‘Becca wanted me to invite you over for dinner before I leave . . . does Tuesday work for you? I’m on the Wednesday evening flight out of here.’
Griff pulled out his phone and pretended to study his calendar. ‘I might be able to fit y’all in. I’m guessing your kids have livelier social lives than me. I’m not complaining, though. I’ve had my fill of all that.’ In the past, an evening spent at home meant he was either working overtime or sick.
‘Yeah, I can understand that. I’ve been touring off and on for almost twenty years and it gets old.’ His eyes darkened. ‘I shouldn’t complain, because thousands of singers and songwriters would give their eye teeth to be in my position. But the band’s been working round the clock rehearsing. I’ve barely seen Nora since she’s been born and I’m surprised Becca and Theo remembered who I was when we went to Memphis.’ Deke shook his head, as if tossing out unpalatable thoughts. ‘I’m ramblin’. Ignore me. I’ll throw some steaks on the grill about six o’clock on Tuesday, if that suits you? It’ll fit in with feeding time at the baby zoo.’
‘That’ll work. Anything I can bring? Beer?’
‘Yeah, that’d be great.’ Deke rolled his eyes. ‘When we were talkin’ about it at the house, Lyndsey threatened to whip up a kale salad as her contribution. I had to break it to her gently that no red-blooded American would eat that with a juicy steak.’ He headed for the door. ‘Thanks again for the taxi service. See ya.’
Griff’s appetite had disappeared. He’d plow on with his work, in an effort to stop thinking what might happen when he crossed paths with Lyndsey again.
* * *
‘If I want you to wash the bloody dishes, I’ll ask you — okay?’ Becca snapped. She snatched the dishcloth from Lyndsey’s hand and tossed it on the counter.
Their mother’s optimism had clearly been misplaced.
Lyndsey still couldn’t wrap her head around the drastic change in her sister’s appearance since last year’s wedding, when Becca made a stunningly beautiful bride, elegant and glowing with happiness in a froth of designer white satin and lace. She’d expected the post-baby weight, tiredness and perhaps the lack of make-up, but not the aura of defeat dragging down Becca’s frail shoulders.
She dug deep, took a couple of steadying breaths, and prepared to apologize.
‘Lyndsey’s come to help us, honey.’ Deke stepped in. ‘We don’t want her rushing off on the next plane back to London and—’
‘You mean,youdon’t.’ Becca turned her wrath on her hapless husband. ‘It suitsyouto have her here, so you can swan off to Europe with less of a guilty conscience.’
The color rose in his face, but he said nothing. Presumably he was used to her sister’s changeable moods. Even as a child, she was all sweetness and light one minute, like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but when anyone crossed her, she blew up in a heartbeat.
A thin, reedy cry startled her, and for a moment Lyndsey couldn’t think where it was coming from. Deke turned away and reached into the car seat, balanced on the kitchen table, and fiddled with the complicated straps. They hadn’t wanted to disturb Nora’s nap when they first arrived, but obviously her niece was ready to make her presence known.
‘Nora, sweetheart, it’s time to meet your Aunt Lyndsey.’ He wriggled the fractious baby out and into his arms.
‘Li-Li doesn’t do babies, do you?’ Becca’s dismissal stung, and to make matters worse her sister had reverted to using that stupid childish nickname.
She flinched under Deke’s sympathetic gaze. ‘It’s true, I haven’t had much to do with them before now, but I certainly want to get to know my niece.’ Doing her best to convey an impression of confidence, she smiled broadly as Deke placed the feather-light baby in her arms. The little girl’s eyes flew open and Lyndsey braced herself for another piercing wail. Instead, Nora stared up at her, unblinking. She’d never fallen in love at first sight before, but it hit her now like a freight train with faulty brakes. ‘Oh, Deke, she’s got your brown eyes,’ she murmured. ‘Her adorable mouth is all you, Becca.’ Her finger stroked Nora’s plump cheek. ‘Her skin’s so soft,’ she whispered. ‘She’s perfect.’
For the first time since they laid eyes on each other again, she and Becca exchanged smiles instead of unkind words.
A sudden blast of loud music reverberated through the ceiling, and Nora’s face screwed up and turned bright red. She let loose an ear-piercing scream.
‘For God’s sake, we’ve hardly been back five minutes and Theo’s at it already,’ Becca complained to Deke. ‘Are you going to tell him to stop or do I have to?’
‘I’ll go,’ he said wearily and hurried away.
‘Give her here.’ Becca snatched the baby away from Lyndsey and paced around the kitchen in a vain attempt to soothe her. ‘Bloody boy,’ she hissed. ‘His usual trick is to wait until Nora’s sleeping, but everyone at Deke’s reunion was fussing over how cute she is, so now he’s making us pay.’
Lyndsey was sympathetic. She’d been in Theo’s position once when blonde, adorable Becca melted peoples’ hearts but an awkward eight-year-old half sister with attitude, not so much.
‘I caught a glimpse of Theo when you came in, but didn’t get a chance—’
‘A glimpse is all we get half the time, too,’ Becca scoffed. ‘The last thing Deke said to him as we got out of the van was to come and say hello to you — fat lot of good that did.’
Lyndsey had only met the twelve-year-old once, at last year’s wedding in Cornwall when he glowered all the way through the ceremony. It’d wrenched her heart when she spotted him standing alone with his hands jammed in his trouser pockets watching Becca and Deke enjoying their first dance, misery etched deep into his face.
‘Deke usually manages to smooth things over, and I expect he’ll cajole him into joining us for dinner, but I don’t have a clue how I’ll cope when he leaves,’ Becca confessed. ‘At the moment, we have an uneasy truce. I don’t attempt to parent him, and in return, he’s not outright rude to me.’ She pushed a wisp of blonde hair out of her eyes. ‘It’ll be even more horrendous in a couple of weeks when the schools start their long summer holidays and Theo’s around full-time. Won’t that be wonderful?’ Sarcasm oozed out of her.
Before Lyndsey could dredge up a suitably reassuring reply, Deke returned, steering a thin, hunched-over boy towards them. Theo’s lank dark hair fell in front of his face, but she didn’t need to see his face to feel the waves of resentment radiating off him.
Their mother was right about Becca needing help, but she wasn’t the only one, and even the Angel Gabriel might balk at this particular challenge.
