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“Yeah, see you.”
I watch them walk away. The wet bikini clings to Aroha’s skin.
Sighing, I push off the wall and dive into the warm water.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aroha
I don’t see James for the rest of the day. At six, I’m in the kitchen looking through the cupboards when he finally appears.
“I’m going into Kia Kaha to catch up with the guys,” he says.
“Six p.m.? On a Saturday?”
“Yeah, it’ll be nice and quiet. We’re going to get some food brought in.” He pauses. “Would you like to join us?”
I know he’s just being polite. “No, thank you.” I chuckle. “I’m sure the last thing you all want is a screaming baby in the middle of a meeting.”
“She doesn’t seem to scream very much.”
“No, she’s a good baby, I have to say.”
“Or maybe it’s her excellent care.”
I warm through at his compliment. It means a lot that he believes I’m taking good care of her.
“You’re sure you don’t want to come?” he asks. “Honestly, nobody would mind, and it must get pretty lonely here on your own all day.”
“I’m not on my own—I have Leia. Anyway I’m trying to get her into a routine, so it’ll be bath and bed at seven.”
“Are you okay being here alone?”
“Of course!” Privately, I think I’ll enjoy having the house to myself without feeling nervous that I’m going to bump into him around the corner. Every time I do that, it makes my stomach flip.
“All right.” He picks up his keys. He’s already dressed in jeans and a white shirt, unbuttoned at the neck. “I don’t know what time I’ll be back.”
“I’ll probably be in bed. I hope you have a nice evening.”
“Help yourself to anything in the cupboards or freezer. And if you want to order in Uber Eats, you can use my credit card.”
“No,” I say hastily, “it’s fine, I’ll make myself some dinner.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” He gives me a nod and leaves.
I hear the front door close and then, not long after, his car starts and heads off down the drive. I release a long breath. “It’s just me and you, girl,” I tell Leia, who’s sitting in her carry seat on the counter. “Time to let our hair down!”
It turns out that party time consists of a portion of spaghetti Bolognese reheated in the microwave and a few scoops of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream for dessert. I eat it while I rock Leia’s seat with my foot, watching an episode of Friends, while I tell her all about Ross and Rachel, and the wonder that is Chandler Bing. Afterward, I wash up the dishes, then put Leia on her playmat and lie beside her, smiling as she knocks the mirrors and toys that dangle from the frame above her.
At seven I take her in for a bath, dress her in a pretty pink onesie, and feed her, sitting in the rocking chair, while I read her Harry Potter. I burp her, then lie her down, turn on her monitor, and leave the room.
She cries for a while, but I know she can’t get used to sleeping with me, and she has to learn to fall asleep on her own, so I sit in my bedroom for a while, reading and fighting the urge to go in and pick her up. Sure enough, eventually she quietens and dozes off.
After clipping the receiver to my waistband, I go into the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee. I’m tempted to be nosy, wander around the house, and poke around in all the drawers and cupboards to see if I find anything interesting, but that feels sleazy, and besides, what am I expecting to find? He’s a single guy, living on his own. He’s told me he’s never brought a girl here. We’re not like the older generations—we don’t tend to keep photos in frames around the house, so I doubt there’ll be much to see anyway, and I don’t feel comfortable invading his privacy.
Instead, I call my mum, and we chat for half an hour. She knows where I am, and that a friend has asked me to stay while I look after his niece. We chat about Leia for a bit, and then she talks about Dad and the fact that he hasn’t been able to find another job. She doesn’t ask me about James, and I don’t volunteer any information. What would I say? That I have a huge crush on my employer? She has enough on her plate at the moment—she doesn’t need to worry about me.
After I finish the call, I help myself to a small bar of chocolate from the cupboard and eat it while I watch a movie. By the end, I’m dozing off too, so I turn off the TV and lights, leaving on the one by the front door, and go to bed.
