either, then Dean would simply sell it one day. It would be sad to see it leave the family, but he wasn’t such a traditionalist that he would force it on the next generation.
Maybe he’d sell it to Ben.
Ben had followed him around the garage again this afternoon, asking a dozen questions and listening to the answers carefully. Dean had let him push the car hoist button and the kid’s eyes had been like discs as the Toyota Corolla in for a service was lifted into the air. It was fun having him around, and kind of nice to be so interesting.
Alice hadn’t said much after their little tiff and they never did get that coffee, so there was still a bit of work to be done there. Damage control, in a sense, for scraping at her pride and sticking his nose in her business. Between their kids fighting and Dean’s mistake this morning, they’d got off to a rocky start, but those things notwithstanding, he liked having her around. She didn’t chatter, she didn’t look at him as if he were pitiable or damaged for having lost his wife, and she was good at her job.
Once they found themselves on the same page, he was sure they’d get on well. He saw a lot of himself in her: she was strong, independent and no-nonsense; and then there was the fact that she was beautiful. She had great legs. They’d been hidden by pants so far, but he could still tell. They were often crossed beneath the reception desk, and he admired their shape when he watched her walk around the garage, speaking to the mechanics.
‘Please pass me the salt, Neenz?’ Liv asked from the head of the table. Nina stopped talking about Muppet and obliged. ‘Thanks, gorgeous. Sam-I-Am, can you please pour me a drink?’
Samantha raised an eyebrow but reached for the soft drink in the middle of the table. Liv smiled and flopped back against her chair, demonstrating exhaustion.
Dean frowned at her but said nothing.
‘I was just telling Ro,’ Ethan said, loading his fork with lamb, mashed potato and peas, ‘that the roof insulation’s gone in and the plasterboard’s in place. We’re painting tomorrow and I still need the paint swatch you want.’
Dean nodded. ‘Just pick something you like.’
Ethan paused, his fork almost at his mouth. ‘I gave you thirty colours – you can’t pick one? The swatches are in the kitchen. Look at them after dinner.’
‘Just pick what you like,’ Dean repeated.
‘Ro,’ Liv said, ‘can you pass me a slice of bread?’ Because the plate of bread was closer to her than Rowan, this was something she could have done herself.
‘Okay, enough.’ Dean’s cutlery clanked against the rim of his plate. ‘Ro, sit down. Olivia, unless you’re injured or otherwise incapacitated, get your own bread and pour your own drink! What’s with the sudden delicacy?’
No one spoke.
At length, Liv sighed and straightened in her chair. At her elbow, Cal stared at his plate, his mouth twisted strangely. ‘Well, if you must know. I’m expecting . . .’
Dean waited. ‘Expecting what?’
‘Just expecting.’
And then she smiled. Cal’s lips stretched into a grin and cutlery suddenly clattered to the tabletop.
‘Oh my God!’ Sam cried. ‘You’re pregnant!’
‘That’s what I just said!’
Sam was on her feet, and then just as suddenly, she wasn’t. Crushed onto the same chair now, the women clutched one another, arms and legs everywhere as they clumsily embraced and celebrated. Nina hastened to join them, anxious to hug and scream too, and the men all stared at one another, speechless.
Dean got to his feet and walked around to Cal, who stood up, eyes shining with tears. Dean threw his arms around him. Moments later, Ethan’s arms closed around the pair of them, then a lower, smaller arm wrapped around Dean’s waist.
When Dean drew away, a tear was resting on his upper lip. ‘Congratulations. You’re going to be a brilliant dad.’ He thought about the heartache Cal had gone through a few years ago when his ex
Maybe he’d sell it to Ben.
Ben had followed him around the garage again this afternoon, asking a dozen questions and listening to the answers carefully. Dean had let him push the car hoist button and the kid’s eyes had been like discs as the Toyota Corolla in for a service was lifted into the air. It was fun having him around, and kind of nice to be so interesting.
Alice hadn’t said much after their little tiff and they never did get that coffee, so there was still a bit of work to be done there. Damage control, in a sense, for scraping at her pride and sticking his nose in her business. Between their kids fighting and Dean’s mistake this morning, they’d got off to a rocky start, but those things notwithstanding, he liked having her around. She didn’t chatter, she didn’t look at him as if he were pitiable or damaged for having lost his wife, and she was good at her job.
Once they found themselves on the same page, he was sure they’d get on well. He saw a lot of himself in her: she was strong, independent and no-nonsense; and then there was the fact that she was beautiful. She had great legs. They’d been hidden by pants so far, but he could still tell. They were often crossed beneath the reception desk, and he admired their shape when he watched her walk around the garage, speaking to the mechanics.
‘Please pass me the salt, Neenz?’ Liv asked from the head of the table. Nina stopped talking about Muppet and obliged. ‘Thanks, gorgeous. Sam-I-Am, can you please pour me a drink?’
Samantha raised an eyebrow but reached for the soft drink in the middle of the table. Liv smiled and flopped back against her chair, demonstrating exhaustion.
Dean frowned at her but said nothing.
‘I was just telling Ro,’ Ethan said, loading his fork with lamb, mashed potato and peas, ‘that the roof insulation’s gone in and the plasterboard’s in place. We’re painting tomorrow and I still need the paint swatch you want.’
Dean nodded. ‘Just pick something you like.’
Ethan paused, his fork almost at his mouth. ‘I gave you thirty colours – you can’t pick one? The swatches are in the kitchen. Look at them after dinner.’
‘Just pick what you like,’ Dean repeated.
‘Ro,’ Liv said, ‘can you pass me a slice of bread?’ Because the plate of bread was closer to her than Rowan, this was something she could have done herself.
‘Okay, enough.’ Dean’s cutlery clanked against the rim of his plate. ‘Ro, sit down. Olivia, unless you’re injured or otherwise incapacitated, get your own bread and pour your own drink! What’s with the sudden delicacy?’
No one spoke.
At length, Liv sighed and straightened in her chair. At her elbow, Cal stared at his plate, his mouth twisted strangely. ‘Well, if you must know. I’m expecting . . .’
Dean waited. ‘Expecting what?’
‘Just expecting.’
And then she smiled. Cal’s lips stretched into a grin and cutlery suddenly clattered to the tabletop.
‘Oh my God!’ Sam cried. ‘You’re pregnant!’
‘That’s what I just said!’
Sam was on her feet, and then just as suddenly, she wasn’t. Crushed onto the same chair now, the women clutched one another, arms and legs everywhere as they clumsily embraced and celebrated. Nina hastened to join them, anxious to hug and scream too, and the men all stared at one another, speechless.
Dean got to his feet and walked around to Cal, who stood up, eyes shining with tears. Dean threw his arms around him. Moments later, Ethan’s arms closed around the pair of them, then a lower, smaller arm wrapped around Dean’s waist.
When Dean drew away, a tear was resting on his upper lip. ‘Congratulations. You’re going to be a brilliant dad.’ He thought about the heartache Cal had gone through a few years ago when his ex
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