The Girl Who Lied(50)

‘Leave them alone, Joe,’ called Bex. ‘Now come back in here, your daughter wants her nappy changing.’

Kerry left his cousin to it. He loved the relationship Joe and Bex had and he hoped that one day he’d find someone he was as comfortable with. Someone he’d like to have a family with. Despite his own fractured relationship with his mother, the thought of his own family one day warmed him. If he had learned anything from his mother, it was how not to mother. He would love his own children forever, unconditionally. He had absolutely no doubt about that. He would never treat his children the way he had been treated by his mother. He used the term loosely. Being pregnant and giving birth might give a woman the right to be called a mother, but there was far more to it than that.

He cursed to himself. He could feel his mood beginning to drop. Just thinking about his mother could do that to him. He made a conscious effort to put all thoughts of the woman out of his mind. He didn’t want it to darken the day. He was looking forward to spending some time with Erin.

Kerry walked up Corkscrew Lane, heading towards the new estate where Fiona and Sean Keane lived and where he was meeting Erin. It had been a spontaneous idea to invite Erin and all the kids out for the afternoon, after he’d called into the café that morning and caught her looking through a small pocket photo album. She had shoved it in her pocket when she saw him approaching the counter.

‘What you got there?’ said Kerry.

‘Nothing,’ she said and then when Kerry had raised his eyebrows, she had taken it out again. ‘It’s just a small album with pictures of Sophie and Molly. Fiona sends me photos and regular updates.’

‘Do you miss your family being so far away?’

At first Kerry thought she was going to tell him to mind his own business, but she must have changed her mind. ‘Yes. Yes, I do miss them,’ she said. ‘Very much. When I see you with Storm and Breeze, it makes me wish I could take the girls out and do normal things with them.’

‘And what’s stopping you?’

‘I’m not here very much, am I?’

‘But you are now,’ said Kerry. ‘Why don’t we have, what is it they call it these days, a play date? You bring the girls out and I’ll bring Storm. We can go down the beach or to the woods. Take a picnic. You know, the sort of thing you do with kids. What do you say?’

A smile spread across her face. ‘I say I’d like that very much.’

And so they had arranged this play date. Although Kerry had to admit, he was probably looking forward to it far more than Storm was. He wondered what Erin felt about it. He had definitely sensed something between them the other day after the bike ride and back at the barbecue, when she had come out of the bathroom. Not only had she had to put up with Dick-Ed, but Roisin had been spoiling for a fight too. Kerry sensed there was history between Roisin and Erin, history that he was unaware of. He knew that Erin had dated Roisin’s brother, but there was something else he was, as yet, unaware of.

They soon reached the new estate where Fiona lived. Any doubts that Erin wasn’t looking forward to it were dispelled as soon as he turned into their road. Erin and the girls were waiting in the front garden for him. Erin was sitting on the doorstep but jumped up and waved at him. Her smile lifted his heart.

Erin gathered the girls up and met him halfway up the road.

‘Hey, there,’ she said. She was carrying a small rucksack. ‘I’ve got us a few snacks. It’s not a huge picnic but it will do us fine.’

‘What? No hamper today with Champagne and vol-au-vents?’ He put his hands on his hips and gave her his best old-fashioned look.

‘Oh, don’t,’ said Erin, rolling her eyes. ‘That’s so embarrassing. Look, let’s make a deal. No talk about the barbecue or Ed.’ She held out her hand.

Kerry shook it. ‘Deal.’

‘Okay, girls, hold my hand. One each side,’ said Erin. ‘Storm, you keep hold of Kerry’s hand. Make sure he doesn’t wander off into the road.’

They made their way to a sheltered part of the beach. It wasn’t quite a cove, but the hollow in the coastline gave shelter from the sea breeze, which could be fierce at times.

Erin spread a blanket out on the sand and took out the snacks from the rucksack. The beach bag contained the buckets and spades.

‘Has Storm got sun cream on?’ said Erin, making sure Molly’s sun hat was securely in place on the little girl’s head.

‘Yep. Bex said she’d already done it.’ Kerry slipped off his trainers and stood up to undo his trousers. ‘Who wants to go for a paddle?’