Page 258 of Lovers' Dance: Vol. 2

Eva glanced inside the lower drawer she’d been playing in, carefully slid it shut and rose to her feet. “Don’t worry, Mummy. He does this every morning with Patricia.” She skipped out the closet, stopping only to pat me on the head, before heading for the bedroom door. She got distracted right by dresser. Ethan didn’t like her touching his favourite plane and it was just lying there.

I sighed, building up the energy to remind her she didn’t appreciate Ethan messing with her stuff so she shouldn’t mess with his, when a very male and very loud voice came through the open doorway.

“Hello? Where is everyone?”

“Daddy’s home.” Eva screeched in delight as soon as she heard Matt’s voice in the hallway. She sprinted out the room, giddy over the prospect of seeing her father after his three weeks away on business. The next thing I heard was, “Mummy’s been swearing.”

I grimaced. There was no damned loyalty with these kids of mine. I listened to her giggles and Matt’s fatherly attentiveness as he questioned her about the going-ons while he was away and queried Ethan’s lack of presence. Slowly I stood up, wincing at the ache in myknee. Then I heard Ethan’s excited yell, he’d obviously come out of hiding on hearing the commotion his sister and father were making in the hallway. I did not head towards the door, it would be foolish to involve myself in that crazy giddiness. The twins always got giddy whenever Matt came home. Three weeks was a long time for six year olds, it was long for me too.

“Where are your pants, Ethan?” The exasperated note in Matt’s voice made me smile.

I headed for the walk-in closet, intent on getting some proper clothes for them to get changed into. It only took a few minutes to organize some clothes when I recalled the look on Evie’s face as she closed the drawer. Hunkering down on my achy knee, I opened it up and gagged.

“Eva Bradley! Get in here now!” I screeched. These children would be the death of me. Bloody earthworms were wriggling around in dirt…fucking dirt, in the bottom drawer. I thought she’d been playing with a doll or something. It wasn’t even one of her drawers, it was Ethan’s. How had she gotten the dirt upstairs and into the drawer without me noticing?Whenhad she done this?

“Yes, Mummy?” She stood in the middle of the room with the sweetest smile on her face adorned with lovely light brown curls.

Matt stood behind her, with Ethan clinging to his back. He smiled at me and mouthed ‘Hello’.

“Is something wrong, Mummy?” Eva asked as if butter wouldn’t melt. She could see the drawer was open from where they stood, she knewI knewabout its unexpected contents.

“Yes,” I stood up. “Something is very wrong. Why are there earthworms in this drawer?”

Eva’s smile widened and she turned to look up at her dad and Ethan. “Ethan told me it was ok. It was his idea.”

“Wasn’t.” Ethan said.

“That’s not a proper sentence, son.” Matt’s reproach was mild and he hoisted Ethan into a better piggy back position.

“Itwasn’tmy idea,” Ethan shot back with such effrontery I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to stop my smile. “Evie said it was a science project, and I like science. We like science.”

“Science is fun.” Matt agreed as he slid Ethan down to the ground. He ruffled our son’s curls and walked towards the closet. “Earthworms you say?”

I nodded as he approached me. Matt was a sight for sore eyes and looked very travel chic with his top buttons opened shirt and casual slacks. I gulped hard as I stared at his face. He had stubble. Son of a bastard. It was his damned sexy stubble spell which had gotten me into this stage of my life. His stubble was still my kryptonite.

Matt’s gaze travelled up and down my body before he wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my hair. “What happened to your wrist?”

I pulled back to glance at the bandage around my right wrist. “I fell during a lift and tried to brace my landing. What are you doing home? I wasn’t expecting you until next Wednesday.”

Matt frowned, I wasn’t sure if it was from hearing I had hurt myself or from the low squabbling starting up between our children. He sighed then whispered, “I’ve missed you, poppet,” before stealing a quick kiss. Then he risked a look at the drawer and reminded me, “They’re very clever and we should encourage their curiosity.”

They could do no wrong in his eyes. Matt adored Ethan and Eva, of course, they always behaved for him. He didn’t get the tantrums, the I-think-you’re-horrid’s, the tears; no, they saved that behaviour for me and Patricia. Matt still travelled a lot and because he was away so much the twins were on their best behaviour for him. Daddy was special fun, Mummy was everyday boredom. Life was never fair.

I moved away from Matt, or tried to, he wasn’t letting me go. “Matt, it’s good to have you home but I have to get the kids ready for their riding lessons. Patricia’s daughter had her baby and I gave her the weekend off, so if you don’t mind,”

Reluctantly he released me, all the while peering suspiciously at my face. I was usually happy whenever he came home.

I returned his searching stare with a cool one as I added, “And go shave for goodness sakes. You look scruffy.”

Matt’s mouth fell open for a few seconds. “You like my stubble.”

“Meh.” I turned on my heels and hurried out the closet to nab the twins. “Come on you two, I don’t want to be late.”

“Mum, can I have ice cream?”

“No.”

“Mum, my tummy hurts. Do I have to go riding today?”

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