Page 145 of Playing By Ear

Lucy frowned with half her mouth, then she grew suddenly still and quiet.

“Does that make sense?” he asked her.

She said nothing, stroking the petals of a pale-purple lily.

“Lucy?”

“Will that happen to me and Daddy?”

Jamie’s heart sank. “Well, I-I don’t think—” It could happen to them someday, if Stuart remained a criminal and Lucy wanted to lead an honest life. “Your da loves you very much. And he loves your mum.” All this, at least, was true. “Families are forever.”

Lucy gave the barest of nods. “Can we learn another song now?”

They picked up where they’d left off. A few minutes later, a window slid open from the upper floor of the business half of the villa. Lucy was so focused on the guitar she either hadn’t heard the rise of the sash or hadn’t registered what it meant.

Maybe it didn’t mean that Belinda was standing at the window listening to her daughter sing and play with her long-lost wee brother. But Jamie believed it did.

“Shame Jamie couldn’t make it,” Brian said, “especially considering the reason.”

“The poor man,” Sarah said. “Fuck cancer.”

“Fuck cancer.” Perry hurled the slobber-coated tennis ball into the void. Dodger gave a joyful woof and dashed away with a scramble of paws on grass.

They had planned to grab a pint this evening, but given Jamie’s developments, the three of them had opted for a jaunt to the dog park instead, bringing not only Dodger but also Brian and Sarah’s cocker spaniel, Wee Bit. Despite the fair weather, the park still had a half-hour slot open for booking.

Perry would have liked to see the park better, of course, but the whoosh of wind-blown spring leaves and chirps of territorial songbirds painted a rough picture.

“It was lovely to chat to your parents at the match,” Sarah said. “They seem well.”

“They were well.” Perry dried his hand on the hem of his T-shirt. “Then they found out their son is a pathetic slag.”

Sarah gasped. “What in God’s name?”

“I told them about my side gig on our way home. Dad was supportive, almost disturbingly so. Mum, however, was not.” His tongue tapped the t even harder than usual.

“Oh, no,” she said. “Did she try and slut-shame you?”

“Back up,” Brian said. “What possessed you to tell your parents?”

Perry had wondered the same. “I suppose I was riding high from our victory over Edinburgh. We started chatting about jobs, and they were worried about my finances. Next thing I knew, the words flew out of my mouth. Now I wish I could wipe their memories.”

“You know you’ve nothing to apologize for, right?” Sarah asked.

“Of course. It’s a job like any other.” A snuffling muzzle brushed his ankle, and he crouched down to scratch behind Wee Bit’s soft, floppy ears.

“Exactly,” Sarah said. “You’re part of the entertainment industry, just like footballers and TV actors.” She tapped his shoulder. “You should unionize!”

Perry snorted. “That would upset my Tory mum even more than the camming.”

“Well, if you change your mind, we’ve got some excellent labor lawyers in our firm. Good boy, Dodger! Oh, it’s my turn to toss? Thank you ever so much for the privilege.” She grunted as she threw the ball. “What do you think, Brian? You’ve been quiet.”

“Per, you know I don’t judge you for camming.” Brian scuffed the soles of his shoes against the dirt. “But putting myself in your mum’s place, I wonder how I’d feel if our daughter did that sort of work?”

“Perry is nobody’s daughter,” Sarah said. “Men aren’t as easily exploited. But if our hypothetical daughter took up this hypothetical venture, I’d want her to be safe and empowered. Just like Perry.”

“Maybe,” Brian said pensively as Dodger skidded to a halt in the grass before him. A moment later, the ball whistled through the air. “Maybe your mum’s worried about you being recognized? Did you tell her you don’t even show your face?”

Perry hesitated. “Actually, I started showing my face a few weeks ago. I still wear sunglasses because of the bright lights,” he hurried to add, “but even without them, my risk of being recognized is slim.”