Given Up

Chapter 26

I managed to avoid any more encounters or conversations where we 'talked about the last few days' with Scott as he was working pretty much all weekend, as was Kate. It seems we were a workaholic pseudo-family as I was hard at it all weekend with Mr Evans.

"Wow." Mrs Evans exclaimed as I was putting the last of the tools away in the lounge on Sunday evening. "You have really done a wonderful job Kyle."

I felt my cheeks heat.

"Thanks Mrs Evans. And thank you for feeding me, again."

I had demolished a gigantic roast dinner earlier.

"It is nice to have someone around who doesn't pick at it like a tiny bird." She wrapped her arms around her body in the same way Cassie did when she was thinking about something.

Cassie hadn't eaten much earlier and I didn't want to mention that I'd noticed that she hadn't eaten as much the last week at school either. She said she was just nervous about the upcoming dance competition.

"This one is more like a vulture." Mr Evan's came in from the kitchen and nudged me on the shoulder. "There are never any leftovers for me anymore."

"I guess you will get to have them again, now we are all finished."

I looked around the room wistfully. We had scrapped, painted, wallpapered one wall, put up lights and flat packed assembled a sideboard and coffee table. Not to mention redecorated two bedrooms upstairs. I hadn't really done anything like this before, and I have to say I felt pretty proud seeing the finished product.

"You will have to come up with a new excuse to see so much of my daughter then?" Mr Evans raised an eyebrow at me. He still wasn't sure about the idea of my dating his daughter.

My cheeks heated more.

"Ignore him, we hope that you won't be a stranger Kyle." She lay her hand on my arm and I felt a surprising lump rise in my throat. "You are always welcome to join us for dinner."

"Thanks." I stretched my back out and sighed as something clicked back into place. "I better leave you to it. Say goodnight to Cassie from me when she gets back?"

"As if you two don't message each other all the bloody time anyway..." Mr E's tone was jokingly gruff. He wasn't wrong.

I was just pulling my boots on by the door, when Mr Evans caught up with me.

"I almost forgot." He reached into his pocket. "Your wages."

He handed me a wad of money. I could tell with one look that there was more there then there should have been. I opened my mouth to tell him, but he got in ahead of me.

"Yes, there is a bonus in there too."

"I can't..."

He interrupted me.

"Yes, you can. You really have done a great job. It would have taken me an age to do it all alone. Plus now Mrs Evans will be off my case." He gave me a wink. "Like my father always said: 'Happy Wife, Happy Life'."

I grinned at him. "I'll remember that one Mr E."

He patted my shoulder. "Though she has her eyes on a new wardrobe for our room, so I might need your flat pack deciphering skills again."

"Anytime." It felt like the warmth from my cheeks had spread to my chest: I hadn't felt both useful and wanted in a long time. "And thanks, you know for the job."

He opened the door for me and I stepped out onto the front step.

"Sure. Will your Aunt be happy with the extra cash?"