Page 52 of Your Carriage Awaits in Crumbleton
‘Belongs to the Daltons?’ he growled.
Michelle nodded, only just resisting the urge to hang her head. ‘And Danny wasn’t stealing Mum’s bike,’ she muttered. ‘He was bringing it back for me.’
‘I don’t care,’ said Brian. ‘Can we just get out of here?’
Michelle reached out and laid her hand on his arm. ‘I really do want you to look at a possible diner venue with me,’ she said gently.
‘But why does it have to be here, Shelly?’ said Brian. ‘You could pick anywhere else…’
‘Because this is perfect,’ said Michelle. ‘Can I at least show you why?’
Brian sighed and then glanced around nervously, looking like he was checking for wolves. ‘Fine. If we’re quick. Anything to get it out of your system.’
Michelle didn’t need telling twice. She jumped out of the car and hurried around the side to hold her dad’s door open for him.
‘This was a bad idea,’ huffed Brian, freezing the minute he straightened up.
‘Why?’ Michelle frowned and turned to follow his gaze, only to spot Keith and Danny making their way down the yard, Elvis trotting along between them.
Elvis, clearly spotting new friends to bounce all over, pelted towards them. Michelle couldn’t help but smile, and she bent low to greet him. But the furry black missile ignored her completely and made straight for her dad instead. He ran rings around Brian, then promptly sat on his feet.
‘Elvis!’ called Danny, a look of horror on his face.
The dog completely ignored him and continued to stare lovingly up at Brian.
Michelle held her breath, crossing her fingers behind her back. Her dad was glaring down at Elvis… but then his entire body seemed to soften, and he returned the dog’s grin with a small smile of his own.
Brian held out his hand for the dog to sniff, and Elvis snuffled at his fingers before executing a dramatic bellyflop right across his feet.
‘Hello Brian,’ said Keith, coming to a halt several feet away. ‘Long time no see.’
‘For good reason,’ muttered Brian.
‘That’s not very friendly!’ chuckled Keith.
‘That’s because we’re not friends,’ said Brian.
Michelle shot a nervous look at Danny, but he smiled back reassuringly. She sincerely hoped these two had a plan, because she didn’t relish the thought of holding her dad hostage here for too long while he was in this mood.
‘Dad, go steady,’ she muttered. ‘Keith’s just out of hospital.’
Brian raised an eyebrow. ‘I heard. Glad to see you’re back on your feet, but it’s got nothing to do with me.’
‘Actually, it’s got plenty to do with you!’ said Keith, drawing himself up to his full height. ‘When I was in that hospital having every inch of me scanned, do you know what I was thinking?’
‘How to mess up someone else’s life?’ huffed Brian.
‘No, you stubborn pain in my bum,’ tutted Keith with an eyeroll. ‘I was thinking how there’s only one thing in my whole life I’d do differently. I only have one regret – and that’s you. The one thing that haunts me is letting our friendship slip away.
‘It didn’t slip,’ growled Brian. ‘You cared so little for me as a friend, you betrayed me.’
‘Is that so?’ said Keith.
‘You know it is.’
‘Actually, until I got to spend some time with your wonderful daughter yesterday, I had no idea why you disappeared on me.’ Keith let out a long sigh. ‘I mean… one day we were like brothers, and then the next?—’
‘Brothers don’t do things like that!’ said Brian, his voice rising ominously.
