Page 49 of Missing in Action

“Not that far off two hundred.”

“And these?” Finn gestured to the page that housed Tyler’s small collection. “Newfoundland? They issued their own stamps?”

“Yeah, until 1947. Then they joined Canada in 1949.” Tyler couldn’t believe Finn wanted to chat about stamps like this and had to bite his tongue before he went off on an excited stamp-related rant.

“I’d love to go there. Something about it. So wild and rugged.”

“Me too.”

Finn glanced up and smiled. “Have you just bought these?” He indicated the packet and the pile spilling from it.

“Er, yeah, but uh, Holden bought them for me.” Tyler felt himself blushing and cursed inwardly.

Finn’s eyes went wide. “Oh, right.” He took his mug from the counter. “I think me and you need to sit down. It must be serious if he’s buying you stamps.” He winked.

Tyler smiled. He poured himself a top-up of coffee and led his friend into the lounge.

“How’s the leg?” Finn asked as they took a seat opposite each other.

“Bearable,” Tyler said. He ran his fingers over the edges of the sock on his knee. “These have been great, Finn. The best present anybody’s got me in a long time. Thanks so much.”

Finn lifted an eyebrow. “Even better than the stamps?”

Tyler laughed. “They’re neck and neck.”

“A pretty sweet present to buy you,” Finn said, sipping his coffee and eyeing him. “That ranks alongside someone buying me art supplies.”

“I bet Brandon buys you those all the time,” Tyler said.

Finn laughed. “Yeah, he does.”

Tyler regarded him. He could still see the strain on Finn’s face. The shadow behind his eyes. “Is everything okay?”

Finn shrugged. “I just came to get the gossip.”

“Is that all?”

Finn lowered his gaze, examining the liquid in his mug.

Tyler spoke gently. “I’m guessing you’re feeling the strain from the interviews with Holden.”

Finn bit his lip. He looked up, his dark blue eyes gleaming. “It’s really difficult to talk about some of that stuff with him.”

“I know.”

“And I’m questioning whether I want to carry on.”

Tyler waited a beat before he said, “Nobody’s making you do it. You have to think about what’s right for you. If it’s too traumatic, why put yourself through it?”

“I know. I like talking to Holden though. He’s an okay guy. Even if he does jerk off in his car.”

Tyler spluttered on his coffee. “God,” he said, “he was so ashamed when he got home.”

“I bet.”

“He wanted to interview Brandon for the book and now he knows he stands a cat in hell’s chance of that happening.”

Finn’s face had gone serious again and Tyler cursed himself for mentioning that. “Even if he was Holden’s biggest fan, I’m not sure he’d want to talk about shooting and killing a guy.”

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