Page 13 of Come Back to Me

“What kind of classified ad? ‘Sexy beast wanted?’”

Something flashes in his eyes. It’s not anger but neither is it amusement. “I’m not sure what type of paper you think theHeraldis…”

“Since Harper Grahame took over from her granddad,” Zee inserts, “it’s definitely gotten raunchier. ‘Firefighters Save Kitten.’ ‘Jocelyn Makes Pastries Shaped Like Wiener… Dogs.’”

I flutter my lashes. “Pigeon Creek is turning into a den of depravity for sure.”

Zee snorts, but Cody grinds out, “The high school is looking for a music teacher.”

Frowning at him, I demand, “What’s bitten you in the ass?”

“Excuse me?”

I waft a hand. “You’re all growly.”

“I am not all growly.”

“You were,” Zee agrees with me—see, that’s why she’s my BFF.

“I was not.”

“You’re doing it again,” I point out. “Note to Cody, when your voice drops three octaves—” Three sexy octaves at that. “—then you’re being growly.”

His mouth tightens as he walks over to me, dropping the paper on the counter on his way to the refrigerator. I can see a job listing has been circled by him, but I push it aside.

“Did you know there are forty-two fighter pilots in the CAF, Zee?”

Her brows lift. “I didn’t but?—”

“Did you know that, Cody?”

“Seeing as I was one of them?—”

“Did you know a guy called Butch?” I interrupt.

“Sure did.” He grunts. “Real asshole.”

The bitch of it is I want to defend the sender of my ‘Dear John’ letter, which tells me the patriarchy has its claws in me deeeeep.

The urge to snap back at him is real, but Zee comes to my rescue. “Do you think you could get his contact details?”

I sniff. “I don’t want his contact details.”

“Then why did you ask?” Zee whispers at me.

Ignoring her, I declare, “I hate kids.” I toss my hair over my shoulder. “Besides, I might be a musical genius worthy of Beethoven?—”

Zee snorts.

“—better even than Mozart himself, but I don’t have a bachelor’s in whatever horrific degrees are required of teachers.”

“Why do you hate kids?”

I glare at him, suddenly aware that he’s standing really close to me.

When did that happen?

And why does he smell so freakin’ good that I want to lick him?

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