Page 46 of The Summer Island Swap
‘No,’ I said decisively and she laughed. ‘In any event, I’m going up to the house for a while, now, so tomorrow I might have a lie-in.’
Amy raised an eyebrow.
‘To help Rick with the website. I gave him a few ideas,’ I said in the most matter-of-fact voice I could muster.
‘I’m saying nothing,’ she said with a secret smile.
I went to ring home and check up on Nelly. Then I changed my mind and Amy looked surprised. She said she was glad and that I worried too much. We said good night to each other – but not until I’d pretended to tuck her up in bed.
‘Get off me!’ She wriggled under the covers on the lower bunk, laughing as I smoothed down her hair like I used to when she was a little girl.
‘Now you get some sleep,’ I called in my strictest parental tone as I climbed down the shack’s ladder. ‘No sneaky reading once lights are out.’
I was laughing too hard to hear her very impolite reply.
I made my way through the darkness, using my torch to avoid stones and tree roots that might cause me to trip. Deep in thought I walked straight into the Crowleys’ house. It was only when I got inside that I realised Rick was in the middle of an argument. He sat on one of the long magnolia sofas, laptop on his knees. I stood trapped, not wanting to leave in case he saw me but feeling awkward about staying.
‘For Christ’s sake, you haven’t got a clue what it’s like here. It’s just the same old, same old, thinking the worst from you, always wanting instant results and not trusting me to manage on my own. We’ll get there. I just need a bit of time.’
Wow. He clearly had a plain-speaking relationship with his gran.
I didn’t hear the muffled response but Rick shook his fist at the screen.
‘No. I’m not letting things get on top of me. My blood pressure is fine. And I will not be calling it quits. There’s more at stake here than just the house. Age doesn’t always bring wisdom, you know.’
I turned away, not wanting to intrude.
‘Naive and irresponsible? How dare you!’
A slamming noise made me turn around. A red-faced Rick stared at the closed lid of his laptop.
22
I wasn’t sure where to look so pointed at the piano, sleek and black with the bird carving perched on its top. ‘I was just admiring it. Did it survive the hurricane?’
‘What? Oh. Yes… just about. In fact, we’re forever grateful to this old lady. She saved the life of one of my young cousins who had legged it out of the basement to look for one of the cats. She was on holiday here with her parents. Trixie has always been something of an adventurer and didn’t believe the wind would really be that bad.’ The redness had faded from his cheeks. ‘I got up to all sorts at her age. I once tried weed at a party in my late teens. Lee recognised the smell when I got home.’ Rick shook his head. ‘Even though he’s only three years older than me he went mad. Threatened to tell Mum and Dad, despite it just being a one-off. For as long as I can remember Lee’s been bossing me around…’ He smiled. ‘And with those words I realise I sound like a sulky teenager.’
‘Sounds like he did you a favour! And that he cared.’
Rick thought for a moment. ‘Possibly. It didn’t feel like it at the time. That’s the trouble at that age, I guess – you think you’re invincible and can do what you want without repercussions.’
I didn’t. When I left home at eighteen a secret voice in my head told me I was bound to fail. However, over time, I realised that wasn’t really my voice, it was Dad’s.
‘Trixie didn’t think she’d get back to the basement so hid under the piano, holding onto one of the legs. It had been blown against the wall and jammed there. It’s a miracle she didn’t lose her life. It’s almost back in top condition although it makes a vibrating noise when played. I’ll have to get that sorted otherwise it will be one more thing for Lee to complain about.’ He gave a loud sigh.
‘That was your brother just now? Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. I thought you were due to have a call with your gran.’
Rick looked aghast. ‘I would never speak to her like that. Lee used to take the lead when we were younger and still tries now. He thinks it’s low-key and subtle but it’s not.’
I sat down next to him. ‘What do you mean?’
‘He’s always checking up on me under the guise of just wanting a chat or meeting for lunch. I moved flats a few years back. Lee insisted on coming to view it with me – pretended he was in the area and dropped in before I was due to leave to see the estate agent. I’m a grown man, for goodness’ sake! Being a few years older can be a gulf when you are children – but that gap drastically narrows when you hit your twenties. Yet he still won’t treat me as an equal.’
Something shifted uneasily inside me. I recalled the time our washing machine broke. I was working overtime, to cover a member of staff’s illness, so Amy went window-shopping. She found a bargain replacement and was so excited. It was the last model in the shop. I’d insisted we hold off buying it until I could view it as well. We lost it to another customer.
Rick looked at me with tired eyes. ‘He knows nothing about the environment and has only gone along with Seagrass Conservation because the island was in such a mess after the hurricane – he thought my venture would help get the place back into shape, plus create funds to rebuild our family home… but there he is, trying to advise me at every turn, telling me I’ll have a heart attack if I keep putting in so many hours.’
I squirmed again. ‘I have to admit my sister gets irritated with me, sometimes – checking if she’s pumped up her bicycle’s wheels or taken her vitamin tablets – so I suppose I get your brother.’
