Page 67 of Playing for Keeps

“How old is this guy?”

“Thirty-four.”

“That’s a lot of baggage.”

“Maybe, but it also feels pretty straightforward.”

“Because his daughter’s not currently there! I feel as though things will be different when he suddenly can’t hang out with you because he has his kid for the weekend.”

“She lives with him full time. His ex-wife lives in Paris.”

“That doesn’t sound as though it’s going to be an uncomplicated relationship for long. Do you really want to get into a relationship with a guy who has a kid? Or are you just having a fling? Is that why you’re not bothering to tell him the truth … because it’ll just be a short-lived thing between you?”

“I don’t know.” But given the discomfort Allie felt in her gut, she definitely saw it developing to more than a fling. “I really like spending time with him. That’s all I know for now. I think that’s all I need to know at the moment.”

“You really are very chilled out there, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself.” Her voice had taken that flat quality again, and it set alarm bells ringing in Allie.

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, are you sure everything is okay there? You sound fed up.”

“Just a bit tired, I guess. Ignore me.”

“Okay. I’ll let you go.”

“Hang on,” Bella said, with sudden urgency. “There’s something I wanted to tell you … but …”

“What is it?” There was a noise in the background and then muffled voices. “Is that my dad?”

“Yeah. I’ll just talk to you another time.”

“Call me back later if you want …”

“It’s not important. I’ll call you another day.”

Allie instructed her to say hi to her dad, then ended the call.

She checked her watch, counting down the time until her dinner with Hugh and feeling yet another rush of anticipation.

CHAPTER 24

Spending time with Allie sparked something in Hugh that he hadn’t felt in a long time – the buzz he felt when he thought about seeing her, and the constant prickle of desire he felt around her.

She’d also sparked something else in him – an excitement about his job that he’d lost a long time ago. Her sketches of the golf course had inspired him, and he’d found himself researching golf course design from an architectural perspective.

When his phone rang late on Friday afternoon, he was up in his office, standing over the large sketch he’d been working on in every spare minute since that night at Allie’s place. He’d had a stab of guilt over setting aside his paid work that afternoon to add a few finishing touches to it.

“Hi,” he said to Leo over the phone.

“Hey. How’s it going? Big date tonight, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you nervous?”

Hugh rubbed lightly at a tiny smudge at the edge of his drawing. “I wasn’t, but now you’ve made me think I should be.”