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‘Time to stop being so serious for a while,’ Gus grinned at Hazel. ‘Waffles!’ he said, nudging his little girl as they found a spare seat at the nearest table. He looked back at Hazel. ‘Join us?’
She sat down and looked at their treats. ‘Perhaps I’ll get some for myself, that topping looks very tempting.’
He cut off a piece of golden waffle and topped it with the slice of strawberry that had fallen off and added a bit of the cream to make it complete before he offered it to her.
‘I couldn’t.’ But his look told her she could and so she leant forwards, opened her mouth, and took the treat from his fork, her eyes not leaving his for a second.
Their intimate moment was interrupted when a boy appeared at Hazel’s side.
Hazel finished her mouthful before introducing the boy, Peter, to Abigail and Gus. She told Peter, ‘Your dad has done Lucy proud with this party and all these waffles.’
‘I had maple syrup on mine,’ he beamed. But he was looking at Abigail, and Gus almost leapt in with a comment about it being rude to stare until the boy stepped closer to his daughter.
‘Would you like a game of swing ball?’ Peter asked Abigail. ‘There’s a pole over there.’ He pointed beyond the seating area. ‘And there’s nobody using it, as we’re the only kids up this late.’
The conspiracy seemed to please Abigail, but she shook her head. It was the first time tonight that Gus had seen her confidence wane.
‘That’s too bad.’ The boy was disappointed, Gus could tell.
Usually Gus would’ve let Abigail shy away, but he knew that needed to change. He had to be there to support her but part of that was pushing her a little bit out of her comfort zone in times like this when he felt sure she’d love to play but wasn’t sure about this stranger. ‘Why don’t I give you a game?’ Gus offered. ‘Hazel and Abigail could come watch.’
‘Cool.’ Peter seemed pleased with that.
‘I’m pretty good, I warn you now,’ Gus called after him as he ran off to get the rackets.
Swing ball was much as Gus remembered from years ago, but he hadn’t reckoned on the energy levels of a youngster and after a few games, he was desperate for a break. Abigail had started to look as though she was enjoying watching and every time Peter looked at her when Gus missed the ball, they shared a laugh.
Gus took a chance and held out the racket. ‘Your turn, Abigail, I’m going to pass out.’
‘Bit dramatic,’ Hazel laughed.
‘Girls against boys,’ Abigail leapt in.
‘It’s a two-person game,’ he pointed out.
Peter had an idea. ‘I could play Abigail and if I win, it’s one point to the boys, if she wins, one point to the girls. We play five games, then you and Hazel play five games.’
‘What’s the prize?’ Hazel wondered.
‘How about the losers buy the winners ice-creams tomorrow?’ Gus suggested. ‘Peter, will you be around?’
He nodded. ‘I’m sleeping over.’
‘That’s settled, then,’ said Hazel. ‘Let’s do this,’ she grinned at Abigail, a hand on her shoulder in encouragement.
Abigail gave Peter a challenge by winning the first two games but then Peter won the next three in a row. Rather than being annoyed, Abigail collapsed in fits of laughter because she’d lost the final game when her bat flew out of her hand, almost cracking Hazel on the head.
‘That’s three-two to the boys.’ Gus picked up a racket and went over to the swing ball set. ‘Come on Hazel, me and you now. Peter, I’ve got this, don’t worry.’
But Hazel had already started, much to Abigail and Peter’s amusement, and the ball flew past his head.
‘I wasn’t ready!’ But he managed to whack it back clockwise, sending the ball in the right direction on the coil of the post to secure his win.
Hazel gave it some welly and back the ball came anticlockwise. ‘You were too cocky for my liking,’ she laughed, the sound so pleasant it almost made him stop to listen.
He hit it back again, laughing when she air-swiped and missed her shot, although he did exactly the same straight afterwards.
They finished with Gus winning two games and Hazel winning three.
