Page 18 of So That Happened
‘So she sent you here to go cold turkey?’
She didn’t look up. ‘I agreed to come here for a break.’
‘It’s a good job your laptop’s bust and you haven’t been writing tenders, then,’ he said wryly.
A muscle ticked in her jaw.
‘You okay, Josie?’
She looked up sharply. ‘I’m fine. Just tired. In fact, I think I’ll go to bed.’ She unfurled herself and stood up. ‘Goodnight.’
She didn’t look back as she left the room.
Interesting.
4
The next morning Josie came downstairs to find the sun pouring in through the patio doors in the kitchen, bathing everything in golden light. There was no sign of Connor and the door to the snug was firmly shut. The heavy tension that had built since she’d woken dropped down a notch.
She’d felt spun out last night, after their conversation about Maddie and work, and had tossed and turned for an hour before falling into a fitful sleep. He’d hit on some real bruises this time, and she didn’t like it one bit. She was going to have to be more careful about what she said around him from this point onwards. He was too perceptive for his own good and she’d already told him more than she was comfortable with.
Only a couple more days, Josie, then he’ll be gone.
Pushing him to the back of her mind, she moved about almost in a dream, making coffee and heaping cereal into a bowl. Even in the sunny calm of the kitchen she felt weirdly buzzed, as if she was anticipating something momentous but had no idea what.
Just as she was pouring herself another coffee Connor strode in, bare-chested, his hair rumpled with sleep, his eyes tired.
‘Morning,’ she said, turning to hide the blush that crept up her neck at the sight of him. Her heart slammed uncomfortably against her chest and she took a long, slow breath in an attempt to calm down.
‘Morning,’ he mumbled. ‘How was my bed?’
She forced herself to look at him, determined not to give away how flustered she was. ‘Very comfortable. How was the sofa?’
He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Short and lumpy.’
Stifling her smile, Josie grabbed another mug, poured in the remainder of the coffee and handed it to him.
‘Thanks.’ He took a long sip, wincing as he swallowed. ‘You like your coffee strong.’
She only just stopped herself saying “Like my men”. Where the heck had this one-track mind sprung from?
They ate breakfast together in silence, the tense atmosphere from the night before still hanging between them.
‘So, what are your plans for the day?’ he said finally.
She shrugged. ‘I don’t have any. A bit of reading, maybe. A short walk. Some relaxing…’ She noticed a smile playing around his lips. ‘What?’
‘I can’t imagine you sitting around relaxing, that’s all. You’re the least relaxed person I’ve ever met. You always look as if you’re itching to move on to the next thing.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m not used to sitting still.’
‘You’re a nervous breakdown waiting to happen. You know that?’
She gave him a tight smile, fighting down her irritation that he seemed to be picking up right where they’d left off last night. ‘I haven’t got time for a breakdown. My schedule wouldn’t allow it.’
He gave her a mirthful stare. ‘You plan everything?’
She straightened the skirt of her halter neck dress. ‘I like to know what I’m doing.’
