Page 67 of Some Like It Scot
His lips tilted a little. “She didnae like Irn-Bru either.” He sniffled again, a lone tear sliding down his cheek as he nodded. “But she loved Coca-Cola.”
I began to wrap his wound. “She had good taste then.”
“Aye.” The word rasped out, and he wiped an arm over his eyes. “Grandpa said if heaven has all the things we love, then Mummy will have a big supply of Coca-Cola and sticky toffee pudding.”
I could get along with this lady. “I haven’t tried sticky toffee pudding yet, but I’ve been told I need to.”
“Aye.” He sniffed again, and this time his bottom lip wobbled. “You’d like it.”
I tucked the bandage into place and leaned close, catching his attention. He probably knew this already, but it never hurt for a kid to hear it again. “It’s okay to cry when we miss someone, Lachlan. When we have such a big love inside of us, we grieve big too. And it sounds like you have a really big love inside you for your mom.”
He pinched his lips as if working through his emotions, and then sniffled. “I cannae hear her voice anymore.” The words disappeared into a quivered sound. “Not even when I close my eyes very tight.”
I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, but I pulled him and his trembling shoulders into my arms... and he cried. A quiet, aching little sound. A noise my heart understood all too well.
And Wedge did his best to press his nose in between us, finally succeeding in planting a solid lick on Lachlan’s wet face. The boy wrestled the pup into a hug, his smile slowly returning, and then he made to stand.
With a whimper, he crumbled back to the ground.
And the raindrops decided to fall a little steadier. At least he hadn’t bled through the bandage yet. That was a good sign about the depth of his wound.
“Do you live nearby?”
His eyes welled up again, but he answered, “Aye. Up the way.”
I grabbed my bag and scooted closer to him, sorting out how to lift him. “Is that astone’sthrow away? Or longer?”
Please say closer.
His brow crinkled. “I dinnae think my uncle could even throw a stone that far.” And then his expression cleared as his eyes lit. “Ah, I see what you mean.” He paused and then his eyebrows shot high. “But Ifellfor it.”
I laughed. “Nice one.” And it got his mind off his leg and his grief for the moment. “And I might add”—I shot him a wink—“you reallyrockedthat fall, so I’m going to help you get home, okay?”
“Okay.” His smile returned almost as bright as normal. “I’ve got a joke for ye.”
“Do you?” I scooped my arm around his back and helped him to a stand, snatching up my backpack as I went.
“What did one eye say to the other?”
Perfect boy joke, right here. “What?”
“Just between you and me, something smells.”
I laughed and looked toward the hill from where I’d just come. “Okay, Lachlan, which way is home?”
He adjusted against me and then looked up. “You just follow the rock fence up the next hill, and I live in the old wee cottage at the top.”
At the top of the next hill—I braced my shoulders—perfect.
We started forward. “My great-granny used to live there with her pet sheep.”
Her pet sheep? In her house?
I knew what my nightmares would be tonight.
“Any sheep still there?”
His lips twitched as I slowed my strides to keep in step with him. “Notinsidethe house.” His delivery came slowly, like he was testing my response.
