Page 47 of Talk Birdie to Me

“I don’t see how that’s cheating.” He handed her a fork. “Want me to make it fair and guess what you’ll pick?”

“Since that was the whole point of this game, yes.”

“Okay. Do you have a piece of paper?”

Geena reached over to an end table on her side of the couch. “Will a sticky note do?”

“Sure. And a pen.” After she handed him both, Cody scribbled on it, hiding the words from her prying gaze. “Uh-uh. No peeking.”

He folded the sticky note and slapped it on the coffee table. He was ninety percent sure his guess would be right. No reason. Just a hunch. His hunches rarely steered him wrong.

“Ready for my pick?” When he nodded, she pointed one finger at a spring roll and another finger at the green curry. “These two. You only have to guess one, so you still have an edge.”

His pulse kicked up. There weren’t even any real stakes with this game, but he felt the thrill of playing it with her, anyway.

Why the hell wasn’t he pursuing anything more than protecting her and Gary?

He pulled his thoughts back into the right gear.

Geena wanted long-term. Serious. Committed.

She wouldn’t be happy with something just for fun. No matter how much fun he suspected they could have together.

His growing attraction was simply an inconvenience.

Cody picked up the folded sticky note and handed it to her, trying to keep his smugness under wraps.

She unfolded the pink piece of paper and stared wide-eyed at it. “This is some kind of trick.”

“Nope.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “How did you know I’d pick both of those? There’s no way!”

“I got your pizza right, too,” he reminded her. “I guess I can read your mind.”

“That’s not a real thing. Tell me how.”

He laughed. “I can’t tell you how. I just knew.”

She aimed her fork at him menacingly, while smiling. “I’m going to figure out your trick, eventually.”

Cody knew she’d never win this game, only because there was no trick to it.

But he was sure going to enjoy her trying.

Geena melted against the back of the couch and let out a long, satisfied sigh. She rarely ate in the living room, preferring to keep the spaces in her townhouse neatly cornered off for their individual purposes.

But she had to admit, Thai food on the couch was nice. Different, but nice.

They’d chatted about work and family while they ate. Like they were old friends instead of acquaintances who shared custody of a bird.

“So, how are things with… what’s her name?”

She wasn’t sure why she’d brought that up. It really wasn’t any of her business. And it didn’t affect anything between them.

But she couldn’t take it back now.

Cody appeared confused. “Who?”

---