He needed to extricate himself before he made the situation worse. “I don’t suppose you ladies could direct me to the gym?”
Nell swung around and pointed across the square. “Right over there. The Hideaway.” She turned to Betty. “If he’s a gym buff…” They exchanged looks.
Michael sighed. “What am I missing?”
Betty eyed him slyly. “The gym owner is single. Pretty, too.”
Uh-oh. Please don’t say—
“I can see it,” Nell agreed. “Bex would be just the person to ruffle him up.”
His eyes closed, and a lead ball sank to the bottom of his belly. “Do you mean Rebecca Cane?”
Instantly, they stopped their discussion. “Do you know her?”
He rubbed his temples, a headache beginning to throb behind them. Go figure. He should have known Bex would be associated with the local gym. She’d been a personal trainer when she first met Wesley, and she didn’t work enough hours at the school to make a living—he’d checked her schedule.
“Are there any other gyms in the area?”
“Nooo.” Betty drew the word out, her gaze skittering from him to the building on the other side of the square and back again. “Did you and Bex used to be an item?”
The rampant curiosity lighting her eyes made him wonder how much people knew about Bex’s history and the pregnancy she’d aborted. He didn’t want anyone starting rumors about him having been her baby daddy.
“No, just acquaintances. We met when she was living in Auckland. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go.” With that, he went to his bike, fingers flying on the combination lock before they decided to chase him, and then cycled away, toward his new home.
Chapter Four
“WhaeaKat!”Izzy shrieked as Kat entered their family room. Unnecessarily, she added, “Mummy, Auntie Kat is here.”
Bex glanced up as her friend entered.
“Kia ora, Ihipera,” Kat said.
Bex smiled. Kat knew how Izzy loved to practice her Te Reo.
“Kei te pehea koe?”
“I-hi-pe-ra,” Izzy sounded the word out. “That’s me!”
Kat winked. “So it is, you clever girl. And I just asked you how you are.”
“I’m huuuungry,” she complained. “But Mummy said we had to wait for you before we could eat, and now you’re here.” She caught sight of the bag hanging from Kat’s hand. “What’s that?”
Bex took the bag. “Thanks. You’re a life-saver.” She headed for the kitchen, which was around the corner from the family room, and connected to the dining area via an open plan layout. Whatever was in the bag, it smelled like comfort food, meaty and spicy.
“Be patient,” Kat laughed. “Can you sayhiakai? That means hungry.”
“Hiakai,” Izzy repeated dutifully.
“Good girl. And if you saytino hiakai, that means you’re starving.”
“If I saytino tino tino hiakai, does that mean my tummy is eating itself?”
Bex rolled her eyes. “You had a snack five minutes ago, Iz. I don’t think you’re fading away quite yet.”
Izzy’s lip stuck out mutinously. “Am too.”
“Why don’t you go wash your hands, sweetie?” Kat suggested. “Your mummy is about to dish up meat loaf, and if you set the table, you’ll get to eat sooner.”