She took the spice jar from him and he held her hand in his for just a moment.

‘It just adds a little something.’

The first pancake came out of the pan looking a bit sad and Nicole frowned. ‘Did I do something wrong?’

Danny laughed. ‘Nah. The first one is always a dud. Dud-looking, anyway. But here, taste it.’ He scooped a forkful of the pancake up and held it to Nicole’s lips.

‘Oh wow. That is good.’

After pancakes Nicole perused Danny’s collection once more.

‘These pictures are amazing.’ Nicole picked up the photo of Danny with the grinning kids. ‘Where is this?’

‘Bangladesh. Those kids are amazing.’ His eyes lit up. ‘They’re why I keep going back.’

‘Keep going back?’

‘I go every year.’

‘In your work holidays? Actually you haven’t told me yet what your job-job is.’

‘Ahh,’ he said. ‘The grapevine still broken, I see.’

‘I guess.’ Nicole looked at him.

‘When Grandpa died he left me a bit of money in a trust. When I came of age, it became mine. I invested wisely.’ He shrugged.

‘So there is no job-job?’ Nicole raised an eyebrow.

‘Not in the traditional sense.’

‘So, in a drug-lord-mafia-hired-killer sense?’ Nicole asked.

Danny laughed. ‘I’m sure that would be a lot more interesting, but no. It was a fair bit of money and I trade on the stock market for my real job.’

‘Uh huh. And what about your two degrees? Don’t you get bored filling your days with other people’s odd jobs?’

‘You’d be surprised.’ He shrugged. ‘But I only do that part of the year.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘When I go to Bangladesh every year, it’s for a few months at a time. I help out a school over there.’

‘Wow.’

‘Keeps me out of trouble.’ He winked.

‘And I reckon that takes some doing,’ Nicole said with a grin.

He stroked her hair.

‘Those kids deserve a break. And if I’m in a position to give it to them …’ As his voice trailed off, a fleeting moment of sadness flickered in his eyes. He bent his head ever so slightly.

Nicole’s cheeks warmed as he kissed her softly. She lingered there in his embrace a moment and then pulled back. ‘I think I’ve taken up enough of your day. Weren’t you on your way out when I intruded?’

‘Damn. Yes.’ He furrowed his brow. ‘I really should go. But what about your present? I haven’t opened it.’

‘Oh, no. Don’t open it while I’m here. I’d be too embarrassed.’

‘Okay.’ He kissed her again, briefly, and led her out the door.