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“Was I accurate?”
“A vast underestimation, I’d say.” I listen to him chuckle, warmed all the way through by his wonderful words.
“Look,” he says, “I know it’s not the easiest situation, but like I said, we can work around it.”
I lie back on my bed, too afraid to hope. “But surely there’s no point in starting something when we don’t know where we’re going?”
“I don’t agree with that. You never know what life is going to throw at you.”
I wonder whether he’s thinking about Christian. “You mean something might happen to Mum,” I whisper.
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant at all. I meant more that you really don’t know what might happen. At the moment it’d be difficult for me to move away from the office, but it doesn’t mean it’ll always be like that. Perhaps I’ll open another office up there! Or you’ll all decide to move to Wellington. You never know.”
I do know that it would break Mum’s heart to leave this house, but I don’t say anything.
“I can’t expect you to wait,” I tell him. “It’s not fair.”
“Well, I’m afraid you don’t actually have a say in it.”
“Are you being bossy again?”
“Yep.”
I smile. “You’re a naughty boy.”
“And you’re a super-hot, gorgeous, beautiful, sexy girl, and I’m not letting you escape my clutches, so you’d better get used to me being around. Talking of which, I was thinking… your cousin’s called Gina, isn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“When’s her wedding?”
“Actually, it’s on Valentine’s Day.”
“Do you have a date for it?”
My lips curve up. “No…”
“Would you like one?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
I hesitate. “I have to look after Mum at the wedding.”
“Jesus, Alice, I know that. I’m not saying I expect your undivided attention. I’m saying I want to be a part of your family, if you’ll let me. I’d love to meet your mum and your aunt. And I’m sure your mum wouldn’t mind if we had a dance or two.”
“Would you… um… just fly up for the day?”
“I’ll stop over, if you have the room and if your mum didn’t mind. Otherwise, I’m sure there’ll be good hotels nearby.”
“I’d like you to stay with me,” I murmur. “As long as you realize the house isn’t quite what you’re used to.”
“It doesn’t have a bathroom?”
“Yes, Kip, it has a bathroom.”
“What about a kitchen?”
