Free Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad by Sue MacKay

dishcloth and wiped the floor. He mightn’t have leapt in to do it but looking at Olivia’s jam-covered toast now cut into squares, albeit very large ones, he seemed to be getting the hang of breakfast under his niece’s tutelage.
    Abby asked cheekily, ‘Do I get any toast?’
    Kieran dragged his eyes around to her. ‘Coming up. Squares or oblongs? Jam or honey?’
    ‘Definitely squares and jam. What about you? Have you eaten?’
    He ran a hand over his chin. ‘I think I’ve just gone off toast. I’ll head away to ED in a moment.’
    Abby grinned to hide the flutter in her tummy. He looked totally unlike the perfectly turned-out doctor with a streak of jam now decorating his chin. She reached over with a paper towel and wiped it clean. ‘Rule number one with children. Never go out before checking in the mirror. You’ll be surprised what you might find.’
    Something like horror filled his eyes and he quickly checked his immaculate, crease-free shirt front, flicking a crumb off his tie.
    She laughed. ‘Relax. You’ve managed to stay clean despite everything. Now go. I’ve got to get these two ready.’
    ‘Now who’s the bossy britches?’ he muttered.
    ‘You’re welcome to stay and help some more.’
    ‘I think not. You make it look so easy and I’m learning it’s not.’
    ‘I’ve had more practice,’ she quipped without thought to the ramifications.
    ‘To be sure, and whose fault is that?’
    Tea splashed over her hand as she jolted from the shock of his suddenly harsh tone. So, Kieran’s good mood had been a facade. And the guilt she’d tamped down overnight swamped her again. He would never forgive her.
    Abby dashed into ED, pretending to herself she wasn’t looking out for Kieran. She wanted to avoid him for a while if at all possible. For the whole day would be better but that would be asking too much. ‘Hi, Sally, sorry I’m late but it was a disaster zone at my house this morning.’
    That had to be the understatement of the century. For some inexplicable reason Olivia had demanded that she stay home with Grandad instead of going to the crèche workers. Abby had delivered one very grumpy little girl to the crèche. Thank goodness Seamus seemed happy enough to be there with his little friends. At least Kieran had left before all the fuss had started. It might’ve kept him away permanently. She sighed. She was being unfair again.
    All the way to work she’d thought about him, how his usual confidence had been undermined by the children. Would he have coped better if it had only been Olivia he’d had to contend with? Was it because of finding himself a father that he was outside his comfort zone?
    Sally tossed a file on the desk in front of Abby. ‘I thought you might’ve given our new boss a lift to work for his first day since he’s part of your family.’
    Abby dropped onto a chair. She’d given the guy dinner, a son and probably a headache. She didn’t need to give himanything else. ‘I don’t think he’d be happy squashed into my car among car seats and kids.’ Or within touching distance of her.
    Sally grinned at her. ‘Here I was hoping Dr Flynn might not have gone to his new apartment last night.’
    Abby snatched the file up and jerked it open. ‘I know. You only want to see me happily married.’ They’d had this conversation so often Abby knew the lines off by heart. ‘Do me a big favour, drop the whole Kieran thing. For ever.’
    One thing for sure, Kieran seemed to have way too many hang-ups when it came to family and commitment for her to consider him for the role of husband. But Sally didn’t know the score and Abby just couldn’t bring herself to explain. The tension in the back of her head wound tighter.
    ‘For now.’ Sally looked around the department. ‘Can you give Barbara a hand?’
    ‘Sure.’ Something other than Kieran to focus on.
    ‘But where is Dr Flynn? I’d have thought he’d be the type to always be early.’ Sally flipped through some