Free Carl: Caveman Instinct series 2.5 by Hazel Gower

differences. “I like the one on your left. The waves are bigger.”
    “You’re right. The ones with the bigger waves do look better.”
    When Annabelle beamed at me, I wished I could have high-fived the man who was in a similar situation to me behind Annabelle’s back. The guy must have heard because he mouthed, “You the man.”
    Right then, I knew not only was I never agreeing to go furniture shopping again, I was never going to underestimate a woman’s eyes for detail. Next time I heard a nurse or female doctor talk about something they noticed with a patient I intended to listen.

Carl
    Annabelle squeezed my thigh. “We’re going to get out of the car. I have to man a stall after lunch.”
    “I thought this was a parents and children’s fair to raise money for the year five camp.”
    “It is, but I love the kids and I don’t mind helping.” She was always staying back and volunteering for events or school excursions. The almost two and half weeks we’d been together she’d gone on every excursion and volunteered for anything any of the teachers asked. Annabelle was the biggest pushover. Well, she was a pushover with everyone else, but me.
    “Mum’s already here at the baker’s stall. She’s been baking all week. The children have two more weeks of school before they’re holidays. This fair burns off a bit of energy and has given them something besides their holidays.”
    I already knew this. I had a surprise for Annabelle for her holidays. I’d been organizing it with help from Darla, Annabelle’s mother.
    Rafe opened the car door and I got out holding my hand for Annabelle. She slid out and threaded her fingers through mine.
    “Let’s do this.” She huffed out as she straightened and dragged me to the rainbow entrance.
    As soon as we entered the fair Annabelle was swarmed by children. They all loved her and anyone could see she was amazing with them.
    We played every game and went to all the stalls. She praised every child’s stall, finding a quality she liked about each. Annabelle was late for the stall she was to man but it was my fault. I’d dragged her to all the other stalls and distracted her.
    A balding man in his late fifties or early sixties, stalked toward us, his gaze narrowed on Annabelle. I didn’t like the way he was looking at her and apparently neither did Rafe or Lurch.
    “Miss Clarkson, I’m disappointed in you. You promised the Reynolds family you’d help man their stall.” The man’s eyes traveled up and down Annabelle and my anger rose. How dare he speak to Annabelle like this before all these people.
    I gathered Annabelle to me, but she remained stiff in my embrace which was odd, as usually she melted into me. There was something about this guy that changed Annabelle from the feisty woman I knew.
    “Watch how you speak to my woman,” I growled.
    The man’s gaze snapped to me. “I beg your pardon, Sir?”
    “Yes, you should beg. No one speaks to my fiancée like that.”
    Annabelle blew a raspberry and I just knew without seeing her face she was rolling her eyes. She relaxed against me and right then I knew she was fine. “I’m not your fiancée,” she mumbled. “You haven’t asked me to marry you. And you,” she growled at the man before me. “Principal Ranch, Carl is right, you speaking to me like this isn’t on. I will apologize to the Reynolds for being late. The next time you speak to me in an inappropriate manner, I will talk with my union rep.”
    With that, my feisty woman came to life as she eased out of my hold and stomped past a clearly shocked looking Principal Ranch. I grinned as I watched her storm off. Lurch nodded to me and followed close behind her.
    I wasn’t finished with the principal though. I bet this wasn’t the first time he’d been like this, and I knew he didn’t okay any time off for Annabelle to look after her mother. We had an audience. Some people were trying to pretend they weren’t watching, others weren’t even