Cole was temporarily startled before throwing back his head and laughing at both the artlessness of the question and at Jane’s horrified gasp. He’d been so damn inside himself since the injury, avoiding talking about it at all in case it fed the speculation about his career, it felt good to be answering such an innocent, not-remotely-loaded question.

“You don’t ask people personal questions like that,” Jane chided.

“It’s fine,” Cole assured her before turning to Finn. “I was in a car accident. Smashed up my hip and my leg.”

“You talk funny, too.”

Jane, whose cheeks had gone a little pink, opened her mouth, obviously ready to chastise her son again, but Cole smiled and said, “So do you.”

“Mommy said you were from Australia.”

“That’s right.”

“Do they have chameleons there?”

Cole shook his head. “Only in pet shops, not in the bush. But we have kangaroos and koalas and echidnas.”

“What’s a kidna?”

“It’s like a hedgehog. On steroids.”

Finn dropped his head to the side, regarding Cole seriously. “What’s steroids?”

“Oh-kay.” Jane jumped off her seat. “I think we’re done here.”

Cole suppressed a smile as she whisked away both their bowls and hustled Finn over to the sink, picking him up and sitting him on the bench top. “I’m sorry. There’s no leftovers.” The lines of her body tightened up again. “If you’re hungry, there’s food in the fridge, and the store opens at eight tomorrow morning.” She wrung out a cloth and wiped Finn’s face. “I’m not sure how long you’re staying, but I’ve actually been employed to do a job here, and I have a kid to look after. I don’t have time to wait on you as well.”

He blinked. Whoa. Jane Spencer had more prickles than an echidna. On steroids. Holding up his hand in mock surrender, Cole nodded. “Of course not. No worries.” But he was hungry enough to eat his cane at the moment. “Think I’ll take a walk into the town and check out what it has to offer.” After his lack of activity these past few days, he really needed to stretch his legs.

“The Lumberjack is the local bar,” she said, not looking up from her ministrations with Finn. “They have a limited menu. Out the gate, take a right. Left at the end of the road puts you on the main street. Can’t miss it.”

Cole was surprised at her providing the directions; he hadn’t expected her to be helpful. Maybe she was feeling guilty over her lack of welcome. Not that he expected her to roll out the red carpet, but she sure was blowing hot and cold at the moment.

“It’s about a ten-minute walk,” she continued. She slid him a sideways glance, her gaze holding briefly on his cane. “Maybe longer.”