Free Kissing Maggie Silver by Sheila Claydon

for us. Go back to the hotel and spend some time with your poor mother. After all you’re meant to be giving her a holiday. I’m just going to clear up here and then have an early night. The fresh air has worn me out.”
    If he noticed the change in her tone of voice, he ignored it. Instead he gave her a doubtful look. “Are you sure? It’s a long time since we ate that pizza.”
    “I’m absolutely sure. Besides, I expect Mark will arrive home soon, so I’ll just wait for him to get here and then cook something for both of us.”
    He disentangled Amy from around his neck and passed her over. “In that case I’ll go, but I’ll be back in the morning,” he added as both children started to protest. “And if you’re good and go to sleep quickly then maybe we can do something nice again tomorrow. Perhaps we could go swimming or something.”
    Sophie and Amy beamed at him, hero worship shining out from their eyes as they sat at either end of the bath. Maggie felt like screaming at the unfairness of it all. Just who did he think he was suggesting treats for the children? It wasn’t his job to look after them. It was hers, and as far as she was concerned he was taking his pseudo uncle role just a bit too seriously. Besides, the thought of spending a single moment in a swimming pool with him was something she didn’t want to contemplate. Coping with him fully dressed was quite enough. She didn’t want an intimate view of the long lean muscles that were hidden beneath his clothes, nor did she want to know whether the rest of his body was tanned to the same warm color as his face.
    She was going to refuse and if it hurt his feelings, well too bad. She needed a plausible reason though, something that would stack up with Mark and June when the children told them she had refused to take them swimming because, if she was sure of one thing, it was that they would tell them. That was what children did. She cast around for something that would keep Sophie and Amy happy because she wasn’t going to upset them just because she was in the middle of a stupid emotional crisis.
    She had a sudden brainwave. “I’m not sure about the swimming,” she said. “But I know what they would like. They would like you to bring your Mum with you tomorrow, and besides I’d enjoy spending some more time with her too.” She had to speak loudly to make her voice heard above Sophie and Amy’s squeals of excitement.
    “That’s if she doesn’t have any other plans of course,” she added, crossing her fingers under the soapy water as she started to wash her nieces.
    “What a great idea. Thanks Maggie. I’ll suggest it to her. She was talking about meeting up with some old friends but I don’t think it’s a definite arrangement.” Ruairi’s response was warm and enthusiastic.
    Far too enthusiastic as far as Maggie was concerned because it confirmed what she already knew, that he would be only too glad to have someone else to take over the onerous chore of helping out with her and the children. In fact she’d probably done him a favor by suggesting it because now he knew his mother would be happy and busy too, which would be one more item ticked off on his duty agenda. He would probably deliver Mrs. O’Connor tomorrow and then suddenly remember something else he had to do and leave them to it.
    Everything clear in her own mind, she gave him a small, cool smile, satisfied she had regained control of the situation. If he didn’t leave voluntarily tomorrow then she would make sure he felt so outnumbered that he would be glad to escape to something more macho, like meeting up with male friends, or indulging in extreme sports or something. She was quite sure that whatever he did in his leisure time involved an adrenaline kick. After all nobody who looked like Ruairi O’Connor and led the life he did would choose to spend his time with two little girls, his ageing mother, and an emotionally challenged primary school teacher.
    She remained