I handed him a mug of marshmallow-topped hot chocolate and a spoon and sat on the sofa while he sat cross-legged in front of the fire with Bandit for company.

‘He’s all right really, isn’t he?’ the lad said, giving him a tentative stroke.

‘He’s wonderful,’ I said.

Bandit edged closer and rested his head in the boy’s lap and my remaining concerns completely subsided. There couldn’t be much bad about him if Bandit had befriended him already.

‘What’s your name?’ I asked.

‘Liam,’ he said, taking a sip from his mug before spooning out the melting mallows. ‘Crikey. This isn’t like any hot chocolate I’ve ever had before.’

‘Good, isn’t it?’

‘Amazing,’ he said, before looking up and replacing his smile with a frown. ‘Are you going to report me to the police?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘I wouldn’t have invited you into my house and made you a drink if I was going to do that, would I?’

‘Dunno,’ he shrugged. ‘You did mention them before and, in my experience, adults often send out mixed messages. I don’t know where I stand with them half the time.’

There was a whole heap of heartache attached to those two sentences, and even though my heart went out to him, I wasn’t about to delve deeper. The last thing I needed was to get attached to a local waif and stray, even if my instinct was screaming at me to help him.

‘Well,’ I said, ‘you scared me half to death out there Liam and I had to say something to make sure I was getting the truth out of you, didn’t I?’

‘Did you believe what I said about me just wanting to walk then?’

‘Yes,’ I said, looking straight at him. ‘I did. My dad used to love walking through the trees, at all times of day and night and whatever the weather so I don’t consider you as crazy as some people might.’

He gave a huff, which might or might not have been amusement.

‘I remember your dad,’ he then said with a smile.

‘Most people around here do,’ I sighed.

‘You don’t like walking around the place then?’ he asked. ‘You are Liza Wynter, aren’t you?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I am and I haven’t had much chance to until now. I’ve been away for a while.’

‘You should try it,’ he quietly said, staring into the depths of his mug. ‘The sunsets over the reserve are stunning and there’s a spot on a mound in the plantation that’s amazing for watching the stars.’

I curled my legs up under me.

‘You really do know the place well, don’t you?’