Chapter 1
Rain spattered at the kitchen windows, chasing in rivulets down the glass as Rosie looked out at the dreary day. There was no sign of Dawn and the boys, yet – despite the damp, chilly weather, she had gone out early with them, down to the common to watch them play footie with the neighbourhood kids. In their absence, it was pleasantly quiet, and after having them stay over for the last three days, Rosie was enjoying the moment’s respite. She adored her grandsons, of course, but she still found their endless energy exhausting. Dawn, too, was testing her patience; somehow, hanging around with a nine- and ten-year-old had exacerbated her impish nature, and she was utterly incorrigible.
Rosie turned from the window and reached for the kettle with a sigh – and her exhale choked into a screech as her hand barely brushed over the top of a large black spider, squatting beside it. She leapt back, violently wringing her fingers in revulsion, and supported herself against the kitchen table as she glared at it. Heart pounding, she watched it for a long moment, but it didn’t move.
At last, she howled, “Oh, for God’s sake!”, and marched forward to catch the lifelike rubber creature up in a death grip. “If I trip over one more bloody spider in this bloody house—!”
Cussing magnificently under her breath, she stormed over to the bin and threw it in, and then spun on her heel to finish making her tea. With a dreadful scowl, she removed another spider from the mug cupboard – and then opened the tea cannister to find a third. She was just lifting a fourth out of the cutlery drawer along with a teaspoon when she finally caught a flash of movement outside. Squinting through the light, steady rain, she spied Nate and Tommy scarpering toward the house, dodging the skeletons and pumpkin heads along the drive. A short distance behind, Dawn traipsed gamely along in their wake, and, with the latest spider still clutched in her fist, Rosie turned on a tide of indignant fury to catch them all at the door. The boys tumbled in amidst raucous chatter, drenched from head to toe and flinging mud clumps from their football boots, and burst out laughing when they caught sight of their grandmother waving the giant spider.
“Got yourself a new pet, have you?” Tommy quipped.
“Blimey, Grandma!” his younger brother, Nate, chimed in. “Never took you for the type to fancy spiders!”
Rosie spluttered, brandishing it at them, but they dashed past her with wide grins and were out of reach before she could unleash the scolding blistering her tongue. “Coats!” she flung after them as they made the end of the hall – and they barely paused to doff them before disappearing towards the games room. “Bloody kids,” she muttered, stalking over to pick up their soaked hoodies.
“Getting the better of you, are they?” came Dawn’s warm voice from the doorway.
Rosie whirled – ready to lay into her, too, for her part in the spider shenanigans – but faltered to a halt as Dawn looked up from scraping her boots on the mat. Her pink cheeks glowed beneath her dark, sparkling eyes, and a blue beret, set at a jaunty angle and glistening with raindrops, lent her a decidedly scampish air. Entranced, Rosie’s heart skipped a beat.
Catching the expression on her face, Dawn straightened slowly and lifted an eyebrow. “Something the matter?”
Rosie realized she was staring. Retreating behind an indignant frown, she clipped, “You really mustn’t wear that hat – it suits you entirely too well, and it’s very distracting.”
Dawn’s lips quirked. “Aww, ruined your tirade, have I?”
Rosie marched over to deposit the boys’ jackets on the rack, and then, with a grandiose sigh, caught Dawn up in a hug, wet clothes and all. “You have, actually,” she accused, leaning back with her arms locked around Dawn’s waist. “I was fuming perfectly well until you walked in and ruined it, thank you very much.” She narrowed her eyes, but then Dawn’s jaunty appearance defeated her, and she smiled. “Also… hello.”
“Hello, indeed,” Dawn returned, grinning. She stole a quick kiss, and then, wiggling free of Rosie’s clutches, peeled off her soaked parka. She hooked it behind the door, along with her sodden scarf and beret. “Bit bloody chilly out there – any chance you were making tea?”
Rosie narrowed her eyes as she remembered the cause of her irritation. “Well, I was, until I was accosted by yet another giant bloody spider.”
She scooped a dry cardigan off the back of the door and held it open. Dawn slipped her arms into the cardigan sleeves, chortling, and Rosie settled it across her shoulders from behind.
“Have you found them all yet?”
“I don’t even know how many there are!” Rosie retorted, steering her towards the kitchen.
“Well, how many have you found?”
“Far too bloody many – you and those damned boys are going to drive me to an early grave!”
Dawn winked sideways. “You’re far too young for that, Rose. Plenty of years of torment left.”
Rosie groaned whole-heartedly and pushed her on ahead. “You make the tea, dammit. I’m sick of tripping over spiders.”
Stifling her amusement, Dawn obliged, and Rosie made her way to the kitchen table with a sigh. She pulled out one of the stools – and her face darkened to thunderous.
“Dawn!” she howled, snatching another spider off the seat top and flailing it fiercely. “Honestly—!”
“All right!” Dawn said, deftly stepping across to rescue the effigy from Rosie’s clutching fingers. “I’ll get the boys to pick them all up in a minute. Sit there, now, and let me bring you some tea.”
Muttering, Rosie did as she was told, scowling after Dawn as she tossed the spider aside and busied herself with cups and trappings. But at length, as she watched Dawn’s elegant fingers transform the simple task into something mesmerizing, she relaxed, and when Dawn finally placed a steaming cup in front of her, she was smiling again.
Dawn returned her expression with soft affection. She sat down opposite, cradling her own tea, and said, “Sorry, about all the spiders.”
Rosie lifted an eyebrow. “You are not – I know it’s been cause for much amusement between the three of you rapscallions. The novelty really has worn off, though; I’ve long passed scared – they’re just pissing me off, now.”
Dawn’s eyes crinkled. “I know – and that’s even funnier.”
“Just get rid of them, would you?” Rosie huffed. “Before Mary shows up to fetch the boys.”
“Yes, dear. What time is she coming, by the way?”
Rosie sipped her tea. “Not soon enough, I should imagine.”
Dawn laughed and got up to chivvy Tommy and Nate.
“She’ll be here by three!” Rosie called after her. As she listened to Dawn’s jaunty footsteps fade deeper into the house, she glanced at the clock and was pleased to see that the allotted pick-up time was only a couple of hours away.
Only a couple of hours until peace, sanity, and no more bloody spiders.
