and red-trimmed windows, and the daffodil-yellow door that welcomed patrons. Bright and cheery, exactly what she needed at the moment. ‘Isla used to come here for excursions in primary school and I’d always find an excuse to tag along as a helper.’
He glanced at her in surprise, probably because she sounded wistful and not snappy for once, but before he could question her, she said, ‘Come on, they serve the best Devonshire teas here.’
As they walked up the brick path, he said, ‘Aren’t you going to mention my new footwear?’
‘Considering I advised you to get it, not particularly.’
‘Smugness doesn’t become you.’
She chuckled. ‘Bet you were glad to ditch those crutches.’
‘Yes and no.’
They paused at the doorway and when he looked at her, the twinkle in his eyes surprised her.
‘Yes, because I can move around better,’ he said. ‘And no, because I won’t need your help in the bath.’
His comment flustered her. ‘I didn’t help you in the bath,’ she managed.
‘Yeah, you did.’ He grinned and tapped his temple. ‘Last night, when I was sitting in that tepid pool of my own filth, I closed my eyes and imagined you helping me just fine.’
Her body prickled with an awareness she daren’t acknowledge. ‘You’re an idiot,’ she muttered, ignoring his taunting chuckles as she strode into the café. What the hell had happened in that hospital to change him from reserved and wary to charming and flirtatious? Had they removed his reservations along with the plaster?
‘You looked like you could use some cheering up, that’s why I teased you about the bath,’ he said, as they chose a table. ‘It won’t happen again.’ He held up his hands like he had nothing to hide and she couldn’t help but smile at his guileless grin.
‘I hate that you can still read me so easily,’ she said, hoping a waitress would appear pronto to prevent her from blurting too much.
‘We were pretty close.’
‘But that was a long time ago. And to be honest, I don’t want to rehash the past.’
He fixed her with a steely glare, all hint of teasing gone. ‘Then what do you want?’
‘I want to know how yesterday went,’ she said. ‘Isla stayed with you for a really long time and I’ve been torturing myself about it ever since.’
‘Why? Don’t you want us to get to know each other?’
‘Of course I do,’ she snapped, immediately regretting it when he recoiled. ‘It’s just that we’ve always been super close and having her not confide in me—practically avoid me—last night has left me feeling … unsettled.’
‘How the hell do you think I feel? I’ve been unsettled since the moment you told me I had a kid.’ He drummed his fingers against the table, the habit so familiar the back of her eyes burned with unshed tears. He’d done that all the time when they were dating. At first she’d thought it signalled impatience but later she’d learned he did it because he often had new melodies floating through his head that made his fingers itch to jot them down. ‘And to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel being interrogated about what went down with Isla and me.’
‘I’m not interrogating you,’ she lied.
Thankfully, the waitress arrived, giving her time to gather her thoughts. They ordered cappuccinos, deciding they didn’t have an appetite for scones. When the waitress left, Kody fixed Tash with that penetrating stare again.
‘Look, Isla and I had a good time. We talked. Actually, she talked, mostly.’ His goofy grin told her exactly how smitten he was. ‘She’s a great kid.’
She wanted to say ‘Tell me something I don’t know’ but didn’t want to sound like a smart arse so she waited for him to continue.
‘I have to admit, yesterday went a lot better than I hoped. Once we got past the initial awkwardness, we just chatted. About school stuff and music and life on the road.’ His gaze shifted away, furtive. ‘She brought up that she’d like to spend more time with me.’
A chill swept over her. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Life on the road is appealing for any kid—’
‘No.’
How she managed to stop at one short sharp syllable and not scream a resounding ‘hell freaking no’ Tash had no idea.
He shook his head. ‘Contrary to what you think of me, I’m not a complete idiot. I told her it wasn’t a good idea, that her place is in Brockenridge.’
Kody’s reassurance should’ve made her feel relieved. It didn’t, because if Isla had broached the subject of leaving, she wouldn’t let