Dangerous Affection

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Inside the house, I dump the bags near the door, slip off my shoes and walk into the kitchen, ignoring the mail that Shaun has obviously picked up from the floor and placed on the side table.

I swallow down my annoyance at his arrogant attitude and instead resolve to make our talk with Maisie a success. She is what’s important here.

Maisie dashes past me, up to her room, to grab something to show her dad and I seize the opportunity to tell Shaun about the broken window.

He walks into the hallway and I follow as he opens the door to look at the fractured glass.

‘Luckily it’s not broken,’ he says mildly. ‘Probably a bird flew into it or something.’

‘A bird? It must’ve been going at speed to do that damage, and I’d have expected to have seen it dead or injured on the path.’ I hesitate. ‘It looks to me like someone has punched the glass,’ I whisper, to avoid Maisie hearing. ‘But who would want to do that?’

‘Exactly. You answered your own question, Em. Maybe time to knock off reading those crime novels of yours, eh?’ He laughs. ‘I’ll sort out a repair, don’t worry.’

Maisie bounces back into the room with her English exercise book and the silver star that Mrs Tetley gave her for her story about a rabbit with a misshapen foot who dreams of becoming a dancer. I confess it brought a lump to my throat when I read it.

‘Wow!’ Shaun’s mouth falls open. ‘This is amazing, and you know what, I know two people who would love you to read it to them.’

‘You do?’

‘Yes, a good friend of mine, a lovely lady called Joanne, and her daughter Piper – you know them from dancing, I think?’

Maisie stares.

‘Piper Dent, you mean?’ she says incredulously.

Shaun’s eyes dart my way but he doesn’t look directly at me.

‘That’s her! I happen to know that Joanne and Piper love stories and I reckon they’d adore this one.’

I stand in the doorway, hands on hips. Is he intending to tell her all on his own?

‘How do you even know what they like?’ Maisie demands.

This might be a key moment, but I’m not going to let him cut me out of the conversation. We agreed to tell Maisie together.

I walk to the fridge and pull out the sandwiches I prepared earlier.

‘Hello. Mind if I join you?’ Predictably, Shaun misses my sarcastic intent. ‘Coffee?’

‘Sure,’ he says, looking back at Maisie, relieved, I think, by the interruption. ‘Thanks.’

I hand Maisie the plate.

‘Thought you said I can have crisps, too?’

‘I think you mean, Thank you for the sandwiches.’ I frown. ‘I’ll get your crisps now.’

‘Thanks,’ she mutters as I walk to the cupboard, but not before I turn and catch her rolling her eyes at Shaun behind my back. I really don’t like the way this is going.

I fill the kettle, flick the switch on and carry Maisie’s crisps over to the seating area.

‘There you go, pumpkin.’ I hand her the packet. ‘Dad’s come over so we can all have a chat together.’

‘Dad thinks Piper Dent would like to read my story,’ Maisie says mutinously, opening the crisps.

‘I’m certain she would,’ he says.