business – where’ve you been?’ Ethan pointed at his brother. ‘You’re sweating, but I can’t for the life of me think why.’
‘I was working on something.’
Ethan grunted, but didn’t comment further. ‘Yeah, we’re done. Let’s get some food before Liv starts eating some of the tyres lying around here.’
Dean extended his arm, gesturing that Alice should walk ahead of him.When they were all back in the garage, Dean was approached by his three mechanics. Geoff wiped his hands on a clean scrap of fabric, darkening the material with every rub. ‘We can close up tonight if you want to head on home,’ he said casually.
He knew, Alice thought. They all knew, and they were giving Dean the freedom to reveal the warehouse without worrying about the garage. Standing a few steps behind Dean, Alice smiled at the three then turned to find her son.
‘Ben, we’re — wow .’
Ben hurried forward, wood dust all over his pants and shoes and a smear of blood on his shirt from a grazed hand.
‘I told him not to play with the off-cuts!’ Sam sang out, piling tools into the wheelbarrow. ‘I told them all not to play with the off-cuts!’
Rowan and Nina giggled, both even dirtier than Ben and clearly happy about it. They were taking turns smacking their palms against each other, the impact thrusting small clouds of dust into the air.
‘Dinner at my place,’ Dean announced. He turned to Geoff, Marty and Danny. ‘You guys too, if you’re free after close.’
They thanked him, promised to check with their wives and girlfriends, then drifted back to their various work stations.
‘It’s not raining,’ Ethan added. ‘We could do a barbeque.’
‘I’m in!’ Liv said, thrusting her hand into the air. ‘When? Now?’
Dean laughed. ‘Let’s get going. Who’s getting bread and drinks?’
Ethan dropped his arm around Sam’s shoulder and kissed her hair. ‘We will.’ They began to gather their things.
‘It’s our turn to get the meat,’ Cal said to Liv, rolling his pub clothes into a tight scroll.
‘Good – mama wants a T-bone.’
‘I’ll do the salads and dessert, then.’ Dean held his arms out and – as if summoned – his children appeared and folded themselves against him. When he lowered his arms they rested on the kids’ backs, a move perfected after years of practice.
Everyone began to walk outside.
‘No, we can do dessert!’ Ben said, affixing himself to Alice’s arm.
Alice looked down at him. ‘Ben, you can’t just invite yourself to someone’s house.’
Ben looked up at her, his eyes wide and pleading. ‘But Dean invited everyone, didn’t you, Dean?’
They were all in the car park now, and everyone was watching. Dean smiled at Ben. ‘Of course you’re invited, buddy. But if you guys have plans—’
‘I don’t!’ Ben volunteered quickly.
‘Ben . . .’ Alice was working again tonight. He knew this and still he put her in this position. She understood his evenings must be lonely, even boring, but she couldn’t let this become a habit. The Fosters were not babysitters. She was responsible for Ben and as such, had to say no. How would he get home? When would he wear out his welcome?
Nevertheless, it sucked to be the bad guy, especially when she was saying no to something that sounded so good. Had she not been going to work, she would have been as keen to be a part of dinner as Ben, but such nights hadn’t been and weren’t going to be a part of her life for a while.
‘Dean could drop me off again!’ Ben pleaded. Ben glanced quickly over his shoulder at Dean then back at Alice. ‘Or I could catch a cab!’
‘A cab?’ Cal spoke up, his voice confused and incredulous.
They were making a scene, and this moment wasn’t supposed to be about the Jayes at all. Desperate to end the discussion, Alice threw a wide-eyed look at Dean, who threw back a solution.
‘I’ll be happy to drive him home, if that’s okay with you. I’d love to have him
‘I was working on something.’
Ethan grunted, but didn’t comment further. ‘Yeah, we’re done. Let’s get some food before Liv starts eating some of the tyres lying around here.’
Dean extended his arm, gesturing that Alice should walk ahead of him.When they were all back in the garage, Dean was approached by his three mechanics. Geoff wiped his hands on a clean scrap of fabric, darkening the material with every rub. ‘We can close up tonight if you want to head on home,’ he said casually.
He knew, Alice thought. They all knew, and they were giving Dean the freedom to reveal the warehouse without worrying about the garage. Standing a few steps behind Dean, Alice smiled at the three then turned to find her son.
‘Ben, we’re — wow .’
Ben hurried forward, wood dust all over his pants and shoes and a smear of blood on his shirt from a grazed hand.
‘I told him not to play with the off-cuts!’ Sam sang out, piling tools into the wheelbarrow. ‘I told them all not to play with the off-cuts!’
Rowan and Nina giggled, both even dirtier than Ben and clearly happy about it. They were taking turns smacking their palms against each other, the impact thrusting small clouds of dust into the air.
‘Dinner at my place,’ Dean announced. He turned to Geoff, Marty and Danny. ‘You guys too, if you’re free after close.’
They thanked him, promised to check with their wives and girlfriends, then drifted back to their various work stations.
‘It’s not raining,’ Ethan added. ‘We could do a barbeque.’
‘I’m in!’ Liv said, thrusting her hand into the air. ‘When? Now?’
Dean laughed. ‘Let’s get going. Who’s getting bread and drinks?’
Ethan dropped his arm around Sam’s shoulder and kissed her hair. ‘We will.’ They began to gather their things.
‘It’s our turn to get the meat,’ Cal said to Liv, rolling his pub clothes into a tight scroll.
‘Good – mama wants a T-bone.’
‘I’ll do the salads and dessert, then.’ Dean held his arms out and – as if summoned – his children appeared and folded themselves against him. When he lowered his arms they rested on the kids’ backs, a move perfected after years of practice.
Everyone began to walk outside.
‘No, we can do dessert!’ Ben said, affixing himself to Alice’s arm.
Alice looked down at him. ‘Ben, you can’t just invite yourself to someone’s house.’
Ben looked up at her, his eyes wide and pleading. ‘But Dean invited everyone, didn’t you, Dean?’
They were all in the car park now, and everyone was watching. Dean smiled at Ben. ‘Of course you’re invited, buddy. But if you guys have plans—’
‘I don’t!’ Ben volunteered quickly.
‘Ben . . .’ Alice was working again tonight. He knew this and still he put her in this position. She understood his evenings must be lonely, even boring, but she couldn’t let this become a habit. The Fosters were not babysitters. She was responsible for Ben and as such, had to say no. How would he get home? When would he wear out his welcome?
Nevertheless, it sucked to be the bad guy, especially when she was saying no to something that sounded so good. Had she not been going to work, she would have been as keen to be a part of dinner as Ben, but such nights hadn’t been and weren’t going to be a part of her life for a while.
‘Dean could drop me off again!’ Ben pleaded. Ben glanced quickly over his shoulder at Dean then back at Alice. ‘Or I could catch a cab!’
‘A cab?’ Cal spoke up, his voice confused and incredulous.
They were making a scene, and this moment wasn’t supposed to be about the Jayes at all. Desperate to end the discussion, Alice threw a wide-eyed look at Dean, who threw back a solution.
‘I’ll be happy to drive him home, if that’s okay with you. I’d love to have him
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