I was shaking now. This was all surreal, and I didn’t know how to think or feel any more. It was one thing to hear from Brooke that Danny was still around, but to have Rory, his own brother admit it had brought home the truth to me. My first husband, my first love, was here in Rowan Vale. I just didn’t know how to begin to deal with that.
Rory seemed to sense my distress. He moved closer and put his arm around me. ‘He’s okay, Kirsty. He seems to be doing fine. He shares a flat with Brooke, and he seems to have made some sort of a life for himself here. There are other ghosts, and they’ve formed quite a community.’ He wiped my tears away. ‘He’s even singing! Can you believe that? They’ve got some sort of choir going or something. He always did have a beautiful voice, didn’t he?’
Suddenly he was sobbing, and it was me who was comfortinghim. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, and we cried together. It was all right putting on a brave face, but when it came right down to it this was a hell of a lot to deal with.
Our beautiful Danny Boy, who we’d thought long dead, was still around in some form or essence. It was unbelievable.
‘How is he? Does he look… I mean…’ He’d been in an horrific car crash after all. Although there were no marks on Brooke and her injuries had been even worse. I remembered Mum crying as she told me Brooke’s parents had been advised not to see her. My dad had stoically identified both bodies.
‘He looks absolutely perfect,’ Rory assured me, understanding my fears. He managed a wry smile. ‘Well, apart from the fact that he’s wearing an Adam Ant costume and has stripes of make-up across his face.’
‘Oh heck,’ I said, laughing through my tears. ‘Poor Danny! Poor Brooke’s stuck dressed as Siobhan from Bananarama.’
‘Oh no!’ Rory shook his head. ‘Now do you see why I insisted on pyjamas? Can you imagine dying in your sleep and having to spend eternity stark naked? The horror of it!’
Light dawned and I gave a sigh of relief. ‘So that’s why you wanted us to dress for a polar expedition in bed! I thought you – never mind. So, Danny’s happy?’
‘He seems to be.’ Rory wiped his own tears away with the heel of his hand. ‘He asked about Mum and Dad, of course. And you.’
‘What did you tell him? Because Brooke says you didn’t tell him we were married.’
He gave me a despairing look. ‘How could I? It felt like a betrayal somehow, and I know that sounds stupid but… Anyway, how’s Brooke?’
‘She seems okay, too,’ I said with a shrug. ‘She’s a bit funny with me, though. She’s very protective of Danny. Then again,’ I gave him a knowing look, ‘she always did have a bit of a thing about him.’
‘She did?’
‘Oh yes. Ever since she was a kid. It was obvious to everyone who knew her. Well, everyone except Danny of course. He was totally oblivious.’
‘And you didn’t mind?’
‘Not at first. To be honest, I thought it was quite sweet. It wasn’t so sweet later when she got older and she took a job as a receptionist at his place of work, just so she could see him every day. I thought that was a bit stalkerish, to be honest.’
‘Did you say anything?’ Rory asked, astonished.
‘No. I didn’t want to embarrass her. And it wasn’t as if I had any reason to worry.’ I sighed. ‘Danny would never cheat on me. He just didn’t have it in him.’
‘He loved you,’ Rory said softly.
‘I know.’ Tears welled up again and I blinked them away, aware that I had something else to tell him.
‘You have to visit Danny and tell him about us,’ I said.
He gulped. ‘What? Why?’
‘Brooke’s adamant about it,’ I said. ‘She doesn’t want Danny to spot us around the village and find out that way, and she has a point. It wouldn’t be a fair way for him to find out, would it? I’d tell him myself but obviously I can’t see or hear him, so that only leaves you. I’m really sorry.’
‘He’s going to hate me,’ Rory murmured.
‘Danny doesn’t have it in him to hate anyone,’ I said. ‘But I do think he’s going to be very hurt and angry, at least until it sinks in. The only other option…’
I hesitated and Rory raised an eyebrow. ‘The only other option…?’
I clutched hopefully at his arm. ‘We go home,’ I said. ‘We pack up now and we leave Rowan Vale before there’s any chance that he spots us. That way, no one gets hurt.’
Rory shook his head slowly. ‘I can’t do that to him, Kirsty. It wouldn’t be right.’
‘Why not? Why upset him if we don’t have to? He need never know.’
