All The Lost Years by Joanne Ryan

Author:Joanne Ryan [Ryan, Joanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tamarillas Press
Published: 2021-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

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I close the front door on Douglas and heave a sigh of relief. Thank God he’s gone and that’s over with.

‘That didn’t go too badly, did it?’ I say to Kayla as we go into the kitchen and open the back door to let Rocky in.

‘No,’ Kayla says quietly.

Rocky is sitting outside waiting patiently and his tail starts to wag frantically as he trots into the kitchen. He follows me over to the counter where I keep his dog treats and sits down and waits, his tail swishing from side to side. I give him a treat and it’s swallowed in one gulp so I give him another which gets the same treatment.

‘Slow down, Rocky,’ I say, with a laugh. I feel suddenly light-hearted and the knot in my stomach that was there before Douglas arrived finally unravels.

I knew that Kayla would come across well to Douglas; she speaks well and he would have no reason to dislike her, she is the very opposite of a stroppy teenager. My own experience with teenagers is very limited, my most recent being with my brief acquaintance with Chester next door who is probably not a good example at all.

When Douglas asked her about her art course, Kayla’s enthusiasm shone through. When he attempted to ask her why she was using the rent-a-room scheme I stepped in and stopped him, surprising myself with my bravery. I didn’t want him interrogating her the way he does me, she doesn’t have to explain herself to him. I told him that her reasons were private and that we had no need to know what they were. Douglas made no secret of the fact that he didn’t like being told to mind his own business and I’ve no doubt that when Prue visits us she’ll attempt the same line of questioning.

‘Right,’ I say, as Rocky waits in vain for more treats. ‘Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what shall we have for supper?’

‘Do you think,’ Kayla asks, thoughtfully. ‘That he’ll get his wife to check up on me?’

‘Of course not,’ I lie, trying to prevent her from worrying.

‘Really?’ Kayla’s eyes search my face and I find that I can’t lie to her.

‘She will,’ I admit. ‘Most definitely. Probably first thing in the morning, if I know her.’

‘So then she’ll know all about me and from what you’ve said about her she’ll be straight round here to throw me out.’

‘She can’t throw you out,’ I say. ‘This is my house and I decide who stays here, not Prue.’

Kayla is silent. She pulls out a chair from underneath the table and sits down.

‘What’s wrong?’ I sit down in the chair opposite and face her.

Kayla shrugs.

‘Please, tell me.’

She lets out a big sigh. ‘It’s just that I like staying here with you and I don’t want to leave. Rocky likes it here, too.’

‘You don’t have to leave,’ I say. ‘Whatever gives you the idea that you’ll have to leave?’

‘Your nephew. He doesn’t want me here and when his wife finds out about me they’ll make me leave.

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