‘But he’s Sam’s dad,’ Hallie said. ‘Sam’s lovely so his dad’s bound to be nice.’
The twins had met Sam on several occasions when they’d visited their great-grandparents, as Jenna’s grandad dragged them into the pub on every possible occasion – not for the beer but for Kenny’s chicken pies. Sam had always been very welcoming to them and often gave them free crisps, so they were his friends for life.
‘It doesn’t always work that way,’ Jenna explained worriedly. ‘We’ve had that talk, remember? About strangers.’
Hallie nodded. ‘We know.’
‘I’ll be right downstairs,’ Jenna told them. ‘I’ll keep checking on you, I promise. And remember, if there’s anything that worries you or makes you feel uncertain or scared, come and get me. You understand?’
The twins nodded, suddenly wide-eyed, and Jenna thought she’d probably made them think that Seb was the devil incarnate now. How could you win?
When she took them across to The North Star, she was still feeling uncertain. Sam sensed there was something wrong immediately.
‘If you’d rather not leave them here, I’ll understand. I’ll manage, really I will. Don’t feel you have to do this if it makes you feel anxious.’
‘I’m really sorry,’ Jenna said. ‘It’s not that I think your dad’s… Well, you know. It’s just…’
‘Just that you don’t know him, and of course that makes sense.’
‘My mum knows him, though, and so does Mac. And then there’s you, of course. You’re a great advertisement for him. But they’re my babies, and my responsibility. I have to keep them safe.’
She liked Seb. Behind the gruffness she could see the sadness in his eyes, and she knew from what her mum had said that he’d been such a lovely person until his wife had died. She also knew that he’d been Mac’s protector at school. He’d never joined in with the bullying and had defended his friend from the lads who’d thought it great fun to kick and punch the quiet little boy with the expensive satchel. But could you ever be too protective of your children?
‘Can we go upstairs now?’ Hallie pleaded, clearly wondering what the hold-up was and dying to see what the flat looked like.
Jenna sighed. ‘Come on then.’
When she took the girls upstairs, she was still nervous, wondering how Seb would react to their presence, even though Sam had promised that he’d checked it was okay and his dad had been fine about it.
‘He understands why they’re coming to us,’ he told Jenna. ‘He says they’re welcome and not to worry.’
Seb certainly sounded less gruff than usual and even managed a smile for the twins. He listened patiently as they told him their names and showed him the games they’d brought with them.
‘I’ll get you some lemonade,’ he said. ‘I expect you’ll want something to eat, too. When I was seven, I always wanted something to eat.’
‘We’re nearly eight, though,’ Hallie informed him. ‘It’s our birthday soon and Grandma says we can have a party in the garden.’
‘Is that right? Well, maybe you won’t want anything to eat then, being nearly eight,’ he said thoughtfully.
‘Oh no! We’re still sevennow,’ Ada said hastily. ‘And we haven’t had our supper yet anyway.’
Jenna rolled her eyes and Seb grinned. ‘Well, we’d best see what we’ve got then. Make yourselves at home while me and your mum go in the kitchen and have a look in them cupboards.’
He gestured to Jenna to follow him and, as the twins settled down in the living room, he closed the kitchen door behind them.
‘You all right with this?’ he asked abruptly.
Jenna frowned. ‘With what?’
‘With leaving your girls with me. You barely know me, and they don’t know me at all. I could be a maniac for all you know.’
‘Believe me,’ Jenna said, ‘it’s crossed my mind. But I’ll be checking up on you, and the girls have strict instructions in case of emergencies.’
Seb stared at her, then he grinned widely. ‘That’s all right then. Don’t worry, love. You check up on them as much as you like. I reckon it’s me who’s going to need rescuing by the end of this evening. It’s a long time since I had kids pestering me for attention, and judging by what they’ve brought with them, I reckon any hopes I had of a peaceful night in front of the telly have gone for a burton.’
Jenna smiled. ‘I reckon you’re right. Thanks, Seb.’
‘No worries.’ He threw open the fridge door. ‘Now, what do you think they’d like to eat from this little lot, eh?’
