Page 29 of A Very Happy Halloween

“The past week was life-changing for both of us.”

“Life-changing?” I considered that for a moment. “Yes, I suppose it was.”

I’d gone from being single and stressed to still being stressed, but in a different way. Now I needed to work out how to coexist with a man I thought I’d lost forever.

“I need to find that little shit who was filming Harry and send him a thank-you card.” Eis always knew how to make me smile. He knelt in front of me and leaned his forehead against mine. “Please don’t be mad about the roof. I just want you to have a dry house.”

“I’m not mad about the roof.”

“Please don’t be mad about the gate either.”

“Why would I be mad about the gate? You didn’t make it fall off.”

“I ordered you a new one.” Oh. “Plus a guy’s coming to install security lights. And a new fence.”

“You’re such a pain in the arse.”

“But you love me really.”

Love? Did I love him? Teenage me hadn’t believed in love at first sight, but that was before I met Eis. Then he disappeared on me, and I thought it was still a load of bollocks. But now I realised there might be some truth in the idea.

“Maybe a little bit. But we’re still taking things slowly.”

He flashed a grin. “I’ll be out of here before the boys get home.”

“Thank you.” His absence would make things easier. Keep kicking that can, Janie… “No, actually you should stay. If you want to, I mean. I’ll tell them you’re helping out with the plumbing, and if they get used to seeing you around, perhaps it won’t be such a big shock when they find out there’s more between us?”

Eis pulled me forward onto his knees. “When they realise you’re hooking up with the household help, you mean?”

“Something like that.” I relaxed into his arms. “I really want this to work.”

“It’s going to work. Trust me on that.”

Thirteen

“Boys, this is Eisen. He’s kindly offered to help out with the plumbing. Isn’t that great? We might have a shower soon.”

“You will have a shower soon,” Eis corrected.

Harry said nothing.

“I thought he was Chip?” Alfie wouldn’t stop staring at his eyepatch. Sheesh. “You said he was called Chip.”

“Chip is his nickname.”

“Like douchekebab? That’s what people at school call Harry. Sophie’s brother is in Harry’s class, and she told me.”

“Is that true?” I asked Harry.

“No,” he said, but he was lying. Again.

And Eis knew it too. “Shouldn’t fib to your mum, buddy.”

“You can’t tell me what to do. You’re just the plumber.”

“Nobody can tell you what to do. But if you want to grow into a man instead of a douchekebab, you’ll do the right thing.”

Harry stared at him through narrowed eyes, and then his shoulders slumped. “They call me a douchecanoe, okay? Not a douchekebab.”

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