His Christmas Eve Proposal

Besides, he might be able to get Rosie Harrison to open up a little more about herself if he spent some more time with her…

She gave another small shake of her head, her glorious red hair shimmering like a living flame as she did so. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea to just leave my father on his own when he isn’t well.’

Considering Donald hadn’t been well several times during the last ten years—whether with other bouts of flu or stomach upsets—and had managed pretty well without the attendance of his daughter, Hawk didn’t think her being here this time was going to be of any relevance to the other man’s wellbeing or recovery!

‘Like all men, I know for a fact that Donald prefers to be on his own when he isn’t feeling well,’ Hawk assured her. ‘But I’ll go up and check on him while you get ready—explain what’s happening if he’s awake, if that makes you feel happier about going,’ he assured her.

Rosie wasn’t fooled by Hawk’s lazily relaxed tone for a moment. She knew by the look of determination on his face that he wasn’t about to accept any of her arguments against going to Calgary with him. Much better to just give in gracefully.

‘I’ll only be five minutes,’ she told him reluctantly. ‘What?’ she prompted, when she saw his sceptical expression.

‘If you do only take five minutes to get ready to go out, then you’ll be the first woman of my acquaintance to do so!’ he explained wryly.

Rosie gave him a narrow-eyed glare. ‘I can only assume that must be due to the type of woman you’re acquainted with!’

‘You’re probably right!’ Appreciative laughter glinted in his deep blue eyes as he gave a grin, his teeth white and even against his tanned skin. ‘I’ll go up and see Donald in a couple of minutes,’ he confirmed, his gaze slightly mocking.

She hadn’t taken the complication of this dangerously attractive man’s presence here into account when she’d arranged to come to Canada so suddenly, Rosie acknowledged to herself as she hurried from the kitchen up to her father’s flat. If she had thought about it at all, she’d have believed the actor would be too busy with his own family to even notice her. And if her father hadn’t become suddenly ill, then he probably wouldn’t have done.

All of which made absolutely no difference to the fact that he had noticed her, and that she was about to accompany him into Calgary in order to do his grocery shopping for him!

What would she have been doing if she were in England now?

Considering the time difference, she would most probably have been in bed. Although she doubted very much that she would have been asleep. Sleep seemed to be something that had eluded her more and more as her wedding day had approached and she’d realised what a mistake she was making.

But it was a mistake she had now done something about, she reminded herself firmly. Before it had been too late.

In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn’t even want to contemplate what would be happening now if she were still in the UK!

She was going to take one day at a time, deal with one problem at a time—and what she had to concentrate on right now was getting ready in the five minutes she had assured Hawk that she would take!

‘I’m impressed,’ Hawk announced, as Rosie hurried down the stairs to join him at the front door—still with ten seconds of the allotted five minutes to spare!