him.” Mags paused, glanced around the half-empty store, and patted the seat between her and Rosie. “Won’t you sit down for a while?”
Tyler sat, wondering where this conversation was headed.
“You and Luke seem to have quite a, er, rapport,” Mags began. She tore open a sugar sachet and stirred its contents vigorously into her coffee. “Do you know how his writing is going?”
“No, not really. Luke doesn’t talk about his writing with me.”
Mags pulled a face. “He doesn’t talk about his writing with anyone. In fact, he doesn’t talk about himself much at all. He’s an introvert, always has been. Definitely not shy, but being around people tires him out. That’s why he’s perfected this gypsy lifestyle of his. That way, he can’t be pinned down.”
“But since Mum passed away, he hasn’t been the same.” Rosie poured sugar into her coffee, too. “Well, none of us are the same, but it hit Luke harder. Helen, too. They seem constantly at loggerheads over Mum’s house. She left it to Luke, you know, hoping he’d come back and settle there.”
Tyler glanced at both twins. “And you were okay with that? You don’t think she should have left the house equally to all of you?”
“Oh no.” Rosie shrugged. “Luke bought her the house when his book started selling, so even though it’s our childhood home, in all fairness it was his property. Besides, he gave each of us a handsome chunk of money, too. Luke’s always been generous like that.”
“Yeah, the only thing he splurged on for himself was that Range Rover,” her twin concurred.
Typical of Luke. The only possession he’d bought was something he could escape in.
“But he might have no money soon,” Rosie said darkly.
Tyler stared at her. “Why?”
“If he doesn’t finish that book and fast, he might lose his contract and have to repay the advance.”
Tyler sat back, all the breath leaving her body. She knew from personal experience what it was like to skate over the thin ice of financial misfortune. Luke didn’t have any dependents, and if he failed he was still hugely talented and would bounce back, but even so, it must be a worry for him.
“I’m sure he’ll finish the book,” she said stoutly, as if she had to convince herself. Luke wouldn’t fail. He’d finish the book. She’d make him, if need be.
Rosie chuckled. “You look like you’re going to chain him to his desk until he does.” She exchanged looks with her twin, who nodded encouragingly. “About Helen’s birthday, Mags and I were hoping you’d come to her party, too.”
“Me?” Tyler eyed them cautiously. “Are you sure? I’ve only just met you guys. Helen might not like a virtual stranger at her birthday party.”
“But you were so good at diffusing the tension between Luke and Helen,” Mags said. “And besides, we like you,” she added with disarming honesty. “Please come, and bring Chloe with you. It’s just going to be a casual family affair next week Sunday, nothing fancy.”
I like the twins , Tyler thought, and I always enjoy a party , but still she hesitated. “Does Luke know about this?”
Mags waved her hand airily. “Sheesh, we don’t need his permission to invite you. And you don’t need his permission to come, either.”
Tyler couldn’t help smiling. Maybe Luke wouldn’t like her butting in at a family gathering, but what the hell. He wasn’t going to be around long, and when he left, she’d still have two new friends in the twins.
“In that case, I’d love to come.”
Chapter Six
Luke stared at the man sitting opposite him, feeling like all the air had been punched out of his lungs. Was this really happening? Years ago, after his father had left, Luke had waited for him to come back. Waited and hoped, for a long time. If his dad came back, maybe his mum would stop looking so sad and start singing like she used to. But his dad never came back, and gradually his mother stopped looking quite so sad, though he
Tyler sat, wondering where this conversation was headed.
“You and Luke seem to have quite a, er, rapport,” Mags began. She tore open a sugar sachet and stirred its contents vigorously into her coffee. “Do you know how his writing is going?”
“No, not really. Luke doesn’t talk about his writing with me.”
Mags pulled a face. “He doesn’t talk about his writing with anyone. In fact, he doesn’t talk about himself much at all. He’s an introvert, always has been. Definitely not shy, but being around people tires him out. That’s why he’s perfected this gypsy lifestyle of his. That way, he can’t be pinned down.”
“But since Mum passed away, he hasn’t been the same.” Rosie poured sugar into her coffee, too. “Well, none of us are the same, but it hit Luke harder. Helen, too. They seem constantly at loggerheads over Mum’s house. She left it to Luke, you know, hoping he’d come back and settle there.”
Tyler glanced at both twins. “And you were okay with that? You don’t think she should have left the house equally to all of you?”
“Oh no.” Rosie shrugged. “Luke bought her the house when his book started selling, so even though it’s our childhood home, in all fairness it was his property. Besides, he gave each of us a handsome chunk of money, too. Luke’s always been generous like that.”
“Yeah, the only thing he splurged on for himself was that Range Rover,” her twin concurred.
Typical of Luke. The only possession he’d bought was something he could escape in.
“But he might have no money soon,” Rosie said darkly.
Tyler stared at her. “Why?”
“If he doesn’t finish that book and fast, he might lose his contract and have to repay the advance.”
Tyler sat back, all the breath leaving her body. She knew from personal experience what it was like to skate over the thin ice of financial misfortune. Luke didn’t have any dependents, and if he failed he was still hugely talented and would bounce back, but even so, it must be a worry for him.
“I’m sure he’ll finish the book,” she said stoutly, as if she had to convince herself. Luke wouldn’t fail. He’d finish the book. She’d make him, if need be.
Rosie chuckled. “You look like you’re going to chain him to his desk until he does.” She exchanged looks with her twin, who nodded encouragingly. “About Helen’s birthday, Mags and I were hoping you’d come to her party, too.”
“Me?” Tyler eyed them cautiously. “Are you sure? I’ve only just met you guys. Helen might not like a virtual stranger at her birthday party.”
“But you were so good at diffusing the tension between Luke and Helen,” Mags said. “And besides, we like you,” she added with disarming honesty. “Please come, and bring Chloe with you. It’s just going to be a casual family affair next week Sunday, nothing fancy.”
I like the twins , Tyler thought, and I always enjoy a party , but still she hesitated. “Does Luke know about this?”
Mags waved her hand airily. “Sheesh, we don’t need his permission to invite you. And you don’t need his permission to come, either.”
Tyler couldn’t help smiling. Maybe Luke wouldn’t like her butting in at a family gathering, but what the hell. He wasn’t going to be around long, and when he left, she’d still have two new friends in the twins.
“In that case, I’d love to come.”
Chapter Six
Luke stared at the man sitting opposite him, feeling like all the air had been punched out of his lungs. Was this really happening? Years ago, after his father had left, Luke had waited for him to come back. Waited and hoped, for a long time. If his dad came back, maybe his mum would stop looking so sad and start singing like she used to. But his dad never came back, and gradually his mother stopped looking quite so sad, though he
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