by Nhys Glover
The singer had stopped singing and the blissful silence that followed had Adie relaxing her shoulders and drawing in a couple of cleansing breaths. When she looked anxiously his way, afraid he was about start in on another noisy song she was pleased to see him setting aside his guitar for a break.
With the competition gone, the people around her started speaking more softly. Adie even managed a smile of relief.
“That’s Leon’s ‘friend’,” Dave explained, motioning with his head so they knew Leon was the barman. “He claimed he was great. No accounting for tastes. Or love, it seems.”
From that she gathered Leon was gay and the musician was his boyfriend.
“He’s not bad. But he’s pushing himself to get over the noise of the crowd,” Adie said, not really knowing what she was talking about.
“Yeah. He thinks we all came down here to listen to his caterwauling. People here came to meet up with friends and talk. If they want to listen to music they go home and turn on their stereo.”
“People don’t have stereos anymore, Dave,” a young woman said, coming to stand at his side.
“Well, whatever the hell they have. How’re you doing, Jayney?” Dave grumbled, leaning in to kiss the girl on the cheek.
Adie took stock of the girl, who appeared to be only a few years younger than Adie. With her long black hair and bright blue eyes, Jayney was stunning, in a laid-back, jeans-and-sweater kind of way. And Adie would have to have been blind to miss the admiring glances she was throwing Cage’s way.
Adie felt a mixture of possessive jealousy and humiliation. This Jayney was way better looking than Adie could ever hope to be, even after dieting and exercising herself into a thin body. It was girls like this one who could attract men like Cage, not girls like her.
“I’m real good, Dave. Who’re your friends?” Jayne said, although what she really meant was who was Cage.
She doubted the girl had even noticed Adie sitting there at his side.
“I s’pose you haven’t caught up on the local gossip since you got back from London. This is Minerva Reynold’s niece, Adeline.” Dave gestured to me and the girl sent me a frosty nod. “And this is her—”
“Friend,” Cage supplied. “Cage Donovan.”
Jayne offered her hand to Cage, who took it. “American. How lovely. I adore Americans. What on earth brought you to this little backwater?”
“Minerva Reynolds died and left Beckside Farm to her niece,” Dave informed her, oblivious to the fact the question had been directed at Cage. “Cage is helping Adie clear out the place so it’s habitable. Ms. Reynolds was a bit of a hoarder, as we all knew. Didn’t Rory complain about it often enough?”
Persistence was one of Jayne’s obvious traits. She again directed a question at Cage. “What do you do for a living, Cage? I can’t see you being a professional declutterer, or whatever those people on TV are called who help others downsize.”
“A bit of this and that. And no, decluttering is not one of my jobs, normally. I’m just helping out a friend,” Cage said, giving away nothing of his feelings one way or the other.
Did he notice Jayne’s very blatant interest in him? He’d have to be blind not to. Was he playing it cool or was he really not interested? This girl wasn’t in London. He wouldn’t have to dismiss her as he’d done the blonde, simply because of the logistics.
Adie had the strongest urge to place a possessive hand on Cage’s arm, staking her claim. But of course she couldn’t do anything of the sort. Cage was not hers, and she had no claim on him. This was not like the role-playing scenario in Soho, where she’d had every right to act territorial. If he wanted to hook up with this woman, he was well within his rights to do so.
“How long are you staying in the area?” Jayne purred, continuing on like a long-range missile that had found its target.
“As long as it takes,” Cage deflected easily.
Was it wishful thinking, or was Cage growing annoyed by this woman’s intrusive inquisition? He tended to be a very private person, and having a stranger interrogating him in the name of pleasant conversation seemed to rub him the wrong way.
Dave must have noticed as well, because he slung an arm around the pretty girl’s waist and gave her a squeeze. “Now, now, Jayney. You don’t get to fire off questions the rest of the village has been polite enough not to ask. Leave the poor lad alone, now.”
Jayney laughed. “Sorry. It comes with the territory. Not only is my mum the principal source of information in the village, but I’m a reporter. Or I’m working towards being a reporter. I’d love to interview you for our paper some time, Cage.”
“Why?” he asked, his tone steely now.
She fluttered her eyelids in surprise. Did no one ever ask that question? Or did she expect everyone to be panting to get their five minutes of fame?
“Well, Minerva Reynolds was a celebrity…” she bleated out desperately, obviously scrambling for some answer that he’d accept.
“Then you’d want to interview Adie, her niece, wouldn’t you? I never met the woman. As I said, I’m just helping out a friend.”
At last Jayne seemed to get the message. Her dogged and intrusive behavior reminded Adie of the owner of the tea shop. Could she be the so-called source of all information in the village? Adie noted Jayne hadn’t called it gossip.
“Maybe I will, if I have the time. But I’m only up for a few days to see Mum,” Jayne hedged.
“So why offer to interview me, if you’re so busy?” Cage pushed, his eyes narrowing.
At last she saw what Cage was doing. He was protecting Adie from the woman. In his eyes, her blatant dismissal of Adie was insulting.
“It’s called flirting. Obviously, you’ve never engaged in it, so you wouldn’t know. Sorry for troubling you,” Jayne sneered, before spinning on her heels and stalking off in a snit.
Dave grimaced, his already red face growing redder. “Sorry about that. Jayney can be a bit difficult at times. But she means well. I hope she hasn’t offended you.”
“Not me. But hitting on me in front of a woman who could easily have been my girlfriend is offensive to Adie. And I don’t like people who dismiss my friends as if they don’t matter,” Cage ground out, before taking a long gulp of his beer.
“It’s okay, Cage,” Adie muttered, placing a hand on his arm.
This time the touch was not meant to show possession but to soothe.
“No, it’s not okay. Women like that are the reason I put no value on looks. She thinks all she has to do is flutter her eyelashes at a man and he’ll fall all over himself trying to get with her. She doesn’t care if there’s anyone else. No, she likes it when there’s someone else in the picture, so she can prove her superiority to the competition.”
Dave gave a nervous laugh, clearly embarrassed by Cage’s rant. He turned with a relieved sigh to greet a middle-aged couple walking their way. Or maybe they were heading for the door.
“Mary, Harry, come meet your newest neighbors,” Dave declared.
The couple moved forward, looking a little worried. Clearly, they’d heard Cage’s rant and weren’t looking forward to getting a similar reception.
“Mary and Harry Jones have the farm next to yours. They bought most of Beckside’s land from Minerva back when she inherited the place,” Dave said by way of introduction. “Mary, Harry, this is Minerva’s niece Adeline, who inherited Beckside. And this is her friend, Cage Donovan.”
Adie extended her hand in the hope of making the couple feel welcome. It worked. Mary and then Harry took her hand and shook it in relief. When Cage followed suit silently, the couple relaxed a little more.
“We’re so sorry for your loss,” Mary said, her accent unusual. Scottish? Adie wished she could tell one accent from another in this country. It sounded a lot like Hugo’s, so she assumed it was Scottish.
Adie smiled her gratitude. “I never actually met my aunt. Didn’t know she existed, to be honest. But I wish I had known her. She seemed to be a wonderful pe
rson. The more I find out about her, the more I regret never knowing her.”
Mary nodded sagely. “We never knew her either. But the village claims her as our own. That happens when someone is famous, I suppose. But I think it goes deeper than that. She was very good to Rory, and we all loved Rory.”
“So I’ve heard. And everyone loves Jig because he was Rory’s,” Adie said, patting her dog’s head.
“Terrible shame what happened to that wee dog. Not that he’s wee anymore,” Harry spoke up for the first time. “I was here the night Rory died. That pup was beside himself trying to help his master. Near broke my heart. I’d’ve taken him myself, if I could’ve got close enough to him. But he kept his distance from everybody, hiding out somewhere around the farm and only coming out to eat what was put out for him. That was Mary who did that. Came over once a day to put food out for him.”
Adie glance at the quietly spoken woman who seemed mortified that her husband had revealed her act of kindness.
Adie took the woman’s hands. “Thank you. It was a kind thing to do. Who knew what would have become of him otherwise. He’s a wonderful dog.”
Mary blushed and looked pleased. “Well, he might’ve gone after the sheep, if he got hungry enough.”
Harry shook his head, a wry expression on his face. “Don’t believe a word of it. That was the argument she used on me to justify the cost of all that dog food. But it was really her kind heart at work. My wife is one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. That’s why I fell for her as a lad, and it’s why I still love her to this day.”
Adie beamed, loving the obvious affection the couple shared.
“Then you’ll get on well with Adie. She’s also a very kind person. It’s why I agreed to help her out. Kind people balance out the wrong in the world,” Cage said, speaking up for the first time since his rant.
His declaration surprised her. Yes, she knew what he thought of her, but he’d never put it in exactly this way before. She wasn’t sure how honest he was being, though. As far as she was concerned, he was doing the job because it paid well, not because he was helping out a friend. But then, the truth wouldn’t be something to share with the locals, would it? They were obviously playacting again, in much the way they’d played a couple in Soho. The thought depressed her.
“That’s a good way to put it, young man. Kindness balancing out the wrong in the world. I totally agree!” Harry offered Cage a cautious smile.
At last Cage’s treatment of Jayne was being put aside, just as she’d been hoping for. Cage was a very intimidating man, Adie would be the first to acknowledge, but he was also a good man. And that was something the villagers had to discover for themselves. If he let them.
“We’ll be seeing you at Gillian Watson’s place for dinner,” Mary said to Adie, smiling shyly.
Frowning in confusion, Adie looked at Cage to see if he knew what the woman was talking about.
“The vicar’s wife. She said they’d invited you for dinner when you have the time. Gillian thought you might like to meet a few more of your neighbors, so she invited us and another couple you should like. Sadie and her husband Martin. Sadie is the postmistress. Martin is a retired engine driver.”
“Oh, of course. I met Michael Watson the other day. Then we went off to London on a task for Minerva and I forgot about it. My bad,” Adie rushed to say.
“Nothing to worry yourself about. Gillian understands, as do we all. Minerva was a bit of an eccentric, and she’s not making inheriting her property easy. We know all about the competition and that odious man who tried to poison Jig. Harry and I made a point of keeping an eye on your place while you were away. Men like that nephew of hers should go to jail for their crimes!”
“I couldn’t agree more!” Adie said, a little louder than she’d been aiming for.
But a sudden loll in the conversations around them had left her the only one speaking. Her words rang out across the room. The belligerent Jayne looked her way with a sneer. The rest of the room seemed much more friendly.
“Anything we can do to help, just say the word,” Harry offered staunchly.
“Thank you. I may do just that,” Adie said with a grateful smile.
Chapter 12
“And that is me knowing nothing about winning friends and influencing people,” Cage grumbled in exaggerated grumpiness she knew was an act.
Adie laughed, relieved to be out of the noise and heat of the pub and wandering back along the quiet road towards home. “You shouldn’t have ticked off that woman. If she’s the daughter of the tea shop lady, I think she might be vindictive. And the other villagers only saw you having a go at one of their own.”
“Yeah, but luckily you saved the day for me. My hero!” Cage teased, his mood mellow and playful now, thanks to the two beers he’d drunk.
“Batgirl to the rescue. But thanks for what you did. I didn’t think you noticed how she was snubbing me. I’m used to girls like her acting as if I don’t exist. Guys don’t usually notice.”
“Those guys can’t see past their cocks. Or they think it’s normal for pretty girls to take what they want. I don’t agree, as you know well enough.”
“I do. And, it was nice. But it was probably unwise. But thank you, all the same,” she leaned in to press a hug into his arm as they walked.
“Thank you for rescuing the situation. You’re a lot better with people than you give yourself credit for.” He linked their arms as if they were an old married couple.
“It was easier than I expected, I must admit. I think it helps that Minerva was so popular around here, and Dave has cleared the way for us. Jayne’s was the only unpleasant look we got tonight. It is nothing like back home. Nothing at all!”
“And you’re nothing like the woman you were back in Hicksville US of A. I don’t think you see the changes in yourself. It’s more than losing weight. It’s the way you carry yourself and the confident way you meet people’s gazes now. I bet old Chad wouldn’t have been so fast to throw you over if he’d met this version of Adie Reynolds.”
She felt the warmth spread up her neck and into her cheeks. It felt good to hear the compliment and to know it was the truth. She had changed a lot in the few months she’d known Cage.
“Chad wouldn’t have looked twice at this me. He wanted someone he could browbeat and demean. I’m not that girl. And I’d never let someone like him anywhere near me again, anyway. Fool me once and all that. In retrospect, I was lucky he got bored with me. He was slowly eroding what little self-respect and confidence I had.”
She looked up at the big man at her side. “It’s amazing how one man can tear you down and another can build you up. I owe you so much.”
He squeezed her arm. “No. I did nothing. You did all the work. Despite me, at times. I’m not the easiest person to get along with. I can get moody and distant, and I can snap at people who don’t deserve it.”
“Why? Why do you do that?” she pressed, knowing she shouldn’t spoil the moment, but unable to stop herself.
“I wish I knew. I’ve always been like this. I hit the jackpot with my adoptive parents. Every member of my family loves me as if I was theirs by birth. But I never felt that love, never felt like I belonged. Part of it was being black when the rest of the family was white. Part of it was having a junkie for a mom and no father she could remember. My siblings were all adopted, but none came from quite the cesspool as I did. I always felt wrong. When I told you about humanity being wrong, well, I was including me in there. And nothing I do seems to make me any better.”
Adie shook her head energetically. “What a load of crap. What have you ever done that was so wrong, Cage? Tell me. If you want me to believe you’re wrong, then at least produce the evidence to back it up. All I have to go on is what I see. And what I see is a very good man.”
He shook his head. “The list is too long. I’ve got a violent streak. You have no idea how many guys I’ve almost beaten to death. Then there’s the hurtful things I’d say to my siste
rs and brothers to drive them away when I was in one of my moods. Stuff I did or didn’t do when I was in the forces. Stuff I can never forgive myself for.
“Like my dog. I knew he was losing his nerve. It happens to most sniffer dogs after a while. Being around loud noises, and the way they’re trained… it’s cruel. And even the strongest, sturdiest dog will eventually start suffering from PTSD. They used to put the dogs down when they got like that. Now they don’t. But I saw my dog getting jumpy and read the signs. But I wouldn’t let him go. It was cruel to keep making him work, but I did it because I didn’t want him put down. I didn’t want to lose him. And it cost us. It cost him.”
“I’m sorry,” Adie said softly, not knowing what else to say.
“Why? Why are you sorry?” he snapped, pulling away from her, just as she knew he would eventually do when she started this conversation.
“I’m sorry war is cruel and it costs so many innocent lives. I’m sorry you lost your friend. You were in an untenable position, from the sound of it. Damned if you did and damned if you didn’t. And your choice cost you. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“Men died because King didn’t do his job. King lost his life, and I nearly lost mine. I should have lost mine. It was a pure fluke I didn’t. I was selfish and it cost lives!” he snarled back.
Jig whimpered and edged in close to my side, looking up warily at Cage, as if he expected him to attack me at any moment. Adie stroked his ears to tell him it was all okay. Even though it wasn’t.
“Were you blamed? Did the army blame you?” Adie asked softly.
“No. They blamed the dog. But it wasn’t King’s fault. I saw the signs and should have done something.”