Second Chance Lane (Brockenridge #2) - Nicola Marsh Page 0,36

can’t wait for your dad to discover that for himself.’

Isla snuggled into the hug and those damn tears Tash had been battling were back, making her eyes smart.

She dabbed at her eyes before easing away and flashing a bright smile. ‘Did you eat much at Ellen’s? Because I have a sudden hankering for some of Harry’s fajitas.’

Isla’s eyes lit up. ‘Ellen’s mum serves a lot of healthy stuff like carrot sticks, celery and tzatziki, so I’m still hungry.’

‘Great, the roadhouse it is.’ She wouldn’t normally head back to her workplace on a Saturday night, especially when she had a rare evening off courtesy of the emergency with Kody, but with the turmoil of the day she had a sudden hankering to be surrounded by people who loved her.

Tash fired off a text to Kody saying Isla would love to spend some time with him tomorrow, and his speedy response confirmed what she already knew: he really wanted to get to know his daughter. It made her feel bad all over again for keeping them apart this long.

She had never been more relieved when Isla kept up a steady stream of conversation on the drive to the roadhouse, most of it centred around various events for the newest batch of year sevens at high school, leaving her to murmur the occasional agreement while pondering the upcoming meeting with Kody tomorrow.

Sunday mornings were her special time with Isla. They’d sleep in, whip up a batch of blueberry pancakes, then go for a long walk before curling up on the couch to watch reruns of their favourite sitcoms together. That would all change tomorrow and she couldn’t help the flicker of fear that made her stomach twinge. She faced so many uncertainties with letting Kody into Isla’s life. What would happen if they didn’t bond as she hoped? What were his expectations beyond his stay in Brockenridge? Or the worst of them all—what if he filed for shared custody?

She’d built a stable life for her and Isla here, with a good support network and people who genuinely cared. How would sharing Isla with Kody even work? Having her daughter travel the world for six months of the year with a father who’d be busy with rehearsals and recordings and concerts seemed unfeasible and inappropriate for a girl her age. Not that Isla would see it that way. She could only imagine her impressionable daughter’s reaction at the thought of being part of a rock star’s entourage. Isla could end up seeing Kody as the fun parent who took her on worldwide adventures while she would be the opposite, stuck in Brockenridge, supervising homework and playing taxi-mum.

A headache started pulsing at her temples as the welcoming neon sign of The Watering Hole came into view. She’d pop a few paracetamols and try to put on a brave face, because no way in hell would she dampen Isla’s enthusiasm for a proper introduction with her father.

‘I’m starving,’ Isla announced theatrically as Tash pulled in behind the roadhouse. ‘Really, really hungry.’

‘If that’s your way of hinting for one of Harry’s famous lemon curd mini pavs after the fajitas, you might have twisted my arm.’

‘You’re the best, Mum,’ Isla said, opening the car door and slamming it shut.

Tash hoped Isla would always feel that way. She was glad her daughter’s earlier resentment had faded. She followed Isla at a sedate pace and entered the kitchen, not surprised to find her already popping treats into her mouth while Harry looked on fondly.

‘You spoil her,’ Tash said, snaffling one of the arancini balls for herself.

‘They’re yum, aren’t they, Mum?’

Tash nodded and murmured her appreciation.

‘We’d like to order your chicken fajitas please,’ Isla said, shooting Harry her best buttering-up look before adding, ‘and four of those delicious lemon curd pavs.’

‘Two,’ Tash said, trying to sound disapproving and failing when Harry beamed at Isla like she’d awarded him a Michelin star.

‘Coming right up.’ He waved them towards the dining area.

Saturday nights at the roadhouse were bustling and Tash didn’t feel like interacting with patrons, though if they sat at the small table reserved for staff they should be able to eat unobserved. But as they slipped from the kitchen and headed to the table, Alisha spotted them and waved Tash over.

‘Take a seat, honey, I’ll be back in a sec,’ Tash said to Isla.

Isla nodded and already had her phone in hand to scroll through whatever was the best social media site of the day, while Tash joined Alisha near the