It wasn’t all a blur. There had been some things he remembered, and catching a glimpse of her tonight had brought thoseparticularthings front and centre. His body had reacted tonight just as quick as it had back then. The attraction he’d had to her in the past was definitely still there.Thathe remembered.
He’d thought of her after that night whenever he’d met a woman for the first time, comparing that instant zing he’d experienced when she’d first started talking to him in that nightclub. He hadn’t felt it with any other woman for a long time after and then the memory had just begun to fade away.
He hadn’t known her last name, or anything else about her. He’d certainly given up expecting to ever see her again. He’d tried, he reminded himself. A few times after that night, he’d gone back to the club, hoping to find her there. He never had.
And now, here she was. In the same motel room, naked and dripping wet from the shower, just outside that door …
With my child.That little voice firmly squashed any remaining hopeful ideas certain parts of his anatomy may be harbouring.Withourchild.
Almost as abruptly as it had exploded, the water stopped, and Ewan slowly lowered the sodden towel and let out a small sigh of relief. He heard a knock at the room door and left the bathroom to answer it. As he moved through the room, he noted that Kenzie was now dressed in a pair of pyjamas that matched Poppy’s, but he didn’t have time to ponder on that as he pulled open the door to find the same man he’d met when they’d checked in.
‘I’ve had to call out the plumber,’ he informed them grumpily. ‘Can only imagine what the callout fee is going to be.’
‘Not much anyone can do about it,’ Ewan told him, reminding himself to keep his irritation in check. ‘The whole thing broke off. It looks like the original tap fixture,’ he added, his tone implying that maybe it should have been replaced before now, considering the place looked like it had been built sometime in the 1950s.
The receptionist stalked into the bathroom, and they heard him talking on the phone before eventually coming back out. ‘Well, that’s it then. I gotta shut down the room. You can’t stay in here.’
‘Shut down the room?’ Kenzie echoed, eyeing him dubiously.
‘Apparently, it goes against the minimum standard for habitation and health to put guests into a room with no water,’ he said with a somewhat disdainful eyeroll. ‘The plumber won’t be here till tomorrow morning.’
‘I have to put my daughter to bed,’ Kenzie said, stopping the guy before he could leave.
‘I need to get into a new room as soon as possible.’
‘We’re booked out,’ he informed her.
Ewan frowned. There’d only been two other cars when they’d arrived, but as he looked out the window, he saw the carpark was now full of white twin-cab utilities.
‘Most of the rooms are rented out to mine workers,’ he said, catching Ewan’s raised eyebrow. ‘Only keep a couple spare for tourists.’
Ewan saw Kenzie’s concerned expression and quickly reassured her. ‘It’s okay, you and Poppy can stay in my room.’ He caught her swift glance and tried not to feel too insulted when she seemed a little hesitant about the idea. He’d been hoping she’d feel a little more comfortable around him by now. Granted, it had only been a few days, but it had been alongday sitting side by side in a car, talking fairly nonstop about their lives with a Wiggles soundtrack interspersed with episodes ofBlueycoming from the iPad in the back seat.
‘Okay. I guess we’ll have to. Thanks.’
All righty then.He helped Kenzie gather their belongings and escorted them two doors down to his room. Kenzie came to a stop between the double bed and the single, turning to look at both before lifting her concerned gaze to his.
‘You and Poppy take the double. I’ll sleep in the other one.’
‘You can’t sleep on a single bed. It’s tiny,’ she protested.
‘I’ll be fine. It’s only for a night.’ He’d slept in plenty more uncomfortable and less sanitised places, after B&S balls and bonfire nights, but he didn’t bother pointing that out right now.
‘Poppy and I can sleep in the single bed. I do it all the time at home when she wakes up through the night.’
His gaze dropped to Poppy, who looked ready to drop. ‘I won’t be able to sleep if I know you two are squashed uncomfortably in a single bed.’
‘Are we seriously going to stand here and argue about beds? Because we may as well just keep on driving if we are,’ she said, holding his gaze firmly. ‘You’ve been doing all the driving. You need to have the comfiest bed.’
‘I’m going to have a shower,’ he said wearily. ‘We’ll discuss this after I get back.’
He was closing the door to the bathroom as he heard Kenzie instruct Poppy to climb into the single bed.
Impossible woman.
When he opened the door and stepped out from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of tracksuit pants, he paused in the doorway. Poppy was spread out like an adorable little starfish on the single, while Kenzie was fast asleep on one side of the double bed.
Well, this presented a small problem. He considered his options. He could pick up Poppy and put her into bed next to Kenzie, but he wasn’t sure she’d stay asleep, so that risked waking up Kenzie, who looked far too peaceful, lying on her side with one hand tucked beneath her chin and the other hugging her pillow.
