‘Some new chick I have definitely not seen in Hanrahan before. Brown hair—or is it dark red? Easy on the eye, my friend … and she’s not alone.’
Josh ran a hand over his jaw, feeling the stubble there. Police, that had to be the first call. Then Beth. Then Hannah, damn her, could snap out of whatever Tom Krauss-funk she was inhabiting and come downstairs and help.
Tom’s last words finally sank into his brain. ‘Not alone?’
‘Ugly orange skirt. Boots that look like besser bricks. A nose that is one hundred per cent Cody. And I oughta know—I went to school with one of them, and I’ve wasted a mess of time getting the cold shoulder from the other. I think we’ve found your daughter, Josh.’
He looked up from his phone and on the dimly lit footpath were two figures walking towards them. Holy crap, Tom was right. He could have kissed him. Hewouldhave kissed him, except Tom was looking at his watch and muttering blather likegotta go,andnow the drama’s over,andsee ya, mate.
He ignored it all and lunged forward, earning himself a yelp from the startled labrador by his side.
‘Poppy? Honey, I’ve been so worried. Come here and give your dad a hug before he embarrasses all of us by crying in the street.’
And then she was in his arms. All five-foot, eyebrow-pierced, stroppy inch of her. She felt just about as perfect as a daughter could feel.
CHAPTER
10
Oh! Poppy’s dad was the big handsomevet?
She hauled in a breath. Wait, so Poppy’s story about the gossip in town was about Josh Cody? And—she flicked through the kid’s story in her head—if he was in business with Poppy’s aunt … then that meant the Cody and Cody Vet Clinic wasn’t a husband-wife team, but a brother-sister team.
Not that who he was in business with was any concern of hers.
He met her eyes over the top of his daughter’s head, thanks and questions written across his face.
‘Er, hi again,’ she said. ‘Vera. From The Billy Button Café.’
He smiled, a grin so brimful of charm she was able to understand how Poppy’s mum, whoever she was, had fallen under its spell.
‘You don’t have to keep introducing yourself. I know who you are.’
Oh boy. And now she knew who he was: single; too good-looking for her peace of mind; and with daughter-shaped emotional baggage which she had just sort-of employed.
Poppy was peeling herself out of her dad’s chokehold. ‘Guess what, Dad?’
‘What?’
‘I’m going to be a waitress.’
‘You are?’
‘Yep. Vera’s offered me a job for the holidays.’
‘I see.’ He raised his eyebrows in Vera’s direction. ‘Honey, can you call your mum? Let her know I found you.’
‘My phone’s dead.’
Josh rolled his eyes. ‘Of course it is. When you charge it again, maybe you’ll see the three thousand messages I’ve left for you.’
‘Oops. Sorry, Dad.’
‘No, it’s fine. I’m the one who’s sorry. We’ll talk, okay? Here, use mine. Your mum and Ron are worried about you.’
He handed his phone over to Poppy then looked up at Vera. She figured some sort of explanation was in order, so stopped running the ears of the dog through her fingers and stood up straight.
‘About the job,’ she began.