Page 91 of Riding the Waves

The few deep breaths Amy took while Damian went to open the door, didn’t do much to calm her down.

“Hello!” Anthony’s voice boomed along the hallway as she walked out from the kitchen island.

“Hi!” Amy pasted on a smile and ruffled Marty’s hair as he sidled up to her.

“We went to the river and went on a boat.”

“That sounds fun,” Amy said, her lips fixed in a tight line as she cast her gaze at the dark-haired woman walking towards her.

She extended her hand to Amy. “It’s lovely to meet you,” she said.

Billy jumped between them. “Christina is Anthony’s girlfriend,” he practically shouted. “They work together. Sometimes she sleeps at his house, but not all the time.” He paused for breath. “She’s really good at rowing. Way better than Anthony.”

“Hey!” Anthony said affectionately.

“She is!” Billy said.

“She was better at steering the boat,” Marty agreed, before he and Billy made a bolt for the living room.

“You took the boys on a rowing boat?” Amy’s smile felt entirely unnatural. “That was brave.”

“I’m surprised you’re not all soaked,” Damian remarked. “Billy and a rowing boat sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

“They were actually very well behaved on the boat,” Anthony said, then grimaced. “Apart from when Billy wanted to simulate a storm.”

“They were very good,” Christina said kindly. “You’ve got lovely kids. They’re great fun.”

Damian raised an eyebrow. “If by great fun you mean hyperactive and exhausting, you’ve got them pretty well summed up.”

Amy migrated back into the kitchen. “Can I get anyone a drink?”

“I can sort drinks,” Damian said at the same time as Anthony volunteered for the job. They both looked slightly awkward.

“I brought the meat,” Anthony said, setting a bag on the counter. “The boys have been complaining they’re hungry for a while now.”

“That’s nothing new.” Damian wandered towards the patio doors. “I should have got the barbecue started already. I didn’t think about it.”

“It’s gas,” Anthony told him, picking up the bag of meat. “We’ll be cooking in no time.”

Damian shook his head. “You can’t beat an actual fire.”

“There is fire,” Anthony said, casting a playful glance over his shoulder as he passed Damian. “And once you’ve seen this grill, you’ll soon change your mind about gas barbecues. It’s the best thing I’ve ever bought.”

With a snort of derision, Damian followed him outside, leaving Amy wondering if she needed to go out and act as a buffer between them.

“Can I help with anything?” Christina asked when Amy went back to making the salad.

“I don’t think there’s much to do.” She scraped chopped tomatoes from the cutting board into the salad bowl, then glanced around the kitchen, wondering what she’d forgotten and feeling suddenly self-conscious. As her gaze snagged on the table outside, she moved to get plates. “I’d intended to have everything ready when you got here. But we ended up in a rush after house-hunting this afternoon.”

“We’re also a bit early,” Christina said, pushing her hip into the countertop. “How did the house-hunting go?”

“It was fine,” Amy said vaguely. “The place today was okay, but nothing I instantly fell in love with.”

“These things can take time.” Christina’s eyes roamed the room. “It must be hard to leave this place. It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Amy said, feeling fraudulent for taking credit for it. She busied herself getting cutlery while Christina drifted over to the living room in response to Billy calling out to her.

Watching the boys chat easily with her, Amy paused in what she was doing. A feeling of unease wound its way around her spine. If things between Christina and Anthony were serious, the boys would probably spend a fair amount of time with her. Amy’s ribs tightened at the thought. Was this how Damian felt watching Anthony with Billy and Marty?

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