Page 110 of Savage Redemption

I curse under my breath, and still muttering, I sweep past her and out into the hallway. The kitchen is at the end, at the rear of the house. I make my way there on leaden feet.

Adan isn’t alone. He’s seated at the kitchen table, his tablet open in front of him. Opposite him, Tom lounges in one of the carver chairs, his dog at his feet and a bacon butty in his hand. The pair of them have become unlikely friends. I find them deep in conversation, discussing renewable energy.

It’s a subject close to Tom’s heart. Several years ago, he developed a wind farm on the top of one of the moors overlooking Greystones, and is now considering introducing solar panels on the lower slopes. Apparently, they don’t bother the sheep.

“Cost me a fucking fortune to get it operational,” he recalls with a grimace. “Pulled in investors from wherever I could, including Nathan, but it was a struggle. Still, I began to see a return after five years, and it does okay now.”

“Congratulations,” Adan replies. “Does solar require the same level of investment? And risk?”

Tom rocks his hand to signify ‘maybe’. “It helps that I own the site and can access it easily from the road.” He catches sight of me in the doorway. “Ah, Rosie. The very lady. I found you a dog.”

“A dog?” I step into the kitchen. “What sort of a dog?”

“A pup, really. One of my tenants up on High Ghyll has a litter. Mum’s a Great Dane, and from the look of the pups she’s been getting jiggy with a bear. They’re going to be huge.”

I can’t stifle my grin. Just what I wanted, a lovely big dog to play with Erin, like I had my Barney. Then my face falls when I remember. This is yet another reason why Vienna is out of the question.

“We… we can’t,” I mumble. “We don’t know where we’ll be living. You can’t keep a dog in an apartment.”

“So, don’t live in an apartment,” Tom counters. “What’s wrong with here?”

“My dad,” I reply. “He and Adan don’t get on.”

Tom grins. “Well, there is that. Nearby, then. I have a couple of cottages you could look at. Plenty of land.”

“Adan needs to be in a city,” I explain. “Financial markets. An airport. All that.”

“Haven’t you heard of the internet?” Tom stuffs the last of his butty in his mouth. “Well, let me know. About the cottage, and the dog.” He gets up to leave, dropping a kiss on my forehead before he strides out of the door, his border collie trotting at his heels.

Adan regards me with interest. “You look troubled,cara. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Your father’s back today, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but it’s not that. He’ll kick off. We may have to move out.”

He shrugs. “Is it the dog? Because if that’s what you want, we could sort something out.”

“No, not really.”

“Tom’s right, you know. All I really need is fast internet and a phone. The airport is optional.”

“But, you wanted to go to Paris…”

“So did you, or so I thought. Have you changed your mind? Seriously,cara, we could live anywhere. In this country, or abroad. Preferably not Spain, too complicated with my family, but pretty much anywhere else. We could buy a big house with plenty of land for your dog-crossed-with-a-bear to roam. Not to mention a pony for Erin…”

“Anywhere?” I blink at him.

“Anywhere. The world is our oyster. Think about how remote Caraksay is, but that doesn’t hamper Ethan. We can buy a helicopter…”

I sink into the carver chair that Tom vacated. “A helicopter?” I echo weakly.

He shrugs. “Whatever it takes, I’m adaptable. We’ll go where you want.”

“Oh.” I’m speechless. “Not Paris, then?”

“Doesn’t have to be Paris.”

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