Chapter Four
I woke up to an empty bed and groaned. It was only seven in the morning and on a Sunday. What the hell was she doing up? “Abby?” I called to see if she was just in the bathroom or something before I forced myself to get out of bed.
She poked her head around the corner of the door. “Oh, you’re awake then?”
No, I’m sleep talking. “Yeah.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up. “What’re you doing up so early?”
“I’m meeting Carol and Brett at Wendy’s Cafe to discuss the Thorpe Park trip. Two parents have pulled out and we’re having trouble with the coaches now too. We’re grabbing breakfast and sorting through the issues. I won’t be long and then we can do something. Want me to bring you bacon rolls back?”
Sunday. It was the official day of rest and she wanted a working breakfast. Leaving your bed before ten on a Sunday should be illegal and my wife was dressed and ready to leave the house at seven. “Right. Bacon rolls would be awesome.”
She blew a kiss and grabbed her handbag off the dressing table. “Only be a couple hours. Love you.” And then she was gone.
I wanted to call someone and do the whining woman thing but Oakley was getting bored of me complaining and not doing anything about it. I was scared of doing anything about it. Actually fucking terrified. If Abby was cheating we would have to get divorced sell the house and divide everything up. I would be a divorced man. I would have an ex wife. Abby would be fine with her, if she had one, new man but I would be screwed. No one wanted to be the one left behind. I didn’t want to be in love with someone that left me for someone else.
The only thing that I knew would take my mind off what was possibly going on – yes, I was a fan of burying your head in the sand – was Everleigh. I dialled my sister’s house knowing they would already be up. That was something I was going to have to get used to.
“Hello,” Oakley said down the phone.
“Can I have Everleigh for a couple hours? Pancakes at the diner.”
“Good morning to you too, Jasper.”
“Please?” I said.
I felt her roll her eyes. “Sure. Any reason?”
“She’s my favourite person and I want to take her to breakfast.”
“That’s the only reason? Is Abby going too?”
“I’ll pick her up in twenty,” I said and hung up. Damn mind reading sister. There was going to be a lecture. There was always a lecture. I should speak to Abby about it, that’s what she’d say. Of course she was right, but I wasn’t gonna do it.
I dressed and grabbed my keys. Abby had left one of her many handbags on the kitchen table – the one the watch was in. I couldn’t resist. We had nothing coming up – not my birthday or an anniversary – so if the watch was gone that meant she took it with her today. To this Brett twat?
Oakley opened her front door as I pulled up. Great, she was ready for a lecture. She raised her eyebrow as I walked towards her. “Don’t start,” I said.
“I’m not starting. Just don’t get many early phone calls from you on a Sunday. Actually, I’ve never received an early phone call off you on a Sunday.”
“Abby’s working for a couple hours so I thought I’d use to the time to treat my niece.”
“Abby’s working?”
“Something about sorting out school trip shit.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I dunno. Everleigh ready?”
“Cole’s just getting her shoes on. Do you want to talk about it?”
I glared. “There’s nothing to talk about.” Oakley smiled one of her smiles that made me want to throw tomatoes at her. “Seriously, it’s fine. If she wants to waste Sunday morning talking about work that’s her stupid choice.” I could see in my sister’s eyes she was thinking but what about spending time with you, blah, blah, blah. Would I prefer to spend time with my wife in the morning, yes, of course, but she had shit to do. I’d survive.
“Everleigh,” I shouted past Oakley, ignoring her one raised eyebrow. If she kept raising them I was going to shave them off.
“Uncle Jasper!” Everleigh screamed, jumping up and down as she made her way to the front door. “Pancakes! Can I have chocolate?”
I grinned. “You can have whatever you want.” After what the arsehole sperm donor did to our family Everleigh was like glue, fixing us all. I’d literally do anything for her.
“Yeah,” she cheered, jumping outside in one big leap that made Oakley tense up. “Lets go, Uncle Jasper.”
I unlocked my car and she ran to her door, letting herself in. Cole appeared behind Oakley, wrapping his dirty little hands around her. “No kiss goodbye?” he said to Everleigh. She turned, shook her head, waved and got in the car.
“Too eager for food. She takes after you,” Oakley said, kissing Cole’s cheek over her shoulder. That was my cue to leave. I didn’t need to be seeing any of that crap.
“So what’s wrong, Uncle Jasper?” Everleigh asked, leaning her elbows on the diner table. She barely reached so it looked more like she was just laying her arms out but I knew the effect she was going for, tell all.
“Nothing’s wrong, Noodle. I promise.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Uncle Jasper, you just told a lie.” My three-year-old niece was disappointed in me. Wow.
“Just grown up stuff. Nothing for you to worry about.”
“But I love you.”
There was nothing that could keep me down when she said that. I smiled like a fat guy locked in a McDonalds overnight. I was suddenly so glad Oakley didn’t have anything planned and let me take Everleigh for a bit. She was my antidepressant.
“I love you too, but you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Are you sad?”
“If you ask your dad...” She frowned, my joke going over her head. “Never mind. I’m not sad.”
“Is it Aunty Abby? Are you in the dog house?”
I laughed, my eyebrows shooting up. “What?” Where the hell did that come from?
“Mummy said Daddy was in the dog house when he broke her favourite mug. Did Aunty Abby break your favourite mug?”
I loved her weird little, innocent mind. “Yeah, she broke my favourite mug.”
She nodded. “Don’t worry, Uncle Jasper, I’ll buy you a new one. Ooh can I have a chocolate milkshake? I promise won’t tell Mummy and Daddy.”
“Sure, you can have whatever you want.” She grinned a face-splitting smile and pushed her empty plate away.
Oakley informed me her and Cole had popped to The Centre to sort something out for a couple hours so I was to take Everleigh there. Going into work on your day off felt wrong. “Where’s Mummy and Daddy?” Everleigh asked as soon as we got out of the car as if I had some radar.
“Office probably. Let’s go find them.”
I walked into reception with Everleigh handing off my arm, literally. Blinking in shock, I shook my head. Holly sat behind the desk with Oakley. “Hey. What’s going on?”
Oakley looked up, her eyes lighting up as she spotted her daughter. “Hey, baby, you enjoy your pancakes.”
Everleigh nodded theatrically. “Yep. Where’s Daddy?”
“Office, go find him.” The only reason she let Everleigh go off alone was because the office was behind the reception desk and she had to pass her to get to it.
I walked up to the desk and leant my arms on the surface. “You’re working here now?” I asked Holly.
She nodded, blushing. Jesus I only asked if she was working here not what colour her underwear was. “Yes, part-time until I go back to Uni. Your other receptionist started maternity early, apparently.”
Wow no one tells me anything!
“Yeah,” Oakley said, her attention now back on us. “Kerry’s not been feeling well and decided to start maternity two months earlier than planned. She’ll take nine months off rather than six now.”
“Oh she okay?”
“She just needs rest. Thankfully Holly’s available so I don’t have to advertise for the maternity cover position until September. I’m just going to check on Cole and Everleigh, make sure she’s not rearranging the paperwork again. Can you show Holly the booking system?”
I shrugged. Not like I have anything better to do. “Sure.”
Holly bit her lip. “Thanks,” she whispered.
“It’s fine. Okay, budge over.” Holly moved her chair, and I pulled the other one up. It was clear that she wasn’t used to being so close to men by the way she let her hair fall in her face, half hiding her face. So shy. “This your first day?”
“Yeah. I’m scared I’ll do something wrong and get fired.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’ll probably do something wrong, who doesn’t? You won’t get fired.”
She smiled and her shoulders relaxed. Wow she was really worried about messing up. Christ if I had a pound for every time I screwed something up I’d be rich. “Thanks, Jasper,” she said and bit her lip. Her eyes had less black around them today. It made her look softer and not like she was about to gut me and eat my insides.
I grinned, winking, which made her blush again. “Alright, if you click booking...”
When I’d finished being Holly’s teacher, I left The Centre and went home to see if my wife was back yet. Her car was in the drive, along with another one I didn’t recognise. My heart beat at a thousand miles an hour. Who the hell was that? I didn’t want to think the worse. I’d forgiven her and we’d agreed to move on but I couldn’t help it. Recently I’d been wondering if she was bored of me and looking elsewhere.
Opening the door, I slowly walked inside. “Jasper, in the kitchen,” Abby said. Okay it can’t bad if she yelled to me.
A guy was sat at my kitchen table. Brett? What the hell was he doing here if they’d sorted everything out at the café. “Hey. Babe, this is Brett, a colleague and this is my husband Jasper.”
I held my hand out and we shook, both squeezing slightly to tell who had the biggest balls. I won. “Brett.”
“Good to finally meet you, Jasper. Abby’s talked about you a lot.” Saying what?
“Really.” I wanted to say she’s not mentioned you much at all but that would make me a child. “You two get the trip stuff sorted?”
Abby nodded, flicking the kettle. I looked in Brett’s mug – my mug – and saw it was empty. He’s staying for another one? “Want one, babe?”
“Please,” I replied even though I didn’t.
“Brett?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to get in the way.” Good, fuck off then.
Abby frowned and waved her hand. “Oh, you’re not in the way.” Speak for yourself. “Did you go to Oakley and Cole’s?” Abby asked, grabbing Brett’s old cup.
“Yeah took Everleigh for pancakes.”
She smiled. “I bet she loved that. Your bacon rolls are in the fridge.”
“Thanks, I’ll eat them later.” Brett stayed silent. See arsehole, our lives may not be rock n roll but we work. Back off. I wanted to laugh at myself. Technically he hadn’t done anything wrong but I didn’t like his pissing contest handshake. She was my wife and he needed to back the hell away.
Brett stayed for one more cup of tea and the whole time was in a deep conversation with Abby about work. They occasionally tried to include me but I didn’t work in a school – thank god or I think I’d end up killing some of them – so I didn’t have much to say. I did try to talk sports with him and make an effort but apparently he didn’t follow any of it!
Abby turned and handed me a box. “Here,” she said.
I frowned, taking it from her. Shit have I really missed something? I opened it and that watch stared back at me. “What’s this?”
“It’s a watch, Jasper,” she replied sarcastically. “I know things have been a little strained recently, there’s a lot going on at school. I just want to show you how much I appreciate your support and understanding. I love you, baby.”
Oh I am the worst man on earth. “Abby,” I whispered. Damn all this time I had been thinking the worst in her. I’m such a dick!
“Do you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you.” Grinning, I pulled her into a kiss. Work got her for the morning but for the rest of the day she was mine.