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“Shouldn’t it come naturally?” Sunita asked as Evie downed a small mouthful of vodka and Coke. “You know…being half-Orcadian?”
“Hmm, not sure.” Breaking eye contact, Nick studied the heaving swarm. “Gran reckons it’s the cadence. It’s similar to Norwegian. I can’t quite grasp it.”
“We have Norwegian ancestry. Loads of Orcadians do. You probably do, too.” Evie followed his stare. Red-cheeked boys on the outside of the pack leaned in at a precarious forty-five-degree angle, exerting pressure on the center. “If you’re looking for Sam, he’s playing after this.” She twisted the cap closed on the bottle. “In the men’s game.”
“Yeah, he said.”
Her gaze snapped back. “You spoke with him?”
Sunita pried her bottle from Evie’s hands.
Nodding, Nick pawed through his floppy hair, which was longer and more chaotic than on Dalston Grove. “Yeah, he rang me a few days ago.”
Sam has Nick’s PHONE number? Evie bristled as she fought through her surprise. Freaking Sam, he could’ve told me Nick was coming!
“I’ve never actually been to the Ba’, so Sam dared me to show up. Now the cheeky beggar owes me a pint!” The actor laughed, his joy deep and throaty, and Evie melted, her annoyance seeping away. Nick was here—with her. Nothing else mattered.
Eyes narrowing, Sunita’s probing gaze lingered.
“Actually…” Nick rooted around in his pocket and whipped out his phone. “Could you take a photo of me? Prove I turned up?”
“Absolutely.” Evie nodded, inwardly cursing the classmates who claimed she lied about hanging with Nick during music camp. A single photo would’ve silenced all the doubters.
Nick slid the color screen on his phone, revealing a full keyboard.
“Holy!” Evie gasped as he placed the device in her hand. “Now that is cool.”
“Let’s see?” Sunita hovered over her shoulder.
“It’s the latest model,” said Nick proudly. “It can play video and has an MP3 player. I’ll show you.”
After a brief lesson, Evie was snapping pictures like a pro: Nick with the cathedral’s red sandstone brick looming behind him, Nick pointing at the Ba’ scrum. With each click, the yearning for a phone of her own ballooned, as did the temptation to snoop through Nick’s photos. What other memories lurked inside? Family celebrations, exotic holidays, famous friends—Bree? He hadn’t mentioned her. Not once. Maybe they weren’t together after all? A swell of hopefulness brimmed in her chest.
She handed back his phone.
“Oh, come on. I need one of us, too,” said Nick.
Of us! Evie sucked in a breath.
“It’s the ultimate proof I was here.”
Sure is! Beaming widely, she fought the urge to run a victory lap around the churchyard.
Turning to the middle-aged woman stood on their left, Nick adopted his most charming grin. “Excuse me? Could you take a photo of us three, please?”
An obliging nod and a few instructions later, Nick crouched into Evie. “You ready? One-two-three—SMILE!”
Like he had to ask. Cheeks lifting, Evie figured her grin could probably be seen from space.
Nick couldn’t wait to show off the result. “Aw, check it! Coolest kids in Orkney.”
Eyes twinkling, mouth open wide as he held two fingers up in a peace sign, Nick looked cheeky and undeniably hot while Evie…well, the dark circles under her eyes and faded lip gloss weren’t the most attractive, but who’d be gawking at her anyway? Sunita, meanwhile, the other half of the Evie sandwich, stared back blankly, but Nick was right. Collectively, they looked pretty darn cool.
Evie bloomed into a wistful smile. I’d love a copy. Wishing was the best she could do. Nick couldn’t text the photo to her non-existent mobile.
“The reception here is dodgy as fuck.” He pocketed his phone. “I’ll email the pictures to Sam when I’m back at Gran’s.”
“Brilliant!” Evie glowed, envisioning their photo taped to her bedroom wall. She’d force Sam to print it out. After all, he owed her BIG for keeping Nick’s Ba’ arrival secret.
