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A mountain
(Blakely)
I woke up and patted the bed beside me, empty.
I glanced through to the bathroom, also empty. I climbed out of bed, remembering the drama last night and my stomach sinking — but why? He was...
I went down the hall to the kitchen. Liam was not there. I called, “Liam?”
I spun, my nerves instantly jangling from the night before — what the...?
I went to the windows and opened the screen and saw this: Darren, elbows on his knees, a cup of coffee in his hands. Liam sitting opposite, also with his elbows on his knees, a cup of coffee in his hands. They were facing each other, Darren’s head hanging, Liam talking.
My nerves calmed. Something about the way Liam looked, competent, intent, sure as an ancient Scottish mountain — I poured some coffee in a mug, and then slid open the glass door to go out.
* * *
I came out sheepishly, my eyes narrowed. “Um, what’s goin’ on?”
Liam said, “I thought he would need a cup of coffee afore he headed out.”
Darren’s eyes flitted toward Liam. “Blakely, I’m sorry about last night.”
I went incredulous. “Sorry, for drunkenly threatening my life late last night? Sorry? That’s rich, especially coming from someone who never once apologized for anything, ever. Fuck you.”
Darren nodded, his expression distressed, put down his mug, stood, and ran his hands through his hair. “So I’ll be getting going, um...” He checked his pockets.
Liam handed him his key. “I am nae givin’ ye back yer gun. If ye are the kind of man tae lose control with his drink and his anger, which ye hae proven, then it is too dangerous for ye tae hae one.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re um... fine.” Darren took the key.
He repeated, “I am sorry Blakely, and I’m going to make sure that you get what you’ve asked for... I’ll call Steve, get him to agree to everything. We can get this taken care of as quickly as possible.”
“Oh,” I blinked. “Okay, great, thank you.”
“Yeah, um, anyway, sorry to bother you.”
He turned and strode down the walkway. I watched him go and then put down my coffee and rushed after him, meeting him in front of his car.
“Can I ask you, Darren, what it was Liam said?”
He gave me a half smile. “He told me I looked like ‘an arse’ and that he was going to help you press charges if I didn’t get my ‘shite’ together.” He huffed. “You like that guy?”
“I love that guy, more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”
“Great.”
“Yeah, so thanks in advance for handling things with your lawyer. I really appreciate the coming equitable resolution.”
He nodded, climbed in his car, and a moment later opened the window. “You won’t give me my gun?”
“The gun you threatened to pull on me last night, that gun? The one I documented with photos? Put that gun in your ex-wife’s win-column.”
“Yeah, of course, will you dispose of this?” He passed the empty bourbon bottle out. Then he started up his car and carefully backed out from the hedge, guiding the car down the driveway.
* * *
I walked back around the house to the pool but Liam was in the kitchen. He said, “I’m famished.” He opened a cabinet. “What do we have for breakfast?”
I rushed him and threw my arms around him. “Thank you, whatever you did, thank you. It looks like he’s going to give me what I want and oh my god, I am so happy. What did you do?”
He said, “I dinna do anythin’, I appraised his character and he dinna like what I had tae say. Funny thing about that man, he dinna care what ye thought, but me, a stranger, he was all like, ‘oh no, daena want the rugby player tae judge me’.” He pulled out an egg carton and checked it. “How does an omelette sound?”
