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She nodded, her body relaxing as she leaned against him. It was as if they were shoulder to shoulder against the world.
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you a sleaze merchant.’
He shrugged. ‘It’s exactly what I would have described myself as in the circumstances. It was just a misunderstanding.’
‘I probably didn’t give Maya much of a chance to explain. When she said wife, I freaked out a bit. Couldn’t get away fast enough.’ She reached over, her fingers brushing his sleeve. ‘I didn’t mean to elbow you in the ribs.’
‘I know. Everyone gets clumsy when they’re tired.’
‘Hey! I’m not clumsy. You just didn’t get out of the way fast enough.’
Euan chuckled. ‘What time were you up till last night.’
‘Two-ish. Three, maybe.’
‘Working?’
‘That’s what I do.’
Euan had thought as much. Sam worked to shut everything else out and this time he’d been responsible for the hurt. ‘Why don’t you give today a miss? Take a rest?’
‘But I was looking forward to it.’ She bumped her shoulder against his. ‘Shouldn’t we get going?’
‘I’m taking you for breakfast first.’
‘But we’ll be late...’
‘It’s Saturday, we’re allowed to be late. And I want to celebrate still being in one piece.’
She laughed. ‘Yeah. I think I do, too.’
‘Still friends, then?’ He hadn’t dared ask until he was sure of the answer.
‘Yes. Surprisingly enough.’
He got to his feet, holding out his hand to help her up. ‘Let’s go, then.’
* * *
They had eaten breakfast under a red and white striped parasol at a café on the seafront. It was a bright, clear morning, and the breeze from the sea seemed to whip away the last of the cobwebs fogging Sam’s brain. Euan was talking to her, she was talking to him, and that seemed like a minor miracle right now.
The number of cars parked outside Kathryn House indicated that plenty of people had turned up today. Euan parked next to a battered van and waved to Juno, who was opening the doors at the back.
‘Want a hand?’
‘Ah! Yeah, just the person I needed.’ Juno grinned at them both. ‘I had a hell of a job getting this lot into the van on my own.’
‘Why didn’t you call?’
‘I did, yesterday afternoon. Your mobile was switched off.’
‘Ah. Sorry about that. My day off.’
‘Do something nice?’
It was just an idle question, and Sam guessed from the lines that appeared on Euan’s forehead that he’d brush it off with an equally vague answer.
‘Actually, I was springing a friend of mine from prison.’
