“Yes, I’m all done. Thank you for helping Skylar with her project.”
Damian smiled and rested his hand on Skylar’s shoulder. “My pleasure. We had fun, didn’t we, Skylar.”
Skylar looked up in total adoration and Star’s heart skipped a beat as she watched her daughter fall further under Damian’s spell. He was winning her over. How would she cope when he went back to the US? How would either of them cope? She knew Damian was going to have questions for her. Thankfully he’d obviously left those for when Skylar wasn’t present. Now they were having dinner together. So much for keeping Damian Hunt at arm’s length. So much for telling Mary she couldn’t love him … It was obvious she’d never stopped loving him, and now her daughter was falling for him, too. What was she going to do?
∞∞∞
They were immediately seated at one of the booth tables at Mama’s Pizza. Skylar had held Damian’s hand all the way from the office, which Damian seemed to take in his stride. For a man who had no children, Damian was very much a natural.
“Do you have any children?” Skylar asked Damian when he sat down next to her, as if she’d read Star’s thoughts.
“No, I don’t,” Damian said. “But I have lots of friends with children.”
“Ah, so that is how you knew how to do my scrap book,” Skylar said before setting her attention to the colouring menu that the waitress had left for her.
Damian looked at Star for the first time since they’d left the office. “Not what I was expecting, and I’m sorry …” Damian said, clearly referring to Lily.
“It was a long time ago,” Star said, swallowing past the lump that had formed in her throat.
“Did you get all your work finished?” Damian asked.
“I did, thank you. I didn’t expect you to stay and complete Skylar’s scrap book with her.”
“It was my pleasure. It was lovely looking at the photos of her growing up. She really is a credit to you. Mum and Dad are obviously very taken with her, too.”
“Your parents have been a tremendous support. I couldn’t have done what I have without their continued support. Theirs, and Laura and Toby’s.”
Damian tensed again at Toby’s name, but Star let it go. She needed to tell him the truth – Laura was right – but now with little ears around was not the time.
“How’s your mum?” Damian asked.
Star rolled her eyes. Damian was well aware of the relationship she had with her mum. “Much the same, we don’t see her often. Now Dad is on the scene permanently, she has her own life and has made that abundantly clear.” Star struggled to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
Damian looked shocked. “Even after?”
“Even after,” Star said, sending him a warning glance to shut this subject down. “I have a lot to tell you, but now is probably not the time.”
Skylar looked up at Damian. “That means she doesn’t want to talk about it in front of me,” Skylar said, rolling her eyes, “She says the same thing to Aunty Laura, then stops talking until I leave.”
“Well that told your mummy!” Damian said, his face softening as he grinned at Skylar, before raising his laughing eyes to Star.
Skylar grinned and looked at Star, “Please may I have the margarita pizza?”
It was Star’s turn to roll her eyes, which made Damian laugh even harder. “Yes, you may.”
After that, the three of them fell into an easy conversation. Damian asked Skylar about school, and she told him how she loved maths but hated reading. He questioned her about it, and by the end of the night, Skylar had decided reading was going to be her new favourite subject, mainly because Damian loved it and had promised to give her some of his favourite stories to read. After dinner, they made a trip to the local bookshop, and Damian had purchased a couple of books for Skylar which he thought she’d enjoy. Star had tried to step in, but he’d shut her down, telling her this was between Skylar and him. Skylar had clutched her bag of books all the way home.
Marcus was coming to pick Damian up, so he offered them both a lift home. Star was about to decline, but Skylar jumped at the suggestion, clinging to Damian, and one look at her daughter told Star she was exhausted and the ride was not going to hurt. It had been a hard day emotionally; it always was when Skylar brought Lily up to people who weren’t aware of what had happened. Not that Damian was a stranger – he’d known and loved her sister, but Star hadn’t been able to tell him the whole story, and it was still sitting between them. Star surprised herself because she suddenly realised she wanted to tell him everything.
Skylar was excited to see Marcus when he collected them, but within five minutes was sound asleep, her head resting against Damian’s arm. He shifted his arm around her to make her more comfortable.
“She’s taken with you,” Star said softly, knowing nothing would wake her daughter now she was asleep.
“She’s a wonderful little girl and a credit to you.” Damian looked down at the little girl asleep in his arms.
Silence stretched between them as they left the city and moved further out. Before long, Marcus was pulling into Star’s driveway. The lights were all off, the house in darkness.
“Thank you, Marcus. Good night, Damian. I’ll just open up and come back for her if that’s okay.” Star exited the car and headed to the front door. The security lights came on, making the journey easier. After opening the door, she turned back to collect Skylar, only to find Damian behind her, Skylar nestled in his arms, still sound asleep. He motioned for her to go inside when she tried to take Skylar from him, heading for the stairs.