“I found the upstairs scary. She had Toby jugs on the stairs and she loved them, but to me they had weird faces. The house was always cold, and Mum had told me that she’d seen a ghost there, so I never went upstairs unless it was with my nan. That’s it really. I was never there on a regular basis and when I was I didn’t play out much in the garden, because my nan always had games for us to play, or baking for us to do, or the weather was rubbish. Or she’d have bought me a new toy and some comics. I only ever played out once in the front garden which seemed like a huge adventure, and occasionally in the back one. But mainly, on nice days, Nan took me to the park. We’d go down there and then on the way back she’d buy me a pick ‘n’ mix from the shop.” I smiled wistfully. “They were good times.”
I took a drink from my bottle. The wine was starting to take the edge off and I knew I needed to be careful not to completely unburden myself to this man who for some reason made talking come easy. I felt entirely comfortable with him, which was bizarre because at other times he made me feel anything but. At other times I felt like he could consume me body and soul.
“So what about you? What was growing up in a family with five siblings like?”
“Happy chaos, up until that fateful day.” He dipped into the bag of remaining marshmallows and ate one untoasted. While he chewed he looked thoughtful.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”
He shrugged. “The house was always busy, everyone getting ready for school, fighting for the two bathrooms. Mum did her best to have everything organised, but we were kids. One of us would drop our lunchbox, the contents spilling out on the kitchen floor; there’d be one of us come home from school missing something we’d gone with. Could be a pen, could be a sweater. It’s only when you look back on things as an adult that you realise it must have been stressful. But then again, no one told my mother to have six kids, did they? Dad said she loved being pregnant. Just hadn’t really thought about the reality, I guess. It’s got to take a certain type of person to walk completely away from their family and never look back.”
“I’m sorry, Milo.”
“Don’t be. I’ll never understand why. Why she couldn’t just tell my dad that she’d had enough of it. That he needed to be home more. Why she just chose to up and leave, but I made my peace with not having a mum a long time ago. My dad’s amazing, and how our family work together as a unit is incredible. Once we got used to her absence she wasn’t missed.”
I found that hard to believe but I didn’t press further. Milo had clearly drawn a line over things and shut down to protect himself and I knew what that was like because I’d done it myself.
“I’ve not visited my mother since she stabbed my father. She asks me to go, sends me visiting passes occasionally, but I don’t go.” I took a deep breath. “Because I’m scared the woman I’d see is not my mother. My mother had a temper, and she liked a drink, but she never showed signs she could actually try to kill someone. I feel like now I never knew her, not really. That’s how it seems to me.”
Milo looked into my eyes. “And that’s how I feel about mine too.”
We were quiet then a while, staring into the fire. I was lost in thoughts of my past and no doubt Milo was too.
When we started chatting again it was back to my plans for my house. “So how about you? Any plans to get your own place?”
“Nope. For now I’m fine where I am. I have everything I need and living at home means I can bank a large part of my wages for the future.”
“And is that for anything in particular?” I pressed.
“For my future family. The family I will have but don’t have yet.”
Once again I felt my stomach twist at his words. Imagining him with a wife and kids. Knowing how protective and loving he’d be.
“Oh yeah.” I couldn’t help but push. “What are you hoping for?”
For once, Milo didn’t meet my eyes. He stared at the fire as he spoke. “A beautiful, loving wife who can do whatever she wants as far as I’m concerned. I’ll always want to know that she’s content. I want kids, to have none would be a deal breaker for me, but one or a dozen, that would be up to my wife. I want enough money behind me for a rainy day or a sunny right now, but mainly I just want all of us to love each other every damn day.”
I wiped at my eye. “You made me cry, Milo Waite, you big softy. Whoever that lady is, she’s blessed.”
Now he did look at me and he grinned. “Definitely, because I’m blessed if you get what I’m saying.”
“Milo Waite. One minute I’m thinking what a great guy you are and the next you lower the tone.” I shook my head. “Right, I’m going to make a move. Are you sure you’re staying out here?”
“Can I just be clear on your meaning?” He pouted. “You’re going to ‘make a move’ and you’re asking me if I’m staying outside. While I’m sure you mean you’re going inside and do I want to go back to my own house, I want to make sure I’m not missing out on an invitation.” He smirked.
I picked up the marshmallow packet and threw the remaining ones at him.
“Princess… you know what happened when you threw polystyrene pieces at me.” He wiggled his fingers.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. But just to make it clear. I’m going to bed—alone—and I’m telling you I will be fine and you can return to your own home.”
He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “You go to bed and I’ll be out here all night should I be needed. Then if you manage the whole night as I’m sure you will, then tomorrow I will pack up my tent and return home and you can be the independent woman you want to be. But for one night only, Milo Waite is in the house. Well, outside the house.”
I chewed on my top lip a moment. “I feel awful you being outside. Do you want to bring your sleeping bag inside?”
“Nope, because then you’re not being independent. This is what’s happening so go get yourself inside and get a good night’s sleep because we have another busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“Okay. Well, goodnight, Milo, and thank you.”
I blame the wine for what I did next. I walked over to Milo, leaned down and kissed his cheek. My lips brushed the stubble on his chin and my body sparked like I was about to ignite. Before he could say or do anything I moved towards the house.
“Night, Milo.” I repeated.
“Night, Princess.” He replied.
I took another shower to rid the smell of smoke from my body, put on my pyjamas, and returned downstairs. I looked out of the kitchen window. Milo had put the fire out and there was no sign of him, the tent zipped up.
Crawling into my bed and letting thoughts run through my mind, I couldn’t lie. The fact he was outside made me feel safe and when I heard the different creaks of my new home, this time I wasn’t afraid of them. I fell more or less straight to sleep and slept right through to the alarm on my mobile phone going off at seven am.
I pottered about the house after getting dressed until I heard movement outside at just after eight. As I opened the door, Milo turned around, stopping putting the tent away. He walked over and high-fived me.
“You did it, Princess. Slept in the castle all night.”
“Well I did have a white knight in the grounds protecting me. Thank you, Milo. It really did help.”
“And do you think you’ll manage tonight on your own?”
I nodded. “I know I will. I’m getting used to the place now. Plus, I’m not expecting the ceiling to fall on my head now which helps a lot.”
“Let’s get your garden and bedroom done today. We’ll soon have you with some semblance of a normal home.”
“Sounds good. So, cuppa? And are there any sandwich shops open on a Sunday morning?”
“There’ll be another cooked breakfast on at ours.”
I tensed up.
“Please come around. The quicker you face my dad, the quicker the tension and awkwardness is over, because I’m not kidding, he’s going to come a
round here anyway. My dad does not leave things unattended. Not after what happened with my mum.”
I sighed. It did need sorting. “Okay. You go home first and do whatever you need to do. Then check out that it is okay for me to come for breakfast, and I’ll brave it.”
“Good girl.”
“I’m a woman, Milo Waite, not a girl.”
“Oh I’m well aware of that, Violet Blake.” He winked and turned to get back on with packing up his things.
It took me three attempts to get out of the house to go to the Waite house. I wasn’t sure I was actually going to be able to eat. It was only when I spied Josh Waite at his side of where the gate used to be that I locked my door behind me and moved forwards.
“Violet. I am so damn sorry about my outburst.”
I wanted to say it was okay, but it wasn’t okay. “I’m not my family. I don’t even see my uncle.”
“I know, and even if you saw him daily, you’re right, it’s not your doing. Though I realise it’s not an excuse, it was shock that made me react like I did. I am so very sorry. You are more than welcome in my house at any time.”
“Thank you, and although I’m not to blame, I am sorry for what you’ve had to go through. I do understand why my surprise appearance would have caused the shock.”
“Can we start again? I make a mean breakfast.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
What I wasn’t expecting was for Josh Waite to embrace me in a big fatherly hug. “I hear from Milo that your own dad is in Norfolk. Any time you need anything, my door is open.” He released me and gave me a big beaming smile. I smiled back feeling a hundred kinds of awkward. I saw where Milo got his hurricane ways from now.
But I followed him into the house and indeed enjoyed a mean breakfast. It was absolutely delicious and nice to be accepted as part of the huge rabble of people around the table.
“I’ll come plaster that living room ceiling this afternoon.” Juliet told me as I enjoyed a cup of coffee.
“Thank you, but anytime is fine. I don’t expect you to work on weekends or put me higher up the queue.”
“Hey, the quicker we get that house sorted, the sooner I can come round for wine and gossip.” She elbowed me and lowered her voice. “Especially all the goss about you and him.” She tilted her head towards Milo who was washing up.
“There is no ‘me and him’.”
“If you say so.”
I began to protest further but then found Milo had turned around and was staring at me. “Quinn’s just arrived, Princess.”
I thanked everyone for breakfast and headed back out towards my own garden. Milo followed behind me.
“I can walk to my own home you know?”
“I do know. I also know that I’m concreting under the window so I need to know what the plans are.”
Holding a hand up to my forehead, I groaned. “I don’t know how you put up with my ungrateful arse. I totally forgot you’d agreed to do that.”
“I put up with it because it’s a very pert, hugely enjoyable to look at, ungrateful arse.” He replied, deliberately falling into step behind me. “Oh yeah, it is indeed.” He said a minute later.
I decided to ignore him and concentrate on meeting up with Quinn.
“Morning, you two. Did you stay over there last night? Can’t blame you while your place needs fixing up. I’ve a spare room too if needed.”
“It’s not needed.” Milo kind of growled out.
“Because I stayed in my own house. Milo’s dad kindly cooked me breakfast this morning. Thank you so much for helping with the garden today. Now, Milo. Are you up for working with Quinn and getting this garden done or do you need to be inside working?” My inference was clear, one more Neanderthal move and you’re out.
“Outside. Let’s get this garden done and dusted.” Milo’s own inference was clear, done and dusted and Quinn gone.
“So, what’s the plan?” Quinn asked looking around.
“A bit of concrete or paving under the window, but can we somehow keep the patch of mint because it’s been there for years, my nan grew it. And some lawn please.”
Quinn went in his pocket and took out a small plain notepad and a pencil and he began sketching. He drew a paved area under the window, a raised bed around the mint, and two sections of lawn, separated by a path that ran from my side gate, up the centre of the garden and then diagonal to where the access to the Waite family’s house was.
“This will stop everything from being square. I’ll add some bedding areas around to break things up.” He noted the alarm in my face. “Easy maintenance shrubs, and I’ll put black hessian down underneath to suppress weeds. The shrubs are free. I have cuttings I’ve grown on in my greenhouse. The turf is free, left over from a previous job. All you need are the building materials.”
“And I’ve asked for a favour and got the slabs you need free, so I think all we need are drinks to keep us going, Vi, please.”
He’d called me Vi. Not Princess, not babe. Vi. Hmm.
“I wonder why there was a gate put between your two houses.” Quinn mused.
“We share a drain. Look, it’s overgrown but it’s there.” Milo pointed.
“Indeed there is. Oh and I’d hoped there was some gossip there about some connection between the two families. A forbidden love affair or something.”
Milo’s chin tightened. I quickly butted in. “What a vivid imagination. Right, so what will it be, tea, coffee, water, or juice?” And a chill pill for Milo.
Finn walked through the gate with Cal and Silas. “Right, I’m back to sort pipes, Cal is here for you to tell him where you’d like extra sockets, and Silas is here to look pretty.”
“Piss off, although yeah I do.” Silas turned to me. “Here to be put to work, Miss Blake. Any painting help required?”
“I can’t start on the walls yet because of the extra sockets which’ll need plastering, but maybe we could start painting some ceilings?”
“On it.” He tipped an imaginary cap at me and walked into the house.
My phone buzzed and I looked to see I had a message from my dad.
Are you still alive? I asked you to let me know when you were settled.
After making sure everyone had drinks, I went inside and sat on my stairs as I dialled his number.
“Hey, Pops.”
“Hey, sweetheart. You are alive then?”
“Yeah, sorry, Dad. I kept meaning to text and then kept forgetting. It’s been very busy here.”
“So how is the old place?”
“A mess. Whoever had it last made a pig’s ear of it, but do you remember the Waites across the garden? They’re all in the house renovation business now and they’re helping me. I’m paying them but they’re doing far more than I’m paying them to. I think they feel sorry for me.”
“The Waites, huh. I’m surprised they’re being gracious with what your uncle did.”
“You know about that?” Surprise hit my voice.
“Of course. Your nan had a bit of a breakdown over it all. She’d lived in that house a long time and your uncle created quite a scandal. It was only the fact that Josh Waite told people in no uncertain terms that they needed to shut their mouths for the sake of his kids who were suffering enough that meant people stopped gossiping pretty quickly. And your nan and the Waites never communicated again.
“That’s got to have hurt. Nan didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Well, they only spoke politely when they saw each other beforehand. They’d not been good friends or anything; but to your nan, reputation was everything. I’m just glad she passed before your mother started her knife throwing act.”
“Dad!”
“Gotta joke about it, kiddo. It happened. She been in touch at all?”
“No. I have my mail redirected but there’s been nothing, thank goodness.”
“You know I’m okay if you want to go see her, right? I’d understand. She’s still your mum.”
I exhaled deeply. “No, sh
e’s not. I don’t know who she is and I don’t want anything to do with her. I’ll never forgive her for what she did to you.”
“Well she’s paying for it now. In a jail cell with no husband or daughter. She sends me letters still.”
“Really? Begging for forgiveness?”
“I don’t read them anymore. I just throw them in the trash. She’s my past, and actually, that’s one of the things I’m wanting to talk to you about.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ve been dating. Six months now. She’s called Paula. Runs a bakery. Lovely woman.”
“You sly old dog. You never said a word.”
“I’ve taken it slow, Vi. Really slow. She knows my past and she gets it. Plus, the bakery keeps her busy so she’s happy with that pace. But I feel like it could go somewhere so I wanted to let you know.”
“You deserve to be happy again, Dad. I’m pleased for you.”
“Yes, well you do too. Look out for someone who can give you the love you deserve, baby girl, Don’t close that big heart off just because of your mum and Jay, okay? Promise me?”
“I promise, Dad. But I’m not ready yet.”
“Well, when you are, do what I’ve done. Take it slow. But don’t come to a complete stop, Vi. We all need someone to love and to love us.”
“I love you, Dad.”
“And I love you, sweetheart, but I want to know you have someone looking after you in Willowfield. Someone whose arms can keep you warm at night.”
“I cannot believe what a soppy romantic you still are given what happened to you.”
“She tried to kill my body, she dulled my heart, but she’ll never kill my joy at living. If anything, she made it stronger by the fact she almost took it away. Your heart beats, Vi, and none of us know how long it’ll beat for, so make the most of every damn day, and if love presents itself again, you take a chance.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Right, so tell me about the state of the house.”
I stay in the hallway for half an hour chatting to my dad about my new home and enjoying hearing his familiar voice. When I eventually end the call I feel hopeful for the future. I’m so pleased that he seems to have found someone to make his own life happier.
Waiting For Milo: THE WAITE FAMILY - BOOK ONE Page 8