I said, “Why?”

He said, “I dunno. They’re just trouble.”

I said, “Erm, I think you’ll find that it’s you that’s trouble.”

But he was somewhere else in his head.

“When I were about nine, me mam said she was going to leave. That she couldn’t get on with me dad. And would I go with her.”

I’d never seen this side of Cain. I said quietly, “What did you do?”

Cain pushed his hair from his face. “I din’t know what she meant. I were too little for that big job. I did me best, I said, ‘Dun’t go, Mam. I’ll talk to me dad and mek him be nicer to you.’”

I said, “And did you?”

Cain laughed. “What were the point? She left that night. And that were that.”

I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. I could feel tears in my eyes.

Then Cain shook his hair and said, “Ay up, that’s enough now. This is like one of them TV shows when everyone starts crying and carrying on.”

I said, “My mum goes away a lot, but she comes back, usually with an unusual gift. Last time it was a handbag made out of a coconut.”

And he laughed. But then there was a long silence.

He took my hand and kissed it. Softly in the palm. Three times. It made my arm go completely to pieces. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had fallen to the ground. He pulled me towards him.

The wind had risen again and was whipping my hair around. I put my free hand up to smooth it down. He caught hold of that hand and said softly, “You’re a tender-hearted kitlin, aren’t you, miss?”

I closed my eyes. And he very, very slowly brought his lips onto mine. And held them there. Then he put his hands on the sides of my face and gave me little soft kisses all along my mouth. And then down my neck. The wind was blowing, but it was as if we were in one still place.

Suddenly he stopped and said, “Nay, next thing I know you’ll be running arand after me and Ma Dobbins will get her gun out. Or has she got a bow and arrow?”

I couldn’t believe it. What was he doing?

He stepped away from me and whistled for his dog.

I was the one who was supposed to step away not him.

I was furious and said, “Well, as usual, this has been a bundle of laughs. I’m going now. I have many things to do for college.”

Cain laughed and said, “I know, lanky lass. I’ve seen thee prancing around like a tit.”

I really lost it then. “You might think this is very funny, Cain, but that’s because you’re a mean person. Who uses other people because you’re so . . .”

Cain said, “Mean? You dun’t think I could say owt nice?”

I said, “No, I do not.”

He looked me up and down.