Read Online Operation Valentine by Loretta Hill - Free Book Online Page B

bored.’ He stood up in an attempt to shake off his mood. ‘Like I said, I hate shopping. So how’d it go?’
    â€˜Really well,’ Sarah assured him with a smile. ‘We got exactly what we needed. Do you want to see?’
    â€˜No,’ he said without hesitation.
    Sarah chuckled. A gorgeous little tinkle that stitched up the edges of his frayed heart. As they made their way to the food court, he had the alarming desire to grab her hand, which he managed to quell only just in the nick of time. His little finger brushed hers for a millisecond before he quickly shoved his fist in his pocket.
    What the hell am I thinking?
    After ordering some cheap takeaway Chinese, they sat down at a table and he had the odd sensation they were a unit, that the three of them belonged together. He hadn’t felt anything like this since his wife Amanda had been in the picture. This feeling of ease.
    Only this time he knew it was false. Because nothing was ever that concrete or that secure. Families broke all the time. And women came and went like migrating birds. Ever since he’d started tailoring his liaisons to his expectations, he’d never got hurt. So what was the incentive to start now?
    He saw none.
    â€˜What’s the matter, Dad?’ Chloe nudged him.
    â€˜My honey chicken tastes two days old.’
    â€˜No it doesn’t,’ Sarah protested. She had ordered the same thing.
    â€˜Dad’s very fussy when it comes to food,’ Chloe informed her knowledgeably. ‘Something to do with owning a restaurant, I suppose.’
    Sarah raised her eyebrows. ‘Fussy? Really? What else?’
    He frowned but Chloe seemed to have got the gist of the game. ‘He’s not a morning person,’ she added.
    â€˜You don’t say.’
    â€˜And he farts a lot after eight pm.’
    â€˜Thanks, Chloe. I think it’s time we found out a little more about Sarah.’ He turned to her. ‘What are you like in the morning?’
    Â Â Â It was clearly the wrong question to ask, because she blushed bright red and he immediately got the mental image of her swathed in nothing but white sheets. He really didn’t need that right now.
    â€˜Dreadful, I’m afraid,’ Sarah moaned, not helping matters either. ‘I’m nearly always late for work, which is something I’ve got to change. I seriously have to impress my boss.’
    Ah yes, hadn’t she mentioned something before about needing to save her career?
    â€˜What do you do again?’ he asked.
    â€˜Oh, come on, Dad,’ his daughter reprimanded him. ‘You haven’t forgotten already!’
    Sarah gave him a knowing smile that made his guts twist. The truth was he’d never asked, so how could he forget? Asking the women in his life questions about themselves was not his style. Too personal. Too commitment-based.
    â€˜I’m in PR.’ Her tone was mocking. ‘You remember now, don’t you?’
    â€˜Yes, that’s right. You might as well tell me why you need to impress your boss again, too.’
    â€˜My company is downsizing and my position is gone unless I pull off the best Valentine’s Day ball ever.’
    Chloe screwed up her face. ‘I hate Valentine’s Day.’
    He glanced at his daughter approvingly. ‘And so you should.’ But she wasn’t speaking to him.
    â€˜Everyone just plays pranks on each other. Last year I got this card from a a boy I liked –’
    â€˜You liked a boy?’ he started.
    â€˜But it was just a trick and so when I showed it to him he laughed. It was so embarrassing.’
    â€˜ You liked a boy ?’
    They continued to ignore him.
    â€˜That, my friend, is nothing.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘Pranks are the least of my problems on V-Day. I’ve had my fair share of those, but I’ve also had food poisoning, broken dates, airport malfunctions, illness and even death to contend with.