Shane glances at Fern, the whites of his eyes becoming more prominent.
Colour drains from her face, as if transferring to mine.
Heat emanates from my cheeks, but my full coverage foundation covers more than just my rosacea. “Shane’s just a friend,” I say. “In fact, he’s a policeman. Show him your car.”
Shane’s eyes sadden as he gazes at Fern and my nephew, but he crouches down to the six-year-old’s height and gives him a bright smile. “What you got there, buddy?”
Harry steps closer and gives Shane his car.
“Oh, wow.” Shane holds it up at eye level. “It’s a 2016 BMW M2.”
“Are you really a policeman?”
“Sure am, bud.” He hands the car back to Harry.
“I’m going to be one when I’m big. And I’m gonna get all the baddies.”
“You’d make a great cop, kid.” He ruffles his messy brown hair and stands, giving Fern a sad smile.
Harry runs back into the living room where the TV is blasting out Paw Patrol.
“Thanks for being nice to him,” Fern says, her eyes raking over Shane’s white tee that clings to his pecs, the skull tattoo chewing on a bullet that covers his torso visible through the fabric.
“Of course.” He runs a hand through his black curly hair, cut short, but long enough to run my fingers through and bunch in my fist. Not that I’ve thought about doing that… much.
A pang of jealousy stabs me in the chest, knowing she could run her hands over those abs and kiss his lips whenever she liked, which to be fair wasn’t very often towards the end of their relationship.
He gives her a sympathetic smile. I know what he’s thinking. If they’d stayed together, Harry would be his son. Not that I think Shane has any feelings still for my sister, but I think he’d like to settle down and have a family of his own. That’s the only reason he left the army. For her. To start a family, but they’d already grown apart.
“Right. Pencil.” I open a drawer in the kitchen and pull out an old pencil, quickly handing it to him before my sister gets antsy or worse, starts flirting.
“Thanks.” Shane turns around and heads back upstairs.
Fern closes the door and whispers, “Is he still single?”
“Yes, why?” I move around the kitchen, looking for something to eat.
“I’m just surprised he’s never settled down.” Her eyes are full of regret. I know she’s questioned her choices of leaving Shane over the years. Her dates ever since have all turned out to be jerks, not to mention Harry’s dad who never stuck around longenough to know he has a kid. It would make you question your choices. But I don’t think she’d ever regret Harry.
She chews on the inside of her cheek. “He’d be a great dad.”
“Who?” I shut the cupboard again in frustration. The soft-close damper takes the force. I know exactly who she means. And he’d make an amazing father to any kid. If he wasn’t her ex, I’d be lining up to have his babies. I’m sure I’d already be pregnant from the number of times I’ve got myself off while thinking about him.
“Shame things never worked out for us. I do wish him well.” She drinks the last of her tea and drops the mug in the sink, absentmindedly staring out of the kitchen window at the neighbour’s dog.
He barks when he sees her, scratching at the glass in his own window that faces mine like he does every time he sees someone in my home.
“You’ve set Russel off.” I roll my eyes, knowing the yappy terrier will be at it for half an hour now.
“Russel?”
I point to the next door’s window a stone’s throw away from mine. “Their new dog sits in the window seat and barks at anything that moves. I think they lock him in the kitchen at night and when they’re not in.”
“Oh, that’s annoying.”
“Don’t you have a date to go to?” I fold my arms over my chest.
She snaps out of her trance. “Yes, if I text you ‘I’m a celebrity’, you get me outta there. Call me and tell me I need to come home and Harry’s sick or something, okay?”
