brushed his fingers down her cheek. ‘Love them.’
Her smile lit up her face. It was like sunshine after a month of cloudy weather. ‘Go and put your feet up and I’ll fix you a drink.’
‘I feel like I’ve stepped into a nineteen-fifties time warp,’ Flynn said. ‘By the way, the apron looks great on you.’
She looked at him with a pursed mouth. ‘I’m not going to ask you who wore it before me.’
‘No one,’ he said. ‘It was a present from Jake a couple of birthdays back. He likes to joke around.’
‘When is your birthday?’
‘May. I don’t know the exact date but apparently it’s anywhere between the tenth and fifteenth.’
‘Taurus,’ she said, nodding. ‘That makes sense.’
‘Stubborn as a bull?’ Flynn said. ‘Yeah, that’s me.’
She chewed at her lip for a moment. ‘Is it weird not knowing the exact day you were born?’
‘Birthdays aren’t that important to me.’ He had made them unimportant. He no longer ruminated over which day, hour, minute he was born and to whom. Well, not often.
‘I guess you already know when my birthday is,’ she said with a little frown. ‘It seems like the whole world knows I was born two months after Miranda.’
He touched her face again. ‘Any more thoughts about meeting Richard?’
She pulled away as if his fingers had burned her. ‘No.’
‘What about Julius and Jake? Would you be prepared to meet them?’
‘Maybe.’
That was a win if nothing else. But the clock was ticking on that party date and he wanted her there. Everyone was expecting him to pull this off. She didn’t have to stay long, just meet her father and get out of there, if that was what she wanted. ‘I’ll organise something when Julius and Holly come over from Argentina. They’ll arrive a few days before Richard’s party. Jake might catch up with you sooner but it’d be nice if you met them together.’
‘Whatever.’
He brushed his thumb over her pouting mouth. ‘They’re good people, Kat. Don’t put them in the same class as your father. He’s in a class all of his own.’
She stretched her lips into a smile that didn’t show her teeth. ‘I’ll get that drink for you.’
* * *
When Kat brought in a glass of wine to Flynn he was sitting with his feet up, Cricket curled up by his side. He was checking something on his phone but put it down when he saw her. He smiled as she handed him the glass. ‘It’s going to be tough going back to microwave meals.’
‘Can’t you cook?’
‘I can but I don’t always bother. Too much fuss for one person.’
‘I know,’ Kat said. ‘I’m a bit the same.’
He patted the seat beside him on the other side of where Cricket was lying. ‘Got a minute?’
‘Sure.’
She sat down and he put his arm around her shoulders to draw her closer. ‘I’ve been thinking about your job at the café,’ he said. ‘It’s going to be tough getting to and from rehearsals.’
‘I can manage.’
A little silence passed.
‘What if I were to pay you?’
Kat swung her gaze to his. ‘For what?’
He gave a little roll of his eyes. ‘Not that. For helping me around the house. Walking Cricket and so on.’
She didn’t have to think about it. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to accept money off him or any man. Not unless she was officially employed, as in a proper job. ‘No. Absolutely not.’
‘But what if your shift runs overtime or you have a clash?’
‘I’ll cut back my hours,’ Kat said. ‘I’ll swap shifts. I’ll make it work.’
He let out a breath that had a hint of frustration to it. ‘It’s just money, Kat. I have plenty of it.’
‘That’s not the point.’ She sprang up off the sofa and folded her arms as tight as a steel band across her body.
‘What about if I gave you an interest-free loan?’
She gave him a wintry look. ‘I’m not a charity case.’
He studied her for a beat. ‘Oh, I get it. You don’t want to be beholden to me in case I turn the screws on you attending Richard’s party.’
Kat pressed her lips together. ‘It’s not about that stupid party.’
‘It’s about your pride, isn’t it?’
She didn’t answer.
‘Are you nervous about rehearsals on Monday?’
‘A little.’
‘Need any help with your lines?’
‘I can manage.’
‘Kat.’ The way he said her name in that achingly gentle way brought her gaze back to his. ‘You’ve been doing everything on your own for so long you’ve forgotten how to recognise a genuine desire to help,’ he said. ‘I want you to do well in that play.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I think you deserve this chance to show the world what you’re made of.’
Kat released a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. ‘Okay...if you don’t mind. It would be good to run through my lines a few times.’
‘I don’t mind at all,’ he said. ‘I haven’t seen the play live but I’ve seen a couple of YouTube clips. We can work on it over the weekend.’
This will be the clincher. Helping you with your lines. Sheesh... What’s next? A wedding rehearsal?
What’s wrong with helping me with my lines? Any friend would do that.
Friend? Is that what he is?
Well, he’s not my enemy. Not now.
Flynn tapped her on the end of her nose. ‘You’d better not zone out like that onstage. Elisabetta will eat you for breakfast and spit out the leftovers.’
Kat blinked and pasted on a smile. ‘I’ll go and dish up. Don’t move. I’ll bring it in on a tray.’
*
