She added the envelope to the ever-growing pile. ‘And it is touching, Jack. You’re fantastic with Lizzie.’
A muscle worked in his jaw. ‘But what she really wants is a father.’
Bryony shrugged. ‘And who can blame her for that?’
‘She doesn’t realise that fathers aren’t perfect.’
‘I think she probably does, actually. But she still wants someone.’
‘So how is the quest going? Any suitable candidates lined up? Obviously David is now off the scene…’
Something in his tone made her glance up at him but his expression was neutral.
‘Well, it’s not going that well,’ Bryony muttered, licking another envelope and adding it to the pile. ‘Christmas is three weeks away and I don’t have another date until Saturday.’
His expression was suddenly hostile. ‘You have a date on Saturday? Who with?’
Bryony blushed slightly. ‘Toby.’
‘Toby who?’ Jack was frowning and she laughed.
‘You know—our Toby. Toby from the mountain rescue team.’
‘You’re kidding!’ He glared at her. ‘Toby? He’s totally unsuitable.’
‘Calm down, Jack,’ Bryony said mildly, gathering up all the envelopes and putting them on the table. ‘Toby is nice. And he’s always been kind to Lizzie.’
‘Toby has a terrible reputation with women,’ Jack said frostily, and she shrugged.
‘So do you, Jack.’
‘But I’m not dating you.’
And how she wished he was. Her gaze met his and held and then he sucked in a breath and rose to his feet, powerful and athletic.
‘You can’t date Toby.’
‘Why not?’
There was a long silence and a muscle twitched in his jaw. ‘Because he isn’t right for you.’
She sighed. ‘Jack, you’re so jaded about relationships that you’re never going to think anyone is right, but trust me when I say I’m not going to choose anyone who would hurt Lizzie.’
He took several deep breaths. ‘I don’t want anyone to hurt you either.’
‘I know that.’ She smiled at him, touched that he cared at least that much. ‘You don’t need to be so protective. It’s nice, but I can look after myself.’
‘Where are you going on Saturday?’
She wondered why he was asking and then decided that it was idle curiosity. ‘Actually, I don’t know. Toby is keeping it a secret.’ She smiled. ‘Isn’t it romantic?’
‘Suspicious is the word I would use,’ Jack muttered, grabbing his coat and car keys and making for the door. ‘I’ll talk to him.’
Bryony gave an exasperated sigh. ‘Jack, you are not my minder.’
‘Toby