“Hey, bro!” The grey-eyed man turned as Wiri ran into his legs, hoisting him up into his muscular arms with ease. “Have you missed me?”
“Yes!” Wiri buried his face into his brother’s neck and Hana fought to keep the grimace from her face. “I thought you didn’t love me anymore.” The child’s voice sounded muffled against Asher’s sweater and his tiny knuckles showed white as he gripped around his neck.
“Egg!” Asher exclaimed. “You moved away from me, remember. I’m still where I always was.”
“Where’s the whānau?” Wiri asked, referring to his birth mother and father. “Did they come for me?”
Hana bit her lip and turned her face away from the child’s agony. She excused herself and carried Phoenix through to the kitchen. Caleb shifted out of her way on his crutches, something like guilt in his eyes. Hana gave him a filthy look and passed him, setting Phoenix on a kitchen chair. “Where’s Macky?” the little girl asked, pointing to the crumb littered high chair.
“With Nonie, hopefully,” Hana said, reaching for the kettle and filling it with cold water. “Would you like some afternoon tea?”
“No, Mama! I had pie, member?” Phoenix covered her mouth with a tiny hand and giggled at her mother’s error.
“Oh, yeah.” Hana forced a smile onto her face. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out and removed the screen lock. She winced at Logan’s unrepeatable text message, a litany of swear words punctuated by perfect grammar and punctuation. “I think Uncle Pete made it to the meeting,” she muttered and Phoenix nodded with fake understanding.
“I tired,” she said, yawning and rubbing her eyes. “Wanna go sleepies.”
Hana moved to soothe her daughter. “But you won’t sleep tonight,” she crooned, stroking the dark curls.
“I will. Wanna go bed.” Phoenix’s face creased and she squeezed her eyes closed. “Promise. I just tired.”
“Okay. Let’s lie on my bed,” Hana suggested. “We’ll cuddle for a while and I’ll wake you up for Dad coming home.”
Phoenix nodded and allowed Hana to pick her up. Her body felt like a dead weight as the busy day at kindy caught her up and stripped her of all remaining energy. Hana went out into the hallway and caught the tail end of a conversation. Asher balanced Wiri on his hip and stared at Caleb, his expression worried. “Where is it?” he asked and Caleb closed his mouth as Hana passed carrying her daughter.
“Excuse me,” she said with forced politeness, working her way between the teenagers. Asher watched her struggle, making no attempt to move and Hana gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to hurt him. Her skin prickled at his nearness, his sabotage of her home and business still uppermost in her mind.
“I’m hungry, Hana.” Wiri’s words cut deep and she steadied her breathing, his abandonment of her as a mother figure jarring and painful.
“You just had a pie,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. Without looking back, she crested the stairs and carried her daughter along the landing, closing the bedroom door with her foot. The upstairs of the old house felt like a silent graveyard and Hana shivered and laid Phoenix on the bed, pulling a woollen shawl around them both. The little girl snuggled into Hana and wrapped her tiny arms around her mother’s waist, providing comfort without meaning to.
Hana didn’t intend to fall asleep. The threat of Asher Du Rose in her home should have been enough of an impetus to remain alert. She woke with a start as darkness pushed into the bedroom, extracting herself from Phoenix’s arms. The scream escaped her lungs before she properly woke and Leslie jumped backwards, clutching Mac. “Nice!” Leslie snapped. “I’m not so ugly, am I?”
“Sorry, sorry!” Hana sat up and Phoenix uncurled from her ball, stretching and smiling at her grandmother. “You scared me. Why did you push your face into mine?”
“Macky gave you a kiss,” Leslie grumbled. “I thought I’d give you one too, but my bottom teeth kinda popped out at the last minute. We were looking for them.”
Hana turned sideways and saw Leslie’s bottom plate sitting on Logan’s pillow. She shrieked and moved away. Mac flapped his arms and giggled. Phoenix leaned over her mother and made a grab for them, almost succeeding as Hana batted her hands away.
“Is this a private orgy, or can anyone join?” Logan sounded tired and summoned up a wink for Phoenix as she reached out to him.
“Cuddles Papa.” She sat up and stretched her arms, squeezing her eyes closed in enjoyment as he reached down to hoist her up and onto his hip. Logan’s face creased into a look of disgust as Leslie grappled around on his pillowcase for her teeth. She shoved them back into her mouth and stood up with a smile. Mac giggled and reached out to put his finger in her mouth. Hana shook her head and watched Logan grow pale.
“Grab Mac.” His eyes widened and Hana opened her arms to her son, who plunged forward into her chest.
“He’s fine,” she whispered under her breath, turning and setting her feet on the floor. Leslie spun on her heel, yanking her underwear out of her bottom.
“Do you have to?” Logan bit, his expression threatening. “You chuck your choppers on my pillow and then dance around with your fingers up your...”
“Logan!” Hana’s voice held a warning and Phoenix pushed her thumb between her lips. “Not in front of the children.”
“I’ll make dinner.” Leslie shimmied from the room with her fingers seeking the source of the discomfort. Logan shoved the door closed behind her with the heel of his cowboy boot.
“Look at my pillow!” he groaned, pointing to the wet patch in the centre where his head usually rested. “Why’s she here, anyway?”
“What’s wrong, Logan?” Hana stood, cuddling Mac into her shoulder. He rubbed his nose against her neck and settled with his face tucked into her hair.
“I don’t want that kid here.” Logan stood in front of the window and stared into the darkening sky. Phoenix sucked her thumb and twirled a lock of her father’s dark hair. “I’ve got a bad feeling about him.”
Hana swallowed. “Sorry,” she conceded. “I jumped in with both feet and I made a mistake. I agree with you, but don’t know how to fix it. I can’t throw him out on the street with a broken leg, but I don’t want him here either.”
Logan turned to face her, his brow knitted in surprise. The scar beneath his right eye seemed to pulse in line with his heartbeat. “Did you just defer to me, Mrs Du Rose?” A smirk lit his mouth, tugging it upwards on one side. His teeth grazed his lower lip and he looked away.
“I know you’re laughing at me.” Hana pouted, tossing her red hair in defiance. Mac giggled as the fiery tresses stroked his face. “I can’t put my finger on it but he’s up to something.”
Logan nodded, his expression tired. “With Asher. I saw the loser drive away as I walked across the soccer pitch.” He turned to face her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why did you park the truck, so it blocked the road? The principal bawled me out on the phone. She left before the faculty meetings started and complained because she needed to mount the curb to drive through the gate.”
“I didn’t,” Hana began, the realisation crossing her face as her sentence ended. “Leslie used it. I walked to get the children from school and when I got back, she’d taken Macky out somewhere.”
Logan sighed. “I wish you’d done it. Leslie won’t listen to a word I say.” He laid his daughter on the bed and tickled her tummy, resorting to baby-talk for his next statement. “Now all we need to do is get rid of our unwanted house guests and life can go back to normal.”