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p; “Yes.” Katy sounded so solemn it made Abby laugh.
She listened in astonishment as Flynn read about the struggles in the Premier League, stopping every couple of sentences to shout about something he didn’t agree with. He wasn’t rude. He didn’t swear. He also made no attempt to dumb it down for Katy. When there’d been silence for some time, Abby assumed her daughter had been bored to sleep. She was wrong.
“Jonathan’s mum said David Beckham is better looking than you. She said David Beckham is the greatest player in Scotland.”
There was silence for a minute. “Who is this woman?” Flynn sounded outraged. “I need to talk to her. Give me a name.”
“Her name is Jonathan’s mum.”
“Not helping, kid.” Abby heard him take a deep breath. “First, Beckham is not better looking than me. Did Jonathan’s mum tell you Beckham is obsessed with hair gel? No. I bet she never mentioned that. Second, he couldn’t be the greatest player in Scotland because he’s English. And third, the guy is old. He retired years ago. Now all he does is model underpants.”
“Oh, okay then, who is Scotland’s greatest footballer?”
Abby rolled her eyes as she waited for Flynn’s obvious answer.
“Hands down, it’s Kenny Dalglish.” Abby heard the awe in Flynn’s voice, once she got over the shock of him not answering with his own name. “He’s the best goal maker in Scottish history. He should have been a midfielder. He would have been legendary in midfield, but he played as a striker and was still world class. No one could place a ball like Kenny Dalglish. Not even your precious Beckham. Seriously, what is your mother teaching you? You should know this stuff. It’s almost as important as knowing who Robert the Bruce is. Tomorrow, I’m going to bring over some of Kenny’s games. After you watch him play you’ll be able to tell Jonathan’s mother all about Scotland’s greatest player. Beckham?” He snorted in disgust. “Right, I’m done here. I’ll deal with your ignorance tomorrow.”
She heard chair legs scrape as Flynn moved.
“What about my kiss goodnight? You’re supposed to kiss my forehead and tell me to sleep well. Don’t you know anything about little kids?”
“Nope. Nothing. I’ll send your mum up to do the kissing thing.”
“Scaredy cat,” Katy taunted. “I’m telling Jonathan’s mum you were too scared to put me to bed properly.”
“Why me?” Flynn groaned. “You are driving me nuts, kid.”
Abby heard him thump around, and there was a short, sharp kissing noise. “Right. Go to sleep.”
“Sleep well,” Katy reminded him.
“Fine. Sleep well. Just sleep, will you?”
There was more thumping. “Am I supposed to shut the door?” Flynn asked.
“I’m sleeping,” Katy said.
“I don’t know why I bother asking you anything,” Flynn grumbled. “I’ll let your mum sort it out.”
“Flynn?” Katy called. “Have you met Kenny Dog Leash?”
“It’s pronounced Dal-gleesh,” he corrected. “And yeah, I have.” Abby could hear the grin in the words.
“Maybe you could take me to visit him, then I can tell Jonathan I met Scotland’s greatest footballer. Do you think Kenny Dog Leash likes little kids?”
“I don’t know about visiting him, but I’m fairly sure he likes kids. He’s known for being patient with them and showing them how to play better.”
There was a pause. “Do you think he’d make a good daddy?”
Abby’s heart stopped dead. Her hand fluttered to her mouth.
“You looking for a dad?” Flynn’s voice was calm as Abby’s heart broke. “I think Dalglish is too old for your mum. You might want to look elsewhere.”
“I thought about Uncle Matt, but he married Aunt Jena.” There was a pause. “Can I tell you a secret, Flynn?”
“Nope. Time to sleep. Shut your eyes. And shut your mouth. Sleeping goes a lot better when you don’t talk. ”
