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Kitty bit her bottom lip. That was her tell.A little clue that she was thinking hard. He had spent an unhealthy amount of time figuring out little things like that.

“I felt a bit off. I couldn’t drag myself off the sofa,” she said.

It was probably a lie.

“Well, you missed the beer pong tournament to end all beer pong tournaments. Don’t blame me when your form drops off.”

The corners of her mouth lifted. “Ha! Sounds like it was a good night to miss. But beer pong? Really?”

“Blame your friend, Daniel,” Josh said.

Kitty’s face clouded, and her lips pursed together.Great.In just one throwaway comment, he’d opened a chasm between them.

“What time are you heading to the match?” Kitty asked, her face pinched.

“The game starts at ten. You?”

Josh cringed inside. Could their conversation be any more stilted? Kitty shook out her hair, then wrapped her arms around her waist. The smell of spring flowers reached Josh’s nose, and he battled the urge to reach out and tangle his fingers in the long, dark strands. He ached to touch her.

“By the looks of the kitchen, Julia is feeding the entire village. We’re moving quiches and cakes down a few hours in advance,” said Kitty, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. He’d missed that smile.

“Need any help?” he asked, hoping she’d take up his offer. Even if she ignored him, she’d be near. Their awkward conversation irritated him. All he wanted to do was jump over the wall, take her in his arms, and kiss the life out of her.

“I think Jonty’s helping. Thanks, though.”

“Sure. Just try not to exhaust our best bowler, okay?”

Kitty’s lips curled.

“I can’t believe you all take this cricket game so seriously. It’s weird!”

Josh smiled too. No weirder than avoiding the woman you want because you don’t want to lose her. That was just crazy.

“Hey, I better get back to my pre-match warm-up,” Josh said.

Kitty’s eyes swept over his body, and he felt a stirring in his groin as they lingered on his chest before levelling up to meet his.Damn, he should have worn a top.

“Well, don’t you exhaust yourself either,” she said. “Daniel tells me you’re the team’s secret batting weapon.”

Josh smiled, then glanced towards the house to see a sleepy-looking Julia emerging, complete with a head full of curlers and a cat under her arm.

“It looks like you’re about to be given your marching orders,” Josh said, nodding towards her.

“Oh lord, she’ll have a rolling pin in my hand before I know it. ‘Sausage rolls do not roll themselves, young lady’.”

Kitty delivered the last line with a cracking impersonation of her aunt. Josh couldn’t help but laugh and watched in pleasure as her smile grew. It was just the quirky type of humour he’d missed from Kitty.

Josh’s heart hurt. Ached. He had to leave before it cracked on the hard mud at their feet.

“I better go,” he said, extracting a returned Wendy from behind the gate. “I’ll see you at the match.”

Josh turned to walk away, feeling like the soles of his shoes were coated in glue. He put his ear pods back in, but before his music started, he heard Kitty’s voice behind him.

“Josh,” she murmured.

When he turned around, Kitty’s face was full of worry, her shoulders tense. The hairs on his neck stood up.

“I got the job. I leave in three weeks.”