‘But I still think that Stella deserves to have some fun before settling down,’ he insisted.
Fun. Ha. I tried to forge my face into a neutral expression, but I could feel the muscles around my eyes and cheeks tense. I wondered if Stella had enough stamina or sense of adventure to play the field. I certainly had not. When we’d drained our mugs once more, I got up to take them to the sink.
‘Let me do this,’ he said, rising. ‘You sit down and relax.’
‘Oh. Okay, thank you.’ I watched while Luke washed and dried and even put away the last of the breakfast dishes. Apart from Jack, I had never seen any man scrub the dishes in this kitchen sink, least of all Phil.
But that was about all that Luke and Jack had in common. Where Luke was always clad in baby blues and whites, and poised like the model that he had been, Jack was scruffy and scarred in his collection of jeans and T-shirts from all the rock concerts he’d been to, his beauty hidden by an eternal five o’clock shadow on a good day. Where Luke was classy, with leather-strapped watches and belts, Jack never even wore a watch as he’d once caught it in the tractor door and had been dragged a few yards across the field before he’d managed to free himself. Also, Luke was eloquent – a born entertainer – while Jack was content listening. Plus, Luke looked at ease in the kitchen, while Jack couldn’t boil an egg.
‘You’re mighty handy around the kitchen,’ I mused.
He grinned. ‘I needed to be, after Lauren left. Not that she was much of a homemaker, really.’ He held out a plate of biscuits and I shook my head. He picked one for himself and bit into it thoughtfully. ‘But what about you and Lumber Jack over there,’ Luke asked. ‘What’s the deal?’
‘Jack? I told you. He’s my friend, and an excellent pumpkin and apple grower. His cider is unrivalled in the county. He and Phil had barely spoken two words when we moved in, and were not very fond of each other, but then again, none of the villagers ever liked Phil.’
‘Well, if he’s anything like Bill in the script, I don’t doubt it at all.’
Was Bill like Phil? And was I like Stella? Phil and I were Bill and Stella, no doubt about it. But legally, if Phil ever found out? I’d be in Shitsville.
‘Luckily Stella is like you,’ he said.
‘Yeah?’ I said. I was beginning to wonder whether Luke would finally see my side of the story, and how wronged Stella had been by her husband, rather than the other way around. Maybe that was it. If Luke met Phil, he’d understand where I was coming from and stop badgering me about poor, wronged, bloody Bill.
‘Yeah,’ he said, lowering his voice and leaning in with that cocky smile. ‘A cool exterior, hiding a pressure cooker of pent-up passion just dying to get out.’
His eyes bored into mine, and I could see they were a darker blue than usual. I swallowed. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he was seriously flirting with me.
‘I’ve seen the way he looks at you,’ he said and I stopped.
‘Who?’
‘Jack.’
‘No, I told you. Jack and I are just friends. The best of friends, even, but nothing more. Besides, he’s seeing someone else, I think.’
‘Okay, if you say so.’
‘I say so. Now let’s get back to Stella.’
‘Yes, let’s get back to Stella and her thwarted libido.’
‘Stop it, Luke, and get serious. We have work to do.’
He gave me a mock military salute as he reached over the counter behind him and grabbed a peach, of which he took a big bite. ‘Want some?’ he asked, pushing it towards me.
My throat suddenly went very dry.
‘No thanks. Concentrate now, please.’
*
When the kids returned, I noticed that Jessica was looking a bit off.
‘Are you feeling hot, Jessica?’ I asked, checking her pulse and feeling her forehead. She had a fever, but I also recognised other unmistakeable symptoms.
‘Yuh…’ she murmured.
‘All right, follow me,’ I ordered and headed upstairs. ‘Put her in Chloe’s bed, will you?’ I said to Luke and he bent over and tucked her in, bringing the covers to her chin.
‘She doesn’t look right – I’m worried, Nina,’ he whispered to me.
‘Don’t be,’ I assured him. ‘All she needs is some rest. That’s chickenpox.’
Luke’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. ‘Chickenpox?’
‘Yep,’ I said as Chloe jumped back into bed, making a fuss of her, something I hadn’t seen since Ben had fallen off the swings at the village gardens and broken his collarbone. ‘Let her sleep for now. I’ll call the doctor in the meantime.’
He glanced at me, then leaned over Jessica again to kiss her on the forehead. ‘Sleep, pumpkin. I’ll be right downstairs if you need me, okay?’
Jessica nodded and rolled over and closed her eyes.
‘She’ll be okay,’ Chloe told him. ‘I had it and it was actually lots of fun!’
‘That’s because you didn’t go to school and we spoiled you rotten for three weeks,’ I said with a laugh. ‘Come on, Luke, let her sleep for now.’
I closed the door on our girls and he followed me downstairs, hands in his pockets.
‘Are you sure it’s chickenpox?’
‘Have you never had it?’ I asked and he shook his head.
‘Oh, Jesus. Let’s hope you don’t get it too, then…’
He laughed and rolled his eyes. ‘I won’t.’
‘I’m calling Brian.’
‘A doctor, I hope, and not the family vet?’
I grinned. ‘Yes, our family doctor. He’s been coming here forever and he’s worth his weight in gold.’
‘So he knows you well.’
‘Oh yeah,’ I agreed as I sauntered into the kitchen to start on a chicken broth. If Jess was anything like my two, she wouldn’t want to eat anything solid. I fetched my mobile and left a message for him to come
