Page 25

“You did, but sometimes I need a push to step out of my comfort zone.”

I watched Mac as he drove, his steady hands capable and sure. His eyes flicked from the road to the mirror and occasionally to me, a small smile playing on his lips.

“How long will it take to get there?” I asked as we sped through the countryside. I couldn’t remember ever being this far out of town and realised how sheltered my life was.

“Not long. About another twenty minutes. We can sit in silence, or you can tell me a little about yourself so when the family give me the third degree when you’re not around, which they undoubtedly will, I’ll have the answers.”

I thought maybe he was digging for information, but the smile on his face said otherwise. He was genuinely interested in me.

“I told you a lot the other night. No job, little schooling, no qualifications. The family is broken with a mother who couldn’t care less about me, a half-brother who acts out and then blames me, and a stepdad who’s fucking around and…”

Could I tell him? Did I know him well enough to admit that I was weak and allowed Brian to beat me?

“And what, Frankie? Anything you tell me is confidential if that’s what you want. I would never break a confidence, especially yours.”

“It’s nothing. It doesn’t matter.” Except it mattered. It was part of who I was, but on the way to his dad’s house, the sun blazing through the window, it was a story that could wait until another day.

I’ll give him credit; he didn’t push me for an answer, but I knew at some point it would come out. Friends told each other everything, apparently, or that’s what they said on social media.

The rest of the journey passed in silence, but when we pulled up outside the house, I couldn’t help myself.

“Holy shit. This house is massive.” I got out of the car and stared in wonder at the house before me. I say house, it was more like a country mansion with ivy-covered red brick walls and enormous windows.

The sound of music and laughter came from somewhere, and together, we followed the sound. The garden was as impressive as the house, wild with colours of every hue.

I’d never seen anything like this in my life, and I realised then how out of my depth I was. My steps faltered, and for a moment, I considered turning tail and running like hell back the way we came, but it was too late. We’d been spotted.

“Mac. What the hell kept you?” A larger version of Mac strode towards us. An imposing man with a thick head of hair and a beard to match. “You must be Frankie.”

He took my hand, his giant one dwarfing mine, but his touch was surprisingly gentle.

“This is Fergus. He’s the oldest, but not necessarily the wisest.” Mac punched him lightly on the arm.

“Says you. Are you still wasting your time in emergency medicine? Pick a speciality. The world is your oyster. Mention me, and I can get you any job you want.”

For the first time since I met him, Mac’s face fell, and I remembered what he’d told me about not wanting to fail and the big shoes he felt obliged to fill.

“I think it’s admirable that he wants to work there. People need him,” I said defiantly. Where I got the courage to speak, I didn’t know, but what was his problem?

“Well, now. What do we have here? He’s a feisty one, not like the ones you’ve brought home before. Keep hold of this one, Mac. He’s got fire. I like it.”

A voice called his name, and he sauntered off towards it.

“Feisty? He called me feisty.” I turned to Mac to see a smile on his face.

“Yeah, he doesn’t get out much, but let me introduce you to the rest of the family. I guarantee they’re not as up their own arses as Fergus is.”

He led me further into the garden, and I marvelled at its size and beauty, a far cry from the patch of dirt at the back of our house, the sad attempt at a lawn with more patches of brown than green.

“This is fucking beautiful,” I said to no one in particular.

“Dad works hard on it. It’s his passion now that Mum’s no longer here.”

What did he mean by that? But now I came to think of it, he’d never mentioned her before. Had they divorced? Maybe she died. Seemed we all had our secrets.

Before I could ask further, a pretty girl approached, the one I’d seen him with two days ago. Not much older than me, her hair was blonde with streaks of caramel running through it. There was a definite family resemblance.

“My younger sister, Tilly. She’s been dying to meet you ever since I told her you were coming.”