Short Stack - Lily Morton Page 0,106

mutters under his breath and smiles over-brightly when Billy look like he might like to question him.

“Why don’t you pop out and tell Daddy that Gideon and Eli are here, while we keep watch for Molly,” I hurriedly suggest.

He brightens. “Okay dokey,” he says cheerfully then pauses. “She’s white with a brown patch over her eyes,” he says very seriously. “So that you don’t get confused.”

“How many animals are loose in this house?” Gideon mutters, pushing the door open further and looking nosily inside as the little boy vanishes down the corridor.

“Gid,” I chide, pulling it slightly closed. “Molly will get out.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll throw your body over hers to stop her,” he says snippily.

“Don’t be silly. I’d squash her.”

He looks nervously around. “Don’t let her out,” he instructs me seriously. “The last thing I want to do is squash Asa Jacob’s gerbil.”

“Is that a euphemism?” comes a deep voice with a hint of a Yorkshire accent from behind us.

We both jump and turn to face the speaker. He’s standing on the drive wearing jeans and a navy T-shirt, the fabric damp and clinging to his chest. His hair is pulled up in a messy bun, and he’s smiling.

“Bloody hell, you’re tall,” I blurt out.

He laughs. “You must be Eli. I’m so pleased to meet you. I’d shake your hand, but I’ve just cleaned horse shit off the dog.”

“Likewise,” I say. “Is that a line you commonly use, or something just for us?”

Asa throws his head back, giving a great roar of laughter, and Gideon shakes his head at me, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

“Gideon,” Asa says, smiling widely. “I’m so glad you’re here.” He gestures at the door. “It’s open. Let yourself in and bring your bags. We’ll put them in your room.”

After retrieving the bags, we step into an airy hall filled with the fragrance of flowers. I notice a huge bunch of stocks in a yellow vase on a table.

Asa heads down the hallway, gesturing for us to follow him, but Gideon exclaims and stands firmly in front of the door.

“We need to look for Molly,” he says urgently.

Asa stares at him open-mouthed and then his friendly expression cools. “Hmm,” he finally says. “Gideon, I’m not sure how to say this, but if you’ve brought that into my house, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Gideon stares at him.

I suddenly snort with laughter, and they both turn to me. “Molly the gerbil, not the drug,” I explain.

After a startled pause, they both begin to laugh.

“Oh,” Asa says with a relieved expression. “Sorry. It’s just with a child in the house…”

“Not at all,” Gideon says quickly. “I’d do the same.”

I look surreptitiously at him, and for the first time, I wonder what Gideon would be like as a dad. The idea hadn't occurred to me before, as up until the last few months, he’d seemed to corner the market in young, free, and single.

Gideon gives a sudden, loud exclamation, and, bending down by the hall table, he scoops something up. I smile when he straightens and he’s holding a fat gerbil.

Asa bellows, “Billy!” He turns back to us. “I didn’t even know she’d got loose again,” he says, leaning against the wall.

Footsteps sound, and we look up as Billy bounds down the stairs. “Molly,” he says delightedly, looking at Gideon in awe. “You found her. You’re so clever.”

“He’s the gerbil whisperer,” I say.

Gid appears slightly disgusted at the title.

“Why would you whisper?” Billy asks, his expression thoughtful. “Is it because they’ve got small ears, or do they not like loud sounds because the other day Mark Sanders came to play and he blew on my trumpet and Peggy said that…”

“Billy,” Asa breaks in hurriedly. “Take Molly and make sure her cage is shut properly. And say thank you to Gideon and Eli for looking for her.”

“Thank you,” he says fervently, ignoring me and focusing on Gideon.

Gideon has a slightly panicked look about him. “No problem,” he says somewhat awkwardly.

Billy’s gaze suddenly clears. “I know you,” he exclaims. “You were in Oliver. That film about the boy who doesn’t have to go to bed early and doesn’t want to steal stuff.”

“That’s a nice synopsis, Bill,” Asa says dryly.

“I was in that. Did you like it?” Gideon asks.

Billy tips his head to one side, still maintaining a firm grip on the struggling gerbil.

“The first time I saw it I liked it,” he says judiciously. “I liked it when you died anyway. And