Nick snorted his amusement. ‘I did not know that, Ella. She told me she had a thing for heroes.’
‘Mum says she has a thing for tall, dark, handsome men.’
Nick laughed at that and then raised his eyebrows at me, mouthing,Is that right?
I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest. I was insanely pleased the colour was back in his cheeks and that he was smiling. If we could ease his mind for a few hours, that was a good thing.
Nick wolfed down the remaining tacos and then asked for Ella’s help to make popcorn, the two of them chatting away in the kitchen while I tidied up dinner, stacking the dishwasher.
Ella peppered Nick with questions. She was extraordinary, significantly more forthright than me.
‘How old are you, Nick?’
‘Forty-one.’
‘Ooh, my mum is forty-two. Where do you live?’
‘In the city at the moment, but in London I live in Hampstead near an enormous park, called a heath.’
‘Do you have kids?’
‘I have a ten-year-old daughter. Her name is Summer.’
My hands stilled in the sink at this new information.Why on earth would he have not told me that?I refused to look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me.
‘Where is Summer’s mum?’
‘Ella …’ I interrupted my daughter’s interrogation, deeming this line of questioning way too personal, though I was desperate to hear the answer.
‘It’s okay.’ He paused. ‘She died. She had been sick for a long time.’
My heart cried for him. Jesus Christ. How much had he been through in his life? At the same time, I’m not sure that excused him for not telling me about his daughter.
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Ella said quietly.
‘Summer was staying with my sister while I was away, but she’s coming out to Australia now. I hope you guys will have dinner with us one night?’ Nick asked quietly.
‘That sounds so nice. Can we go somewhere we have to dress up? Mum always looks so beautiful when she dresses up, Nick, and she got this beautiful dress the other day.’
‘Let’s finish this movie, Ella,’ I said, being non-committal about the family date, after only just finding out therewasa family. I was a little annoyed. Nick seemed hell-bent on feeding me his life in dribs and drabs, when I had been honest from the start. It was bloody infuriating.
We sat back down with the popcorn and other snacks; I kept my leg to myself. My phone buzzed the minute Ella became engrossed in the film again.
You’re annoyed with me.
I looked across at him and his eyes slid towards me, raising his eyebrows, a knowing smile on his handsome, smug face. He was insanely pleased with having read me.
I’m not annoyed. I’m delighted you came.
He shook his head and fired back another text.
Liar. You are annoyed. Ella is a sweetheart, Abbey. You’re an amazing mum.
Okay. You are a little annoying.
Pirateseventually finished. I wound up Ella’s grand plan of settling in for an all-nighter to watch the trilogy and sent her off to bed. As she was walking out, she unexpectedly interrupted her grumbling at me to throw her arms around Nick.
‘I hope your brother gets better. I’m glad your sister and little girl are on their way. You can stay with us until your family is here. My Aunty Kate can be cranky, but deep down she’s an angel. She will take good care of your brother.’ She pressed a kiss into his cheek, which made me feel strangely emotional, and I followed her from the room to tuck her in and give her a kiss.
