She's So Over Him. Joss Wood

had twins? He got married?’

      Cale nodded. ‘Briefly. The twins were a result of a brief fling and he thought he’d try to do the right thing. He lasted about three months. He tried to settled down with them… but you know Oliver.’

      He didn’t need to spell it out. Oliver had had the attention span of a gnat.

      ‘Did he see the twins? Spend time with them?’

      ‘He was a great father.’

      What else could he say? Certainly not the truth—that he’d been a great father when he’d remembered them and when he didn’t have something better to do. Not so great on the realities of fatherhood, like paying maintenance and attending PTA meetings.

      To Oliver, the mundane tasks of life had had to be avoided at all costs. And when they couldn’t be avoided, normally his twin had stepped in to sort them out.

      Maddie cocked her head. ‘Good for him.’

      Her dry tone told him that he hadn’t completely convinced her. But that wasn’t his problem. He never openly criticised Oliver. Ever. His mixed-up contradictory feelings about his brother were his and his alone.

      ‘Anyway, to get back to the subject, my parents are fine, thank you. We all had supper together a couple of nights ago.’ Cale rested his cheek on his fist. ‘They’re talking about doing something in memory of Oliver. It’s two years in August.’

      Maddie tipped her head, immediately interested. ‘Like what?’

      ‘My mom has this idea that we should do something to raise money for charity in his name.’

      He thought the whole idea was mad, but if an event and some funds helped his mom work through her grief he’d be all over it.

      ‘Nice idea.’ Maddie thought for a minute. ‘Didn’t you and Oliver organise an informal triathlon while you were doing your PhD?’

      Cale dropped his fist. ‘Yeah, we got all our racing friends together and did it for laughs.’

      ‘So, do it for Oliver. Do it for charity.’

      ‘It’s an idea.’ Cale took her hand again, his fingers sliding between hers. ‘Would you help?’

      ‘Cale… I can’t. My plate is so full,’ Maddie responded. ‘Besides, you and I working together? Not wise.’

      ‘Why not?’

      ‘Because we’d either end up killing each other or end up in bed.’

      ‘Or end up killing each other in bed, which sounds like an amazing way to go,’ Cale said on an easy grin.

      ‘Yeah… not. Anyway, play around with the idea and see what you come up with. I think it could work,’ Maddie suggested, before standing up and pulling her bag over her shoulder, she threw him a cheeky grin and buzzed her lips across his cheek. ‘Thanks for breakfast.’ She flicked a glance at the young women next to them. ‘If you take any of their numbers I will hunt you down and kill you. Too stupid and too young. Even for you, Slick.’

      Maddie gently nipped his bottom lip before walking away. There was nothing wrong in her humble opinion, in leaving a man wanting more than she intended delivering. It was one of the perks of being a woman.