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his body and revealed glimpses of chest hair at his throat.
    Ack. The man was her boss – not eye candy, or a threat, or a love interest. He had a young son and had only recently lost his wife.
    ‘Remember, it’s not like I expect you to say yes all the time,’ he concluded. ‘But since you feel so strongly, we’ll go with the plans.’
    Saying yes? Don’t even go there – I might say yes to dangerous things.
    Maddie pushed on in an effort to convince herself more than anyone. ‘I’m here to enable you to get on with your day job. I know how important it is to you, Lyle, and I want to do my best for Josh.’
    ‘My son ranks first on my priority list. Even though right now the business tasks are stacking up, Josh is number one.’ She focused on her own hands to calm her pulse down but that didn’t help. Not when everything about Lyle smacked of raw, vital man and her body reacted so strongly. ‘He’s a great kid. He’s had a rough start. We have to make things work out now.’
    ‘You’ve both had a rough time.’
    ‘Becca, Josh’s mother, died in a car accident. It was a shock to us all.’ Lyle kept his eyes on the road. His fingers were flexed hard on the steering though. ‘Stuff happens. You deal with it. You don’t really have a choice.’
    ‘I’m so sorry.’ With a big effort at calm ease, Maddie shrugged. ‘You have a wonderful son. Josh is a prize to be treasured.’
    ‘I know. I’m lucky. Especially lucky that Josh wasn’t with Becca in the car when it happened. It could so easily have been the case.’
    Seconds passed in silence at the serious implications of his words.
    ‘So,’ Maddie tried to lighten the conversation, ‘the play date is a welcome distraction. Then you can go to work tomorrow knowing normality has resumed.’
    The more bodies – even little ones – around the better. Especially if they stopped her looking, noticing, glancing. Staring at his arms, or other parts of Lyle Sutherland. Scottish single daddy with notable assets.

    Lyle stared hard. His thoughts ran deep.
    His new temp nanny had a magic touch. She’d proved it today: amazing delicious, healthy supper with a high hidden vegetable content and Josh had even cleared the plate. A miracle.
    She’d coped with his son with consummate proficiency, encouraged him to be creative with a pre-dinner art activity too. Right now she was in her room, sorting out her things, claiming she wanted organisation time and was making calls. She’d spent earlier hours scanning the closets of Acorn Lodge under the pretext of planning and working out Josh’s schedule.
    Subtext – avoidance strategy. Oh yeah, he’d guessed as much.
    Was he really that scary?
    Or was she that intent on not blending in? Maybe he was long past blending in with? Maybe that’s what losing a wild, reckless wife, who’d caused him a truckload of sleepless nights and childcare battles, did for a man? In the doorway of the darkened bedroom, he watched his son, dreaming peacefully in bed. The space rocket nightlight cast a golden glow. His dark curls were a soft halo on the pillow. There was a warm fuzzy feeling in Lyle’s chest in response. He was so very lucky to have him, and Maddie was right. He should quash the doubts and enjoy the now. He might feel tested as a father, but he was entitled to novice jitters – he’d get there.
    Home was what it was all about and maybe he’d overreacted the week before when he’d told Josh’s Aunt Lizzie that a solo trip with Josh was out of the question. Lizzie didn’t mean any harm, she just needed contact with her nephew. She had been, after all, Becca’s only sister. It needn’t threaten him or jeopardise things. Lizzie had never seen eye to eye with Becca, she’d often supported Lyle in the past.
    Perhaps he’d call her soon to explain he’d arrange something in the future, when things had calmed down and a regular routine was established.
    When he went downstairs he stared inside the refrigerator;