First Comes Baby...: The Loner's Guarded Heart by Michelle Douglas Page B

she’d just folded her hands in her lap.
    ‘How was work?’ he asked Meg as she turned the car in the direction of Nelson Bay. He was determined to hold up his end of the conversation this evening.
    ‘Hectic... Fun.’ She told them a silly story about one of the children there and then flicked a glance at Elsie. ‘How was your day?’
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘What did you get up to?’
    ‘Nothing new.’
    In the rear vision mirror she caught Ben’s glance and rolled her eyes.
    ‘Though I did come across a recipe that I thought I might try. It’s Indian. I’ve not tried Indian before.’
    Silence—a stunned and at a loss silence—filled the car. Meg cleared her throat. ‘Sounds...uh...great.’ She glanced in the mirror again and Ben could almost see her mental shrug. She swallowed. ‘What did you do today, Ben?’
    ‘I bought some wood.’
    She blinked as she stared at the road in front of her. ‘Wood?’
    ‘That’s right. But don’t ask me what it’s for. It’s a surprise.’
    She glanced at Elsie. ‘What’s he up to? Is he building you a veggie patch?’
    ‘Unlikely. But if he does it’ll be his veggie patch.’
    In the mirror Meg raised an eyebrow at him and he could read her mind. They were having a conversation like normal people—him, her and Elsie. He couldn’t blame her for wondering if the sky was falling in.
    ‘I’ll tell you something that’s surprised the pants off of me,’ he said, as smoothly as he could.
    In the mirror he watched her swallow. ‘Don’t keep me in suspense.’
    ‘Elsie plays a mean hand of rummy.’
    Meg glanced at her. ‘You play rummy?’
    ‘Yes, your father taught me.’
    Just for a moment Meg’s shoulders tightened, but then she rolled them and shrugged. ‘Rummy is fun, but I prefer poker. Dad plays a mean hand of poker too.’
    Did he? Ben wondered if he’d ever played a hand or two with his daughter.
    ‘So Elsie kicked your butt, huh?’
    ‘We’re a game apiece. The tie-break’s tonight.’
    ‘Well, now.’ Meg pulled the car to a halt in the RSL Club’s parking lot. ‘I expect to hear all about it tomorrow.’
    ‘If she beats me, I’m making it the best of five.’
    Elsie snorted. ‘If you come to dinner next Wednesday, Meg, you can join in the fun.’
    He wasn’t sure who was more stunned by that offer—him, Meg or Elsie.
    ‘Uh, right,’ Meg managed. ‘I’ll look forward to it.’
    Elsie’s efforts at hospitality and conversation had thrown him as much as they’d obviously thrown Meg, but as Ben climbed out of the car he couldn’t help wondering when he’d fallen into being so monosyllabic around his grandmother. Especially as he prided himself on being good company everywhere else.
    He frowned and shook his head. He’d never been anything but monosyllabic around Elsie. It was a habit. One he hadn’t even considered breaking until Meg had sent out the challenge.
    He glanced at the older woman. When had she got into the habit? Maybe nobody had ever challenged her, and—
    Holy crap!
    Ben’s jaw dropped and his skin tightened when Meg rounded the car to join them. His chest expanded. It was as if he didn’t fit his body properly any more.
    Holy mackerel!
    She wore a short blue skirt that stopped a good three inches above her knees and swished and danced about flirty thighs.
    Man, Meg had great legs!
    He managed to lift a hand to swipe it across his chin. No drool. He didn’t do drool. Though, that said, until this week he’d have said he didn’t do ogling Meg either.
    Now it seemed he couldn’t do anything else.
    She had legs that went on for ever. The illusion was aided and abetted by the four-inch wedge heels she wore, the same caramel colour as her blouse. He toenails were painted a sparkly dark brown.
    She nudged him in the ribs. ‘What’s with you?’
    ‘I...um...’ He coughed. Elsie raised an eyebrow and for the first time in his life he saw her actually smile. Oh, brilliant! She’d seen the lot and knew the effect Meg