Fine. Jess would have sorted something out. He’d made it clear in his email that Laurel was coming as afriend, and that they weren’t together.
Nate headed through the front door and up the stairs to his guest room, dragging the two cases behind him. The house was large but homey, toy trains scattered in the hallway. He needed to dump these and have a beer. He pushed open the door to his guest room and groaned.
Jess had not sorted anything out. The king size bed stood proud in the middle of the room. No separate bed, no blow-up bed. Not even a blanket so he could sleep on the chaise lounge by the far wall. Jess obviously hadn’t got the message that they were just friends. Or she had, and she didn’t care. Owen would sort it, and he would be having words with Jess.
Nate was ambushed as soon as he stepped into the hallway.
‘Oof,’ he gasped, as a plastic sword hit him across the back. ‘Who was that?’ he growled.
Benji stood behind him, blue mask across his eyes, swords at the ready.
‘I’m Leonardo, and I’ve been waiting for you, Splinter.’
Nate’s face dropped in dismay.
‘Splinter? I always liked Donny. Can I be Donatello? Daddy can be Splinter.’
‘Okay, Uncle Nate. I’ll get the stick and the mask.’ Benji ran off to his room and reappeared with the mask which Nate dutifully tied around his head.
‘Mum said you’ve brought a girl. Can she be April?’
‘You’ll have to ask her, Leo.’ Nate ruffled the boy’s hair. ‘Now, let’s go get Splinter.’
They stealthily descended the stairs through the house and hid behind the kitchen island. The bifold doors were open, meaning that the entire back of the house faced out into the garden.
Nate adored this house, not just because how Jess had made the indoors flow seamlessly into the outdoors and the kitchen large enough to house an entire family, but because it was thoroughly lived in. Sometimes, people with loads of money had homes where you were afraid to touch anything and nothing was out; no clutter, no nick-nacks, nothing to indicate that actual people lived here.
Not Jess and Owen. There were family photos, trinkets and memories of places they’d visited, books stacked haphazardly, Benji’s toys dotted around. It was a happy home.
They edged their way into the back garden, hiding (not incredibly successfully) behind shrubs and bushes, creeping up on Owen. He was at the barbeque with Paul, both of them considering the best way to light the coals. Paul kept throwing glances over to the ladies sat on the garden sofa, a glass of rosé in each of their hands.
Laurel looked happy, she was smiling with Jess as the brown-haired woman, Angeline he presumed, told them some story about Paul on their dig.
‘Ready?’ He looked at Benji, who nodded excitedly, adjusting his grip on his sword. ‘Okay, one, two, three!’
They exploded from behind the shrubs with a yell, and Nate picked up Benji under one arm and ran him the ten steps to a surprised Owen and Paul, shouting incoherently.
‘Ha, we’ve got you now, Splinter,’ Benji shouted, aiming a precise blow to Owen’s arse as Nate put him down.
Owen clutched his bum and fell to the grass, groaning.
‘Leo! Donny! I can’t believe you’ve caught me,’ he said, ‘but I won’t let you get me next time.’
He grabbed Benji and dragged him down to the ground, tickling him relentlessly.
There were amused laughs from behind him, and he lifted his hand to Laurel, a grin plastered on his face. Owen was a good father and he adored Benji. That much was evident. Paul was laughing and pulled a can of beer from the cooler at his feet to give to Nate.
‘Thanks, man,’ he said, hugging him with one arm. ‘Good to see you.’
‘You too, how you doing? Good drive?’ Paul’s smile was wide and genuine, his rich brown skin glowing from time spent in the French sun.
Nate nodded. ‘Yeah good. You get here okay?’
‘Yeah, we got here last week,’ Benji shrieked as he got away from Owen, running towards Jess. ‘Been staying at my parents. Got here last night.’
‘Where are Alex and Lucia?’ Nate asked, wanting to be prepared.
Owen stood and clapped Nate on the shoulder.
