He studies the menu. “Chicken wings, maybe.”
“Hmm.” I nod. “Sounds great but we’ll have to make sure we ask for them plain, not spicy.”
“Yeah.” He shakes his little head. “Definitely not spicy.”
“Will, you getting the ribs with me?” I keep looking at the menu. “Oh, we have to get the Yam Taters.”
She concentrates as she reads the menu. “Yam Taters? This food is weird.”
“I know, it’s great isn’t it?” I smile. “What are you getting, Mr. Masters?”
He frowns as he peruses the menu. “Food poisoning, no doubt.”
I roll my eyes. “Will you stop being such a killjoy? Just pick something.”
“Chilli Tex Mex.” He closes the menu.
I giggle. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, why?”
“You have no idea how hot that could be.”
He smirks. “My dear Miss Brielle. May I remind you that I like my life extra hot.” I smile down at the table. He’s being a bit flirty tonight.
“If you have an upset stomach all night long, don’t be blaming or calling me,” I tease.
The children both laugh and Julian rolls his eyes.
“Oh, look, the horse.” Sammy smiles excitedly as he looks out to the backyard.
“Do you want to go see?” Will asks.
“Can we?” Sam asks me.
“Of course.” I smile.
They both get up and disappear out the back, leaving Julian and I to watch them in silence for a while.
“Thanks for coming tonight,” Julian says. “I’m not sure how to handle this whole thing.”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to go out this weekend.” “Why not?”
“I want to stay with Will.”
“Oh, so you’ll stay home for her, not me?” he teases.
“That’s right.” I smile as I watch his eyes hold mine. He’s so lost in all this Will business, he has no idea what to do for the best. “I thought maybe we could do something fun, both on Saturday and Sunday. You know, to try and take her mind off it all.”
He nods as his eyes drop to the table.
“Did you think any more about getting them a kitten?” I ask hopefully.
His eyes snap up to mine. “I don’t want pets, Bree. We go away a lot. The children stay at mother’s every Thursday.” He frowns.
“The cat can go with them.”
He shakes his head. “No.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
The waitress comes over and we order the meals and drinks, and then she disappears through the crowd once more.
“What do you want to do all weekend then?” he asks.
“Whatever you want.”
His eyes darken as they hold mine. “Whatever I want isn’t on the menu at home.”
“Why not?”
He shakes his head. “Because it needs to be kept separate.”
“Why?”
“It just does.”
The kids bounce back to the table, interrupting our conversation, and we fall quiet again.
I watch the bucking bull trying to throw somebody off. “Who wants to come watch me ride that bucking bull?” I ask.
Julian’s face falls.
“Yes,” both kids squeal.
I stand. “Come on then.”
“You’re not going on that death trap, Bree. I forbid it,” he suddenly snaps. “Sit back down this minute.”
“It’s completely safe.” I huff.
He glances over at it as it picks up speed, and he shakes his head in a panic. “No. No. You’re not allowed. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I’m not going to get hurt, pussy boy.” I smirk as I walk off, watching the kids rush ahead.
He stands abruptly. “Bree!” he barks.
I turn to him. “What?”
“Please. I really don’t want you to go on it.”
“Look at you, getting all protective.”
“This isn’t funny.”
I grin. “Yeah, it kind of is. Loosen up, Jules.”
He exhales heavily and follows me down the steps. “I’m not taking you to the hospital if you die.”
“Good. I would expect to be taken to the mortuary anyway.” I smile. “Christ all fucking mighty.”
Ten minutes later, I’m sitting on the bucking bull as it begins to slowly circle. Willow and Sammy are bouncing up and down, but Julian looks like he is about to throw up. I give them a wave and laugh out loud.
“Go, Brell!” Willow shouts.
I put my hand up in the air, pretending to swing a rope, and then throw a lasso over them. Julian pinches the bridge of his nose, exasperated.
It only makes me laugh more. I’m so embarrassing to him.
The bull picks up speed and I hang on with my thighs. The kids scream and Julian puts his hands on the top of his head, fear-stricken. The bull begins to buck but I still hold on.
The kids are chanting and I’m laughing out loud.
Julian’s eyes are like saucers as I go around and around, up and down. I can hear Sammy squealing with laughter. Suddenly, the bull becomes really violent and I begin to get thrown around.
“Oh my God,” I hear Julian cry. “Stop it, this minute,” he yells at the controller.
“No, don’t!” I cry with laughter.
All at once it lurches forward and I’m thrown from the bull, down onto the cushions. I land hard on my back, staring up at the sky.
Ouch… that hurt.
Julian rushes over me. “Are… are you injured?” he stammers as he looks down, filled with worry.
I laugh up at him. “That was so much fun.” He grabs my hand and pulls me up, helping me dust the straw from my body. “I’m going to do it again,” I tease.
“Over my dead body,” he growls, grabbing my hand and dragging me back to the table. The kids fall in behind us, hysterical with laughter.
“Children, control your lunatic nanny.” He guzzles his Corona straight from the bottle. “She’s completely out of control.”
I laugh and pick up my beer, holding his gaze as I sip it slowly.
“Behave yourself,” he mouths.
I throw him a cheeky wink. “Now it’s your turn to dice with death, Mr. Masters,” I tease.
“How so?”
With perfect timing, the waitress places his meal down in front of him. There’s a huge pile of meat stew filled with green and red chillies on his plate, and a dollop of sour cream on the top. It’s so hot, steam is rising from it.
The four of us all stare down at it in silence.
He frowns and looks back up at me. “Maybe the bucking bull was the safer option.”
“Don’t worry.” I grin. “I’ll take you to the mortuary.”
Julian
“Spotto!” Brielle calls.
“Huh.” I frown over at her in the passenger seat. It’s Saturday afternoon and we’re driving through the countryside. I have a surprise for the children. We went to football practice this morning, then to the park to play ball. I can confirm that Brielle Johnston is a complete and utter maniac.
She laughs and jokes constantly, never taking herself seriously for a single moment. She always knows exactly how to make fun in every situation.
No wonder my children adore her. Just being around her is addictive because she oozes with happiness.
I’ve never known anyone quite like her.
“What is Spotto?” I ask.
Her eyes widen as she watches me. “You’ve never played Spotto before?”
I shake my head and she turns in her seat to the children. “Oh my God, have either of you played it?”
They both shake their heads.
She throws her arms up in the air. “This is unbelievable. Do you all live under a rock?”
We remain silent, waiting for her, no doubt long-winded, explanation.
“So, when you are driving and you see a yellow car, you have to be the first person to yell Spotto.”
I scowl harder. “What for?”
“Because that’s the game. You have to be the first to spot the yellow cars.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Good grief, you must be hard up for entertainment in Australia.”
The three of them giggle.
“Oh.” She holds up her finger. “And…” She turns back to talk to the children. “If you see a yellow Volkswagen, you need to yell punch buggy.”
My eyes flicker between her and the road. “Punch buggy?”
“Yep. Because you then get to punch the person sitting next to you in the arm as hard as you can.”
“Yes.” Willow laughs from the back. “I’m spotting one of these babies.”
I chuckle and shake my head.
What next?