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He rocked her against him. “What gave you that idea? I found Amanda dead on the kitchen floor after a stroke. You haven’t triggered anything. This has got nothing to do with Amanda. This is all about you and climbing on a roof when there’s no one here.”
Josh worked hard not to remember that morning. He was only grateful neither of the boys had found Amanda first.
Josh looked up to see the boys running towards them from the side of the house. “What happened?” asked Blaydon.
With great reluctance Josh let Kristy go. He smiled to his boys. “We’re leaving Santa to his fate on the roof.”
A slow grin spread across Kristy’s face and his insides did a crazy two-step dance.
How had it happened that he’d turned up to see her on the roof? She gave him a cheeky wink. “If you like, stay on a little longer tonight. I make a mean chicken curry.”
His face broke out into the most ridiculous grin. He couldn’t help it. It sounded so normal and nice. Yeah, he liked…a real lot.
CHAPTER12
Sweetheart.He’d called her “sweetheart”. Kristy wondered what that meant and hoped it wasn’t some throwaway line that he used all the time.
The boys followed her into the kitchen. “Sorry, fellas, all I can offer you is a cold glass of milk, will that do?”
Both boys nodded. Josh stood in the doorway.
“I’ll make us a cup of tea if you like. I could do with one.”
“Come on, boys. You can sit outside, but don’t run around too far and just wait for me.” Josh opened the fridge to pull out the milk.
She swung around to him. An idea had been brewing in her mind ever since she’d arrived. “Why don’t you stay the day? Or just the morning, please yourself. Whatever works. I’ve had youngsters here before and they’ve amused themselves counting the fence posts, playing cricket, but not alone.”
Oh god, now she sounded desperate. She grinned at him. “Don’t mind me, I get verbal diarrhoea sometimes. The offer’s there if you want it.”
“I love the offer, we’ll take it,” murmured Josh.
His deep voice reverberated around the tiny room and it kept resonating deep within her – right to her bones.
Outside they heard voices and footsteps.
Kristy rolled her eyes. “That’s the team.”
“Morning, Kristy,” called out Janelle. “The boys are telling me you were on the roof.” She spotted Josh and nodded. “Did you get her down?”
Josh nodded. “It didn’t take long.”
Janelle slumped into the nearest chair. “You could have had a nasty fall.”
“I didn’t, so all good.”
Kristy handed her Janelle a cup of tea. “Enjoy that while you can, we’re opening soon. We’ve got another delivery of decorations arriving today.”
Kristy grabbed two teas off the counter and nodded to Josh, who was opening a new box, to join her outside.
Instead of sitting at the table, Kristy kept walking all the way to the paddock directly in front of them. She stood by the fence line and waited for him to join her.
It took a few deep breaths before she could steady her nerves. Ever since he’d held her so close, at the shooting gallery and again on the ladder, she felt something had happened between them, but she didn’t quite know what. She hoped her imagination wasn’t running away with her, which meant she was living in some sort of fool’s paradise, full of wishful thinking. He’d killed that hope in the park when he said he’d be going back to Sydney. She really should have let him go this morning to get on with his life.
Kristy studied him as he walked towards her.
Behind him a large haulage truck drove up. She emptied her tea onto the grass and nodded to Josh. “Another foal’s turned up. She was expected. Where are the boys?”
By the time she reached the truck the back door was open. Kristy stood as close as she could, ready to watch the driver walk out with the beautiful foal. A small crowd of onlookers had gathered around, but Josh managed to move everyone to the side to give the foal some space. Kristy gave him a grateful smile.
