Chapter 24
FAMILY MEETING
They pulled apart so fast, only Zane’s hand on her back kept Skylar from falling straight off the stool, because she definitely teetered.
“Hi,” he said, turning to see Scarlett, knowing his voice was rougher than usual and unable to help it. “What’re you doing up? It must be after two.”
“I heard something.” Scarlett stood foursquare, hands on her hips. “Her, in the shower. Then I fell back asleep, but I thought I heard something else, so I came down.” Her eyes were accusing.
“Yeh,” Zane said calmly. “Decided to come home straight away to see all of you.”
“To see her, you mean.”
Skylar slid off her stool. “Well, I’d better get to bed. Couldn’t sleep before, which is why I went swimming instead, but I’ll be doing it now. See you both in the morning.”
“Wait.” Zane barked out the word, then sighed. “Wait. Please.”
She stood there a moment looking uncertain, then said, “Why?”
“Why?” Zane was frowning again, too close to losing his temper. “Why? Because my daughter doesn’t decide who I kiss. Or who I date. And she needs to know it.”
“You don’t even care how I feel?” Scarlett asked. Her hair was messy in its plait, and she looked disheveled and tired and like a child. A scared one, maybe. Time to dial it back. But still be firm. Being a single dad wasn’t easy.
“Of course I care how you feel,” he said.
“But that doesn’t mean you get to decide what I do.
” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
The match against the French had been fast-paced, nearly frantic, and he’d lifted to match it and done his best to pull the team up with him, determined not to let the side down while he was the skipper.
It had worked—barely—but no question, he was shattered.
“Go to bed, Scarlett,” he said, managing to gentle his tone. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
“But you can’t just—” Scarlett said.
“I can,” he said. “I can love my kids, and I can date women. If I’d known you’d react like this, I’d have been doing it in front of you more. Of course I date. I’m single. I’m a man.”
“You’re a widower,” Scarlett said. The tears were trying to come, but she wasn’t letting them. “You always say how much you loved Mum, and now you’re just going to forget her?”
“No,” he said. “I’m going to go on and live my life, the way your Mum would have wanted.”
“She’d never have done that to you,” Scarlett said. “Never.” The tears were there now. Angry ones.
Quick footsteps, and Finlay burst into the room, a cricket bat raised over his shoulder and his face set.
Brilliant.
“Oh,” Finlay said, lowering the bat. “I thought somebody was breaking in.”
“Why would somebody be breaking in?” Skylar didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “There are, uh … eight people in this house. Why wouldn’t it be one of them?”
“Because the voices were angry!” Finlay said. “I should’ve guessed it was you,” he told Scarlett. “Why are you always so cross?”
“Excuse me?” she said. “Maybe because my dad was kissing your mum?”
“So?” Finlay said. “I told you they were kissing before, and now you know I wasn’t lying.
Anyway, in films, people have sex the first time they meet each other, and your dad and my mum have met each other heaps of times, so they’re probably doing it, too.
Why d’you think we’re even here? Why would he have invited her otherwise? ”
“Wait,” Zane said. Commanding again, which was no doubt why Scarlett stopped in the act of opening her mouth. “Eight people in this house? Where are Nan and Geoffrey? Why isn’t her car here? I thought it must be on the street for some reason, but it’s not?”
“No,” Skylar said. “They went to Featherston for the day and stopped over. It has bookshops, apparently, and your Nan was keen. No worries, I’m sure she watched your match.”
“Why would I care about that?” Zane said, clearly keeping his temper with an effort.
“I don’t need the world to come to a stop so everyone can applaud me.
They left you here alone with all the kids.
That’s what I care about.” The frown was drawing his dark brows together, and, yes, he looked dangerous.
“You’re caring for all of them, are you, while they take their wee jaunt?
How much else have you had to do? I talked to Nan before you came. We went over this.”
“Mum’s cooked all the time since we’ve been here,” Finlay said.
“And she took us to the planetarium yesterday and Te Papa today, and the Botanic Gardens before, and some other places. She did the washing today, too, but I helped fold. I also laid the table, and we’ve all been helping with the washing-up.
” Virtuously, as if he’d jumped to do all those things.
“Why shouldn’t Ms. Fairburn take us places?” Scarlett asked. “You’re paying for them to be here! You’re paying for her.”
Zane got off the stool. Slowly. And stood straight.
“Go to bed,” he said. Flat voice. Hard eyes.
“I didn’t—” Scarlett began. “It’s not—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Zane said. “Go to bed. Now.”
Silence for a long second as they stared at each other. Then Duncan was peering around the door, blinking like an owl. “What’s happening?” he asked. “Dad! You’re home!” He ran to Zane, who reached down and gave him a cuddle. Shifting gears.
Duncan stepped back and said, “You were brilliant tonight, Dad! I was scared all through the match that you wouldn’t win, because France is only two places down on the ladder, and their halfback was World Rugby Player of the Year last year, and they wanted to win so much, you could tell.
When they went ahead in the second half, I was really scared.
You didn’t look scared, though. Not ever. ”
“Nah, mate,” Zane said. “Scared doesn’t come into it. You keep playing, that’s all.”
“You always say ‘composure,’” Duncan said. “How do you get composure?”
“Practice,” Zane said. “Focus.” Then he looked back at Scarlett. “Thought I told you to go to bed. All of you, in fact. Bedtime.”
Somehow, though, Olive was in the room now. “Why are you all so noisy?” she asked. “Why are you all up?”
“Because our Dad came home,” Scarlett said. “And I found him kissing your mum.”
“Oh.” Olive seemed to consider that. “Is that bad? It’s what happens in romance books, and everybody likes romance books. They’re not married to anybody else, so it’s not having an affair. That’s the only really bad thing.”
“How do you know about having affairs?” Skylar asked, though it wasn’t the point. “What are you reading?”
“Advice columns and things,” Olive said, as if that were obvious. “Online. There’s one on Reddit called, ‘Am I the Asshole?’ It’s full of things like affairs, and people get to say what they think about it, so it’s interesting about human nature. More than romance books, really.”
“This isn’t a romance book,” Scarlett said. “It’s my dad.”
“Oh,” Olive said. “Doesn’t he like romance? My mum likes romance. She’s been reading this romance series this holidays, and she’s already on Book Four. She reads them all the time, even when she’s cooking dinner, so I know she really likes them.”
Oh, bugger. Her secret was out. Had Olive looked inside any of those books? How Skylar hoped not. “They’re fantasy,” she said, knowing she was turning red. “That is, they’re in the fantasy genre. Very compelling. Literarily.”
“I know your mum likes romance,” Scarlett said, as if Skylar hadn’t spoken. “I saw. She was kissing my dad. Like I just said.”
“No,” Zane said. “I was kissing her. Not that it’s any of your business. Any of you.”
“If it’s our mum,” Finlay said, “I think it’s a little bit our business.”
“Thank you,” Scarlett said.
“I wasn’t agreeing with you,” Finlay said. “I was just pointing it out.”
“Then no thank you,” Scarlett said.
Skylar couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. Covering her mouth with her hand, trying to keep it quiet. Zane looked at her, startled, and she flapped a hand at him. Something like, I’m choking, that’s all.
He said, “Bloody hell. I’m sorry. Let me get these kids out of here.”
What? Oh, he thought she was crying. “No,” she said, trying to tamp the laughter down.
Hysteria, probably, or just fatigue, because the giggles refused to be tamped.
“I’m laughing. It’s just so … so stupid.
Here I am—” She gestured wildly to the PJs.
“Still so hopelessly me, and your kids think I’m some kind of black-widow homewrecker! ”
“What’s a homewrecker?’ Duncan asked. “I don’t think I think that. You haven’t wrecked anything so far.”
“Yes, she has,” Scarlett said. She’s—”
“Out,” Zane said. “All of you. Off to bed. It’s too bloody late for this.”
“You swear a lot,” Olive said.
“Olive,” Skylar said.
“What?” Olive said. “He does. You always say not to swear, and he does.”
“Go to bed,” Skylar said. “You and Finlay both. Go.”
“OK,” Finlay said. “Because I don’t understand any of this.”
“Good,” Zane said. “Oh— Good work with the cricket bat, bro.”
Finlay looked down as if he’d forgotten he was holding it. “I just thought— Mum—”
“Yeh,” Zane said. “It was a good thought. Go to bed, and we’ll see you in the morning.” And finally, they all trailed out. Footsteps on the stairs, and that, hopefully, was that. For tonight.
“So,” Zane said, letting out a breath and giving her a rueful smile. “That didn’t go to plan.”
“No,” Skylar said. She’d long since tied her dressing gown, and now, she tugged at the bow. “Probably for the best. Wrinkles. Kids.”
“So there’s no chance of you coming to bed with me,” Zane said. She looked at him wildly, and he gave her a crooked smile and said, “Just checking.”
“Ah,” she said stupidly. “Yes. Checking. Well, no. I’ll say goodnight and we’ll …
well, we’ll get this sorted tomorrow. However.
” But she didn’t leave. Not yet. Because he still looked so tired.
Besieged. Possibly even confused. She stepped closer, put a hand on his cheek, and said, “You did so well tonight. I was proud, watching you. And so were your kids. You’re Scarlett’s hero, and she doesn’t want to share you.
It’s not ideal, but it’s not unusual. You’ll talk to her, and it’ll be better. ”
“Yeh,” he said. “I will. I’m sorry you heard all that. I’ll sort her, and Nan, too. You don’t have to worry about it. Go to bed.”
She had to smile. “You’re a commanding man. Maybe remember that I’m an adult?”
“Oh. Right.” He grinned sheepishly. “I mean, ‘Please go to bed and get some sleep.’ That better?”
“Much.” She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Goodnight. And Zane?”
“Yeh?” His hand was at her waist again, almost as if he couldn’t help but touch her.
“Thanks for the swim,” she told him. “It was magical.”