AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who?”
“Is that a kid?” He pauses. “Liam. Do you have a secret love child?”
What annoys me is that behind his teasing he’s half-serious. “What the fu—” I catch myself. “No, she’s a family friend’s daughter. I don’t have any kids.”
“Uncle Liam! Swings, please?”
Bryn makes an amused snort. “Are you at a kids’ playground? Wow, you must really like her mum. Cosy date?”
“Her mum isn’t here.”
“Spending the morning at a kids’ playground through choice? Rock and roll, man,” laughs Bryn.
“Shut up. I’m being nice, since her mum isn’t well.” Self-inflicted, but yeah.
“Sometimes, Liam, you’re too nice,” replies Bryn.
“Ha! Like you?”
“I’m not niceenough.”
Huh? Odd thing to say. “Have you planned a New Year’s party yet?” I ask, grabbing at a subject change.
“Not yet. I need to talk to Dylan and Jem—ask whether we’ll do something big at his country place again.”
“Okay, I’ll make sure I come to that. Let me know.”
“A ‘no kids’ party, Liam, so leave your little friend at home,” teases Bryn.
“Yeah, right. You’re funny.”
“Seriously, though, is there anything you want to talk about?”
Ella hops up and down in front of me, rubbing her bare arms. Did she forget her coat? “Uncle Liam. Please.”
Bryn laughs raucously down the phone. “Speak to you later, Uncle Liam.”
I pull my eyebrows together, wondering why I bothered calling him. I knew that Honey is the reason behind his contacting me, but we normally stay out of each other’s business when dealing with girls. Unless you’re Dylan and Jem, but I don’t want to know what dodgy shit once happened between them and girls.
“Aren’t you cold? Should we go home?” I ask Ella hopefully. I overestimated the enjoyment level of a trip to a children’s playground in the middle of winter.
She pouts. “Can I have a quick play on the swings? Can you push me?”
Huffing, I stand and tread across the bark towards the swings. She hops onto one and waits. I scratch my neck and look around because I’m always on semi-alert for someone with a camera. I guess I’m not exciting enough to pursue at stupid o’clock on a cold Saturday morning.
Ella isn’t satisfied with gentle swinging and her knuckles whiten, gripping the chain as I push her higher.
What the hell am I doing?
“How high does your dad push you?” I ask.
“He doesn’t take me to the park.”
“Oh.”Weird. I push her again. “Never?”
“He’s not home much.”
“Does he work a long way from home?”
