Page 27 of Prognosis Incompatible

‘Yup,’ she said, again refusing to look at him.

‘Can I walk with you?’

No, you can’t. ‘It’s a public pavement. Your nephew?’ she asked.

He nodded. ‘Hey, Connor,’ he called to the boy a few metres ahead of them. ‘Come here and meet Maddy.’

Connor braked and with some fancy footwork flipped the board up into his hand and tucked it under his arm.

‘Hi,’ said Connor, as he approached.

‘Connor, this is Maddy.’

‘Hi,’ said Madeline, gritting her teeth to not correct Marcus in front of the boy. He was very cute, his uniform shirt untucked, and Madeline got a glimpse of Marcus at six.

‘That’s a pretty name,’ he said.

Madeline blinked. She always forgot how candid children could be. ‘Actually, my full name is Madeline.’

Connor thought for a bit. ‘Oh. Maddy is much prettier.’

Yep, definitely a chip off the old block, thought Marcus as he chuckled and then ruffled his nephew’s hair as Maddy shot him a disparaging look.

‘Is your uncle teaching you how to ride?’ she asked Connor.

‘Nah, I already know how to do that. He’s teaching me to do tricks. Oops.’ He clapped a hand over his mouth and looked stricken. ‘I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.’

‘Don’t worry, Connor. Your secret is safe with me,’ she assured with a smile.

He looked at his uncle uncertainly. ‘Sorry, Uncle Marcus.’

Marcus laughed. ‘It’s OK, mate. Go on, get on your board.’

They watched Connor ride ahead a bit. Madeline turned to Marcus and pinned him with a what-the-hell look. ‘Let me guess, he’s not supposed to tell his mother, right?’

‘He wants to learn and I’m teaching him. He’s a boy, he needs to be wild. Nell’s a little too protective.’

Madeline shook her head at him and strode off, briskly this time, but he caught her up easily with his long-legged stride. ‘You know he’s going to blab, right? Sooner or later?’

‘Yup.’

‘And what happens then?’

He shrugged. ‘She’ll come round. She’s just a product of our home life. We grew up kind of insecure. She wants to keep him safe from everything.’

He fell in beside her and they walked for a few seconds. ‘So, I guess we’ll be neighbours as of tomorrow.’

She knew it, yet still the idea was hard to compute. She glanced at him and he smiled at her and Madeline wished she hadn’t made eye contact. There was an easiness about him that was dangerous. Not evil or sinister, just a threat to her sensibilities.

He knew he was sexy. He didn’t flaunt it but it was there in every move, every nuance. His confidence was breathtaking.

‘Oh, goody, skater boy in a suit. It’ll be worth it just for that,’ she quipped, giving his grunge look a disparaging once-over.

He laughed and she felt like she’d just been dipped in a vat of warm sweet molasses.

‘A suit? Me? Hate to disappoint but these are my work clothes.’

Madeline stopped and stared at his fashionably faded long shorts with ragged edging and frayed pockets and his trendy purple striped shirt, unbuttoned and flapping in the breeze. Her eyes lingered at the tantalising glimpse of smooth chest.

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