Tasha nodded, believing every word he said, so much so that all the guilt she’d pushed aside and buried previously about the kiss she’d shared with Gerry reared its head. When would be a good time to tell him, there’d never be a good time, she knew that. She replayed his words about Sally’s number meaning nothing and that being the reason he hadn’t told her about it. That was the same as her kiss with Gerry—or at least that’s what she chose to tell herself. It had meant nothing at the time and meant less than nothing now, like Sally’s phone number, so it was best to say nothing.
“Are you still mad at me?” asked Tasha seriously.
“You dealt with a situation probably as I would have, with annoyance and suspicion, but you then turned it into a pouty, sulky, swearing, petulant public display, so yes, Tasha, I’m still mad at you.”
He opened the front door for her to walk through. They found the house quiet, but as they got as far as the kitchen, screaming could be heard from the poolside.
“Hi, Daddy,” squealed Lizzie as she looked up and saw them in the doorway.
“Hi, sweetie, are you okay?”
Lizzie moved to stand with them. “Yeah, I’m good thanks. I’ve brought Dylan over with me, he’s actually my boyfriend,” she said as she pointed to the teenage boy she liked who had been rather smitten with Tasha on his last visit to the house.
“So I see.” Smiled Tasha as Lizzie blushed.
“We’ll discuss this later,” muttered Jim with a heavy frown.
Tasha headed over to where Dan was sunning himself on a lounger next to Pippa.
“Are you two okay?” she asked as she crouched down between them.
“Yeah, we’ve just been chilling,” Dan explained.
“Good.” Tasha smiled at them, grateful that they were safe and happy and she knew both of those things were in no small way down to Jim who appeared behind them.
“Do either of you need anything?”
“No, thanks,” replied Dan immediately.
Pippa stood and as she prepared to speak took Tasha’s hand then hugged Jim gently before appearing to pluck up the courage to ask, “When are we going to go bridesmaid dress shopping, Tash?”
“Wednesday I think, let me check with Kayla,” she answered, smiling at the sight of Pippa comfortably nestled beneath Jim’s protective arm, but as she looked past them she could see that although Dylan was grinning broadly at her, Lizzie looked concerned at the image of Pippa with her dad.
Tasha excused herself and went over to speak to Lizzie. “I’m planning bridesmaid dress shopping. Are you free all week?”
“Yeah, I guess. Is that what you and Daddy were talking about with Pippa?”
“Kind of,” replied Tasha.
“They seem very friendly now, Daddy and Pippa,” Lizzie sounded genuinely concerned.
“Yeah, but he only has one daughter, Lizzie, you. You need to remember that and Pippa and I don’t really have the kind of dad you do,” Tasha said without expanding on exactly what kind of dad they did have.
Lizzie hugged her tightly.
“I don’t think Mr Maybury likes me,” whispered Dylan, almost as if thinking aloud.
Tasha laughed gently and bent towards the boy on the lounger and almost whispered back, “Most people don’t think Mr Maybury likes them, including me sometimes.”
Lizzie laughed and agreed. “He dislikes us all sometimes. He likes things doing his own way and if we don’t do it he gets all weird and bent out of shape.”
“This all looks rather suspicious,” said Jim from behind them all.
“Not at all.” Tasha winked at Lizzie and Dylan. “We were just chatting.”
“Have you had lunch?” Jim looked and smiled at Lizzie.
She shook her head. “Sandra said she’d fix something after she’s finished the laundry.”
