Storybook Dad (Harlequin American Romance) Read Online Free Page A

little man. It’s
rude.”
    The boy’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I
didn’t mean to be rude, Daddy. I really didn’t.”
    Emily dropped to her knees in front of Seth, her black-and-gold
bikini top and black spandex shorts evoking a rapid swallow or two on Mark’s
part. “Maybe your dad can take you out for a few minutes and let you see what a
kayak is all about.” Peeling her attention from his son long enough to make eye
contact with Mark, Emily gestured toward the kayak with her chin. “I’ve already
been out once this evening. Why don’t you take him out for a little while?”
    “I can’t take your boat,” Mark protested.
    “Sure you can. Have you ever been in a kayak before?” she
asked.
    He willed himself to focus on her face, to refrain from looking
back at her sweet curves, but it was hard. “Kayaks, no. Canoes, yes.”
    “Then a crash course is in order. Though, since I wasn’t
expecting this, I don’t have a life jacket that’ll fit Seth.”
    “That’s okay.” Seth raced toward a bag several feet from his
castle and tore through its contents, returning with a pair of inflatable
armbands. “See? I’ve got my Floaties!”
    Emily made a face. “Not exactly the same thing, I’m afraid. But
if you don’t go out too far, they’ll be okay this one time.” Turning to Mark,
she said, “And you? What kind of a swimmer are you?”
    “Solid.”
    She considered his response, then gestured toward the boat.
“When you sit in a kayak, you need to keep your legs together and your knees
slightly bent. Keep your weight over the center line. Remember that and you
won’t flip.”
    She retrieved the paddle from the sand. “Now, for locomotion,
you grip this with both hands, see?” Placing her hands slightly wider than
shoulder width apart, she demonstrated the correct way to hold it and move it.
“The blade of the paddle can also be used as a rudder, for steering, if there’s
somewhere in particular you’re trying to go or trying to avoid.”
    Ten minutes later, Mark knew enough about the boat and the
paddle that he was out in the lake with Seth as Emily watched from the shore.
“Wow, Daddy! The next time I play castle with my blocks at Gam’s house, I’m
gonna give my prince and princess a boat just like this.”
    “You don’t think they’d prefer a sailboat or maybe a regular
rowboat?” he teased. “Kayaks are kind of narrow and might not fit your
princess’s dress too well.”
    “The princess will be fine. She has short dresses, too, you
know.”
    “Oh, I didn’t know that.” Mark paddled about, glancing back at
Emily more than he probably should.
    “I like my new friend, Daddy. She’s really nice. And she likes
castles, too!”
    He forced his focus back on his son, noting how the
late-afternoon sun was haloing his head. “Oh? You made a new friend at
preschool? What’s her name?”
    “Not at school. Here.” The motion of Seth’s body as he tried to
turn and point toward the shore made the kayak rock. “Whoa! Did you feel that,
Daddy?” he asked, wide-eyed.
    “I did. And it’s because you’re moving around. Remember what
Emily said about staying in the center?” Mark tilted his chin toward the shore,
but knew it was futile, considering Seth was facing forward, his back to him.
“So you were talking about Emily just now when you said you made a new
friend?”
    “She made a flag for my castle!”
    Mark had to grin at the enthusiasm in his son’s voice. “Wow,
you’re right. She is really nice, huh?”
    Seth’s head bobbed up and down. “How did you know her name,
Daddy?”
    Because once she told me, I couldn’t get
it out of my head....
    Surprised by the thought, he willed himself to find a more
appropriate answer, one that wouldn’t get the kayak rocking again. “Remember how
I went and played that big-boy game in the woods today? Well, Emily was the
teacher.”
    What Seth said in response, Mark didn’t catch, as the mere
mention of the