‘Do you mean it?’ Benji’s eyes lit up. ‘Do you have cows like Bessie and Penny?’
‘We have hundreds and hundreds of cows just like Bessie and Penny, and of course I mean it. I’ll get mummy’s phone number from Uncle Nate and I’ll organise it, because,’ she looked around theatrically before whispering, ‘Uncle Nate is rubbish.’
‘He is rubbish,’ Benji said, throwing his arms around her neck.
‘Right, come on Benji. Let Laurel go please, pal,’ Nate said, prying the boy off her for a hug of his own.
‘Where are Paul and Angeline?’ Laurel asked Jess. It was about eleven. Had they already left?
‘Oh, I wouldn’t bother them. Paul is a notoriously long sleeper and we don’t expect to see him for another half hour or so,’ she said, wrapping an arm around Owen’s waist. ‘Thank you so much for coming.’ Jess glanced over Laurel’s shoulder at Nate swinging Benji around in a monster hug. ‘He’s happy.’
Okay. That was a weird thing for her to say.
‘I’ll get your number. I’m holding you to a visit.’ Jess pointed at her.
‘Of course. Any time,’ Laurel replied.
They made quick work of getting into the car and setting off, Benji running down the drive after them, racing the convertible.
‘So?’ Nate said, turning onto the main road.
She cut her eyes to him. Here it was. The let’s-just-be-friends, the it’s-not-you-it’s-me, the I-just-don’t-think-of-you-like-that.
‘So… what?’
‘So, was it as bad as you were thinking, meeting my friends?’ He gave her a quick smile before returning his eyes to the road.
Laurel’s shoulders relaxed.
‘I didn’t think it was going to be bad! I really liked them all. Well, except Alex. Obviously,’ she grumbled, turning her hands over in her lap. And Lucia, but she wasn’t about to bring up the ex-girlfriend.
His jaw clenched.
‘Yeah, he’s a prick. I’m requesting a new liaison at the society. I can’t work with him anymore.’
‘Nate, don’t do that for me.’ She would feel desperately awful if he threw away years and years of friendship over her. Even if Alex was a prick.
His lips quirked in a tight smile at the road.
‘I’m not. I should have cut him loose a long, long time ago. He’s just not…’ Nate hesitated. She reached over and patted his hand resting on the gear stick.
‘I know,’ she said.
They used to be kind of interchangeable at university, but Alex and Nate were so different now. Nate had grown up, moved on, become a rounded human being. Alex, however, was still acting like a twenty-two year old and it was more than a little pathetic.
Laurel leaned her head back and closed her eyes. A convertible was so much better than her own battered car. Or a tractor. She was thankful that she had brought a long-sleeved top even though the heated seats were lovely. A car like this, she could really get used to.
It was a few minutes before Nate asked if she was sleeping.
‘No, why?’
He cleared his throat and turned to look at her dark eyes, ‘Are you busy when we get back? I need to talk to you, and I don’t think the car is the best place.’
Laurel sighed. Nate was determined to have this conversation, and she had about twenty-three minutes to prepare herself.
‘Sure.’ She tried to sound light and bouncy, but her heart was lead. ‘Where do you want to go?’
‘Wherever you feel comfortable.’
