Page 23 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

Lucy froze. “What? Why? I mean…” She took a breath. “Alright, I’m not going to play games here. It’s weird that you’re sitting here alone, why isn’t anyone else sitting close?”

“I’ve got a bit of a reputation around these parts,” Cal said, lifting her old glass and draining it. “You mean you haven’theard?”

“Not much for gossip,” said Lucy.

Cal’s mouth twitched and a dimple danced briefly in her cheek. “You’d be a first around here then. Fit in, do you?”

“I do alright,” Lucy said. She pulled out a chair. The fact that Cal was giving her permission to leave just made her want to stick around.

Cal sighed. “Listen, not to be a bitch, but it’s been a long day and not a great one. If you’re just here to… I don’t know, to make fun of me or tell me to get out of town or whatever else, save your breath. I’m here to clean out the house, that’s all, then I’ll be going.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Lucy asked. “And clean out what house?”

Slowly, Cal reached for her new glass and Lucy slid it gently toward her. “My mother’s house,” she said shortly. “She died.”

Lucy considered this. “Well, I’d offer my sympathy, but if your mum was anything like mine then it might not be in order. So I’m either sorry she died or sorry you have to deal with it, whichever is more appropriate.”

Cal did smile now, a real one that made Lucy’s heart beat a little faster. “Thanks,” she said, raising her glass.

Lucy clinked her own glass against Cal’s. “And, um, sorry about the whole rugby tackle thing.”

“Not the worst thing that happened to me today, believe it or not,” said Cal, drinking from her beer.

“Eh, Lucy!”

Lucy looked over to where Moira Hadley’s husband Mikey was drinking at the bar. “What?”

“You don’t want to be drinking over there. Come here and I’ll buy you a pint.”

Lucy squinted at him. “Fuck off, Mikey.”

The bar went quiet.

“Language, Lucy,” Mikey said.

“Don’t lecture me, I’m not one of your kids.”

“Shame, because you’d learn a few things. Like not drinkingwith thieves, for example,” Mikey said, eyes firmly locked on Cal.

“What did she take from you then?” asked Lucy, standing up.

Mikey blushed red.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Maybe you should learn a few things about listening to gossip,” said Lucy, suddenly very aware that everyone in the pub was listening to her.

“Alright, alright,” Jim said, coming around the bar. “Don’t make me bar anyone.”

Lucy glared at Mikey, but sat down.

“You didn’t have to defend my honor,” Cal said.

Lucy shrugged. “I don’t like people being picked on. Besides, you said you had a bad day. And if me tackling you wasn’t the worst part, what was?”

Cal’s eyes were clear and blue. “Probably walking into my mum’s house knowing that I’ll have to sort through everything by myself. Only child and all that.”

“Jesus, yeah, I could see that not being a high point.”

“My ex, Syd, she said I should get help in. But to be honest, I can’t really afford a company to do it.”

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