‘Less of the oldies thank you,’ Ken called out.
‘Fine.’ Daisy sighed. ‘You wanna play cards after we eat? Uncle Joe’s been teaching me poker.’
‘You’re on. What do you bet with? Candy?’
‘Candy? What am I a kindergartener? No – we play for money.’ Daisy fastened her hair up in a knot and gave her big sister a look like she was nuts.
‘Oh well, in that case, I might have to get you to bankroll me. I left my purse at home.’
‘I can take an IOU.’
‘So sure you’re gonna win? Uncle Joe taught me how to play when I was your age.’
‘Exactly – a million years ago. You’re going to be rusty by now.’
Noelle shrieked with outrage and started chasing her sister around the garden. The twins joined in, one siding with Noelle, the other with Daisy, lifting the small teenager up and putting her in the tree by the fence.
I smiled at the sight of Noelle, surrounded by her brothers and her little sister. Despite the teasing, it was clear there was affection overflowing between them all. She was in her element and I wondered why she would have chosen not to be with them at Christmas time last year. It didn’t make sense to me and I wanted her to explain it. I wanted to know it all.
But not get punched in the kidneys for asking.
I had no choice but to abandon Stephen amidst my family. I should have warned him that this was what always happened once I got home. My time was constantly commandeered to help out with chores or to look after kids or catch up with a relative I hadn’t seen enough of recently.
While I was in the kitchen with Mom, he played baseball with my little sister and brothers. I think there was some confusion about the rules surrounding the batting, but he was good-natured about it. The control-freak image I had of him, the ultra-competitive, city slicker was fading the more I got to know him. Some of those traits were there, without a doubt, but there was more to him than that.
I found him when it was time to eat and he was hot and sweaty in a very pleasant way. We fetched some of the meat from the grill and sat side by side on a sun lounger in the shade beside the deck, while my family filled up the garden, standing around with their paper plates, chatting and chowing down on burgers and ribs. We didn’t really talk but it was relaxing just to be surrounded by the burble of friendly conversation, the sun shining overhead and my stomach full of Dad’s delicious harissa marinade barbecue.
I got called to oversee the chicken so Dad could eat, and I saw him make a beeline to sit with Stephen but get pulled over to talk to my uncle instead.
It was a relief. I knew Stephen was doing fine, being friendly and joining in, but Dad had a way of putting people on edge and Stephen had only just wound down after the hostile encounter with his father’s ex-girlfriend. I didn’t want Dad to get the wrong impression of him. Purely because I wanted him to help him out…although, now we were finding our feet a little as friends I guessed it wouldn’t hurt to invite him over throughout the summer a couple more times. Staying in a strange city all by yourself must be lonely. There was the Fourth of July picnic next week we always had. It might be nice for him to join us there.
And honestly, I’d never brought a man over to the house who settled in so well with everyone. He took time out to chat to Sam, who had a tendency to disappear inside himself after a couple of hours of socialising and I wondered if it was because he remembered what I’d said to him about Sam at the funfair. After that he joined Daisy taking turns playing keepy-uppy with a soccer ball. I nearly lost a whole chicken breast down the grate as I watched him showing her how to flip the ball up, bend forward and catch it behind his neck. It was written all over her face that he would be more than welcome at family gatherings again.
By the time I was done with my turn on the grill, Stephen had disappeared inside, and I was called over to the table with Uncle Joe and Daisy and Sam for a game of poker. I decided to play a few hands with them, then go find Stephen and approach my dad to ask the favour, but Tim came over before I’d even placed my second bet.
‘You should go rescue your boyfriend.’ He leaned on the back of my garden chair, the sun-warmed plastic bowing under his weight.
‘He’s not my—’ I broke off and sighed. There was no point, so I shook my head and looked up at Tim. ‘Why, what’s wrong?’
‘Lucy has palmed the baby off on him and he looks frightened.’
‘Why didn’t you help him out? I don’t think he’s used to kids.’
‘ThenI’dbe stuck with the baby.’
‘She’s your niece,’ I exclaimed, outraged.
‘Yes. And I love her dearly. But I don’t want Delia getting all broody just yet thanks.’
‘Ugh. Here. You can take over for me.’ I thrust my cards at him and grabbed a glass of my mom’s special lemonade off the table to take with me into the house. Promising Daisy a rematch soon, I hurried inside.
Stephen was at the back of the dining room, by the big old wooden table we’d had for years. As always, it was covered with books and paperwork and broken things, we hadn’t got around to fixing yet.
He was staring down at my niece like if he looked away for a second, he’d be neglecting his duties. His shoulders were hunched but he had her securely – I could tell. She wiggled a bit and stared right back into his eyes, as though fascinated. Their dark colour probably was interesting to her. Babies focus best on contrast, plus everyone in our family had light eyes. She stretched out her tiny hand, waving it ineffectively at his face and blowing saliva bubbles.
I paused in the doorway. I wanted to go closer, but a strange feeling gripped me, almost like fear. Something about this man, plus a baby, was making me feel odd. I hadn’t expected him to be good with kids. It didn’t fit logically with someone who was never going to settle down, did it?
‘Am I doing okay?’ he said quietly, almost under his breath and I blinked at him. Was he talking to me or the baby?
