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“Technically she didn’t. Nina was worried and came to me. Scar was losing weight. She told Nina it was because she couldn’t keep her food down. I think Nina knew before anybody else.”
I would have noticed. If I was there, I’d have noticed. “Did anyone go with her to the appointments?”
“All of us at one point or another. Although it was Megan and Freya who somehow got bedside when Scar was taken into surgery for the birth.”
“Megs?”
Charlie nods, his attention on the road. “They’re all just as close as they were. Nothing really changed with those girls.”
That’s good. She needed good friends. “Her and Mase figured things out, too.”
“It definitely took time, but yeah, Mase really pulled his finger out.”
I should be happy, but it never should’ve taken Mason the years it did to realise that his sister needed him.
“You want me to come in this time?” Charlie asks, pulling off the motorway and taking the turn toLittle Lo’s Rescue.
I shift to look at him, knowing it wasn’t lost miles on the road today. The two of us needed this. “You think you can do a better job than me?”
His smirk is full of confidence. “Always, Sullivan. Always.”
The second we step foot in the shop, I know that inviting Charlie inside was a dangerous game.
“Generous. So generous.” The rescue centre owner slides her glasses back up her nose, smoothing out her greying hair that’s pulled back in a loose plait. “Let me show you the rest of the centre. We have—”
“As much as we appreciate your time, Mrs Tessen, we need to hit the road to get back before dark.”
“Of course.” She nods, her eyes going wide as Charlie signs the cheque and slides it across the desk. “Wow.”
“You have my details. If you have any issues banking it—”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much of a difference this will make here. We don’t… we don’t get donations like this.” Her gaze slides to the baby bird that’s securely nestled in the box I’m holding. It came in just days ago, and fortunately for us, it looks exactly like the bird Waverley found in the back garden. “Please, remember everything I told you.”
“We’ll take good care of it,” Charlie promises, giving the lady a gentle nod before leaving the shop.
I follow, catching up with him at the car. “I’ll pay you back.”
“I don’t want your money, Sullivan.” He gets in swiftly and shuts his door.
I climb in, careful to not knock or jolt the bird. “I’m paying you back.”
He pulls on his seat belt, then looks across at me. “You want to pay me back?”
“You just donated ten thousand pounds for a featherless bird. I think—”
“Make it right.” He watches as I swallow down the rest of my words. “She loves you, Lance. If you don’t use this opportunity to win her back, you’re a fucking idiot.”
My brows lift as I try to lighten the blow. “You think getting run over by a car is an opportunity?”
“I think meeting someone like Scarlet, someone who forgives and loves and cares like she does, is an opportunity.” He starts the engine and turns the car around, heading for home. “You both deserve to be happy. So, make it right.”
NINETEEN
Lance
Despite the fact I’m in agony and haven’t taken any pain medication since this morning, I make my way up the stairs at Lowerwick on one crutch, with the biggest smile on my face, the baby bird safely secured in a cage in my other hand.
I didn’t think we’d pull it off. Not with the resounding “no” we were given at every centre we tried.
