The motorbike roared up to the front of the house, Nathaniel’s tall, lean body on the front, Tash’s small, lean body holding tight to him on the back.
Fazire did not like motorbikes. He had not liked Will’s and he did not like Nathaniel’s. What was in Lily’s head when she bought that bike, Fazire did not know. To Fazire, motorbikes were certain death on two wheels.
After her father stopped the bike, turned it off and shoved down the stand, Tash jumped off the back and pulled off her helmet like she’d been doing the exact same thing every day since the day she was born.
Fazire, Laura, Victor and Lily were standing at the front of the house watching the father and daughter pair. Lily went forward as Tash ran to her.
“Did you like it, doll baby?” Lily asked as she arrived at her daughter.
“I loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it!” Tash cried, throwing her arms around Lily and jumping up and down, shaking Lily with her excitement. Then she stopped jumping and she leaned back, her arms still around Lily’s waist. “I tried to make him go faster but Daddy wouldn’t, no matter how much I begged and pleaded,” she finished dramatically.
“Thank goodness for that,” Laura muttered, with feeling, under her breath.
Fazire’s eyes turned to Laura and they shared their first look of complete accord.
“Your turn,” Fazire heard Nathaniel’s deep voice say and his eyes moved back to the tall man and he saw that Nathaniel was looking at Lily.
“Oh no,” Lily said, backing up a step then two, “I’m too old for bikes.”
“Oh Mummy, you must go! You must!” Tash cried, rounding her mother and putting both hands on Lily’s behind and pushing forward while Lily still retreated, Nathaniel advancing on her.
“Nate –” Lily said warningly and Fazire understood why. Nathaniel’s face had a set look and he was grinning.
Fazire sighed.
Lily was going to be next on the bike.
Fazire heard a squeal, quickly followed by another one as Nathaniel made it to Lily and lifted her up, swinging her around and with quick, long strides he carried her toward the bike. The first squeal was Lily’s, the second squeal was Tash’s and the little girl was jumping up and down again, clapping.
“Go Daddy, go!” she encouraged.
“Don’t forget her helmet!” Laura called, turning to rush into the house.
“On their first date, he took her on his bike,” Victor said beside him and Fazire’s eyes moved to the man at his side. Victor sounded like he was talking to himself and Fazire realised this was true when he saw the faraway look on Victor’s face. “He never brought her back and I knew he wouldn’t. That night, after he called to tell me she wasn’t coming home, I never would have thought it would have ended so soon.” Abruptly, Victor stopped speaking.
Whether this was because the pain of the memory or something else, Fazire didn’t know but something flashed on the other man’s face as he watched the pair and Fazire’s eyes swung back to Nathaniel and Lily.
“Oh my –” Laura breathed, now back and holding Lily’s helmet.
Nathaniel was zipping his leather jacket on Lily and for some reason Fazire saw this brought tears to Lily’s eyes. After Nathaniel was done with the zipper, Lily threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Not a soft, demure kiss but a kiss the like little Tash shouldn’t see. Surprisingly, because Fazire knew Nathaniel was very careful with these sensitive, private matters, Nathaniel’s arms closed around Lily, pulling her deep into his body, his head slanted and it became a kiss that little Tash really shouldn’t see.
“Fucking hell,” Victor murmured words Tash shouldn’t hear but she’d heard a lot of them that day also from her father.
Fazire’s arm shot out and he pulled Tash to him and covered her eyes with his hand.
“Fazire!” Tash shouted, trying to yank his hand away and Lily and Nathaniel realised what they were about, their lips disengaged, though their arms didn’t, and the pair looked at their audience.
Fazire could see Lily blush.
“There are children in attendance,” Fazire snapped across the expanse, dropping his hand from Tash’s eyes.
Nathaniel’s gaze sliced to Fazire but other than that he made no response.
“Fazire!” Tash shouted again, planted her hands on her h*ps and gave him a pouty look. He glared right back at her. They were locked in a staring contest which Fazire would win because he had lots of practice with Becky, Lily and seven years with Tash not to mention, he was immortal so he had all the time in the world.
Laura moved forward with the helmet and Tash lost the contest as she turned, crossed her arms on her chest and looked toward her parents.
“Can you let Tash read to you tonight? We might be awhile,” Nathaniel said to his mother.
“Of course,” Laura replied, clearly pleased with the offer to spend more time with her granddaughter.
Nathaniel turned to Natasha and he didn’t have to say a word. She ran forward and gave goodnight hugs and kisses. The one to Lily was a hug about the waist and a kiss from her mother who bent down to do it. Nathaniel lifted her up, Tash wrapped her arms and legs around him and kissed him soundly on the mouth before she pressed her cheek to his shoulder and, after a few moments locked together with Lily looking on, a smile on her face, Nathaniel set her down.
Then Tash stepped back to hold Laura’s hand. Nathaniel got on the bike, Lily got on behind him, wrapped her arms around him tightly, put her chin on his shoulder and they shot from the curb far faster and far, far more dangerously than he’d gone when Tash was on the bike with him.
“He’s the bomb,” Tash whispered, watching them go.
Fazire had had enough. He turned to Victor.
“We must speak,” he announced.
Then without waiting for Victor to reply, Fazire stomped into the house, down the stairs into their new family room.
It was just like the old family room except it had a bigger, fluffier, more attractive corner couch with a big ottoman in the front that could sleep three small, active children. Fazire liked this couch, the old one was comfortable but he could retire on this couch. This couch was more comfortable than the hundreds of cushions that made his bottle a home. There also was an enormous flat screen television set affixed to the wall. Fazire liked this television too. His Westerns came alive on that television. Clint Eastwood looked like he was actually in the room. There were also nicer, sturdier, more attractive bookshelves and more of them so he could have much more space to fill photo albums and put framed pictures.