Page 40 of Just Say (Hell) No

“No helpful grandmother?”

His fingers stilled on the strings for a moment, then started up again. “Yeh. My Amona. My dad’s mum. She’s not so mobile anymore, though, and she doesn’t like leaving the farm much. Never been off the mainland since she married my grandfather. Sixty years ago now.”

Something different in his voice. “Your granddad’s gone, I guess. I’m sorry. But doesn’t she come see you play?”

“A few times. Christchurch, Dunedin. But she never liked going. Never mind. She doesn’t have to.”

Protectiveness. That was what she heard. “I think,” she said, “that I may have been wrong about you.”

“Nah. Probably not. Any South Island boy’s likely to be a family man. A quiet man. In the blood, isn’t it.”

“Basque.”

“Among other things.”

The song ended, and he didn’t start another one. She stood up, gathered her silk dressing gown around her, shook back her hair, and said, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Maybe for not chucking me out. Maybe for letting me take a wee peek inside that locked box.”

“Best not look too long,” he said. “Could be dangerous.”

“Like looking at the sun.”

“No,” he said. “That’d be you.”

Something squeezed in her chest, and the tears pricked behind her eyes. “I’ll say good night, then. See you in the morning.”

“Good night,” he said. “Nyree.”

Marko was late getting home the next evening. He’d run a couple errands first.

At least he could get into the driveway tonight. He was hauling his burdens up the stone steps when he had to retreat again, because there was a whole family coming out his front door.

“Hi,” he said. “You took the plunge, eh. Evening, Kate.”

It was Koti’s family. He had the black dog on a leash and Maia by the other hand. The little girl concentrated on getting to the bottom of the steps, then told Marko, “We gots a doggie. His name is Blackie. I can pat him over and over, ’cause he is mine.”

“Sweet as,” Marko said. “Going to be your good mate, sounds like.”

Koti told his daughter, “She’s a girl doggie, remember?” He told Marko, “And don’t say it. I didn’t get a vote on the name.”

“That’s what you get,” Kate said, “for letting Maia and me choose.”

“Stay on for a bit, if you like,” Marko said. “We could do a takeaway.” Why were they here?

“Nah,” Koti said. “Bedtime. We just came by to show Nyree that we got, ah, Blackie, and to get some advice. I didn’t realize she’d be exactlyhere.With you. Color me surprised, cuz. That’s some fast work.”

“She’s staying with Ella,” Marko said. “As my cousin’s come to live with me for a few months, and she needs the company.”

Koti exchanged a look with Kate that Marko didn’t miss, then said, “Right. Moving on. Am I old enough to know what that thing is, or am I going to wish I hadn’t asked? At the moment, my mind’s boggling.”

Marko had long since set it down. It was heavy. “Cat, ah… gym. Cat gym.”

“Cuz,” Koti said. “That cat isn’t big enough to need a weight bench, let alone an entire gym. I’d call that two meters tall. And it’s leopard print. That’s just sad.”

Marko was getting narky, especially since he was clearly going to be a conversational topic in Koti’s car on the way home, in so many wonderful ways. And he wasn’t one bit sure Koti would keep his mouth shut about any of it around the boys. He said, “I’m not the one with a dog named Blackie. The cat won’t let me sit down without her. Right now,I’mthe cat gym.”