Hawk & the Lady - Elizabeth Stevens Page 0,34
a good idea,” Patrick said.
Anna looked at me while pointing at him. “I like him. Seems sensible.”
“Okay, well on that note, we should go.” I hauled myself out of my seat.
“Say hello to her for me, and a hug for Dad.”
I nodded. “Will do.”
Anna and I led Patrick back through the living room so I could say goodbye to Sara.
“Who’s that?” she asked.
“This is Patrick. Patrick, my niece Sara and her lovely friends.”
Patrick nodded to them all. “Hey.”
“Do you want to join us, Patrick?” Sara asked.
Patrick surprised me by leaning on the back of her chair and watching the tellie. “What are you playing?”
“‘Left 4 Dead.’”
“Choice.” He nodded approvingly. “One or two?”
“Two, duh,” Sara’s friend said.
“Of course,” Patrick agreed. “Definitely the better of the two.”
Sara swivelled to look up at him. “How do you know so much about it? Aunty Leah says games are for kids.”
He shrugged. It was as unapologetic as it was unashamed. “Between my sister and my mate, it’s kinda unavoidable. Plus,” he added cheekily, “they’re bloody good fun.”
Sara and her friends smiled.
I was starting to get the impression that Patrick Grace was one of those immature men I’d told myself I was done with. But, for the first time in my life, it wasn’t a turn off. It was a turn on. Well, it was somehow endearing and that, in itself, was a turn on.
“But, alas,” he continued, “your aunt and I need to be somewhere. Maybe next time?”
The kids nodded and the three adults headed to the front door.
“You’re a gamer then?” Anna asked.
“Eh, not really. I play console now and then with the team and my sister, but according to her and Nico, I’m not a gamer.”
“What constitutes the difference?”
He shrugged. “Dunno really. But they’re both total nerds. Well, Bert calls herself a geek, but Nico’s a grade-A nerd king. All things computers and games and shit. None of that’s really my thing, but put a controller in my hand and I can usually hold my own.”
“Interesting,” Anna mused, throwing me a look.
She knew me more than well enough to know this had the potential to throw a spanner in the works. But I didn’t have to let it. Patrick and I had agreed that this was a temporary situation, so what did it matter if he was one of those immature guys I wasn’t interested in? If anything, him being immature would be better for the ruse…so long as he didn’t try to hide it from my mother.
“I will call you later?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Good to meet you, Patrick. Good luck.”
He grinned. “Cheers, and you too.”
I gave Anna a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried Patrick out of there.
“She seems nice, your sister.”
“She is nice. When she wants to be.”
“Sounds like a sister.”
“They the same older or younger, then?” I asked as he unlocked the SUV.
He nodded as he went to the driver’s door. “In my experience, yeah.”
“Did you forget to tell me about an older sister?”
He huffed a laugh as we got in. “No. Tank and Nico both have older sisters and I’m honestly not sure it’s any different to being the older one.”
“Nice to know it’s not just older sisters. Although, if all sisters are the same, what does that say about me?”
He threw me a wide smile. “Nothing, far as I’m concerned. You’re not my sister.”
“No. I’m definitely not.”
The drive to my parents’ was relatively short. Not quite enough to walk, but enough that there was no need to fill the car with inane chatter. It also wasn’t enough that the lack of much in the way of talk was deafening, nor did my vague directions contrast starkly against it. Overall, it was nice. Normal and nice.
After me yelling over him into the intercom, we drove up the driveway and Patrick parked his car in front of the house as I directed him to do. I looked up at the house, so familiar and yet, years after moving out, so foreign as well.
I noticed Patrick run his hand through his hair as we made our way to the front door, but wasn’t sure if it was borne of nerves or maintaining the look of dishevelment.
My mother was standing at the door as though she’d been waiting for us for hours.
“You’ve brought a man,” was the first thing out of my mother’s mouth, all disdain, despite the fact I’d informed her of this when I’d arranged to come over.
I found I didn’t need to act affronted on Patrick’s