Nina shrugged. “Does as good a job at reaching adolescent alienation as anything I’ve ever known.”
“I suppose,” said Lissa. “Okay, I’ll take it. Cormac can pay me back for going above and beyond.”
“Bring it back if he doesn’t want it,” said Nina.
“What if he can’t read?”
“That too.”
“What if the dog eats it?”
“I think you’re procrastinating.”
Lissa thought guiltily of everything she should have been doing and felt the anxiety surge again. “Maybe,” she admitted.
“That’s okay,” said Nina. “Most people, when they come across the Blaines, just turn and run. Procrastination is a step in the right direction.”
BUT EVEN WHEN she wanted to email Cormac to tell him what she’d done—she’d left a note inside the book, put it on top of the letter box, and, she was ashamed to say, run away—she found she didn’t, because she still hadn’t heard from him. And then she was puzzled why she even cared that she hadn’t heard from him and wanted to stop checking her phone, which was annoying because . . . well, it was annoying. He was being stubborn and irritating and accusing her of not doing her job, and she was furious.
CORMAC WAS FURIOUS. He would have thought that she of all people would understand the vulnerability of damaged young men; she was literally there to try to look after them and make life a bit better. Okay, so they were a bit nasty, but he’d met plenty worse on her beat. He reckoned she thought everyone in the Highlands was just adorable like on a shortbread tin and everything was gorgeous and perfect. She didn’t want anything to cloud her judgment of how beautiful the place was, to spoil her vision of loveliness. It was all about her. But there was poverty and deprivation there as there was anywhere else—sometimes worse, due to isolation, stretched services, low wages, and bad public transportation. She couldn’t turn her head away just because it wasn’t pretty and she had to realize that. And Robbie was preying on his mind too.
London annoyed him tonight; it was hot and noisy, and he couldn’t sleep. He wished he were back at home, with the cool breeze coming through the open cottage window, nothing but the rustle of . . . Ned! Shit! He sat bolt upright in bed.
Chapter 39
He was still cross with Lissa. He didn’t want to email her. And it was late. But he’d forgotten about Ned! How could he? Damn damn damn damn. London had turned his head.
He reached for his laptop and opened it up. Maybe she’d be in bed. Or asleep. He didn’t want to type first; it would look like he was apologizing.
He looked at his last sent message and winced a little. Maybe it had been a little harsh. But even so, this was serious.
He sat in his T-shirt and boxers on the side of the too-small single bed, rubbing the back of his neck with his large hand, wondering what to do. Finally he began to type: Are you up?
Lissa couldn’t deny being pleased but was also annoyed that a) she was still up, and b) she’d been waiting to hear from him while pretending she wasn’t.
Can I help you? she typed rather stiffly.
Can you hear anything in the garden?
What? Why, what is it? Is someone out there??
No. Yes. No.
Slightly fearful, Lissa jumped up. Was it the Blaine family? Were they going to come around, torch the place or something? She stared out into the garden. She couldn’t see anything, but she could hear a rustle. A definite rustle. Her heart started pumping at a gallop.
Do I need to call 999?
Cormac stared at the computer in disbelief, starting to laugh.
God no. DON’T!!! It’s Neddie. I forgot he comes about this time and I meant to tell you and if you don’t feed him he might leave.
?????
In the spring. When he wakes up.
????
He’s a hedgehog.
A HEDGEHOG??????
Yes.
YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK FOR A FRICKING HEDGEHOG??!!!!!
He’s a very nice hedgehog.
I DON’T WANT A FRICKING HEDGEHOG!!!!!!
I’m not asking you to adopt him. Could you leave a saucer out for him? Water and honey. Not milk, that’s a myth.
You want me to get up right now, go out in the pitch dark and freezing cold, and leave honey for a hedgehog.
Is that okay? Only if he doesn’t find it, he’ll go elsewhere and he’ll get killed on the road or something.
Lissa looked outside again but couldn’t see a thing. There was some rustling. Oh crap, she was