Free From Duty to Daddy by Sue MacKay

rocking her gently as she shrieked with laughter.
    The man was a natural. Aimee had obviously fallen for him already, appearing totally relaxed in his grasp. She’d definitely have made it known if she had any qualms. That had to be good.
    ‘I hope it was okay to get Aimee up. She was chattering away to herself when I got up thinking about going for a run, so I figured I’d bring her out here and let you snooze a bit longer. Last night you looked so tired I thought you’d fall asleep on your feet.’
    Charlie sat down on the steps. ‘I was a bit zonked. Must’ve been the excitement of you turning up.’
    ‘I’m losing my touch if you want to go to sleep when I’m around.’ His smile turned into a grin, and set her heart racing wildly.
    Her cheeks burned crimson as his gaze intensified, firing up memories of what they used to do in the evenings after work. She’d certainly never fallen asleep until the wee hours of the morning. ‘Guess I’m out of practice,’ she murmured.
    ‘Really?’ His grin stretched. ‘I like that.’
    ‘You’re a bit cocky this morning.’ She grinned back. Obviously he’d slept well. Sadly, not even Marshall’s presence in her home had kept her awake for more than a few minutes last night. Sleep came far too easily these days. As for long, hot nights with Marshall, she doubted she’d last more than half an hour before nodding off.
    A shiver ran up her back. A familiar pang of fear snatched at her previously happy mood. The uncertainty of her future seemed far worse now that Marshall was back in her life. He might be going away again but now that he’d met Aimee he’d keep in touch. He had to. Selfishly, that made her wish for more. She’d wanted to make contact for Aimee’s sake, but now she knew she’d been lying to herself. She’d never got over him, had compared every man she’d dated since—all two of them—to him and had found them lacking in just about everything. Those two weeks had a lot to answer for, and not just her precious little girl.
    ‘Charlie?’ Marshall stood over her, Aimee in his arms. ‘You okay? You’ve gone pale.’
    I was pale before. ‘Something stepped on my grave.’ Ouch. She sucked a breath through clamped teeth. Wrong thing to say. There wouldn’t be a grave for many years to come. Funny how she’d started to accept she just might make it, yet now with Marshall here on her patch the doubts and fears were creeping back in. Even more to lose than before? Did she want a future that had Marshall in it? Apart from as Aimee’s dad?
    Pushing up off the step, she reached to kiss Aimee on the cheek. ‘Good morning, sweetheart.’ And when Marshall leaned closer she rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek too. Except he moved and her lips found his. Good morning, sweetheart.
    ‘Good morning, beautiful,’ Marshall murmured against her mouth. ‘You are a sight for sore eyes.’
    ‘Mummy, hungry.’
    Reluctantly pulling her lips away from that sensational mouth, she looked at her daughter. ‘Hungry, eh?’ Flicking Marshall a look, she asked, ‘Have you been teaching her new words?’
    He grinned. ‘I tried for “Can I have lots of kisses?” but so far “hungry” is it.’ Aimee wriggled to get down. Marshall obliged, carefully placing her on her feet, before straightening and draping an arm over Charlie’s shoulders. ‘Want me to cook breakfast? I do a mean piece of toast.’
    Slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand, she groaned, ‘How can I resist?’
    ‘Morning, everyone.’ Dad strolled out onto the veranda dressed in his lucky fishing trousers. Bending down, he plonked a noisy kiss on Aimee’s forehead. ‘Hello, poppet.’
    ‘Hungry.’
    ‘Well, that’s a good thing because I’m about to cook up a storm. A bloke needs a hearty meal before he heads out on the lake to catch the family dinner.’ Dad looked from her to Marshall. ‘Ever been trout fishing, lad?’
    ‘No. Tried salmon fishing in Canada once. Had a