Free Destined To Be A Dad (Welcome To Destiny Book 9) by Christyne Butler Page B

if she’d read his mind and taken care of answering his unasked question. It was for the best, he decided as he headed back to his house.
    All fantasies aside, the last thing he needed right now was to get involved with anyone, least of all Missy. He lived and breathed his position as CEO of Murphy Mountain Log Homes, and now he’d had fatherhood tossed into his lap.
    Besides, his track record proved he wasn’t a settling-down kind of guy.
    But was he father material?
    He loved his niece and nephews, enjoyed spending time with them, even the baby. Not that Casey needed him that way, but with the other kids he liked helping with their homework. Taking them and their friends for rides in the company helicopter. Going to their games. He’d even ended up teaching Abby how to drive this past spring after she and her father disagreed over who was at fault for a toppled tombstone in the town’s cemetery during one of their lessons.
    How hard could it be to have the same relationship with Casey? He had no idea. But one thing he did know was that he only had a month to make that happen.

Chapter Five
    T hey were staying! At least for the rest of their holiday.
    Unfortunately, in less than six weeks, she’d be back in London, suiting up in a plaid skirt, navy blue blazer and ugly oxfords.
    And she’d have to get rid of the blue and pink streaks. Her piercings would have to go too. Gah. She would be ordinary...again. Worst of all, they’d be back living with her grandmum.
    Or maybe not. After everything that had gone on in the last few weeks, Casey didn’t have a clue what was going to happen when they returned to London.
    For now she was glad to be in Destiny with Liam Murphy.
    Her real dad.
    The man who sat directly across from her with a big smile on his face, stuffing his fourth hot dog into his mouth. Four! Crikey, he was big, but still. He had to be at least six feet tall and sitting there next to her mum, he made her look small and delicate.
    She studied Liam while he and her mum chatted. Casey and he looked a lot alike—their baby pictures could have been carbon copies—but she now noticed she and Liam shared height and the same eye color too.
    Eyes that were constantly in her mum’s direction. Like right now.
    “You see, ending a tour of Destiny with a late lunch was the right thing to do.” Liam’s words cut into her thoughts as he wiped at his mouth with a napkin. “You never could resist a whistle pig.”
    “It’s still a silly name for a food item.” Her mum blushed as she lightly scrubbed the crumbs from her fingers over her now empty plate. “Even for the best hot dog I’ve eaten in years.”
    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat a hot dog before.” Casey finished the last of her own beef frank, deliciously wrapped in bacon and smothered in cheese, then mumbled around the last bite, “Much less two of them.”
    They sat at a picnic table outside a fast food restaurant named after their lunch, a place that had an oversize dancing cartoon pig with a whistle around its neck on the marquee.
    “She’s got you fooled. I remember her downing four of these.”
    Liam grinned as he spoke, sending a wink in her direction that made Casey feel sort of gooey inside.
    “I ate those on a dare and I was honking the whole next day.” Missy reached for her drink, pausing just before putting the straw between her lips to stare at Casey. “Don’t even think about it, young lady, and it’s not polite to talk with your mouth full.”
    Casey swallowed, and then laughed. Blimey, that felt good.
    “So, what now?” Liam asked. “Anything you’re interested in doing or seeing? Or should we head back to the family compound?”
    “Do you have to go back to work?” Not that he’d really been away from it as his cell phone chimed for the umpteenth time since they’d left the house. “Again? That thing is worse than Mum’s!”
    He grabbed his phone and looked at the screen. “Sorry, but I need to take this.