Her father.
He saw us coming, shut the book, and stood, shifting the girl easily to his hip, eyeing me with faint curiosity while his daughter vibrated with excitement the closer Cam got to her.
She wriggled and peered around us. “Saint?”
Cam smiled. “He’s not here.”
“Who’s that?”
She pointed at me, and Cam’s grin broadened.
“Alexei. I think he’s scared of little bugs, though.”
I rolled my eyes. “You think silly things for a man with such a bigbrain.” I gave the girl my attention. “Saint is my friend too and we both like bugs.”
“Big bugs?”
“All the bugs.”
“Daddy, can me and Alexei go to the bug house?”
The brother gave me a wary look. “He’s busy, Ives.”
“I am not. Where is the bug house?”
“By the paint station,” Cam said, pointing. “We can see it from here.”
He wasn’t saying that for my benefit. I took the child from her worried parent and we walked hand-in-hand to a small wooden shed that was completely out of place in the builder’s yard. It was made from old pallets and painted rose pink on the outside, while the interior was the same moss green as Saint’s eyes.
I smelt him all over it. Not literally, as the collection of earthworm and ant farms were musty, but this felt like him. As I crouched low and let my tiny companion tell me all about it, the same stillness and peace I’d absorbed from his campsite home washed over me. “What is your name?”
“Ivy.”
“How old are you?”
“Four. How old areyou?”
“Very old. Not as old as Cam, though.”
“He is very old,” Ivy agreed. “He has pictures on his skin like my daddy and Saint.”
“He does.”
“When is Saint coming back?”
“I don’t know. What are you going to do with him when he does?”
“Feed my worms and get my daddy a beer from the bar. Saint lets me choose the label.”
“Did he let you choose the colour of the bug house too?”
“No, it was my birthday present and he already painted it, but pink is my favourite colour because I like marshmallows.”
“Me too.”
We took our fill of insects, then I let Ivy take my hand and lead us back to where her father was still hawkishly watching me.
Cam looked amused.