by Sarah Barrie
‘No expectations, no promises. Okay.’ And her stomach did a nervous little twist as she wondered exactly what she was getting herself into. If he really knew what a big step just that much was for her to take.
‘Paisley just staggered in.’ He finished his coffee, got to his feet. ‘Morning,’ he said over her head. Then he tipped up Callie’s chin with his fingers and kissed her hard. ‘I’m in love with you, too.’
Callie stared, stunned. She hadn’t said she was in love with him. Had she? But he’d said it. Just like that. Like it was … no big deal? She swallowed panic mixed with excitement as Paisley dropped like a stone into the chair Connor had just vacated.
‘Next time chain me to something out of reach of the alcohol. Callie?’
‘Huh?’ Callie was too busy watching Connor leave the dining room, her head spinning.
‘Never mind. Is one of those coffees for me?’ She snatched it before Callie could argue. ‘Sorry if I carried on a bit too much last night.’ Paisley put a hand over her forehead and leant on it. ‘I hate making a fool of myself.’
‘You didn’t particularly stand out—lots of people drank too much, so don’t worry about it.’
‘Thank goodness.’
Callie made herself concentrate on the conversation. This was important, too. ‘But I know you well enough to know something was wrong. I’m guessing that something was to do with that Adam whoever-he-was.’
‘He was a genuine monster,’ Paisley said quietly. ‘I’m sure I’m not the only one who wished he’d rotted in jail forever. He’s the one who used to break Ava’s toys.’
‘He was at your house?’
‘Mum ran the support group from home. His parents were part of it so, yeah, he was.’
Callie felt another moment of panic, this one all bad. ‘You don’t think he’s bringing them back?’
‘No! Hell, Callie, if Adam was bringing them back they’d be in pieces.’
‘But he’s not going to come after you, is he?’
Paisley shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t testify. I wasn’t involved in all that, and Ned was off shearing with Dad, or on the fishing boats. He wasn’t involved either.’
At least that was something. ‘And there’s nothing else? Nothing you need to tell me?’
‘No. There’s just been a lot of bad memories to deal with lately. I was feeling sorry for myself last night.’
Callie accepted that, decided to try and cheer Paisley up. ‘So what are we doing today?’
‘I need to talk to Dad about those places we found last weekend. I’m so glad you were here when he had that fall. I have to convince him of how lucky he’s been that someone’s been on hand both times. Even if I come back for good, he still has to navigate stairs, get in and out of showers and make food. It only takes a second to lose your balance and I can’t hold his hand twenty-four hours a day.’
‘I think the only thing you can do is take him out to show him, let him feel like he has a say in where he goes. He might even like it. I’m sure he gets lonely, whether he admits it or not.’
‘Then that’s what we’ll do. But not until I feel semi-human. I have a feeling this discussion could lead to war. I need bacon.’
‘You’re not dumping me in some bloody nursing home!’
Callie shifted in her seat and wished she was anywhere else. This was going exactly as Paisley had feared it would. Callie had thought having Ned there, talking about it casually around the table, might have been the best way to go. But from the second Paisley had brought it up, Cliff had gone into meltdown.
‘No, we’re not,’ Paisley replied calmly. ‘We just thought you might like to look at a villa. It has no stairs; all your cooking and cleaning are done. It’s right by the water, Dad.’
‘Don’t need to see it to know I don’t like it. You go into those places, next thing, you’re dead! Treat you like a baby and feed you like one. No wonder people give up.’
‘If that’s true, we walk out again. Because this place isn’t like that. You can be as independent as you like. If you don’t like it, we’ll leave. Please, will you just look?’
‘I won’t. I told you I’d help with a clean-up. Not move out.’
‘Dad, you can’t cope here anymore,’ Ned finally said.
‘What will you do if I sell? You’ll be homeless. You’re not a saver. Not good with money. But what you do get, you often put into this place, keeping it up, and looking after me. Should be yours.’ Cliff turned to Paisley. ‘Where were you while he was doing that all these years, putting all that in?’
Paisley’s face went red, but her tone remained calm. ‘Kicked out, remember? Forced to leave with my mother.’
Callie reluctantly took her eyes off the crushed look on her friend’s face to stare hard at Cliff. ‘She’s trying to help you.’
For a second, Callie thought he might have been about to apologise. Then he got unsteadily to his feet, the chair sliding back noisily. ‘Day I leave this place will be the day I die.’ He picked up his walking stick and stomped up the stairs.
‘Guess I knew how that was going to go,’ Ned said. ‘I’ve got to get back to work.’ He headed out, pausing at the door. ‘Worth a try, Paisley. I’ll keep on him about it.’
Callie blew out a long breath and smiled in sympathy. ‘Maybe when he calms down he’ll think about it. He might change his mind.’
‘You don’t believe that any more than I do,’ Paisley said sadly.
A loud crash from upstairs had Callie and Paisley on their feet. They ran. Cliff was on the floor at the bottom of the steps to the tower.
‘Dad!’ Paisley fell to her knees beside him.
‘Go on, say it,’ he told Paisley breathlessly. ‘You told me so.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Where does it hurt?’
‘Wanted to prove you wrong and get up there, find some stuff. I was angry, not being careful.’ He paused for breath, pain etched deeply into his face. ‘Got a bit dizzy. Side’s a bit sore.’
Callie pulled out her phone and called an ambulance.
‘Don’t try to move, Dad,’ Paisley said when he grimaced and tried to sit up.
‘Said I’d die before leaving this place. Didn’t mean today.’ Cliff tried to laugh but sucked in a pained breath instead.
‘The ambulance is on its way,’ Callie reassured him.
‘Always calling me ambulances,’ he said faintly. ‘Can’t thank you enough, Callie.’ It came out as a whisper as his eyes closed.
‘Dad!’ Paisley cried.
‘He’s breathing,’ Callie reassured her. ‘He’s probably passed out from the pain.’
‘I feel so horrible. He tried to get up there because he was mad.’
‘Mad at you for trying to do the right thing? Mad because you had a point and he didn’t like it? Paisley, don’t go there. Everything you’re doing is to avoid this exact situation. Maybe this time he’ll figure that out.’
Cliff hadn’t regained consciousness when the ambulance arrived, so the paramedics took him to the hospital. Callie and Paisley were shuffled into a waiting room and left wondering what was going on for over an hour.
When finally a doctor did appear, Callie didn’t like the look on his face.
‘He has a badly broken hip.’
‘Will he need a new one?’ Paisley asked.
‘If it comes to that. But we can’t do surgery while he’s this weak. We’ll have to see if he recovers enough over the next couple of days.’
‘If it comes to that?’ Paisley repeated. ‘He’s going to lie there with a broken hip for days?’
‘He’s heavily medicated. Ms Waldron, I think you need to prepare yourself for the possibility he might not make it.’
‘What? It’s just a broken hip. Old people get them all the time!’
‘The fall has been a massive shock to his system. He’s very weak and elderly. We’ll do what we can.’
‘We want to see him.’
‘Of course.’
Inside
the sterile room, Paisley held Cliff’s frail hand. ‘I should have come sooner. I shouldn’t have hassled him about the home.’
‘Not your fault,’ Cliff wheezed, his eyes slowly blinking open. ‘Couldn’t stand the thought of seeing anyone going into that house. Not anyone who doesn’t know what’s what. You mind that, Paisley.’
She nodded rapidly, struggling to keep her emotions in check. ‘You need to rest. Get better.’
‘Not getting better, not this time.’
Tears escaped down Paisley’s cheeks while Callie fought her own battle to keep hers in check. She put a supportive hand on Paisley’s arm.
Cliff’s eyes followed the move, then met Callie’s. ‘Paisley, would you go ask the doctor if I can have some more painkillers?’
‘Sure. I can do that.’
When she was out of sight, Cliff said, ‘They took my amulet off. It’s on the table with my glasses.’
‘I’ll get it for you.’
‘I want you to wear it. You put it on. Right now.’
Callie picked it up, studied the pale-coloured stone with the unusual markings and slipped it around her neck. ‘Thank you.’
He nodded to himself. ‘You’re a lovely girl, Callie. Thanks for being kind to a cranky old fool. You deserved better.’
She squeezed his hand and smiled. ‘Cranky? Who?’
He closed his eyes and took some breaths before opening them again. ‘I’ll miss your visits. Had me fooled there for a while. Thought the ghosts were coming to get me in the night.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Mostly stayed in bed. Heard the footsteps up the hall. Always stopped short, turned around, went back.’
She almost told him it wasn’t her, but she didn’t want to stress him out. He was obviously confused. ‘I enjoy our chats when I visit. When we get you home I’ll cook you your favourite meal. Roast chicken, isn’t it?’
‘I’ve left you something. I want you to take care of it.’
She touched the amulet, but he shook his head.
‘Something else.’
‘Doctor’s coming,’ Paisley said, coming back to the bed. Her brow rose as she spotted the amulet around Callie’s neck but she said nothing, just sat down and took Cliff’s hand in hers once more.
‘I want my ashes buried at Ava’s stone. Promise me.’
‘Dad, you’re not going to die. I—’
‘Promise me.’
‘When it’s that time, then yes, I promise.’
Again he paused as though exhausted, but he gripped Paisley’s fingers. ‘I’m sorry. It was never your fault. Any of it. Wish you’d stayed.’
Paisley’s face lost all colour and her tears fell freely, then she pressed her lips to his forehead. ‘I love you.’
‘Always loved you kids. Should’ve done better. You look after each other,’ he said. Then he turned his gaze to Callie. ‘Family don’t need to be blood. You’re family.’
She bent and kissed his cheek. ‘Get better, okay?’
Ned appeared in the doorway. ‘Dad. What’s happened?’
When Paisley’s phone rang early the following morning, Callie knew it wasn’t going to be good news. She got up, started coffee, found a way to keep busy until Paisley appeared, face ashen.
‘Dad passed away during the night. I don’t know what to do. They’re saying I need to make all sorts of arrangements.’
She wrapped her arms around her friend. ‘I’ll help. One step at a time. I’ll call the hospital back, see what needs to happen.’
‘Thank you.’ Paisley reached out and touched the necklace still around Callie’s neck and smiled sadly.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s a runic charm charged with protection against evil.’
‘He asked me to wear it at all times.’
‘It’ll keep you safe.’ Paisley surprised her by hugging her hard. ‘Always.’ Then she wiped her eyes and left the room. ‘But it’s pretty too, so wear it.’
‘Sure.’ Safe from what? she wondered. Monsters, whispered a voice somewhere in the back of her mind.
She called Connor first thing, let him know what had happened, then spent the day helping Paisley and Ned with the arrangements. Ned had been quiet, Paisley teary. She made them dinner, then Ned went back to the house and Paisley went to bed. Callie went early herself. It had been a long, emotionally draining day.
She woke up sometime through the night, surprised it was possible anything could have dragged her from her dead sleep. But something was scratching. A grating, repetitive scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch. Perhaps it was because there was someone else in the house, but as she lifted her head, she decided she didn’t care and went back to sleep.
Paisley was up and dressed when Callie woke again. She found her out on the patio.
‘Morning.’
‘Morning.’
‘You’re up early,’ Callie said. ‘Did you sleep okay?’
‘Not really.’ She sipped her coffee, stared up at the house. ‘It already looks and feels so empty, doesn’t it? Dad more than owned that place. He was part of it.’
‘It’ll take some getting used to,’ Callie admitted. ‘I didn’t know him for long but it won’t be the same if I’m not ducking over with meals. Once he stopped shutting the door in my face, I think he enjoyed my visits.’
‘He probably enjoyed them even when he kept shutting the door in your face.’ Paisley smiled. ‘Stubborn old bugger.’
‘It’s yours now. Yours and Ned’s.’
‘Nope.’ Paisley got up and turned towards the door. ‘Ned wants to sell it as soon as possible.’
Callie felt Paisley’s disappointment and her heart ached for her. Two losses on top of each other: her father and her childhood home. ‘Maybe he’ll reconsider.’
‘Yeah, right—he’s already talking a retirement plan by the water. He’d get a nice nest egg for his half of what this place will be worth.’
When her voice wavered, Callie got up and gave her a hug. ‘You’ll get through this.’
‘I know.’ Paisley dabbed at her eyes, laughed a little. ‘I know,’ she said again, though it was no more convincing than her first attempt. ‘Mum’s been talking to me a lot more lately, giving me lots of advice and support. It’s nice that she’s back in my life. Between the two of you, I know everything will be okay. I can do what needs to be done. I should get my bag.’
‘Are you sure you’re okay to fly back? Maybe you should stay another day.’
Paisley shook her head and drained her coffee. ‘I’ve already called a taxi.’
‘Why? I said I’d take you.’
‘All good. You’ve done enough.’ Paisley went inside and collected her things, brought them to the door.
‘I guess I’ll see you—what are those doing there?’ Callie hadn’t noticed them heading out of the house but she saw them clearly now, going back in. They were the same hexafoils she’d seen in Cliff’s house, and they were carved into the door frame of the cottage.
‘Those?’ Paisley asked, tracing one. ‘They were always there.’
‘No, they weren’t.’
‘What I mean is, they were already there but had faded. I cleaned them up.’
‘Why?’
She shrugged. ‘I couldn’t sleep. Thinking about Dad, I guess. I know I’m rushing off again but I have a meeting tomorrow morning. I’ll come back at the end of the week. The ashes should be ready for collection on Friday. We’ll do a little … something for him.’
‘Okay, sure.’ So that’s what she’d heard last night—symbols being scratched into the cottage. Callie was starting to feel odd again. First Cliff gives her the amulet and tells Paisley to keep her safe. Now Paisley’s scratching out devil traps. It felt like something was building, something dangerous. But she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was.
* * *
He found Callie in the garden. He’d hoped she might have come to him first to talk out the stress of the last couple of days.
It didn’t matter that she and Cliff hadn’t been particularly close, Connor knew the strain of dealing with death, of caring for people suffering from loss. But he wasn’t entirely surprised to see her back at work, dealing with her feelings alone. The attraction, the physical pull between them, was off the scale but Callie kept a part of herself back—the part that was as scared as he’d been of trying again. Was he taking too big a chance, opening himself up to someone who was likely to close the door on him? Perhaps her reluctance was actually spurring his conviction?
She was sitting on the ground putting sprinklers together. The last of the new garden beds was planted out and close to completion.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘Thought I’d come find you, see how you were doing.’
‘Hey,’ she said and smiled at him. ‘I’m fine. Paisley’s pretty cut up, obviously.’
He nodded. ‘Ned turned up. Logan told him to take the day off, but he said he’d only be sitting around thinking about it.’
‘Paisley had to fly back for work, so I’ve taken care of the arrangements. She and Ned decided to have Cliff cremated. No service as such—he wasn’t religious, and Paisley said it’s only her and Ned that need to say goodbye, so they’ll do that themselves when they spread his ashes.’
Callie wasn’t okay. She was forcing the sprinklers together, and her voice was flat and she was staying in her own space.
‘You’re shaken up about it. You’ve organised everything, been a rock for Paisley and kept it all in.’
‘I thought I was fine. I am fine. But I’ve been sitting here thinking about it and it’s just so sad.’ She shoved another sprinkler into place. ‘A person lives a whole life—all the ups and downs and good and bad, successes and failures—’ she dug into a plastic bag, shoved another sprinkler head in place, ‘only to just—be blown away in the wind. To have less than a handful of people even care.’
‘Okay,’ Connor said quietly, and pulled her to her feet to wrap her in a strong hug.
‘What are you doing?’ she mumbled into his shirt. ‘I said I’m fine.’
‘Sure you are. It’s just that I’m worried about the last of the sprinkler systems.’