Page 55 of Prognosis Bad Timing

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHARLIE pulled up outsideCarrie’s house and switched off his engine. The smell of Chinese takeaway permeated the car and he hesitated with his hand on the door. Damn it all! This didn’t have to be a big deal. He was just having a meal with a colleague.

And her very cute daughter.

In her apartment.

Where he had intimate knowledge of her bedroom.

No.It was just a thank you. For today and the other day when she’d opened the envelope and because he knew he’d been unbearable the last couple of days. And it was this or let Joe drag him out to another seedy bar with women who didn’t do anything for him.

Any more.

He pushed open the car door determinedly, grabbed the plastic bag and the bottle of wine and headed towards the building. He arrived at her apartment and rapped on the door before he changed his mind. He only hoped they hadn’t already eaten. He checked his watch.

Six o’clock.

‘Oh.’ Carrie blinked. Charlie was standing at her door. For an awful second she wondered if her over-active imagination had conjured him up. ‘Charlie?’

She was dressed in tie-dyed clothes again, T-shirt and shorts. Her hair was down. Charlie liked it - he liked it a lot. ‘I hope you haven’t already eaten. I bought Dana’s favourite — Chinese.’

‘Oh,’ she said again, her brain freezing. What did this mean? What did he want? Memories of what had happened last time they’d stood at this door swamped her.

Stop it!

‘Isn’t this a little early for you to be leaving the centre?’

He smiled. ‘I’m getting a life.’

Carrie’s breath caught at the hint of a promise lurking behind the teasing glint in his grey gaze.

‘Mummy?’

‘Here, darling.’ Carrie turned, grateful for the interruption.

Charlie smiled at Dana as she approached. She was wearing a T-shirt and shorts with paint stains all over them. She even had a smudge of paint on her face. ‘Hi, Sleeping Beauty.’

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