Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad by Sue MacKay Page B

Kieran’s heart swelled. With pride? Not likely. How could he be proud of a child he didn’t want to acknowledge? He didn’t mean the biological ownership. He was definitely this little guy’s dad in that respect.
    But Abby was a part of Seamus, too. It showed in his easygoing temperament, his enquiring mind and gurgling laugh.
    This is a one-year-old. How can you possibly tell so much about his personality at that age? You’re looking for things in the kid, making them up as you go along.
    Was he? Kieran’s hands fisted in his pockets and he rolled on and off the balls of his feet while his gaze never left the infant. Looking for more characteristics to attribute to Abby? Making Seamus more of a Brown than a Flynn? Pushing the kid further away? Trying to justify himself when moments ago he’d thought it a tragedy that Olivia didn’t know her parents?
    But Seamus had met him, would always know him, albeit distantly. In this case, that was best for Seamus. Far, far better than being hurt by lack of love.
    He bit his upper lip. Time to go. The children were as happy and healthy as he’d expect them to be. Abby made sure of that as far as it was humanly possible. As a doctor he understood nothing could be done to prevent a tragedy such as Darren Shore’s occurring. As an uncle he felt there had to be something he could do. As a parent? A hollow feeling inthe pit of his gut gave him no answers. Except to make him feel worse than ever.
    It was impossible to leave. His feet were glued to the floor as he watched Seamus sleeping. When he did finally leave the cramped bedroom Abby had moved inside to watch television and darkness had settled outside.
    ‘Everything okay?’ Abby asked as he hesitated in her lounge doorway.
    ‘Exactly as I’d expected.’ Except for his own messy emotions, which weren’t listening to him when he tried to take control and get on with what he’d come here for. To run an emergency department.

CHAPTER SIX
    I T SEEMED Kieran couldn’t stay away. Surprising Abby, he turned up at the cottage on Friday after work moments after Steph and her boyfriend, Andrew, arrived.
    Olivia charged him down as he stepped onto the small veranda, insisting he pick her up. He hesitated before bending to swing her up into his arms. Olivia giggled nonstop. Her vise-like grip around his neck made him wince. But at least he was playing the game and trying to please his niece.
    Abby grinned. ‘Guess you’ll be wanting a beer, too.’
    ‘Sure thing.’ Kieran turned to Steph and gave her an awkward hug with Olivia stuck between them. ‘It’s great to see you again. Is Charlie here, too?’
    ‘Not yet, but I’m sure she won’t be far away.’ Steph turned to Andrew and made the introductions.
    Abby dragged out the stack of hard plastic deck chairs from the laundry.
    ‘Let me take those,’ Kieran said from behind her.
    She nearly leapt off the floor. She hadn’t heard him following her. ‘Thanks.’ She could get used to having someone do things for her.
    He carefully put Olivia down and picked up the stack with ease, then asked in a nonchalant tone, ‘Where’s Seamus?’
    Yes! He’d asked after his son. Triumph spurted throughAbby. A very small step but, in her book, a step nonetheless. ‘With Dad, shifting the irrigation pump.’
    ‘He’s quite the little man, isn’t he?’ Kieran commented, and carried the chairs out to the veranda. ‘Where’s that beer? A man could die of thirst around here.’
    Abby watched Kieran as he separated the chairs and passed them around. He was totally at ease, very different from the serious professional she worked with during the day. A bit like herself, she supposed. As he tipped a bottle to his lips her stomach muscles cramped. He was so darned sexy. To say nothing about his good looks. No wonder she’d never forgotten that night with him. He’d marked her for life.
    What did he see when he looked at her? A harried mother and aunt? He wouldn’t be impressed with