Page 78 of Play Our Song

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Tilly promised. “Something will show up. I’m sure it will.”

“Thank you,” Mila said. “We haven’t really told people yet, so, you know…”

“My lips are sealed,” Tilly said.

“And there’s you supposed to be an up-and-coming detective,” said Mila with a grin. “You didn’t even guess?”

“Not a clue, your secret’s very… secret.” Tilly sighed again, if only because her image of Max and Mila as the perfect couple was restored. She was glad, she found, that they weren’t having relationship problems. She was glad that at least one couple in the world got everything right.

“Can I return the favor?” Mila asked, reaching out and taking Tilly’s hand.

“How?” Tilly said, a little confused.

Mila squeezed her hand. “Relationships are hard,” she said. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. But then, anything worth having is hard work.”

“Ah.” Tilly cleared her throat. “Sophie and I—”

“Broke up, I know,” Mila said. “But I can see that it’s not ended for you. I can see that you still have feelings. I’m not trying to interfere. I’m really not. I’m just telling you that if you know something is right in life, then you act upon it. Whether that’s a law, a moral, or just a feeling. You fight for what’s right. You’re a police officer, you should know that.”

It was a nice thought. Tilly smiled a little. “Thank you,” she said. “But I don’t think Sophie wants to talk to me, let alone be in a relationship with me. I did what was right. I made the arrests. Perhaps now I have to let things go.”

“You won’t know until you try to talk to her,” Mila said, getting up. There was a bump overhead. “And that’ll be Dash. He’s an early riser like his mum. I’d better be getting on with breakfast. Eggs for you?”

“Only if I’m making them,” Tilly said. “You go and get Dash. I’ll start cooking for us all.”

Mila went off upstairs, and Tilly went to the kitchen. She was truly pleased for Mila and for Max, too. She was sure something would work out for them. But she thought Mila was wrong. Happy endings didn’t belong to everyone, and she was sure that Sophie wouldn’t want anything to do with her.

Fighting for what was right was one thing. She did that at work enough. But it was time to let things go.

SHE WAS PROUD to show her dad around Whitebridge. It was a neat and clean town, law abiding and prosperous. He nodded in satisfaction as she showed him the small police station. He and Max spent a few minutes catching up, but then he took Tilly’s arm and escorted her out of the station.

“You could have stayed for longer,” she said. “You haven’t seen Max for ages.”

“I came to see you,” he said. The air was crisp and cool, the day pleasantly sunny if a little cold. “And if I’m spending time with my daughter, I want to give her my undivided attention.”

Tilly grinned at him. “That’s sweet.”

“Why don’t we go for a walk?” he asked. “There’s a nice footpath that goes over the fields and around the town. Max says it finishes at the pub, so we could get an early dinner before I get the train home.”

“Sounds perfect,” said Tilly, keeping her arm in her father’s as they began to walk to the outskirts of town.

Her father updated her on everything that was happening with his own career, and by the time they were out into the countryside, Tilly was feeling more relaxed than she’d felt in days. Until her father cleared his throat.

“Alright,” he said. “Out with it.”

“Out with what?” she asked in surprise.

“Whatever it is that’s bothering you. And don’t pull that ‘it’s nothing’ trick. I’m not only your father, but I was quite a passable detective in my time. I’m here to make sure that everything’s alright, and it obviously isn’t. So what’s wrong?”

Tilly clenched her jaw and waited for another answer to come to her, but when it didn’t, she sighed and began to tell him everything.

To his credit, he kept his reactions to a minimum, even though she was sure that she saw a glimpse of disapproval in his eyes.

“And that’s it,” she said, when she was done.

He said nothing for a while as they tramped through the fields, cold nibbling at their ears. Until they came to a stile, and he stopped.

With clear blue eyes, he looked at her. “I’d do it differently,” he said. “If I could do it again.”

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