Page 64 of Just Watch Me
“Yeh,” Zane said calmly. “Decided to come home straight away to see all of you.”
“To seeher,you mean.”
Skylar slid off her stool. “Well, I’d better get to bed. Couldn’t sleep before, which is why I went swimming instead, but I’ll be doing it now. See you both in the morning.”
“Wait.” Zane barked out the word, then sighed. “Wait. Please.”
She stood there a moment looking uncertain, then said, “Why?”
“Why?” Zane was frowning again, too close to losing his temper.“Why?Because my daughter doesn’t decide who I kiss. Or who I date. And she needs to know it.”
“You don’t evencarehow I feel?”Scarlett asked. Her hair was messy in its plait, and she looked disheveled and tired and like a child. A scared one, maybe. Time to dial it back. But still be firm. Being a single dad wasn’t easy.
“Of course I care how you feel,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you get to decide what I do.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The match against the French had been fast-paced, nearly frantic, and he’d lifted to match it and done his best to pull the team up with him, determined not to let the side down while he was the skipper. It had worked—barely—but no question, he was shattered. “Go to bed, Scarlett,” he said, managing to gentle his tone. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
“But you can’t just—” Scarlett said.
“I can,” he said. “I can love my kids, and I can date women. If I’d known you’d react like this, I’d have been doing it in front of you more. Of course I date. I’m single. I’m a man.”
“You’re awidower,”Scarlett said. The tears were trying to come, but she wasn’t letting them. “You always say how much you loved Mum, and now you’re just going toforgether?”
“No,” he said. “I’m going to go on and live my life, the way your Mum would have wanted.”
“She’d never have done that to you,” Scarlett said.“Never.”The tears were there now. Angry ones.
Quick footsteps, and Finlay burst into the room, a cricket bat raised over his shoulder and his face set.
Brilliant.
“Oh,” Finlay said, lowering the bat. “I thought somebody was breaking in.”
“Why would somebody be breaking in?” Skylar didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “There are, uh … eight people in this house. Why wouldn’t it be one of them?”
“Because the voices were angry!” Finlay said. “I should’ve guessed it was you,” he told Scarlett. “Why are you always so cross?”
“Excuseme?” she said. “Maybe because my dad was kissing yourmum?”
“So?” Finlay said. “Itoldyou they were kissing before, and now you know I wasn’t lying. Anyway, in films, people have sex the first time they meet each other, and your dad and my mum have met each other heaps of times, so they’re probably doing it, too. Why d’you think we’re even here? Why would he have invited her otherwise?”
“Wait,” Zane said. Commanding again, which was no doubt why Scarlett stopped in the act of opening her mouth. “Eight people in this house? Where are Nan and Geoffrey? Why isn’t her car here? I thought it must be on the street for some reason, but it’s not?”
“No,” Skylar said. “They went to Featherston for the day and stopped over. It has bookshops, apparently, and your Nan was keen. No worries, I’m sure she watched your match.”
“Why would I care about that?” Zane said, clearly keeping his temper with an effort. “I don’t need the world to come to a stop so everyone can applaud me. They left you here alone with all the kids.That’swhat I care about.” The frown was drawing his dark brows together, and, yes, he looked dangerous. “You’re caring for all of them, are you, while they take their wee jaunt? How much else have you had to do? I talked to Nan before you came. We went over this.”
“Mum’s cooked all the time since we’ve been here,” Finlay said. “And she took us to the planetarium yesterday and Te Papa today, and the Botanic Gardens before, and some other places. She did the washing today, too, but I helped fold. I alsolaid the table, and we’ve all been helping with the washing-up.” Virtuously, as if he’d jumped to do all those things.
“Why shouldn’t Ms. Fairburn take us places?” Scarlett asked. “You’re paying for them to be here! You’re paying forher.”
Zane got off the stool. Slowly. And stood straight.
“Go to bed,” he said. Flat voice. Hard eyes.
“I didn’t—” Scarlett began. “It’s not?—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Zane said. “Go to bed. Now.”
Silence for a long second as they stared at each other. Then Duncan was peering around the door, blinking like an owl. “What’s happening?” he asked. “Dad! You’re home!” He ran to Zane, who reached down and gave him a cuddle. Shifting gears.
