“Yep. Nasty concussion and currently having a metal pin or two inserted in his leg. They told me you’d ask. I’ve seen worse injuries after a Friday night out in Coventry. He’ll live. Is that ankle okay, Alex’s fiancée?”
Abby nodded. “I’ve pretty much forgotten about it after everything today.”
“How did this eejit get you to agree to marry him? Drugs? Promises of islands and cocktails? Or was it a potion concocted by that mad woman who runs the post office in Severton?” Sam was completely ignoring Alex’s wincing.
“We’re not actually engaged.” Abby felt just about as uncomfortable as she ever had in her life.
“Yet.” This time it wasn’t a growl. “Not engagedyet. So don’t go getting any idea, Sam.”
She felt herself colour and couldn’t stop the smile.
“Am I about to see a hospital proposal? I haven’t had one of those for a while…”
There was a yelp from Alex, followed by a string of expletives and a knock at the door.
It opened slowly. Carefully. Zack Maynard’s head popped round. “Did someone say proposal? Fuck! Sam! You’re back!”
Abby prayed no one mentioned the proposal again until she’d at least got some breath back in her lungs.
“Good to see you, man. Wife and child since I was last here, I believe?” Sam was now completely disregarding Alex’s whimpers as he looked at his arm, cleaning the wound, which was deep and pretty nasty.
“Yeah, can highly recommend it. What brings you back?” Zack perched on a chair. “Thought you’d gone to Birmingham to be with the love of your life?”
“Let’s just say I was blinded by a pretty face and prettier words. Luckily, they were daft enough to have me back here and I missed the climbing.” Sam looked at Abby. “You really look like Amelia Hope, this climber who runs this blog…”
“She is Amelia Hope.”
Abby heard the pride in Alex’s voice.
“But I thought you were called Abby?” Sam squinted and then pressed down on Alex’s arm, making him yelp.
“I changed my name.” She smiled, for the first time not feeling ashamed or fearful of what had happened. “Did you read the blog?”
“Still do.” Sam looked at Alex. “So this was your climbing partner?”
“For his sins.”
“Just let me know if you ever need another…”
He was interrupted by another growl from Alex, one that made Zack laugh loudly and start another round of teasing. Something to take everyone’s mind off what had happened.
It was almostten in the evening when there was a knock at the door to Alex’s. Zack had driven them home from the hospital, alternating between ribbing Alex and being overly worried about him and Abby. He hadn’t seemed to want to leave until he’d gotten a call from Sorrell, demanding he returned home as ‘his demon child’ was refusing to sleep and she was about to lose the plot.
Neither of them had the energy to go upstairs to bed. Alex was still jumpy, desperately waiting for news of what had happened and Abby was stuck thinking about her sister and where she was. At some point, she knew, they would doze off down here, but that was fine. Time was blending together as they recovered from the punch the day had brought.
“I’ll get it.” Alex put a hand on her arm to stop her from getting up. “Your ankle is still bad and we don’t know who it is.”
She shook her head but didn’t argue. He was twitchy and on edge, talking through the information they’d had and the little he’d been told since. Kenny’s phone was switched off, and Abby didn’t know if that was a bad or good thing, but she did know that her sister hadn’t been in the house when the explosion went off.
“Nice little house you’ve got.” It was a voice that she was vaguely familiar with.
Detective Inspector McKay had been to the bar a few times before he’d moved away, but she’d never spoken to him. He’d been in the bar with Alex a couple of times, but as she’d only had eyes for Alex she hadn’t paid much attention to who he was with, unless it had been a date.
“Thank you. How’s Loneghan?”
McKay laughed and sat down. “He’s out of theatre. He’ll have a few months off, which he’ll find more painful than the physio he’s going to get stuck with, and he might need to find a life, but he will live. How are you?”
Alex nodded. “I’m okay. Do we know who did it?”
