‘Was it? Sorry… I’m so sorry. I’ll make you hot chocolate.’
‘Does Dean have any Scotch?’
‘You can’t have alcohol.’
‘Why not? I’ve used it to manage stress for a considerable number of years.’
Hayley pushed open the door to the living area. Angel and Dean were sat at the breakfast bar staring at them as they came in.
‘Hel-lo. You look like you were waiting for us,’ Hayley remarked.
‘We could hear you all the way from the bottom of the stairs,’ Dean said.
‘Are you all right?’ Angel asked, looking Oliver up and down. She hadn’t called him Mr Meanie and her expression was one of concern.
‘I’m fine. Your mom worries too much. She thought I was going to go back to my home and have a medical emergency.’
‘In the bath, with Scotch. I’d be freaking out about it all night. You’re much safer here where we can keep an eye on you.’
‘Did you know that a heart attack is the number one cause of death in the United States?’ Angel asked. Perhaps Hayley’s thinking that Angel was getting used to her relationship with Oliver had been premature.
‘Wow, that’s a statistic we could really do without right now,’ Hayley said quickly.
‘I did know that,’ Oliver replied. ‘But I haven’t had a heart attack so we’re all good here.’
‘There are also some studies that link the use of tablets and computers with heart attacks,’ Angel continued.
‘Dean, have you been letting her have unrestricted access to your laptop?’
‘Don’t blame me for what she knows,’ Dean said, holding his hands up.
‘I don’t think that’s true,’ Oliver said, holding Angel’s gaze. ‘But I’ve heard they can fry your brain and, if you play Rabbit Nation too long, you can go blind.’
A look of horror started to cross Angel’s face.
‘Then you grow big ears and fur and two long teeth,’ Oliver finished off. He was holding his own with her. This was good.
Angel scowled. ‘That’s not funny!’
‘Gotcha!’ Hayley said, pointing at Angel.
Dean got down from his stool. ‘Shall I make some coffee?’
Oliver pulled a face at Hayley.
‘Actually, I was wondering if you had any whisky.’ She looked to Angel. ‘And no comments about alcoholism killing the people that don’t die from heart attacks.’
‘Oliver, would you like to read me a Christmas story?’ Angel asked, blinking her eyelashes and pouting.
Hayley stood at the door of Angel’s bedroom listening to Oliver read the ‘Alfie and the Toymaker’ story. Angel was grinning, shouting out Alfie’s dialogue and getting grumpy when Oliver didn’t read the words quite right. This was exactly the same as what she did with Hayley. Oliver was getting the whole, crazy, Angel Walker experience. It meant her daughter was definitely warming to him.
‘All right, I think that’s enough.’ Hayley entered the room. ‘The amount of time Oliver’s been in here it must be at least the fifth read-through.’
‘It’s the sixth, actually,’ Angel responded.
‘I’d lost count,’ Oliver answered.
‘OK, well it’s time to do some sleeping,’ Hayley said, pulling the duvet up over Angel as Oliver shifted off the bed.
