‘I have to give you that, but it’s the only one I’ve got with me and it’s a bit chilly outside for shirt-sleeves.’
‘Didn’t you bring a jumper?’
He had, of course, and it was in the bag in her dreadful car still, but now he had the baby all strapped on and the dogs were dancing about with excitement.
‘I’ll live,’ he said, and with a shrug she pulled on a fleece and headed through the door and off down the drive, abandoning him.
He closed the door behind them, looking for a key without success. ‘Aren’t you going to lock it?’ he asked, and she turned and stopped in her tracks, looking at him in amazement.
‘Lock it? Apart from the fact that there’s very little in there worth stealing, this is the country.’
‘And knowing that, don’t the thieves target it?’
She laughed. ‘If they can find me. Strugglers Lane isn’t called that for nothing, you know. Come on, the dogs are getting a head start.’
And heaven knows what Dog will be like if he sees a rabbit, Patrick thought. He forgot about the unlocked house and set off after Claire, quickly settling into a rhythm beside her.
The baby, snuggled against his chest, soon fell asleep, her little body surprisingly heavy after a while. Still, it was a good feeling—extraordinary, really.
A few days ago he’d been a single man with no commitments, walking his dog alone in the park. Now, suddenly, he was walking the same dog, but with a baby on his chest and another dog and a beautiful woman by his side.
That thought brought him up short, and he looked at Claire keenly. Yes, she was beautiful. Of course she was—he just hadn’t really registered it amongst all the other information. Desirable, yes. Feminine, undoubtedly. Her sense of humour he had discovered to his cost, but—beautiful?
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