Up for baby. Good news, desperate need.

His heart sank. It was Lennox, expecting him to be turning up with lads who would work for a bit. Maybe he could drop them off and turn around. Have a quick nap and head back.

Nobbo snorted and turned over. Cormac thought of them all, young lads, nothing to do, hanging about on street corners, starting fights. How much they might change; how much they were capable of. He already knew how well Robbie had settled in, and he had been in a much darker place.

He glanced at his phone again. She’d blocked him. Maybe Kim-Ange had dissed him, he hadn’t even thought of that. Told Lissa what a rube he was, how many mistakes he’d made. Maybe they’d laughed themselves silly at the narrow escape she’d had. Oh God.

He took a deep breath.

He drove on.

IT WAS STRANGE; he didn’t feel tired. Even though it was the early hours of the morning, he felt strangely alive, crossing the fells through the beautiful lake district, climbing higher and higher through Cumbria, till he finally crossed the border, and on and on they went, through a blissfully snoozing Glasgow and up north, ever north, across the Campsie Fells, and now when he opened the window the air was fresh and freezing, and clouds passed across the moon as the stars began to vanish, one by one, and at first it was the faintest passing of black to navy and navy to blue and a very thin line at the horizon to his right, promising a new day.

Chapter 80

It was just after six when Cormac reached Lennox’s farm, but everyone was up already, Lennox beaming broadly when he met the lads stumbling out of the car, blinking and rubbing their eyes, some of them already regretting their drunken plans of the night before. Nina had gotten up too and prepared a large breakfast for the incomers.

The train didn’t arrive till seven. Cormac was edgy and itchy and couldn’t put his phone away. Nina noticed.

“Can I use your shower?” he asked awkwardly.

“Why don’t you go to your own lovely house and use your own lovely shower, Cormac MacPherson?” she said.

“Because . . . there’s a girl in it,” he said.

“Oh, she’s lovely, Lissa,” said Nina. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

Cormac turned bright scarlet and tried to answer, but couldn’t. Nina gave him a very shrewd look.

“Here, I’ll get you a towel,” she said, John on her hip as she went toward the airing cupboard. “You can borrow a shirt of Lennox’s too, if you’re desperate.”

“Uh, thanks,” said Cormac.

“If you see her,” said Nina, bustling off, “tell her I’ve got that copy of Daddy-Long-Legs in I ordered for her. Actually here, take it yourself.”