A Risky Business #SYTYCW15 #CarinaPress

Chapter Twelve

Later that day at Kate's house – Jack & Kim ruffle a few feathers ...

*Kate*

I have a lovely big airing cupboard on my landing, large enough to store all of my spare towels and sheets and still have room to 'finish off' a whole load of washing which is so handy. It is one of the reasons that I chose this house – sad, I know – but I love it. Anyway, I was sitting on the landing floor, sorting out and matching up pairs of socks. There have only been the two of us for goodness sake, how on earth are there always so many pairs of socks?

I was suddenly aware that Kim was standing in the doorway to her room, watching me.

"Sorry, Kim, did I wake you?" I asked, thinking that it was very unlikely that I had because she seemed to constantly have her earphones stuffed in her ears. As she had now, in fact, and I had to repeat my question after she had reluctantly pulled one of them out.

She shook her head, but kept on staring.

"How are you doing?" I asked. "Have you managed to get your stuff unpacked ok?"

"Yep," she said. Short and sweet. Much like Jack really.

"Are you having an affair with Uncle Jack?"

Whoa there, lady, where did that come from? I must have sat there for a moment, dumbstruck. What do you say to a question like that? Keep calm, I told myself. Don't fly off the handle at her, she's just a child.

"Of course not," I forced myself to smile at her. "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, he came straight to you when we needed help," she said.

OK. Not really one of those classic signs of two people having an affair. Funny how a kid's mind works sometimes.

"And he talks about you. A lot."

Oh.

"And I saw the way you looked at each other."

Oh again.

"I've known your Uncle Jack for a very long time," I said, ashamed of the fact that I was speaking to her as though she were five, but not really sure how else to deal with it, "and I am very fond of him, but we're certainly not having a relationship."

She looked back at me and I could see that it didn't matter what I said, she wasn't going to believe me.

"What about when he comes back?" she said. "What will happen then?"

"Well," I hesitated, "we don't know when he is coming back, do we? I mean, it would be lovely to spend some time with him when he gets back because I haven't seen him for ages, but that'll depend on his work. He'll be needing to get back to the States soon, I'm sure."

"He's not going back," she said, suddenly unable to look at me. "We're not going back."

I stopped sorting socks.

"What do you mean, he's not going back?"

She fidgeted around, looking uncomfortable.

"What do you mean, Kim?"

Suddenly Damien called from downstairs.

"Kate! Where are you? Phone for you."

"Who is it?" I shouted back not taking my eyes off of Kim.

"Mr Richards. It's about next week. He said it's urgent."

Damn. I had to take it.

"Be there in a sec," I called down.