His grin didn’t falter. ‘You figured I’d be a no-show, huh?’
I hoped you would be. And I hoped you wouldn’t. ‘I forgot to factor in Gemma’s powers of persuasion. No one ignores her.’
‘I won’t hang around for long, Harper. But as I was going past I thought I should at least stop by and say hello.’
No one went past Lowry Bay. Not unless they had something to do in Eastbourne, and she doubted Cody did. ‘If you think you’re…’
The rest of what she had to say was lost in shouts of glee from the children, gazing at the motorbike with excitement in their eyes.
‘Wow. Does it go fast?’
‘Can I have a ride?’
‘I want a motorbike when I get bigger.’
Cody looked bemused for a moment, then he laughed. ‘Yes, it goes fast. I’m Cody, Auntie Harper’s friend.’ Really? Yeah, maybe he was. ‘Who are all of you?’
The eldest boy rushed in with, ‘I’m Levi, he’s Timothy, she’s Mosey and that’s Nosey.’
‘Levi,’ Harper warned. ‘Alice and Greer,’ she told Cody.
‘And I’m Jason, one of Harper’s brothers.’ Jason held his hand out. ‘Glad you dropped by. We owe you a beer or three for what you did on Friday.’ The men shook hands before Jason said, ‘Come and meet the rest of the clan. Hope you can bowl a straight line. Cricket starts shortly. We’re just waiting for a couple of kids from down the road to turn up.’
Cody shrugged out of his heavy jacket.
Harper had to stop from reaching over and rubbing that leather. It would be warm from his body, soft where it had clung to his muscles. Oh, for goodness’ sake, stop it. Maybe she needed a night with a gigolo. A laugh spluttered over her lips. Yeah, right. Way to go, Harper.
Cody glanced at her before telling Jason, ‘I’m only stopping for a few minutes.’
Gemma might’ve been standing over on the deck but she had big ears. ‘You’re here now. There’s no getting away from us until after dinner.’
Cody grinned and flicked his hand to his forehead. ‘Yes, mam. Thank you, mam.’ Then he turned to Harper, and the grin faded. ‘How’s that head? The migraine gone?’
‘Completely. The throat’s not so raw any more either. How about you? No after-effects from dropping on that man?’ Did his hip need checking over? She was a doctor.
‘It must be fine. I mowed lawns and cleaned guttering yesterday.’ There was a twinkle in his eyes, as though challenging her to ask more.
Did he want her to know about his life outside the department? ‘Your place? Or someone else’s?’ Harper picked his jacket up off the bike seat. ‘Don’t leave this in the direct sun.’ Any excuse to hold it against her chest and breathe in the maleness of its wearer.
‘Mine. I bought a house when I got to town. It’s a bit of a doer-upper. Not had a lot of TLC for years, I’d say.’
‘A project, then.’ He hadn’t said where it was, and she wasn’t asking, even when she wanted to know.
‘I’m not much into sports either, except when it comes to playing with kids.’ He shifted his gaze from her to scan the lawn where the guys had put in wickets and mowed a pitch. ‘Looks like your family is really into it. How did you miss those genes?’
‘You’ll have to ask my parents.’
‘They’re here too?’ Suddenly he looked very uncomfortable. ‘There are a lot of you. Maybe I shouldn’t have dropped in.’
‘Hey, no one bites. Come and meet everyone, get it out of the way. Kids, leave that bike alone,’ she told two of the boys. ‘You don’t want to be knocking it off its stand and getting hurt.’
‘There are two helmets,’ one of them noted. ‘Does that mean we can have a ride?’
Cody grimaced. ‘I thought Auntie Harper might go for one with me.’ As an aside, he said, ‘I didn’t think about the kids when I brought it with me.’
Jason called across the lawn. ‘Game’s starting. Cody, you need to shed some clothes, man. It’s too hot to be running after a ball in leathers.’
‘I’ve got shorts and a tee. Where can I change?’ he asked Harper.
Right here would work for her. ‘I’ll take you inside.’
‘Come with me.’ Levi grabbed his hand and began hauling him across to the shed. ‘Only girls get changed in the house.’
‘Glad to know I’m not girlie.’ Cody raised his eyebrows at her.
‘Levi’s aiming for a ride on that bike,’ she retorted with a smile. Definitely not girlie; no way. Not with those muscles, flat abs and that unquestionably male silhouette. Jerking her head around, she pulled her gaze away from him. Phew, it was getting hotter by the second around here.
‘Here, you look like you could do with something cold.’ Gemma handed her a glass beaded with condensation. ‘Thought water was appropriate, given that you’re already half tipsy just watching Cody.’
‘Get away.’ She snatched the glass and gulped half the contents down.
On her other side Megan, her other sister-in-law, waved a full wine glass at the man who had everyone’s attention. ‘He is rather yummy.’
‘Quite different to Harper’s last man. Think I prefer this one,’ Gemma announced.
Harper scowled. ‘Haven’t you two got anything better to do?’
‘What could be better than winding you up?’ Megan grinned. ‘If you couldn’t care less, then nor would we.’
‘Huh.’ Harper couldn’t think of anything to say to shut the two up and not get more stupid comments.
‘Let’s get comfortable under the trees and watch how he is with a ball and bat.’ Megan grabbed her arm and dragged her over to where the kids had set up the outdoor chairs.
Without thinking, Harper said, ‘If he hits the ball a neighbour will be complaining about a broken window. Those are serious muscles in his arms and shoulders.’
‘Knew she’d noticed,’ Gemma quipped. ‘You should’ve seen her all snuggled up to the man’s chest on Friday when he carried her into her apartment. Cute as, I’m telling you. He’s yet to strip down to shorts and tee.’
‘Hottie’ didn’t begin to describe the man. ‘Stop it,’ she spluttered. ‘I’m telling you, I am not interested.’
‘That’s a shame, because I’ve invited him to Levi’s birthday party in a couple of weeks.’
‘You what?’ Harper spun around in her seat so fast she flipped out onto the grass.
Amidst lots of laughter from her sisters-in-law, she was hauled to her feet and pushed back into the chair. ‘Oh, boy, have you got it bad or what?’
‘I have not got it any damned way. You’re out of order inviting Cody again. Don’t ever try pushing me into a relationship. You know the score.’ Anger was replacing her lighter mood, the girls’ idea of fun no longer remotely enjoyable.
Megan reached over with a hug. ‘Just want you to be happy, Harper. You know we don’t mean much by our teasing.’
She bit down on a sharp retort. She loved these girls as much as her own sister, Suzanne, but there were times she could happily bang their heads together. ‘I am happy. A lot happier than when I was married. Okay?’
‘Can’t argue with that. Ready for a wine?’
‘Not today. Want to be on my game at work tomorrow. Oh…’ Harper’s eyes fixed on those hands reaching up for a ball one of the kids had hit into the air as Cody strode onto the lawn. Big hands, strong, and yet she knew how gentle they could be… They snatched the ball out of the air.
Beside her the girls went into shrieks of laughter, but at least they refrained from making any more flippant comments. Suzanne joined them and pressed a glass of low-alcohol wine into her hand. ‘You’ll be fine with that.’
Then Cody glanced over and she felt her insides melt, or what was left of them after the previous meltdown. One look and she was gone. How would she manage to stay sane and sensible at work when he would be around all the time? She might have to talk to George about transferring to night shift. Except she preferred days; she hated the disruption to sleep patterns th
at working all night brought. Her contract was for days except in emergencies, and had been hard fought for, so to change it now would be a backwards step. To change it because of Cody would be dumb.
And if she did nights she wouldn’t be seeing much of this rowdy lot, and that was not about to happen. Her family meant everything to her since she’d never have her own children. She wouldn’t adopt or foster as a single parent. It wasn’t fair on the child. When Darren had told her he’d changed his mind and did want a family, she’d reminded him he’d been agreeable to adopting a child, but somewhere along the way he’d become dead set against that idea. Just another of his promises he’d reneged on. What had she seen in him?
Again she found herself watching Cody. He was chasing down a ball. When he slid into the fence, the kids cheered. He clambered to his feet, a grin splitting his face. He was having fun. No one could fake that look of pure enjoyment.
He’d make a fabulous dad.
Harper’s stomach lurched. No, no, no. She’d known it was wrong to have him join her family today, and yet she’d wanted him here. Now she had the proof of why he couldn’t join them ever again.
‘Where are you going?’ Gemma asked as she stood up.