Page 65 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘Goodie! Can I have some juice?’ Bobby aimed the remote control at the TV and threw himself into a chair.

Owen assumed he was supposed to fetch the child a drink, and he pushed the duvet back and swung his legs to the floor.

‘Do you need a wee?’ Bobby asked, not taking his eyes off the screen and flicking through the menu with practised ease.

Owen stifled a laugh. ‘Not right now.’

‘OK. Juice?’

‘Coming right up,’ Owen said, shuffling into the kitchen. It didn’t feel right delving into Harriet’s fridge, but he located some apple juice and a glass, and poured Bobby a drink. Then he noticed Etta waiting by the back door and guessed the dog needed to be let out.

What a surreal start to the day, he thought, as he returned to the living room, a grateful dachshund in tow.

‘Here you go, sprout.’ He handed Bobby his drink and sat back down, his eyes drawn to the lurid colours on the TV screen. If this was a cartoon, it was nothing like the ones he used to watch when he was a kid. He remembered programmes likeSuperTed,He-ManandThe Masters of the Universe, which were far more 2D than this.

‘Why do you call me sprout?’ Bobby asked.

‘I dunno. My grandad used to call me sprout when I was little.’

‘Do you likeDoc McStuffins?’

‘Who’s that?’

‘Her.’ Bobby pointed to a figure on the TV. ‘She’s called Doc and she helps make toys better. She’s kind.’

‘I’m sorry if Bobby woke you,’ Harriet said from the doorway, and Owen wondered how long she had been standing there.

His breath caught in his throat. She looked delectable in a pair of pink fluffy pyjamas, with her hair unbrushed and a rosy glow to her cheeks. He wanted to take her to bed and make slow, leisurely love to her for the rest of the day.

‘I was awake,’ Owen said. ‘Kind of.’

‘You weren’t,’ Bobby said. ‘You were snoring.’

‘I don’t snore.’

‘He does, Mammy. Not as much as Daddy, but he does snore a bit.’

‘That was the dog you heard,’ Owen said, flashing Harriet a grin.

‘It was not! Mammy, can I have some breakfast? I asked Owen and he said I had to ask you.’

Harriet frowned. ‘Why didn’t you just go and get it yourself? You know where the cereal lives.’

‘I want scrambled eggs and I can’t make it myself.’

‘OK, buster, scrambled eggs it is. Would you like some?’ Harriet asked Owen. ‘Oops, sorry, I forgot. I’m not sure I’ve got anything you can eat,’ she said apologetically.

‘That’s OK, I’m not hungry.’ Just then his tummy rumbled loudly enough for her to hear, and she cocked her head and raised her eyebrows.

‘See, Mam, he’s a liar.’

‘It was only a little white lie,’ Owen said. ‘Have you got any fruit?’

‘I’ve got bananas, apples and grapes,’ Harriet said.

‘Then youhavegot something I can eat,’ he told her.

‘I’ll have to get some vegan stuff in,’ she said, locking her gaze with his, and he nodded slowly. ‘I can’t have you staying here and not being able to eat anything.’

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