Part 3 (1/2)
”Which one?” Nate asked. ”The spiky one that looks like a hedgehog?”
The boy hesitated for a beat then held up his arms. Nate looked back at Lauren, who watched this exchange with a stunned expression. She must've seen the question in his eyes because she nodded. He lifted the kid as if Drew had dynamite strapped to his body, tilting him forward. Solemn-faced, the boy pulled a wire thing from the jar and pa.s.sed it to Nate.
He lowered the kid to the floor, watching for signs of an imminent freak-out. He gestured to an ap.r.o.n hanging on the pantry door. ”It's gonna get messy in here so I'd better put that on; what do you think?”
”But it's pink!”
”Not a problem. I'm not allergic.” Nate grabbed the ap.r.o.n and pulled it over his head. The subtle scent of flowers overpowered him-the same scent he'd caught on Lauren's skin. His head reeled for a second, remembering. G.o.d, she'd smelled good, even mud-splattered and dripping wet.
A soft giggle hauled him back into the present.
”You look funny.”
One smile, one giggle, and the kid had him hooked. He'd do more than wear a frilly pink ap.r.o.n to make this serious little boy laugh again. ”So will you, mate, by the time we figure out how to cook monkey-roni.”
”You gotta eat it too.”
He should say no. Drive to his new investment and hunker down for the night with a can of baked beans and a beer. Nate slanted a glance at Lauren. ”What does your mum say?”
”Please can Nate stay, Mummy? Please?”
Denial and politeness warred for dominance on her face. The woman couldn't act, that was for sure. Politeness won.
”All right. If we have to suffer through his cooking, he should at least eat it too.”
Nate turned back to the stove and winked at Drew. How hard could monkey-roni be, really?
Thirty minutes later, Nate winced at the smell of scalded milk permeating Lauren's kitchen. Monkey-roni was harder than it looked.
”Order up.”
He dropped a pot into the sink and carried the food to the table with his little shadow trailing behind him with the flatware.
”You okay there, mate?” he asked.
Drew nodded, placing a spoon beside each bowl. ”Come on, Mummy. It's ready.”
Lauren hopped over to sit beside her son. She raised the spoon to her lips.
”Well?”
Her mouth twisted as if she'd accidently sucked on a lemon wedge. ”Mmm.”
Nate dug into his meal. Maybe the cheese sauce was runny and had an odd, smoky flavor, but it still beat the microwave dinners he regularly ate when working long hours.
Lauren sipped her water. ”Are you going to fix up the MacPherson homestead?”
”That's my plan.”
”The house is pretty run down.”
Nate showered his remaining pasta with salt. ”It needs some work, or so I've heard.”
”You've never seen the property?”
He shook his head. ”I bought it off Tom MacPherson sight unseen-except for some photos. He said his granddad's place needed a bit of elbow grease, but I'm not afraid of hard work.”
”And you're planning to fix it up by yourself?” Skepticism oozed through her voice.
”The bits I can. I know my way around a toolbox.”
”How will you live there while you're renovating?”
He raised his gla.s.s of water in a silent toast. ”It's a two bedroom house; I'll work around it-and I've got a sleeping bag, beer and plenty of rubbish food to keep me going. All the luxuries.”
”A photojournalist, a medic and a handyman...anything you can't do?”
Drew, who squirted dollops of ketchup into his bowl, looked up. ”Cook monkey-roni like Mummy.”
A giggle burbled past her lips and the sound of her laughter warmed Nate's insides more than the overcooked pasta.
”Hey, whose side are you on?” Nate grinned down at the boy. He really was a cute kid.
”I'll make you a home-cooked meal sometime in thanks for all your help tonight.”
”I'd like that.”
Her gaze skidded left, the spoon clinking against her plate. ”Oh-I mean I'll get my brother to drop something off, since I'm a.s.suming you won't have access to a microwave for a while.”
Ah, and the back-pedaling starts. Thanks lady-but he wasn't that desperate for a meal. ”Sure.”
They ate in silence for a few moments before she put down her spoon. ”The MacPherson homestead will be a gorgeous place to live, once it's been overhauled.”
Nate paused, a gluey chunk of pasta halfway to his mouth. Live here? Not a chance. ”I'm not staying once the renovations are done.”
”Oh?” The pretty brow crinkled again.
”I've got a buyer lined up in Auckland.”
Lauren stood and picked up her empty pasta bowl. ”You're selling it?”
”A developer's planning to turn the homestead into an exclusive retreat-upmarket, cla.s.sy, for celebrities and the like.” Nate lowered his spoon at her tightly drawn mouth and stunned stare-as if he'd mentioned the Manson Family were moving in next door.
Lauren's pasta bowl clattered to the table, the spoon toppling out and falling to the floor. ”Celebrities? Celebrities will bring fans and the media.”
Nate frowned until the light bulb switched on-her private road. ”The developer will build a new road to the property with a locked gate, just like yours. No need to worry about traffic jams outside your place in summer.”
She nodded stiffly, and a small smile carved her lush lips into two thin lines. ”Well, that's good then.” Turning to her son she said, ”Can you take my plate to the kitchen, please, sweetie? Then we'd better get you ready for bed.”