a couple evenings. That’s about it, though. Been out in front of the house as much as I can be, is why I saw it. Your plants are all trimmed, by the way, and I got another load of stones in and spread them around. Had to do something out there to pass the time.”
“Thanks,” I said. “For all of it. I’m putting you on speaker, so Mum can hear. Also, Daisy and the girls are here.”
“I replaced the flooring,” Luke said. “Painted the walls, and helped your mate Rangi with the window and the cameras. And found a new carpet. Good as gold.”
I said, “‘Thanks’ probably isn’t enough for all that. I’d have done the floors and the painting, but I appreciate it. Send me the receipts, and I’ll settle up with you.”
“No worries. Glad to be busy, to tell you the truth. I’m going to have to find something to do soon, because I’m driving myself mad. Hayden’s been working, and I haven’t. Been sharpening up the cooking skills, at least, though there was nowhere to go but up. My cooking skills were rubbish.”
“I hear you,” I said. “Me as well. I’ve got the better of this deal. Got my mum here, and Daisy and her sisters. Got cooks all over the shop.”
“You don’t have your mum for long,” my mother said. She was at the table, playing another game of cards with the girls. They’d moved on to Uno now. I was preparing my excuses for not being roped into euchre, once Mum got them further down the road. Three hours wasted. No, thanks.
Wait, what?
I told Luke, “Hang on,” then asked Mum, “What do you mean?”
“The girls start school on Monday,” she said, “and Daisy’s going back to day shifts. I’ll stay through Wednesday, since I have Tuesday and Wednesday off anyway. Wednesday night, I’m going back.”
“We said two weeks, “I said. “That’s one week.”
“You said two weeks,” she said. “You’ve got cameras around the house now, it’s alarmed, and I’ve got a job. I’m going back. Your friends are welcome to stay on, if it makes you happier. I never mind a bit of life about the place.”
Frankie said, “Oh, no,” and then shut up, looking miserable.
Luke said, “Whatever you think. Glad to help,” then added, “Hayden’s got ideas for you. For us. About the thing with the tradies. Labor marketing plan, he calls it.”
“Good,” I said. “I’m ready to hear them. Have him shoot them along to me, would you?”
“About that,” he said. “There’s an art show, I guess. Dunedin Art Show, tomorrow through Sunday. We’re coming over for it tomorrow night, staying till Sunday morning. He could show you the plan in person, if you like. Get Drew in on it as well. Kane, too. Offseason, eh. He’d come down, I think. He’s married now, and Victoria probably likes art.”
“If you’re gay,” I said, “surely you’re meant to say that without sounding like you’re saying, ‘Victoria probably likes liver.’”
“Nah, mate,” he said. “No correlation. I don’t hate art, I just don’t care enough to wander around all day staring at it unless I have to. I like the stuff you have in the house. Photos of mountains and things. That’s OK.”
I could hear some noise in the background. Some indignant noise. I said, “Let me guess. You’re a Philistine.”
“Well, yeh,” he said. “Probably. If Kane comes down, though, Victoria can go to the show with Hayden, and you and I can golf.”
“Brilliant,” I said. “I’ve got a membership at St. Clair.”
“Thought you would,” he said. “Not the toughest course in the world, St. Clair, but you can’t beat the view. Win-win, I’d call that. Get Drew and Kane out there with us, and we can call it a shareholders’ meeting and do Hayden’s presentation after. Saturday?”
“Saturday’s brilliant,” I said. “Dinner here at the house?” I raised my eyebrows at Mum, and she nodded, because feeding a crowd was always going to be a Samoan mum’s happy place. Daisy had the night off again on Saturday, and on Sunday as well, I happened to know. Monday morning, she went back to days, which meant we’d be on the same schedule.
This was shaping up to be a brilliant weekend, especially if I got some labor relief out of it at last. I told Luke, “I’d give you and Hayden the yurt to stay in, but I’ve got all these people.”
“No worries,” he said. “We’ve booked a place.”
Daisy said, “This is Daisy. You can stay at my