Page 15 of Now and Again

‘You heard me. Amanda, how many times has Mia drawn on the cabinets before today?’

‘That’s what I was just telling your dad. Dozens,’ she said eagerly. ‘You only have to glance away for a second.’

‘Where does a two-year-old even get hold of a biro?’ Mike sputtered. Riley could tell he was on the ropes. She had him, and she pushed on. ‘Maybeyouleft one out? You’ve always got a pen in your hand. You’re telling me you never put them down and forget about them?’

Mike was incensed. ‘I can keep track ofpens, Riley.’

Riley glanced around her dad’s office. She looked around the legs of his desk and saw what she wanted—a pen, sitting on the floor. She picked it up. ‘How about this one? Or did you intend to keep it on the floor?’

Mike snatched the pen and looked at it. ‘This proves nothing.’

Riley fixed her father with the strongest look she had. ‘Dad, Amanda has started back at work, and Juliet is good with Mia, it’s obvious. So just do us all a favour and let this one go, eh?’

‘We’ll put it down to a bad day,’ Amanda said. ‘Let’s open some wine. Juliet’s here for another half hour.’

Mike looked around him at his wife and daughter, and Riley knew he had a choice to make. He could acquiesce, or he could try to keep it going and alienate everyone in the house. He had no allies. Even little Mia would be angry with him. It was a numbers game, and he simply didn’t have the troops to win this battle. He dropped his shoulders. ‘If everyone’s going to act like I’m a bloody ogre for caring about my house, then I suppose I don’t have a lot of choice.’

Amanda looked like she’d just cut a wire on a bomb with no real expectation that it was the right one. She was shocked not to be blown to pieces. ‘Great. I’ll have a quick chat with Juliet, and then I’ll open a bottle.’

She walked past Riley, giving her a quick arm squeeze. Not for the first time, Riley felt pity for her stepmother.

After she’d left, Riley said, ‘Just give her a proper chance.’

‘She’s your friend, isn’t she? Is that what this is about?’ Mike sneered.

‘Is that whatwhat’sabout?’

‘You coming in here and fighting for her job?’

‘I’m not fighting for anything. Mia likes her. That’s all. And anyway, we aren’t friends,’ Riley told him. ‘I knew her for about ten minutes at school.’

Mike shook his head. ‘Whatever you say. But if she messes up again, she’s out.’ He sat down behind his desk and started looking at some mysterious papers.

Riley shook her head at him and walked out. She went to the kitchen where she watched through the patio doors as Amanda spoke to Juliet. Amanda was working hard, whatever she was saying. She was probably giving Juliet an apology on behalf of her husband that he would have maybe given himself at gunpoint. Juliet nodded a few times, and Amanda looked relieved.

Riley went to the fridge to get a drink. Amanda walked in. ‘God almighty. I’ve been at workone day,’ she said, going to the wine rack and selecting a bottle. ‘I hope I don’t come back to this sort of thing every day. I don’t have the energy.’

Riley smiled sardonically. ‘He just doesn’t trust anyone. Give it time. Once she’s proven she’s not going to be a problem, she’ll just become part of the furniture. He won’t even know she’s there.’

Amanda uncorked her wine. ‘Is that how you feel?’

Riley laughed. ‘I wouldn’t bother trying to fixthatrelationship, Amanda.’

‘Oh, no, I wasn’t…’ She stopped and sighed. ‘Will we see you at dinner?’

‘I already ate.’

Riley looked out of the window. Juliet was walking around with Mia on her shoulders. They both looked happy. She was glad to have put out this fire. This morning she’d hoped Juliet might change her mind about coming to work here, and now she was saving her job. Quite a twist. But what are you supposed to do when your tiny sister asks you for help? She couldn’t do nothing.

Maybe there was some other motivation at the back of Riley’s mind. But she ignored it very successfully.

Nine

Juliet was watching Mia drink imaginary tea from a tiny cup when Amanda came out. ‘Juliet, I’m so sorry,’ she said immediately. ‘Please don’t quit.’

‘Quit? I was fired,’ Juliet said, baffled.

‘You’re not fired at all,’ Amanda assured her. ‘Mike’s… just having a bad day. But I really,reallydon’t want you to quit because of this.’

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