Page 14 of Wild Tonic
“Poppy and I aren’t together any more. We’ve been separated for a while now. It was a break that didn’t end. Plus the fact she got together with my band’s manager while I was on tour.” Nate’s laugh didn’t ring true and Clem realised he was more cut up about that than he was letting on. “India’s getting on for three years old now.” His face lit up as he began talking about her. “I figure I’ve missed out on quite a lot of her life already by being away on tour and now not being around her home full time. She’s a huge part of my world. In fact, I’m seeing her later this afternoon. She wants me to come to her tea party.” Nate grinned and shrugged. “Not usually my style, but what’s a Dad to do?”
“That’s good to know,” said Clem. The image she originally had of him as a hard-rocking, hard-partying rock star evaporated. There was a homebody beneath the facade.
“How do you feel about that?” he asked. “I guess you thought that India was an ex or something.”
Clem smiled. “Maybe. Either that or you quite liked to travel.”
“Might have been a bit easier to explain.” He set the mug back on the table. “When can I see you again?”
“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Clem already knew she was going out with him again, but didn’t see any harm in keeping him on his toes. “What makes you think I want to?”
“Babe, you definitely want to see me again.” Nate grinned at her. “Besides, I want my shirt back.”
Chapter Ten
Nate’s hangover was starting to kick in as he arrived at his old house that afternoon. Due to the leisurely breakfast with Clem, he was late. Despite messaging Poppy to alert her to the fact, her frosty response had been less than accommodating.
From the moment Poppy opened the door, Nate knew he was in for a hard time. Her mouth was set in a hard line and her eyes were cold. He followed her into the house, seeing how it had changed again since the last time he had been there.
“Daddy!” India came running up to him, arms extended.
“Hey, baby!” He lifted her into his arms, swinging her around.
“Don’t do that, she’s just eaten,” snapped Poppy. “Unless you want to be covered in vomit.”
Nate stopped moving and hugged India close to him. “Why don’t you go and set up the tea party while I chat to Mummy?” he suggested, placing her down again.
“Okay, Daddy.” The little girl ran off and Nate’s heart contracted. She was growing up so fast.
They went into the kitchen where Poppy had already brewed some coffee. She poured them both a large mug and went to sit at the table where her tablet lay.
“Why do I have to find out that you’re sleeping with some teenage reality TV star from a journo atThe Goss?” Poppy pushed the tablet across the table top. “I got a call tipping me off.”
Nate scanned the article which was basically a summation of ‘facts’ based on Clem’s social media accounts. “She’s not a teenager, she’s twenty-three for Christ’s sake. You’re making me sound like a paedo.”
“Whatever. Nate, what the hell are you doing?”
The picture that accompanied the piece was the one that Clem had taken of them at the wedding. His mouth curled up into a smile as he remembered how he’d felt that night: carefree, happy.
It was how the previous night and that morning made him feel.
And it had everything to do with Clem.
It was everything that Poppy was trying to suck out of him now. He couldn’t even play with his daughter without getting that wrong.
“You moved on, Poppy. Why can’t I?”
Poppy let out an exasperated breath. “I’m not saying you can’t move on. I’m just asking why you’re hooking up with someone like that? She’s got to be trouble.”
“Why’s that, Poppy? Is it because she’s bound to be like Edie? I’ve already had Alik in my ear with that comparison. By the sounds of it, you’ve made it too.”
“Oh, you barely know her, Nate! She’s a child with whom you have nothing in common.”
“Says who? You don’t know her.”
Nate pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He didn’t know exactly what Clem was like, but he liked what he’d seen so far. With both Alik and now Poppy warning him off, it strengthened his resolve to make it work. He looked directly at his ex-wife. “Even if I did know her better, what has it got to do with you, Poppy?”
India came running into the kitchen, waving a piece of paper in front of her. “I did a picture, Mummy!”
