Tall, Dark... Collection. Carole Mortimer

Liam and myself, Perry,’ she answered evenly.

      ‘Hey, I wasn’t criticising,’ he instantly assured her. ‘I have no right to do that, anyway. However, if you don’t mind my saying so, it’s good to see you have someone in your life again. You’ve been on your own too long, Laura.’

      She did mind him saying so! But with those wretched photographs in the newspapers, and Liam’s request to call at the house later this evening, she was only going to make the situation worse if she protested too much.

      Perry’s remarks did not put her in a particularly good humour for welcoming Liam into her home later that evening. She scowled at him as Amy showed him into the sitting room, where Laura stood alone beside the unlit fireplace. Bobby was upstairs changing in anticipation of Liam’s arrival.

      ‘Champagne worn off?’ Liam queried once they were alone, as he took in her glowering expression.

      The fact that that could be half the reason she felt so irritable did not elevate her mood one little bit! ‘How like you to pass the blame on to something other than yourself,’ she snapped scathingly. She was still wearing the black suit and cream blouse she had worn to work today, very conscious of Perry’s comments concerning business and pleasure; she wanted to make it clear that for her part this association with Liam was solely business!

      Liam’s own expression darkened. ‘You really should try to put your bitterness behind you, Laura,’ he advised. ‘After all, you did all right for yourself in my absence.’ He looked about them pointedly at the obviously luxurious comfort of her home.

      Angry colour darkened her cheeks at his obvious accusation. ‘Making snide remarks about me isn’t going to change the fact that you deserted me eight years ago—’

      ‘Deserted you?’ Liam repeated in a steely voice. ‘Isn’t that rather an odd way of putting it…?’

      It was the way she had thought of Liam’s departure for so long. But that didn’t change the fact that it must sound odd to someone who didn’t know all the circumstances…

      ‘Perhaps,’ she conceded non-committally. ‘It isn’t important, anyway—’

      ‘I happen to think it is,’ Liam interrupted. ‘You—’

      ‘Uncle Liam!’ An ecstatic Bobby burst into the room, launching himself at Liam.

      Liam picked him up under his arms and swung him round. ‘Hello, spalpeen.’ He grinned up at Bobby as he held him high.

      ‘Spalpeen?’ Bobby repeated with a puzzled frown.

      ‘Rascal,’ Liam translated lightly, putting Bobby back on the ground. ‘Had a good day at school?’ He ruffled the darkness of Bobby’s hair.

      ‘It was okay,’ the little boy replied. ‘Can we go outside and fly my kite again?’

      ‘I’m not sure…I can’t stay long, Bobby,’ Liam added gently, after a brief glance at Laura. ‘I have an early-morning flight back to Ireland tomorrow,’ he explained softly.

      Laura hadn’t told Bobby the reason for Liam’s visit this evening, had felt it would be best coming from Liam himself. From the look of tearful disappointment on her son’s face maybe she should have spoken to her son first.

      ‘Bobby—’

      ‘When will you be back?’ Bobby completely ignored Laura’s soothing tone, staring intently up at Liam.

      Liam’s expression softened as he went down on his haunches beside the little boy. ‘A few weeks, possibly,’ he answered, reaching out to touch Bobby’s arm.

      Laura watched in dismay as her son wrenched away from Liam, his face dark with rebellion.

      ‘You won’t! I know you won’t!’ Bobby was rigid with resentment, blue eyes sparkling angrily.

      Laura could only stare at her son; she had never seen him behave in this way before. She knew he had grown fond of Liam the last few days, but this was completely unexpected.

      Liam glanced up at her, frowning darkly. ‘Of course I’ll be back, Bobby. And when I do—’

      ‘You’ll never come back,’ Bobby cried, shaking his head, his face flushed with emotion. ‘My daddy went away and he never came back!’ He was breathing hard in his agitation.

      Laura swallowed hard, feeling tears sting her eyes. ‘Bobby, this isn’t the same at all.’ She made a move towards him, only to come to a halt as he began to back away from her towards the door. ‘Daddy was ill, Bobby. You know that,’ she told him huskily. ‘He didn’t want to go away. He just didn’t have any choice,’ she said emotionally.

      ‘Liam has a choice—and he’s still going away!’ Bobby accused stubbornly, glaring at Liam now. ‘I thought you liked me,’ he declared chokingly.

      Liam had straightened, frowning his consternation at Bobby’s reaction. ‘I do like you, Bobby. I’ll only be gone for a short time, I promise you—’

      ‘No.’ Bobby was shaking his head in disbelief, his hand on the doorhandle now. ‘Take your old kite with you! I don’t want it any more!’ came his parting shot as he wrenched open the door. The sound of his feet running up the stairs could be heard seconds later.

      Laura was stunned. Shocked. Dismayed.

      Where had all that come from?

      She had spent hours with Bobby after Robert’s death, explaining about his father’s illness, how Robert hadn’t wanted to leave them, that his heart had just given up under the strain. From Bobby’s outburst just now she felt she couldn’t have got through to him at all.

      She dropped down heavily into one of the armchairs before her shaking legs refused to hold her up any more. ‘I—’ She swallowed hard, holding a hand up to her stricken face as her lips began to tremble. ‘Oh…!’ She buried her face in her hands as the tears began to fall.

      This was too much, just too much, after the strain of the last few days!

      ‘Laura!’ Liam came to sit on the arm of her chair, gathering her up into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. ‘Bobby didn’t mean any of that, you know,’ he soothed, after letting her cry for several minutes. ‘He’s just hurting right now, hitting out.’

      She shook her head. ‘I had no idea he felt abandoned after Robert’s death. I—I thought he understood.’ She sighed shakily. ‘I must go to him.’

      Liam’s arms tightened about her as she would have got up. ‘Leave him for a few minutes,’ he advised. ‘At the moment he’s so angry, at both of us, that he might say something in the heat of the moment that he will bitterly regret.’ Liam looked down at her ruefully. ‘One thing’s for sure, your decision concerning transient friends in your life seems to have been the right one!’

      Laura felt a jolt in her chest. Transient friend? Was that what Liam was?

      ‘No, it isn’t,’ Liam firmly answered her unasked question. ‘You know that isn’t what I want at all.’

      Did she? Not really. Liam had shown her—all too clearly!—that he would like to resume some sort of relationship with her, but she had no idea what he had in mind!

      He was right about one thing: she had been right to try and protect Bobby from being hurt again by coming to care for a man who was simply going to walk out of his life when he felt like it…

      Although until the last few minutes she had been completely unaware of how Bobby felt deserted by Robert.

      ‘I really must go up to him,’ she said firmly, releasing herself from Liam’s arms to stand up, smoothing down the shortness of her hair before turning back to him. ‘I think it might be better if you had already left when Bobby comes back downstairs.’

      Liam looked up at her searchingly. ‘I will be coming back, you know,