SHIFTED.✔

67

Keean came towards me. He glanced to the stairs then bent down and kissed me. He ran his hand down my hair. "I missed you," he murmured.

I stared at him wide eyed. A whole bunch of questions poured out. "What are you doing here? Where were you yesterday? Did your car break down? Are you okay? I was worried sick. How can you be...?"

Keean squeezed my lips together with the fingers of one hand and touched his own lips with a finger of his other. "Shush..." Then he leaned down and kissed me again. I can't tell you how wonderful that kiss felt. He kissed my chin and started on my neck, then moved his lips down towards the opening in my shirt. I took hold of his face to stop him. He smiled at me.

"Why are you here?" I whispered. "What happened yesterday? I was really worried."

Keean led me to sit down on the shaded grass at the front of the house then started to talk. "I got back to the centre on Thursday afternoon to find out Dad had flown in. He had gone to see Louise and she organised a leave pass for yesterday today and tomorrow. I wasn't allowed to leave the centre until Dad came at nine o'clock. I'm sorry but I had no way to tell you."

"That's okay. I had to run for the bus. It was the most exercise I've done in weeks." I joked.

Keean gave me a pained expression. "Louise organised an appointment with the Barrister yesterday so Dad could be with me. The Barrister thinks I have a pretty good chance for early release."

"That's great." I beamed. I was so excited for him and threw my arms around his neck.

Keean scooped me onto his lap. "Dad wants to lease a unit so we spent what was left of yesterday and this morning looking."

"Where are you staying?"

"At a motel in town. He'd like to meet you. Would you be allowed to come out to dinner with us? There's a restaurant at the motel."

I looked at Keean curiously. "You told him about me?"

Keean grinned at me. "Of course." Then he lay back on the grass and placed me beside him. Keean propped himself on one elbow and played with my fingers. "Charlie, I don't think you get it. Get how much I like you."

Before either of us could say anything Jake put on Dad's voice and said, "Doesn't look like much study's getting done you two."

I scowled at him and sat up. Keean looked over his shoulder and chuckled.

Mathew stood beside Jake. He rested his arm on Jake's shoulder and also mimicked Dad's voice, "If you touch her I'll cut your balls off you horny little prick."

I was going to yell at them when I noticed Keean's body shaking with laughter. I gave him a shove. He fell flat on his back on the grass still laughing.

"Piss off you two," I hissed.

They held up their hands in surrender. Jake said, "Keean can't say we haven't warned him."

Kerry followed Mum out from under the house with Matty on her hip. "Charlie, check this out."

Keean sat up as she squatted down in front of us and balanced Matty on his feet. "Hold your hands out." Kerry said with a massive grin on her face.

I gasped and sat up on my knees. "Can he walk?"

Mum still standing nodded her head with enthusiasm. "He just did it up stairs," she gushed.

I clapped my hands. "Come on, Matty. Come to Charlie. Come on."

Matty blew some bubbles and looked at the circle of faces watching him. Dad hadn't been far behind Mum. Mathew and Jake came closer.

I called him again. "Come on, Matty. You can do it."

He grinned, held his little arms above his head, took a breath and squealed. Then he stepped shakily towards me. We all held our breath as he took the next step, wobbled, then lowered himself on his knees and crawled the rest of the way. I picked him up.

"You is a clever boy, Matty," I said and kissed him all over the face.

"Well that's the end of the show folks," Dad said grinning proudly. "Come on you fella's I want to get the Ute finished."

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

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