She relaxed against the pillows. “Chamomile, then. Cheers.”
He went to the dining hall, nodding to Tione and Brooke as he entered. “I found her, thanks.”
Then he flicked the kettle on, and searched for chamomile tea among the selection on the counter. He filled the mugs and watched the herbal blend diffuse, wondering how strong Kat liked her tea. Should he leave the teabags in, or remove them? He dithered for a minute, then opted to take them out because drinking around teabags was a nuisance.
He returned to the living room, and offered a mug to Kat. She blew steam from the surface, her lips curved into a soft smile.
“Thank you,” she said. “I really needed this.”
Heat radiated throughout his insides. Strange how she seemed more grateful for a simple cup of tea than she had for the expensive spa package he’d treated her to. Perhaps he needed to change tack.
“Why don’t you employ more people to help around here?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Her smile faded, but he couldn’t regret the question.
“The budget doesn’t stretch that far,” she replied. “Besides, I can manage everything myself.”
* * *
What a downer.
Kat made a conscious effort to smile and perk up. Despite the weight of the responsibility sitting on her shoulders, she’d been enjoying her conversation with Sterling. When he wasn’t hyper-focused, he was actually quite pleasant. Awkward, but well-intentioned.
“Enough of the doom and gloom,” she said. “Tell me about yourself. Who is Sterling Knight and where does he come from?”
He laughed, which lightened his face and made him devilishly handsome. He was a good-looking man. Everyone had noticed. Even Tione, who was used to being everyone’s eye candy—a fact he’d bemoaned until he risked being replaced.
“I’m a chief operating officer from Auckland,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “That’s really all there is to know about me.”
“Now that can’t be true.” She patted the space beside her. “Come. Sit.” He sat. She wrapped her fingers around the warm mug and sipped, observing him over the rim. She liked him like this. More relaxed, fewer barriers between them. “Have you always lived in Auckland?”
“Yes. For as long as I can remember, anyway.”
“Do you have a house or an apartment?”
“I own a lovely apartment in the city center, near the office. I’ve been there for three years. Before that, I lived on the fringe of town, and earlier on, I was in student housing.”
“You studied at Auckland University.” Obviously. Kat hadn’t had much of an education. None of her whanau had gone on to university or polytechnic, and with her love of rally, there seemed to be no point. She’d thought she’d race professionally until the day she croaked. Turned out she’d raced until the day Teddy croaked. Back then, she’d wished it had been her. Sometimes, she still did.
“Bachelor of Commerce,” he said, bringing her back to the present.
“Nice work, champ.” She raised her knuckles to bump his. He frowned but mimicked the gesture. Had no one ever treated the guy with casual camaraderie? “So, you live where you work. You have a degree. What else? Tell me about your family.”
His shoulders hunched and his whole body stiffened. If someone searched Google for “back off vibes” they’d find a picture of him at this very moment. “There’s not much to tell,” he said woodenly. “I don’t have any.”
No whanau? Incomprehensible.
“You must have parents. You didn’t just spring from the ground.”
“My mum is dead and I don’t know who donated the sperm. Frankly, I don’t care. No siblings, no aunts or uncles, no grandparents.” His knuckles whitened around the handle of his cup. “It’s just me.”
“I’m sorry. Aroha mai.” She laid a hand on his forearm and felt the muscle leap beneath her touch.
“Can’t mourn what you’ve never had.”
She didn’t buy into that way of thinking, but if it comforted him, she wouldn’t judge. “I’m sorry you lost your mum.”
“It was years ago.”