Apart from everything else, alcohol made Dylan forget aboutour ‘pinky promise’ – that we’d be there for each other, no matter what else happened.
He certainly wasn’t thinking about that when he got up very earlythat morning in the flat we shared – after we’d had a humdinger of a shoutingmatch the night before about alcohol (what else?) – and just vanished from mylife.
I stare up at the wooden ceiling of the hide, blinking awaya tear.
I’ve blanked out many things over the years. But I’ve neverforgotten that ‘pinky promise’. Now that Dylan’s gone, though, I really wish Icould forget it. Because then my feelings towards him might not be tinged withso much anger and bitterness, and that eternal question:How could he just abandonme like that to go off travelling and not even send me a postcard to let meknow he’s okay?
There’s a sudden rustling in the bushes and – so completely lostin thought – I almost jump out of my skin.
The Hairy Wolfman.
For a mad second or two, I’m transported right back in time,feeling that thrilling mix of horror and delight.Dylan’s monster is comingto get me.
Then I see who the ‘monster’ is and I heave a sigh of relief.
Liam Westerbrook.
‘Hi!’ He looks surprised to see me. ‘I wasn’t expectinganyone else to be here.’
‘Me, neither.’ I eye him sheepishly, wondering why my heartis continuing to race, even though the ‘monster danger’ has well and truly passed.
‘Do you come here often?’ He grins and slaps his hand overhis face when he realises what he’s said. ‘That really wasn’t a chat-up line.’
‘I realise that.’
Liam’s dark eyes twinkle with humour as he drops onto thebench beside me and I catch a waft of his rather delicious man-scent. His armbrushes mine briefly and a funny little tingle dances its way along my spine.
‘By the way, no, I haven’t been here in years,’ I sayquickly to cover up the sudden awkwardness I’m feeling at having to look intothe mesmerising depths of Liam Westerbrook’s eyes at such close quarters. (They’rea dark velvety brown with a fine band of amber encircling the pupil.) ‘My dadused to bring me and my brother here when we were little. He knew the farmerwhose land this is. Bryn Evans?’
‘Bryn? Yes, he’s a good bloke. He came into the radiostation to do an interview last year and we got talking about farming and hesaid I could use the wildlife hide any time I wanted.’
‘So the farm’s still in the same family. I did wonder,’ Imurmur, finding myself a little distracted by his long, muscular thighs encasedin dark blue denim. I fold my arms and move my knee a fraction of an inch toavoid nudging him.
‘So have you seen anything interesting?’ he asks, peering outof the window.
‘Oh. Er... no. Not yet.’ A sigh escapes.‘I keep remembering things from the past.’
He eyes me warily, deducing from my face that they weren’tall nice memories. ‘That can be good sometimes. But not always.’
‘How right you are. Actually, when you emerged from thebushes just then, I thought you were the Hairy Wolfman.’
‘The hairywhat?’
I smile. ‘My brother used to tease me when I was little andsay there was a monster living in the woods and he ate small children forbreakfast.’
‘Ah! Now I understand. Actually, you know what? Your brotherwas right.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
I glance at him and he points in the direction of the woods,so of course I have to look. At which point he growls loudly in my ear, makingme shriek and slap my hand over my heart and gasp with laughter. ‘I can’tbelieve you just did that.’
‘Sorry. Couldn’t resist.’ He grins. ‘So is your brotherhelping with the refurbishment of Sycamore House?’
‘Dylan? No.’ I look down, scrabbling for a reply.
What do I say? That I’ve no idea where my brother is? Thatif he were here, he’d be against selling the house because according to him, itshould remain in the family...
‘Didn’t mean to pry,’ murmurs Liam.
