‘There’s nothing wrong with assertive.’ Griff shoved his hands in his pockets, nervous as a teenage boy desperate to pluck up the courage to ask the girl he fancies to the senior prom. ‘Is there any hope you might give me . . . us . . . another chance?’
‘My God, Lyndsey, how long does it take you to water a few . . . ?’ Becca appeared in the door, cradling Nora in one arm. ‘Oh, that explains it. It’s the ghost from next door.’ Her frown morphed into a smug smile. ‘In case you’re interested, Deke’s tour is going amazingly and they’re playing to sold-out stadiums.’
‘That’s great,’ Griff murmured.
‘On the not-so-awesome front, Theo spends his days hiding out in his room to avoid the rest of us.’ Becca threw Lyndsey a dismissive glance. ‘As you can see, my sister is as pulled together as ever. Even living with me for — what is it now? About six weeks? — hasn’t dimmed her natural capacity for being in calm control.’
‘It’s actually five weeks and six days, if we’re being precise,’ Lyndsey snapped back.
‘Oh, and we’re always that, aren’t we?’
His heart sank. This is what Deke had been afraid of.
* * *
‘We’re very busy, Griff, if there’s nothing you actually want,’ Lyndsey snapped.
‘Li-Li!’ Becca’s voice soared an octave in horror.
Did no one realize she was clinging on to her so-called control by her fingernails? Lyndsey wasn’t sure who frustrated her the most — Griff or her sister. Maybe it was herself? It still made her blood heat, thinking about what his kisses did to her. How was she supposed to reply to his plea for them to try again? Her heart said YES, PLEASE, in massive capital letters.
But her head? That usually sensible part of her body, which kept her life on an even keel? It kept giving massive nudges, hard enough to leave significant bruises, making it clear she should stay well away from Griff Oakes for her own sanity. Now he stood in front of her, a frown etched deep in his forehead, wondering how best to wriggle out of playing piggy in the middle with the warring Carne sisters.
As for her business, that was the other thing hanging on by the skin of its teeth. Nicola’s frantic message yesterday, sent at a ridiculously early hour because her assistant’s panic overrode the time difference, centered around an important client who wasn’t happy with the job she’d done. The man insisted on Lyndsey’s personal attention. That led to another midnight Zoom call, leaving her fuzzy-headed with tiredness today.
None of this was helped by being forced to portray a cheerfulness she didn’t feel every time she spoke to their parents.
‘I wondered if y’all would like to go into Franklin and grab an ice cream? Surely you can’t resist goin’ to Sweet Mary Jane’s?’
Lyndsey suspected he’d originally intended to make the offer solely to her but after picking up on the tension was trying to help out.Cut him some slack, her heart whispered.
He blows hot and cold. You’ll get hurt, her head shouted loud and clear.
‘That’s kind, but why don’t you two go on your own?’ Becca said dismissively.
‘No. It’ll do us all good to get out of here,’ Lyndsey said.Before I kill you. ‘It’ll do the kids good, too.’
‘The kids? Plural? Theo would rather poke himself in the eye with a sharp needle than be seen out with us,’ Becca scoffed.
Lyndsey was tired of tiptoeing around the boy. It was past time he saw himself as part of the family, with all its pluses and minuses. ‘If you see to Nora, I’ll tackle Theo.’
‘Knock yourself out.’
Griff had been watching their to-and-fro conversation warily, but now his smile inched back. ‘That’s great. I’ll need to have a quick shower and change first. I won’t take long.’ He looked embarrassed. ‘I’ve been working in the garden.’Couldn’t wait another second to see you again.
The unspoken admission resonated in Lyndsey’s head. ‘So we noticed.’ To her, it didn’t matter that he was sweaty and dirt-stained and with his tangled hair tied back with something she suspected was green garden twine. She strode back into the house, took the stairs two at a time and banged on Theo’s door. One of the first warnings Becca issued was that her stepson’s bedroom was off-limits to everyone but Deke. Predictably, she got no response and knocked again.
‘Theo, Griff’s invited us all out for ice cream.’ She sucked in a deep breath. ‘If you don’t have the good manners to answer me, I’m coming in.’ Lyndsey mentally counted to ten and hoped he wouldn’t force her hand. Silence. She turned the knob and pushed the door open.
Instead of the typical boyish mess she’d expected — clothes dropped all over the place and piles of dirty plates and glasses on any available surface — the immaculate room resembled her own flat back home in Cornwall. A twin bed with its plain navy cover tucked in military style at the corners. Alphabetized bookshelves. The gray carpet, free of clutter and recently vacuumed. Theo sat with his back to her, hunched over his desk playing a video game.
Lyndsey considered creeping back out. Before she could decide whether or not to act on her change of heart, he swung his chair around, ripped his headphones off and gave her a fierce glare.
‘I’m sorry. I did knock.’
‘Get out!’ Theo yelled, his voice breaking as it rose in volume.
‘I will, but I’ve got a message from Griff first.’ There was a slim chance he’d be more agreeable if the request didn’t come on behalf of his stepmother. ‘He’s offered to take us to Sweet Mary Jane’s. Apparently their ice cream is awesome?’
