“Oh, please!” Poppy cried, dancing forward on her tiptoes. “We never have anyone over, ever, and you’re so nice at school.Please.”
Lucy’s heart softened at that—how could it not? Then she looked back up at Alex, who was staring at her rather grimly. “I don’t know,” she began, because she really didn’t. She had a feeling only one of the Kincaids wanted her to stay, and she was seven years old.
“I do mean it,” Alex said. “We would like you to stay.”
Bella let out a dramatic, excuse-me-but-I’m-here-too-you-know kind of sigh, and Alex gave Lucy a wry smile that just about melted her heart. She nodded. “Okay, I’ll stay. Thank you.”
With a scowl Bella turned on her heel and flounced upstairs. Alex watched her go before turning to Lucy. “Shopping trip went all right?”
“Yes, actually.” Lucy glanced up the stairs. “I’m not sure . . .”
“Trust me, that’s par for the course. Don’t take it personally.”
“Sometimes it’s hard not to,” Lucy answered, “but I know what you mean.”
Poppy pirouetted down the hall into the kitchen, dropping her arms as she came to a stop in the doorway.
“Daddy, the kitchen is a mess.”
“Oh . . .” He glanced around the kitchen, his face reddening. “Sorry,” he muttered as he whisked a few cereal bowls, Cheerios encrusted to their sides, off the table and dumped them in the sink. “We had a rushed morning.”
“I’m not exactly a neatnik myself,” Lucy replied, and righted the cereal box, folding the cardboard flaps back in before sweeping a mess of granola off the table and into her hand. She looked around for the trash can and Alex pointed to the corner.
Meanwhile Poppy had opened the fridge and was peering into it dispiritedly. “Daddy,” she said, turning to look at him over her shoulder with a grave expression, “there’s nothing to eat.”
Lucy watched as he came to stand behind her, resting one hand on her shoulder in a way that made her insides ache. Didhe hug his children? He was obviously trying with both of them, even if he was having a hard time.
“You’re right, Poppy,” he said. “I suppose I need to do a shop.” Lucy could see that the only things left in the yawning, brightly lit expanse were some sad-looking lettuce, the pint of milk she’d put back, a piece of moldy cheddar, and a few pots of yogurt that she suspected were past their sell-by date.
“Hmm,” she said, and when she risked a glance at him, she saw he was smiling at her. She looked away; that one shared smile seemed to energize every nerve ending.
“How about fish and chips?” he suggested, and Poppy clapped her hands.
“Ooh! Yes! I love chips!”
“There’s a takeaway in Egremont that does a good one,” he told Lucy. “I can nip out and get us some, if you don’t mind waiting here with the girls.”
“Sounds good,” Lucy said. “I haven’t had fish and chips in ages.”
“I don’t have to eat the fish, do I, Daddy?” Poppy asked, and he ruffled her hair.
“No, Poppy, you don’t. You never do.”
“What about Bella? Is she a fan of fish and chips?” Lucy asked.
“I’m not sure Bella is a fan of anything at the moment,” he said, and then winced as they both saw his oldest daughter scowling at them from the kitchen doorway.
“I’m not hungry,” she snapped, and turned to go back upstairs.
“Don’t, Bella,” Alex barked. “You can stay here with Lucy.”
Wonderful, more time with Bella. “Great,” Lucy said, trying to inject her voice with enthusiasm she most certainly didn’t feel.
Alex shot her one quick, grateful smile and grabbed his car keys before heading towards the door.
“So.” Lucy smiled at both girls. “How about we tidy up and set the table?” Bella didn’t answer, but at least she started chuckingthings into the sink. Hopefully she wouldn’t break a bowl. Poppy put the cereal away and Lucy loaded the dishwasher. This all felt surreal, being in Alex’s house, doing his dishes, looking after his daughters.
She should have said no to dinner. For her own sake, as well as for Poppy’s and Bella’s. The girls were obviously fragile; the last thing they needed was to become attached to someone who was going to leave. And the last thing she needed was to start caring about people who weren’t going to let her into their lives, not really. Not enough.
