Page 93 of The Side Road
‘No, I believe him. Cindy turned up out of the blue. What else could he do but offer her a place to stay? The woman is pregnant. I believe him, so why am I obsessing?’
‘Because she’s playing house with your man. That’s why? She shouldn’t be living there.’
‘She needed a friend and Oliver?—’
‘Mia, it’s not any port in a storm. Neither you nor I are going to fly across the country, turn up on a man’s doorstep, even if he is a good friend, and ask if we can move into Mary’s room. Especially if he has a girlfriend. Is that what you are? Are you his girlfriend?’
‘Yes. Maybe.’
‘He offered her a hotel; she refused. She has an agenda.’
Mia took a breath to calm herself. Then she picked up her knitting and showed it to Holly. ‘Look at this. It’s my special qiviut project and I’m gaining stitches. My rectangle is a triangle.’
Holly frowned. ‘How is that possible?’
‘Oh, it’s possible. Sometimes the first stitch on the needle lies. If the yarn is twisted, it looks like two loops!’ Mia ran her hands through her hair. ‘If you knit into both, you add an extra stitch. This wool cost me a lot of money and I’ve ruined it.’
Taking a step back, Holly raised her eyebrows. ‘Okay.Right now, I need a coffee. You’ll have to buy it for me. We can deal with the qiviut project when we get back.’ She picked up Snood’s lead and they headed out the door.
In the parsonage kitchen,Oliver discovered Cindy standing on a chair while she cleaned the upper cabinets. Crockery and glasses covered the table and benches.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
‘Cleaning. Thought I’d make myself useful.’
‘Get down,’ he said.
Cindy held out her hand.
As Oliver helped her down, she fell into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He stepped back and took the cloth out of her hand. ‘Please don’t clean.’
‘I like to clean. Honestly, I do. I’m one of those rare people who?—’
Oliver shook his head. ‘No. You’re a guest. It’s not your place to clean.’
‘But—’
‘Just go. I’ll put these away.’
She stormed out. A moment later, the bedroom door slammed.
Oliver sat down at the table and held his head in his hands. Cindy’s motives were not a secret; he knew exactly what she was doing and why she had come to Eagle Nest. He knew what she wanted. She was beautiful, but provocation did nothing for him.
Her courage impressed him, but their relationship had never been deep enough for her to love him. What she loved was the idea of him. The things he offered as a partner and a father. He had never loved her, and he never would. But she was a single pregnant woman in a world that didn’toutwardly support or value her. He was responsible for her care in the way that the universe was accountable for all humans. The way governments were accountable to vulnerable individuals. People needed to look after each other. And she had been a friend. But there were other friends she could have called upon for help. Family members who might support her. There was no doubt in his mind that Steve would look after her. This situation was unfamiliar territory, and he wanted to do the right thing, but he wasn’t sure what that was.
Ten minutes later, Cindy returned to the kitchen. She had pulled back her hair and washed her face. After holding up her phone, she showed him a recipe. ‘Spag Bol,’ she said. ‘The least I can do is cook dinner. If you drive me to the shops, I’ll pick up the ingredients.’
Reluctantly, he collected his car keys; it seemed they were going to the shops again.
Outside the FoodWorks,Oliver looked up at the sky; this had all the makings of a disaster. Walking down the street toward him were Mia and Holly, with Snood on the lead.
Beside him, Cindy was telling him that the checkout boy, who looked twelve, had asked her about baby names. Oliver, half listening, stepped away, increasing the distance between them. His attention was solely on Mia.
The winter winds were causing Mia grief, blowing her hair across her face. Lifting the edges of her coat. Ruffling her scarf. It seemed the wind ignored everyone else and concentrated all its efforts on annoying Mia. The desire to help her overwhelmed him. He could hold her coat down or her hair back. Holly had the dog lead, so that was not an option.
When Mia saw him, a resolute, grave expression crossed her face. The wind wasn’t her only source of irritation. She looked confused. Her candid, reflective eyes were piecing something together. He had never seen her more fragile or sad. Holly, however, glared.
Approaching him, the women halted and looked expectantly at Oliver. He did the introductions.
