Page 65 of Coming Home to Hope Street

‘I know that. I mean, since her return. You’re growing closer to her already and I can see that you like it.’

‘I do.’

‘Martha would have been so proud.’

Hannah exhaled. ‘It’s such a shame she can’t see us together after all this time. She would have been so happy.’

‘Soyoube happy instead. You and Livvy have a good strong bond, created by Martha. Don’t you let anything break it for you. Especially not a man like Kieran.’

‘You mean stick with Livvy no matter what?’

‘Yes, but like you, I have a feeling she’s biding her time before sending him on his way. As humans we can take so much until one day something makes us crack and enough is enough. We can’t take anymore and we change the situation. And then a huge weight is lifted from our shoulders. I think Livvy is nearly there.’

‘You think so?’ Hannah was thoughtful. ‘Whatever she chooses, I’ll still be here for her, that’s for sure.’

‘Good, then she’ll have no regrets.’

Hannah looked at Thelma with a frown as the woman’s eyes drifted off to the past again. Livvy had told her about the conversation with Thelma, her coming into the book shop purposely to talk about Callum, and then about her disappointment with someone called George. In all the time she’d known her, Thelma hadn’t mentioned him to her.

Maybe she wanted to open up as well. Hannah would have to wait for the right time for them both to talk.

But she’d always be here to listen.

Chapter Forty

Livvy ran a hand through her hair as her thoughts went wild. It must have been Kieran who had broken into the community centre last night. That was their money. What a bastard. She had let him stay and this is how he repaid her?

She gulped tears away as she fought with her emotions. There was only one thing she could do. The right thing, no matter how hard it would be. Pip would be angry, but she’d get over it.

Because Kieran probably hadn’t really wanted to see her. He’d used it an excuse to get what he could before disappearing again. But he was hurting her friends.

And so was she. Because what she hadn’t told anyone was that she’d had her suspicions about Kieran all along. He must have been stealing things in Manchester to keep his habit going, and maybe she’d turned a blind eye, afraid of facing it.

Ellen’s words echoed through her mind. Was it a coincidence that a car and a house had been burgled last week? Had Kieran been going out in the early hours on the take, when she and Pip were asleep?

Had he come back to Somerley so he could rob some places and then leave quickly so no one would find him? Worse, had he been treating her and Pip with money that wasn’t his?

Livvy quickly took photos of the items she’d found. She couldn’t have this on her conscience a minute longer. This was not who she was.

Before she could react, she heard footsteps bouncing up the stairs. Kieran appeared in the doorway; a wet towel slung over his shoulder.

The look he gave her was one of a rabbit in a headlight.

‘What the hell is going on?’ she asked him, picking up the bag of money.

‘I… I won big on a game in Manchester.’

‘And you never told me?’

‘I knew you’d be upset that I’d been gambling.’ He stepped towards her. ‘But you can see, it paid off big time.’

In one move, she was across the room. She pummelled his chest.

‘You lying bastard,’ she cried. ‘I saw you put it there this morning.’

‘Hey!’ He tried to refrain her, pushing her hands away. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

She stepped back and pointed to the bed. ‘You stole this from the community centre, didn’t you? How could I have been so stupid?’ She shook her head in disgust.

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