‘I’ve no reason to. None of my mates have families yet, and my brother’s kids are over in Australia.’ He peeled off the plastic lid of the olives, tipped them into a bowl and carried them to Emily.
‘What are they?’
‘Olives. Have you tried them before?’
She shook her head.
‘Would you like to try them?’
Emily nodded, popped one in her mouth, then promptly spat it out again. Kitty hid a smirk behind her hand.
‘What do children eat?’ asked Nick, returning to the kitchen.
‘Not olives, in my experience, although I’m sure there are exceptions to that rule. I’ll make her a sandwich. Did you buy cheese?’
Nick dug around in the bag. ‘I forgot, sorry.’
‘Do you have any jam? Butter?’
‘I’ve got butter,’ he said, pulling the remains of a pack from the fridge.
‘I’ll make her some toast,’ said Kitty with a sigh. ‘Then I’ll go out and do a proper shop.’
Panic filled Nick’s face. ‘You can’t leave me alone.’
‘You won’t be alone. Emily will be with you.’
‘Please, Kitty. I’ve no idea what to do.’
Kitty pulled slices of bread from the packet and began hunting for the toaster. ‘Then you’ll have to figure it out, won’t you? Nick, I’m not your PA. In fact, I barely know you! I didn’t sign up for this, and you’ve had plenty of time to think about how to feed and care for a child while you were out buying lager.’ At the look of horror on his face, Kitty softened. ‘Listen, you’ve got lucky. She’s a great kid, polite, good manners, friendly. Her mother raised her well. Things could be a lot worse.’
‘But she’s a girl!’
‘Yes, a girl, not an alien from another planet. We’re all human, Nick. At the very base level, everyone needs the same things: food, water, somewhere to go to the toilet, somewhere to wash, entertainment and love. Actually, love should come before anything else.’
The toast popped up, and Kitty buttered it, grateful for a moment of normality. Nick was unlike any man she’d met. Kitty had taught five-year-olds more capable and with more life skills than he seemed to possess. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise her if Emily took charge of things once she’d got over the shock of being left with a man-child for company.
Nick stared at the plate of toast as Kitty held it out. ‘Why are you giving that to me?’
‘So you can take it to your daughter. You need to talk to her.’
‘What can I talk to her about?’
Kitty drew a deep breath through her nose. She was a teacher, not a babysitter, and dealing with Nick was pushing her to her limit. Yet again, she was fixing someone else’s mess and telling herself it was only for one day. ‘Here,’ she said, pulling a notebook and pen from her bag. ‘Ask Emily what she likes to eat, her favourite dinners, that kind of thing, and make a list.’
‘A shopping list?’
‘Yes, of course, a shopping list.’ Frustration filled her words. ‘There’s no point in my going to the shop and getting things Emily hates. You’ve already done that once today. She’s not a feral dog, Nick, she’s a little girl. Sit next to her, talk to her, and write a list together. Do you think you can manage that?’
‘I’ll try…’
Nick carried the plate of toast to Emily, and Kitty leaned against the kitchen worktop. She couldn’t work Nick out. At the pub he’d been so sure of himself to the point of cockiness. Today, he seemed incapable of the most basic tasks, and completely lacking any self-confidence. It was as if she’d met two different men and had no idea which was the authentic version of Nick Andrews.
While she waited for Nick to return, Kitty filled her time giving the kitchen a once-over. It wasn’t as dirty as she had expected. She guessed that if Nick didn’t cook, he had no opportunity to mess it up.
‘I’ve got your list.’ Nick grinned, waving his phone in the air.
‘Where’s the paper I gave you?’
