shoe.’
‘What do you mean?’ Katie put on her most innocent face. If he asked her outright about hexes, she wasn’t sure she could lie convincingly.
‘I don’t know.’ Max shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. ‘I just expected some kind of con, I guess.’
‘Isn’t that your thing?’
‘It’s what I was brought up doing. My dad trained me in this stuff. He had me running cons when I was still at primary school. It’s not just what was expected, it was the only thing that was expected. You have no idea what that’s like.’
‘You’re not a kid any more. You have a choice.’
‘And I’m choosing to change. I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m not conning any more.’
‘Turning over a new leaf? That sounds like something in progress. Something that you could just flip back whenever you decide it’s all a bit too hard or too boring.’
‘If I’d said “turned over a new leaf” you’d have accused me of arrogance.’
Katie fought the sudden urge to smile. ‘Probably. But at least you’d have sounded more committed. Conning makes everything easy. I bet you’ve never done anything the hard way in your life.’
Max’s face went blank and his voice matched. ‘And you’d know about hardship. Pretty little rich girl living in the badlands of Pendleford.’ He gestured to End House. ‘You have no idea.’
‘Well, at least you’re being honest, now,’ Katie managed.
‘I’m sorry.’ Max ran a hand over his face. ‘I don’t know why I said that. Maybe I do have concussion.’ He tried a smile but it didn’t sit. ‘It’s not been the easiest week.’ He looked tired and worried and Katie felt a stab of sympathy.
Katie drove into town and dropped Max off at the Cosy Inn. ‘Get some sleep,’ she said as he got out of the car.
Chapter 6
Katie headed to the kitchen for an afternoon break. Jo often tried out the menu for the next day during the afternoon lull, and Katie was always happy to help her taste it. She found Anna sitting up on the counter in a shocking health-code violation. She was just about to warn her when Jo appeared from the walk-in fridge and gave Anna a look that could melt steel. Anna slid off the counter.
‘Out,’ Jo said. ‘I’m working.’
‘I’m just getting a Fab,’ Katie said, changing plans. ‘Do you want one?’ Jo had bought Katie a catering-size pallet of her favourite ice lollies for her birthday and they had to stay in the hotel until she got the numbers down. She couldn’t fit more than ten in her freezer compartment at home.
‘Are you going to need help with that?’ Anna said, nodding at the plate of cheese Jo was carrying.
Jo tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes.
‘We were just going,’ Katie said, hastily, pulling Anna by the arm. ‘See you later.’
Outside, Katie shook her head. ‘I thought she was going to throw that plate at you.’
‘She’s too uptight,’ Anna said, squinting at the cloudless sky. ‘And on such a beautiful day.’
‘She’s really nice when you get to know her,’ Katie said. ‘And you shouldn’t annoy her when she’s working.’
‘I work without getting all arsey.’
Katie turned her face to the sun. ‘The kitchen is her space. She doesn’t deal well with others in there. It’s fair enough, really.’ The sun on her face was reminding her of the warmth of Max in the garden, his face in shade with the sun lighting up the tips of his dark curls, revealing hints of red. The scent of mown grass and musk.
‘What?’
Katie opened her eyes to see Anna looking at her questioningly.
‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing, my arse. Spill it.’
‘Okay, down there, though.’ Katie moved away from the kitchen window and around to the side of the hotel. She handed Anna a Fab and unwrapped her own. ‘Max kissed me.’
‘Max? The poker player?’
‘Mmm,’ Katie said, and bit some of the white coating and sprinkles off her lolly.
‘I thought you said he was dodgy.’
Katie couldn’t stop
‘What do you mean?’ Katie put on her most innocent face. If he asked her outright about hexes, she wasn’t sure she could lie convincingly.
‘I don’t know.’ Max shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. ‘I just expected some kind of con, I guess.’
‘Isn’t that your thing?’
‘It’s what I was brought up doing. My dad trained me in this stuff. He had me running cons when I was still at primary school. It’s not just what was expected, it was the only thing that was expected. You have no idea what that’s like.’
‘You’re not a kid any more. You have a choice.’
‘And I’m choosing to change. I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m not conning any more.’
‘Turning over a new leaf? That sounds like something in progress. Something that you could just flip back whenever you decide it’s all a bit too hard or too boring.’
‘If I’d said “turned over a new leaf” you’d have accused me of arrogance.’
Katie fought the sudden urge to smile. ‘Probably. But at least you’d have sounded more committed. Conning makes everything easy. I bet you’ve never done anything the hard way in your life.’
Max’s face went blank and his voice matched. ‘And you’d know about hardship. Pretty little rich girl living in the badlands of Pendleford.’ He gestured to End House. ‘You have no idea.’
‘Well, at least you’re being honest, now,’ Katie managed.
‘I’m sorry.’ Max ran a hand over his face. ‘I don’t know why I said that. Maybe I do have concussion.’ He tried a smile but it didn’t sit. ‘It’s not been the easiest week.’ He looked tired and worried and Katie felt a stab of sympathy.
Katie drove into town and dropped Max off at the Cosy Inn. ‘Get some sleep,’ she said as he got out of the car.
Chapter 6
Katie headed to the kitchen for an afternoon break. Jo often tried out the menu for the next day during the afternoon lull, and Katie was always happy to help her taste it. She found Anna sitting up on the counter in a shocking health-code violation. She was just about to warn her when Jo appeared from the walk-in fridge and gave Anna a look that could melt steel. Anna slid off the counter.
‘Out,’ Jo said. ‘I’m working.’
‘I’m just getting a Fab,’ Katie said, changing plans. ‘Do you want one?’ Jo had bought Katie a catering-size pallet of her favourite ice lollies for her birthday and they had to stay in the hotel until she got the numbers down. She couldn’t fit more than ten in her freezer compartment at home.
‘Are you going to need help with that?’ Anna said, nodding at the plate of cheese Jo was carrying.
Jo tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes.
‘We were just going,’ Katie said, hastily, pulling Anna by the arm. ‘See you later.’
Outside, Katie shook her head. ‘I thought she was going to throw that plate at you.’
‘She’s too uptight,’ Anna said, squinting at the cloudless sky. ‘And on such a beautiful day.’
‘She’s really nice when you get to know her,’ Katie said. ‘And you shouldn’t annoy her when she’s working.’
‘I work without getting all arsey.’
Katie turned her face to the sun. ‘The kitchen is her space. She doesn’t deal well with others in there. It’s fair enough, really.’ The sun on her face was reminding her of the warmth of Max in the garden, his face in shade with the sun lighting up the tips of his dark curls, revealing hints of red. The scent of mown grass and musk.
‘What?’
Katie opened her eyes to see Anna looking at her questioningly.
‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing, my arse. Spill it.’
‘Okay, down there, though.’ Katie moved away from the kitchen window and around to the side of the hotel. She handed Anna a Fab and unwrapped her own. ‘Max kissed me.’
‘Max? The poker player?’
‘Mmm,’ Katie said, and bit some of the white coating and sprinkles off her lolly.
‘I thought you said he was dodgy.’
Katie couldn’t stop
Similar Books
