Page 67 of Only Ever You

“Maya, why don’t you tell uncle Bash how to help you? I’m going to sit with your sister for a minute.”

“Okay.” Maya looked up at her uncle with stars in her eyes and Faye got the message she wasn’t needed anymore.

Imara appeared to be doing alright decorating by herself, so Faye grabbed a couple of the doughnuts she’d set aside and sat with her anyway.

Maya’s instructions to Bash were delivered like she’d tripled in size and become a drill sergeant. Bash, bless him, actually looked frightened by how she bossed him around. When he did something wrong, he certainly knew about it.

“Your boyfriend isn’t very good at this,” Imara announced.

Faye cut off her chuckle at the latest of Maya’s admonishments.

“He’s trying his best,” she said.“And he’snotmy boyfriend.” Was it too late to have added that in?

“You look like his girlfriend,” Imara decided to point out. “You sleep in the same bedroom.”

“There aren’t any other bedrooms available.” Let’s hope that the girl didn’t understand the concept of sleeping on a couch.

“My mamma and papa sleep in the same bedroom.”

This was going to go in circles. The seven year old was too astute.

“Uncle Bash and I are friends.” Faye found herself protesting and unable to concentrate on her doughnut anymore, unlike Imara. “I’m sure you have friends that are boys.”

“No. They smell.”Fair point.“Uncle Bash doesn’t smell.”

Uncle Bash wasn’t listening either, making Maya laugh with an icing moustache on the finger he held above his lips.Do not lower your eyes to his—too late.

“No.” Faye exhaled as her gaze wandered over his mouth. “He doesn’t.”

“So he’s your boyfriend.”

“Hey! What are you whispering about over there?” Bash crowed, rubbernecking to see down the length of the island.

“Faye says you don’t smell, which means you’re her boyfriend,” Imara answered for them. Faye could swear this little one knew what she did with mixing the truth like that.

“Am I now?” The flitter of confusion in Bash’s eyes swept to her.

“Boy. Friend. Separate words.” Faye’s face heated up just from the cocky raise of his eyebrow.

“And the part about how I smell?”

“Not as bad as a seven year old, apparently.”

The corner of Bash’s mouth danced. “And the correlation?”

Faye shrugged.

Half an hour later, it was three p.m and thirty decorated doughnuts sat on the counter to dry; a range of Santa faces, Christmas wreaths, some baubles, a gingerbread person, lady reindeer, three unicorns, and an elephant.

Faye was surprisingly pleased. She’d underestimated the girls before they’d begun, when she never should have done. In her defence, this scenario on a larger scale was her livelihood – she couldn’t be blamed for naturally wishing things would turn out perfectly.

Which reminded her that she’d been so busy, she hadn’t checked her phone at all. It was Christmas Eve butBakedhad still been open until one p.m to provide for those last minute shoppers.

Surveying their collective work, Bash wiped off his hands on a tea towel. “I think we’re all done here.”

“Can we eat them now?” Maya asked, bouncing on her toes. Faye didn’t miss how Bash moved his hand to cover the hard edge of the counter top where she teetered.

“Not yet,mon chou?*,” he said. “They’re for the party tonight.”

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