‘Thanks for this. I’m normally all right walking about and doing odd jobs, but I slipped.’
‘Do you want me to help you upstairs?’
‘No, I can manage. Just a bit bruised, that’s all.’ He pointed at his telephone by the door. ‘Can you call my boy? His number is written on the front of the phone.’
‘Will do. What’s his name?’
‘Joseph.’ The old man started to slowly climb the stairs, groaning on each step. ‘He’s a chef, you know, at the Jolly Pirate pub along the harbour.’
Jamie smiled to himself. He hadn’t met any of the kitchen staff at the pub, but at least he knew he could call Demi for help if he couldn’t get through to Joseph. He had memorized her number.
‘What’s your name, son?’
‘Jamie Stark.’
‘I’m Thomas.’ He frowned for a moment. ‘You’re not Mabel’s grandson, by any chance?’
‘Yep, that’s me.’ Jamie squirmed on the inside, wondering what memories Thomas had of him.
Thomas hummed quietly for a second. ‘I remember your mum. Lovely lady. You look like her.’
The comment warmed Jamie a touch. His mother was hardly spoken of, so it was nice to hear someone say something about her.
Thomas knitted his bushy eyebrows. ‘I also remember you causing mischief.’
‘I’m not like that anymore,’ Jamie said softly.
‘Good for you, son. I was nothing but trouble when I was a lad, then I sorted myself out, fell in love, got married, and lived a peaceful life. More so within, you know?’
Jamie knew. ‘You get yourself changed before you catch your death, Thomas, and I’ll call your son to let him know what’s happened.’
‘All right.’ Thomas went off to his bedroom and Jamie made the call.
Joseph was distraught on hearing about his father’s fall, and said he was on his way. Seeing how he would have to walk, he should be there in half an hour.
Jamie called up to Thomas to let him know.
‘Stick the kettle on then, son,’ Thomas called back. ‘You’ll have a cuppa with me, yeah?’
Jamie smiled. ‘Will do.’ He headed to the small country-style kitchen and filled the kettle. A half hour was no big deal. He’d see Alice soon enough. As for now, he was doing what he’d set out to do when he left prison. Helping people and finding ways to give back to his community.
Chapter 29
Alice
Alice was glad when her mum and nan went home after breakfast, not that anything else had been said since the night before. She just wanted to sit in peace and read a book or something. Her neck was up to a pain level of seven, so she had her neck brace on as soon as she got out of the bath.
Benny had gone to the newsagents, mostly to help Luna walk in the thick snow. They were sure they wouldn’t get many customers, but Lizzie liked to open the shop anyway.
The mobile phone rang in Alice’s pocket. She plonked down into the chair behind the desk at reception to answer, happy to hear Ginny’s voice.
‘Hello, chick. Will told me about you and Jamie. How you doing?’
Stressed was the word, but she couldn’t be bothered to get into how the situation had caused a flare-up. ‘I’m okay, thanks.’ Part of her wanted to ask how Jamie was, knowing he had gone home with Will, but she chewed her lip instead.
‘You want to talk about anything?’
‘Not really, Gin. I feel all talked-out. Mum calmed down in the end, but I know she’s still upset, which was why I never wanted her to find out.’
