Free From Duty to Daddy by Sue MacKay Page B

I’d hardly ever be around.
    ‘I’m sure you will.’
    That’s it? The guy was playing with him. Had to be. ‘You know nothing about me.’ Neither did Charlie, come to that.
    Brendon banged a pan on an element. ‘You’re right. I don’t, but I trust Charlie’s judgement.’
    ‘That’s it?’ he repeated out loud. ‘Come on. I can see you’ve got questions begging for answers. Fire away.’ He pulled his back ramrod-straight, tightened his shoulders and faced the man down. At least he tried to but Brendon wasn’t intimidated at all.
    Shaking his head, Brendon asked, ‘How do you like your eggs?’
    Anger sped through his veins. What was this man about? Trying to scare him off in a weird, roundabout way? ‘Charlie mentioned you’d suggested she give up looking for me. Would you prefer it if I hadn’t got in touch at all?’ Except not once, even when Brendon had seen them kissing, had this man indicated he had problems with his sudden appearance.
    Crack. The fat sizzled as an egg slid into the pan. ‘I’ve watched my daughter spend months trying to find you, only to be disappointed every day she failed. It was very important to her you know about Aimee. Now you do. So, no, lad, I am happy you’ve turned up.’ Crack, another egg hit the fat. ‘Can you throw some bread in the toaster? We’ll eat outside on the veranda. The cutlery is in that top drawer.’
    If Brendon had been thinking clearly he’d have remembered who had dried and put away the cutlery last night after their barbecue. Something was rattling him, something Marshall desperately wanted to know. But he couldn’t offend Charlie’s father by persisting with his questions. ‘What does Aimee eat?’
    ‘Toast and honey.’ Brendon’s stance relaxed.
    Charlie breezed into the kitchen, her earlier unease gone. ‘I could kill for a cup of tea. What about you, Marshall?’ Switching on the kettle, she leaned back against the bench and folded her arms under her luscious breasts.
    ‘Make that coffee and I’m in.’ Trying to avoid staring, he turned to study the toaster, waiting for the toast to pop up. A hard-on now might change Brendon’s attitude towards him. But his mind had other ideas, bringing up memories of what was under that bright blouse, of his hands holding her breasts, his thumbs rubbing the nipples until Charlie cried out with need.
    The smoke alarm shrilled at the same time his phone vibrated in his back pocket. Black smoke streamed up from the toast he was supposedly watching. He jerked the plug from the wall and tipped the burnt bread into the sink, all the while listening to Charlie and Brendon going on about the American who couldn’t even manage to cook a piece of toast.
    Brendon reached for the ‘off’ button on the alarm, a smile lightening his face. ‘Remind me not to ask you to cook anything again. Or drive a car.’
    ‘Your dad is hopeless, sweetheart.’ Charlie lifted Aimee into her arms, grinning like a cat that had just had a bowl of cream.
    Dropping more bread into the toaster, he grinned back. ‘Hopeless, am I?’ Leaning over, he brushed a kiss over her lips. ‘We’ll see about that,’ he whispered.
    Blushing, she spun away. ‘Didn’t you just get a text?’
    His grin faded as he read the message. ‘Seems my flight’s leaving early. Tonight at eight and I have to be at Whenuapai by seven. Damn.’ He texted a reply and shoved the phone deep into his pocket. ‘I’d better pick up that replacement rental car after breakfast.’
    Charlie’s face tightened as she turned away to make their drinks. Guess she hadn’t wanted him leaving yet. They’d barely got past the Aimee disclosure and he was leaving. No doubt she had many things to tell him. Plenty more kisses to share? And no time. ‘Why don’t we walk into town later to get it? Take Aimee with us?’ And talk as we go.
    ‘Sounds like a plan,’ she mumbled.
    He started another lot of toast, this time keeping his eyes focused on it.
    * *