Page 19 of Hard Heart

The good news? Heidi had saved my bacon. Again.

The bad news? We were on our way to Moose Creek, Virginia, to spend Christmas with her family—her mum, her mum’s boyfriend, and her six-year-old half-brother, Zen. She got a ride; I got an excuse. Apparently, the boyfriend was into all that New Age crystal stuff, and Christmas dinner would be a vegan affair. Heidi had already checked through my suitcase and removed my leather handbag, my suede boots, a wool jumper, and my mock-tortoiseshell hair clips, just in case he thought those were real.

“Your mum’s boyfriend is really called Starlon?”

She grimaced from the passenger seat. “Yes and no. His mom named him Derek, but for everyone else, he only answers to Starlon. Or you can call him Star for short. He believes he was sent to Earth by a higher power to stop us from destroying the planet.”

“How’s that working out for him?”

“He got arrested for supergluing himself to a tree last year.”

“Huh.”

“He might try and get you to donate legal services to the cause. Stay strong and don’t cave.”

“There are some advantages to not having passed the Virginia bar exam yet.”

“And he teaches weaving.”

“Weaving? You mean carpets and stuff?”

“More like textiles. Don’t drink too much of whatever home-brewed wine he offers you. Firstly, it all tastes like crap, and secondly, you’ll end up cross-legged in his studio while he teaches you how to make a cushion.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

She pulled a face. “He sells looms for three hundred bucks a pop.”

“That pays enough to live on?”

“He also runs a weed dispensary.”

Colour me surprised. “That explains a lot.”

“Yup. And don’t mention my job, okay? Mom and Star think I wait tables in a restaurant.”

“A vegan, organic restaurant?”

“How did you guess? Thanks for coming with me—they can be overwhelming when I’m on my own. I thought your parents would make you go to England for sure.”

“You and me both.”

Rhoda had apologised profusely for letting my change in circumstances slip and offered to help fix things. At that point, I’d needed all the help I could get, so I’d gratefully accepted, only for her to tell Mum that I had to stick around in the US because when Rudd realised he’d made a stupid mistake, it was me he’d turn to. He just needed to sow those wild oats, she said. I was still his future.

No, I definitely wasn’t.

Although it figured that my mum would take his side—she’d forgiven Dad’s “indiscretion” with a dental nurse soon after Flora was born and said therapy made their marriage stronger. Therapy, grovelling, and my father’s realisation that he’d lose the house in the divorce. I was sure the fact that he made partner and skyrocketed his net worth soon afterwards had nothing to do with her decision. Moi, cynical? I’d overheard Mum’s best friend telling her, “Marrying well is an art form, but divorcing well is the sign of a true master,” and if Dad fucked up today, he’d have to hand over half his investment portfolio, a chunk of his pension, and a villa in the South of France. Well played, Mum. Well played.

Tactical marriage wasn’t for me, but now I had women on both sides of the Atlantic rooting for a big reunion that was never going to happen, and Mum had grudgingly agreed that I could spend Christmas with Heidi’s family in case Rudd and Zara broke up over the festive period.

“Did you hear anything from Levi Sykes yet? I saw there was a handwritten envelope this morning.”

Yes, I’d given in and sent him a letter, but I’d heard bupkis from the prison. It was Levi who’d filled in the application. Levi who wanted to be released. But could he be bothered to add me to his visitor list? No, apparently not.

“It was a Christmas card from Rudd’s grandma.” Rhoda’s mum was on Team Sera too. She’d written a thoughtful note in cursive, saying she hoped “that dumb grandson of mine sees sense and gets rid of the noisy harlot.” Apparently, Zara had insisted on singing at Grandma Thea’s seventieth birthday celebration, and it hadn’t gone down too well. “She’s also hoping for a breakup.”

“You’re not seriously considering getting back together with that loser, are you?”

“Considering it, but only so I can get the satisfaction of dumping him. And I did get a reply about August Groveland.”