Page 82 of The Science of Attraction

I cast an amused glance at Jules who chuckled, then spoke over his shoulder to Connor. “I’d appreciate you keeping this to yourself, Connor. I’m not out and my dad’s not the most enlightened of men, which is something you should know, considering what’s happened to you.”

“Jesus H Christ,” Connor muttered to himself.

Jules continued, “I doubt he’ll say anything, and I’ll certainly have your back if he does, but you should be aware just the same.”

“Great. Just what I need,” Connor grumbled from the back seat. “Out of the frying pan and all that. You sure know how to pick ’em, Liam.”

My lips twitched. “Hey, it wasn’t like we invited you, remember? Just stay out of his way and you’ll be fine. He’s good with me.”Mostly.

Connor was quiet for a long moment before he finally stated, “I’m not lying about what happened or why.”

I sighed, studying my nephew in the side mirror. “We’re not asking you to. We’re just giving you a heads-up and asking you not to outus.”

Connor shook his head like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m not an idiot. Have you forgotten why I’m in this mess to start with?” Then he leaned over and poked Jules in the bicep. “But you better not hurt him, or me and my mum will come looking for you.”

It was said so seriously that I dared not look at Jules for fear of bursting into laughter.

Jules answered, “I’ll bear that in mind.”

Connor narrowed his eyes at the slightly hysterical tone of Jules’ voice and poked him again. “You do that.”

* * *

Jules pulled alongside my cottage and sat staring through the front windscreen. “What the hell is he doing?”

We studied the strange tableau playing out in the vegetable garden, and it was all I could do not to laugh. Norma was down on her knees planting a row of something, while Paddy was sitting in a deck chair, his quad cane at his side, painstakingly filling seedling pots one-handed from an open bag of potting mix. He then shoved a seed into each one while Chip watched on, looking about as confused as we were.

Norma gave us a wave, while Paddy’s expression was... completely unreadable. Not a scowl, exactly, and certainly not a smile. There was an element of mortification for sure, but I was pretty positive I spotted the beginning of a self-deprecating smile like he’d been caught out being nice.

“Well, damn. Will you look at that?” I had to admire Norma. I had no idea how she’d done it, but if I could bottle whatever wiles she’d used to get Paddy out of his comfort zone, I’d be a rich man. “I’d say your father has been expertly manipulated into racking up some brownie points after your mother said she didn’t want the old version of him back again.”

Jules’ jaw dropped. “You think? But that implies he has a conscience or something under all that mulish ignorance.”

I snorted. “Shocker, right?”

“So,that’syour dad, huh?” Connor peered between us. “Yeah, he looks like a smile might cost him eternal damnation. Why do bigots always look and act like they’ve been constipated for a million years?”

Jules laughed. “You’re not wrong. And I guess we can’t avoid introductions. Come on.”

We picked our way through the vegetable garden to where Norma and Paddy were working, and I left Jules to do the honours.

“Mum and Dad, this is Liam’s nephew, Connor. Connor, my parents, Norma and Paddy Lane.”

Norma wiped her hands down her jeans and shook Connor’s hand. “Nice to meet you, son. Just call me Norma. We’re both very sorry about what happened, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.” She looked to Liam. “Take the rest of the day if you need. Paddy is doing a fine job helping me here.”

Paddy rolled his eyes and grunted something I couldn’t quite make out, but he didn’t argue with his wife. Instead, he offered his good hand to Connor and they shook.

“Thanks for letting me stay, Mister Lane.”

Paddy grunted and studied Connor’s black eye with obvious curiosity. “What... haaaappened?”

“Paddy!” Norma chastised, but Connor answered without hesitation.

“Got beaten by a pack of wankers.”

Shit.“Hey, language.” I squeezed his shoulder in warning.

But Paddy was almost smiling. “That so? How doth-they... look?”

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