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‘You did it for yourself.’
Juno cut Euan short with a wave of her hand. ‘Yeah, yeah. That’s what you always say. If you really believed it, you wouldn’t spend every waking hour chasing around doing...stuff.’
‘I do not do stuff.’
‘Well, I don’t make stuff either.’
Both of them were laughing now. Sam wondered how many bad times there had been before this easy intimacy had bloomed. How many times Juno had tripped and fallen and Euan had been there to pick her up again.
‘It’s beautiful, Juno.’ She nodded up at the glass phoenix. ‘More than that, it’s hope, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, exactly.’ Juno grinned. ‘So what are you doing for Driftwood? Apart from trying to get this mope under control.’
‘I write software for charities. It helps with fundraising, day-to-day running, that kind of thing.’
‘They certainly need something.’ Juno shrugged in response to Sam’s enquiring look. ‘David lets me use the computer in his office for a couple of hours a week, for my business. He’s drowning in paperwork.’
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‘You don’t have a computer?’
Juno shook her head. ‘No, it was a choice between that and the van, and I needed the van to deliver the bigger pieces. David’s taught me how to keep my accounts on a spreadsheet, and I’m learning how to make my own website.’
Her enthusiasm was so fresh, so shiny. Sam had been like that once.
‘My colleague’s coming down from London with half a dozen laptops that we’re going to donate to Driftwood. They’re secondhand, but they’re in good condition. You should ask David for one of them.’ She flashed a warning look at Euan, hoping that he wouldn’t spoil her subterfuge.
Juno hesitated. ‘I don’t know...’
‘That’s a good idea. David and I were thinking that one of them should go to you,’ Euan waded in, and Sam shot him a grateful smile.
‘Really?’ Juno turned to Euan for confirmation.
‘You heard what Sam said. You need a computer to help you run your business. We’ve had some donated to us. Sounds like a no-brainer to me. When’s, um...’
‘Joe,’ Sam said helpfully.
‘When’s Joe coming?’
‘About lunchtime tomorrow. Give me an hour to put some software on there to help you with your website, and it’ll be ready to go.’
‘Pop in any time after three, then.’ Euan’s grin took in both Sam and Juno.
‘Right.’ Juno looked from Euan to Sam, and then the uncertain look on her face cracked into a smile. ‘I don’t know what to say... Thanks...’
‘My pleasure.’ It really was Sam’s pleasure. It had been a long time since she’d had anyone who could second-guess her the way that Euan just had. Or who would support her, in spite of not having a clue about what was going on.
‘Would you be interested in seeing some of the things I’ve got in progress?’ Juno clearly wanted to show her work off.
‘Love to.’
* * *
‘Well, that was bizarre.’ Euan was still smiling broadly, but had refrained from any comment on the proceedings until they were back in the car.
‘You think so?’ Sam was nursing a taped-up bundle of newspaper in her lap. She hadn’t been able to resist one of Juno’s swirly paperweights, and this one was particularly beautiful.
‘You don’t? First I get to agree to distributing laptops... No, actually, I don’t remember agreeing to that at all.’
