‘It’s not your fault that the weather turned, Greg.’ Maddie shifted in her seat, her damp legs sticking to the vinyl seat, as she heard Ed clamber out behind her.
‘No, but I shouldn’t have taken Ed out when there was the chance of a storm.’
Taffie was still shivering in her lap and she knew she had to get him dry and feed him.
‘Look, come in and get dry. I can put your stuff in the tumble dryer, you can eat, and then you can tackle that road. It will take you over an hour to get back and you’re soaked through.’
Greg stared ahead at the rain pelting on the windscreen, the roar of it louder inside the car, as if he was contemplating a life-altering decision.
‘Greg, I don’t know how many more times I can say sor—’
‘I know you’re sodding well sorry!’ he flashed at her, as he turned to look at her, his nostrils flared. She was taken aback at his anger. Where had that come from?
‘Listen,’ he said more gently, ‘I was scared out there, Maddie, scared that you and Ed would have an accident in that boat. I was scared I’d lose you both. I’ve been so confused for last few weeks. I’ve—’
But he stopped what he was saying as Ed yanked open Maddie’s door. ‘Mum! The key! I can’t get in.’
Greg looked at her then, his hair damp around his forehead, his long eyelashes blinking uncomprehendingly at her as she reached out her hand to put it on his arm. But before she could, he abruptly turned to the door, got out and slammed it shut.
*
Once they were inside, everybody pitched in. Greg made a fire, they took it in turns to have showers and Maddie towel-dried and fed Taffie. She gave Greg an old T-shirt of Ed’s and she made hot chocolate for everyone and took it into the lounge. As Greg emerged through the lounge doorway, she couldn’t help but stare. The T-shirt was a bit too small for his muscly frame, and his towel skimmed his thighs like a skirt. Ed was on the sofa and Greg sat down next to the fire, his back to him, leaning on the edge of the couch. When Taffie saw him, he leapt up, and crawled into his lap.
‘I’ll put your clothes in the dryer,’ she said, picking up Greg’s wet bundle of clothes from the floor. He looked up at her and nodded.
As she was loading the clothes into the dryer, she could hear the murmur of voices as Ed and Greg talked about the day.
She came back through, poured herself a hot chocolate, then sat and watched Greg flicking through his phone and smiling at Ed whilst gently stroking Taffie. The urge to reach out and hold his hand was overwhelming. She folded her arms across her chest to stop herself.
‘Any food, Mum?’ Ed eventually said, looking at her pleadingly. ‘I’m starving.’
‘Of course,’ Maddie said, quickly doing an internal flip through the meals that she could make out of bacon and pasta, and then came up with a quick fix: spaghetti carbonara.
She popped into the kitchen and took a deep breath. Greg had really rattled her in the car. She started to chop the onions but then decided she could do with a drink. She poked her head back into the lounge. ‘Anyone for a glass of wine?’
‘I’ll do it, Mum.’ Ed leapt up and then was clattering behind her getting out glasses and she heard the crack of a bottle top being twisted open.
Ed placed a glass of red wine beside her, and he took two glasses and the bottle through to the lounge. She could hear the chatter resume and the crackle of the fire.
She picked up her glass, took a large gulp, enjoying the warm sensation as it hit the back of her throat. Her mind was a fuzzy mess, and it felt good to be doing something so mindless. She fried up the bacon with some garlic, added the cooked spaghetti, a couple of eggs and butter, and made a quick spaghetti carbonara. As the bacon fried, she realised how hungry she was – nobody had had any lunch.
Greg appeared behind her and started to set the table in silence. She noticed he’d refilled his glass. ‘Smells good,’ he said, taking a gulp of wine.
‘Cheat’s carbonara.’ She turned to look at him and stifled a giggle. The wine had gone straight to her head. He