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too, so it’s a win-win situation.”
    Claire put two and two together. “It’s school holidays now, so you have time off?”
    “A little. Enough that I can help my pop out for a couple of weeks. No one else could. My parents couldn’t get time off from their law practice, and my brother is in Perth. I’d like to do all the drudge work while he’s recovering. Visit properties, sort out rent issues, leave him the easy bits he can do from home, or at least without leaving the office.”
    Claire went all squishy inside. Jack sure knew how to look out for his grandfather. Taking care of his business while the old man was in hospital, doing all the physical stuff so Jack Sr. didn’t have to. That kind of caring appealed to a woman in a big way. Well, okay, it appealed to Claire in a big way.
    “When does he get out of hospital?” Judging from Jack’s shock earlier, his grandfather was a very sick man.
    “I’m guessing within the week. But then he goes back in two months for surgery.”
    “He’s having surgery?”
    He nodded. “A triple bypass.”
    “Shit,” Claire muttered. “That’s a huge deal.”
    “‘Specially for an eighty-two-year-old. The doc said it’ll be about six weeks before he’s back to normal.”
    Claire frowned. “I’m sorry, Jack. That can’t be easy for anyone. A man of his age is going to find it even harder.”
    “I know. I’m trying not to worry about him, but it’s difficult. We’re close, my pop and me. I hate the idea of him being unwell.”
    Much as she wanted to reassure him, she couldn’t. She really had no idea whether his grandfather would be okay or not. If it were anyone else, she’d give their hand a supportive squeeze and offer to help in any way she could. But with Jack, both of those gestures would be inappropriate. She settled for saying the only thing she could. “It’s a shitty situation. For you and your grandfather.”
    “That it is,” he agreed. “That it is.” He lapsed into silence.
    Claire didn’t push him further. She sat quietly as he lost himself in his thoughts. But sitting in silence made her all too aware of where she sat — beside him, in his car.
    Jack took up a lot of space. His SUV, no small car by anyone’s standards, seemed to have halved in size when he got in. His seat was pushed back as far as it could go, giving him room to stretch his legs to the pedals. Whenever he braked or accelerated — which yes, was all the time — Claire had to force herself not to look at the flexing of his muscle in his thigh. Or at the long, slim fingers handling the wheel.
    Though she pretended she was not affected by his proximity, it was hard to deny his presence. Hard to ignore that woodsy, sexy scent of his. Hard to forget that just one day ago he’d kissed her senseless in the empty shop.
    “I haven’t forgotten, you know,” he said softly.
    “Forgotten what?”
    “The kiss. Yesterday.” He touched a finger to his lip, as though remembering what he’d done with that lip the day before.
    Holy shit. Had he read her mind? She snapped her mouth shut and refused to answer him. Not going there. Not stepping into that minefield.
    “Just because we haven’t discussed it, doesn’t mean it never happened. We kissed, on the floor of the Rose Bay shop, and it damn near blew my mind.”
    Shop. She hooked on the word. “Talking about the shop, are we going to go back there after this? It’s not necessary. We can sign the contract anywhere.”
    “You’re changing the subject.”
    “No. I’m focusing on the very reason I’m in the car with you now. Did you speak to the man who signed the lease yesterday? Tell him about the mistake?”
    “You’re a coward, Claire Jones.”
    “I’m a woman intent on getting the property I was promised. Did you speak to him?”
    He smiled that same mystified smile he’d smiled yesterday. “We did speak. I spoke to Big Jack as well, who corroborated your story about coming to the shop to fill in the