“You promised us afternoon tea.” Wiri’s face crumpled in dismay. “You promised.”
Hana chewed her bottom lip. “Will a trip to the dairy do?”
Wiri and Phoenix bent their heads together with conspiratorial ease and then nodded with smiles. “Pie and a fizzy drink?” Wiri asked, a natural negotiator.
“Okay.” Hana’s sigh signified defeat and they walked to the end of the road and turned left into a side street with a dairy.
“Do I get one too?” Pete asked, clutching his crotch one handed and hopping from foot to foot.
“Fine! But you wait out here with the children.”
Hana emerged with hot pies, bottles of fizzy drink and three ice creams bundled together in her other hand.
“Ice creams first!” Pete declared and the children giggled at his rebellion. They sat on the low wall outside the dairy and watched as school children swarmed into the shop like ants. Pete snarfed his cornetto and laid into the pie and drink.
“Uncle Pete,” Wiri said, his lips white rimmed with ice cream. He pointed a delicate finger at Pete’s shorts. “It’s popped out again.”
Pete swore and Phoenix bugged her eyes in horror. With both hands around his hot pie, Pete looked hopefully at Hana. She pulled a disgusted face. “No way, dude! Ask me again and I’ll tell Logan.”
“I technically didn’t ask,” Pete replied, swallowing pastry at an astounding speed.
“You can tell him that as he chucks your dead body in the river,” Hana replied, her tone dull.
“What’s the matter with you today?” Pete’s blue eyes radiated surprising perception as he glanced sideways at Hana. “Is it something to do with that kid?”
Hana groaned and nodded. “Yes. And no.”
“Which is it?” Pete sprayed pastry over the pavement and Hana watched the flakes dance around in the breeze.
“Yes, Caleb is part of the problem and no, he’s not all of it.”
“So which bit is he?” Pete stopped chewing to glare at a boy from one of his classes and the child moved away, glancing at Pete’s shorts leg with something like horror in his eyes. “The big bit or the little?”
“He’s just some of it.” Hana sighed. “His father used to work for us and Caleb broke his leg on our property. I took him in because I felt sorry for him and I suspect it wasn’t my finest hour. Logan said he would be trouble and I don’t want to admit he was right.”
“Logan’s always right.” Pete grinned and adjusted his shorts. “Don’t tell him I said so.”
Hana shook her head. “I won’t. I left Caleb up at the hotel with free board and lodging but he turned up here. Now he’s making me nervous.”
“Do you think he’s got a crush on you?” Pete smirked. “Tell Logan. He’ll sort that one out real quick.”
“No.” Hana narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “He didn’t come to be nearer to me. It’s something else. He’s mixed up with Logan’s nephew, Asher.”
“What’s my bruvver done now?” Wiri’s expression accused Hana of betrayal as he fixed grey Du Rose eyes on her face. “What did Asher do?”
“Oops,” Pete hissed under his breath and Hana exhaled in a rush of regret.
“Nothing, baby. Just a misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it. Are you ready for your pie?” She fumbled in the carrier bag and fished out a steak and cheese, hoping to distract Wiri from an interrogation.
“My ‘ave pie?” Phoenix turned guileless eyes on her mother and Hana’s heart melted. “Peez, Mama,” she added.
Hana handed out the food and drink and rolled her eyes at Pete. She jumped as her phone rang. “Hey, gorgeous.” Logan’s voice sent tingles down her spine and Hana closed her eyes, wishing she could conjure him up before her and bury her face in the safety of his muscular chest.
“Hey,” she replied. “What’s up?”
“Is Pete with you?”
Hana glanced sideways and grimaced. “Yes, but he’s covered in pie so I’m not handing my phone over. Shall I put you on speaker phone?”
Logan laughed. “No babe. I don’t want the kids to hear swear words like that. Tell him he’s missing a staff meeting and is in big trouble. His balls are on the line.”
Hana wrinkled her pretty nose and glanced down at Pete’s shorts. “Not just his balls,” she whispered.
“What?” Logan’s jealous tone made her heart sink and she struggled to cover her error.
“Nothing. Nothing to worry about. We’re just at the dairy and he’s having a pie with Phoe and Wiri.” She leaned across and placed the phone between the munching children. “Say hello to Daddy.”
“I got pie, Pa!” Wiri called, mumbling over the goo in his mouth.
“Pie, pie!” Phoe’s eyes rounded like tennis balls and Wiri laughed at her inability to say more than one word.
Hana put the phone against her ear and felt a wave of tiredness overtake her at the need to constantly prove herself worthy. “I’ll send him back,” she said, her voice terse.
“Hana?” Logan’s voice raised as he shaped her name into a question. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said with a sigh. “Nothing. We’re just having afternoon tea as a treat and then we’re walking home.”
Logan’s tone softened. “I trust you, Hana.”
“Really?” She didn’t mean it to sound so scathing.
“Yeah. Really. I know he’s got his dick out; Leslie told me.” His smirk leaked through his words, rounding them out and making them sound less dangerous. “Tell him he’d better find a pocket to stuff it into; our new headmistress is not amused by his absence. I’d better go. She’s glaring at me through the glass doors.”
The phone clicked and the absence of Logan’s voice in her ear left a void. Hana sighed and turned to Pete. “Mrs Whatsit is taking the staff meeting and your absence is noted. Logan said you need to get back there as soon as you can.”
To her surprise, Pete shrugged and slugged a mouthful of drink. “Whatever,” he said and burped.
The children giggled and Hana turned to face him. “He wasn’t kidding, Pete. She’s there right now.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He turned a benevolent smile in her direction. “They just wanna stand at the common room window and watch me run across the soccer fields with my thing flapping out from under my shorts. I’m not stupid, Hana. I know that old woman told him she snipped my dags off.”
Hana frowned. “No, he sounded pretty serious.” Her eyes narrowed with concern. “You should head back.”
Pete stood up and brushed crumbs from his shorts and hairy legs. “I’ll walk back to yours and take the car.”
Hana shrugged and helped the children off the wall. “It’s your funeral,” she muttered under her breath.
They set off walking and reached the edge of the soccer fields just as Pete’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “Oh, that’s what that funny feeling was in my shorts.” He sounded surprised, fishing it out and putting it on speaker phone. He winked at Hana as though they shared in some secret joke. The caller’s voice broke into the stillness of the green field and the expression on Pete’s face made Hana snort and turn away. “Mr North! Is there some pressing reason why you’ve chosen to absent yourself from a prearranged staff meeting?”
“Er, what?” Pete peered at the phone in his hand as though it threatened to burn his fingers.
Recognising the voice of the new principal, Hana shooed Phoenix and Wiri away from the ensuing disaster and made a game out of following the white lines on the soccer pitch. She chased the children until they giggled. “What’s un-cool Pete doing?” Phoenix asked, stopping so that her cousin ran into the back of her. Wiri swerved to the left and glanced at the teacher in the too-short-shorts, who argued and gesticulated at the black phone in his hand.
“Gettin’ hisself into trouble,” the child answered and Hana sighed, forced to agree with the juvenile wisdom.
“Logan! This isn’t bloody funny!” Pete yelled into the phone and Hana held her breath. Wiri and Phoe burst into spontaneous laughter as Pete stamped around the edge of the soccer pitch, his shorts riding up and flesh making a reappearance. With a gasp, Hana covered both children’s eyes and they wriggled to free themselves. “Whatever!” Pete screeched. “You just wanna see my man-bits wobbling and I’m not gonna give you the satisfaction! Besides, it hurts when it slaps against my thigh!” He pressed the button to disconnect, fumbling in his irritation and failing. Hana caught the horror in the principal’s voice as she stammered in disgust.
“I beg your pardon? Mr North, get back here right now or you’re fired!”
Pete adjusted his shorts and sauntered across to Hana, peering at his phone in annoyance. He shook it in Hana’s face. “Do ya know what he did? That nasty old woman told him about my Superman pants and he got one of the food tech teachers to ring and pretend there’s a staff meeting.” His bottom lip drooped with petulance. “He thinks he’s so bloody funny!”
Hana swallowed and gnawed on her bottom lip. She opened her mouth to speak but Wiri got there first. “There is a staff meeting. Pa told Ma he’d be late tonight because of it.” The child poked a forefinger up his nose as the words tumbled from his mouth, wreaking havoc. “Yeah. That new lady boss is a bit mean. Pa said she’s got rocks up her ass.”
“Wiremu Du Rose!” Hana covered Phoenix’s ears and glared at the little boy. He shrugged and ate the bogey from his fingertip.
“Well, he did say that. I heard him.”
Phoenix swallowed and shook Hana’s hands away. “Mama. Won’t that hurt if you have stones up yer bum?”
Hana fixed a wooden smile on her face and turned to her daughter. “It would hurt. And that’s why he didn’t mean it.”
“Oh no!” Pete hopped from foot to foot, his shorts flapping in the breeze. “Oh no!”
“Mama!” Phoenix patted Hana’s thigh in panic. “Un-cool Pete’s gonna poop stones! Quick, get the potty!” Anxiety made her grey eyes widen in fear and a sob escaped her rosebud lips.
“You’d better run across the paddock,” Wiri said, his face creasing into a grin. “She’s gonna skin yer alive.”
“Hana! You have to help me!” Pete squealed, his colour ashen. “Say you’re sick and I’m helping you. Say anything. Here, ring her back.” He shoved his phone into her stomach and Hana recoiled.
“No! I’m not lying for you, Pete. Logan rang me because he knew you wouldn’t believe him. We tried to tell you.” Hana pushed the phone away and pointed towards the school building in the distance. “Wiri’s right. You should run.”
“Hurt me!” Pete dropped to his knees. “Break a bone and then call the ambulance. Give me a good excuse. You have to help me.”
“I’m not breaking your bones!” Hana stepped back in horror, mortified to feel Pete’s knotty fingers gripping her jeans. “Get off me.”
“I’ll hurt ya.” Wiri put his rucksack down on the grass and stepped forward. “I’ll kick youse in the head. Let go of my ma or I’ll smash you good.”
Phoenix gave a sharp intake of breath and Hana came to her senses. “This is ridiculous! Wiri, pick up your bag; we’re going back to the house. Pete! Get up. Start taking responsibility for your actions!”
“No! No! You don’t understand!” Pete lurched for her legs and Hana stepped back, clattering Phoenix in her haste. Rage charged through her blood and her temper snapped.
“That’s enough!” She scooped up her daughter and breathed apologies into the side of the downy head, turning on her heel and hurrying towards the house in the distance. “Come on, Wiri!” she urged, glancing over her shoulder.
“Can’t I just give him a little slap?” Wiri protested as Pete hobbled along on his knobby knees, wailing like a sick cow.
“No!” Hana felt her heart rate increase and her breath came in short rasps as anger took hold. “Come here right now!” She balanced Phoenix on her left hip and snatched up Wiri’s wrist with her free hand. The short walk to the house seemed to take an age with the sound of Pete wailing behind her as he thrashed around in the grass. When the noise stopped abruptly, Hana turned and saw him running towards the school building, holding onto the bottom of his shorts with both hands. Wiri let out a snort of laughter which stuck in his throat as Hana glared at him.
“Nonie’s gone out,” Phoenix announced as they crossed the driveway. Hana fumbled in her pocket for the door key.
“How do you know?” She set the child down on the porch.
“Pa’s ute’s gone.” Wiri put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow. “Om. That’s naughty.”
“Yes, it is.” Hana fitted the key into the aged lock, hissing with annoyance as it wouldn’t turn.
“It’s unlocked.” Wiri stepped up and pushed the front door open. Hana’s blood ran cold at the sight of the unwelcome visitor standing in the hallway.