TWENTY
JUST CHECKING IN
Oliver
I nearly dropped my phone in my haste to read the WhatsApp message that had just pinged into our group chat. I was expecting it to be Dom with an update that he’d arrived at the retreat.
Laker Command WhatsApp Group Chat
Dom: At Risk. All good.
Oliver: All good. That’s it?
Aaron: [laughing face emoji]
Dom: Pretty much.
Dom: Buddy likes Alex.
Aaron: Competition.
Oliver removed Aaron from the chat
Dom: Harsh.
Oliver: Possibly.
Oliver added Aaron to the chat
Aaron: Someone’s tetchy
My phone rang. It was Dom.
‘Thought I would call you.’
‘Thanks.’
The group chat pinged again.
Aaron: Where has everyone gone? Don’t tell me you’re calling him direct, Dom?
Aaron: You are, aren’t you? I can see you’re both online
Aaron has changed the name to
At Risk - Oliver’s Heart
Aaron: Felt appropriate.
Oliver: Stop fucking around.
Aaron: Can’t. I’m emotionally invested now.
Dom: Aaron, haven’t you got something else to do?
Aaron: You know what this is, don’t you? It’s a fuckuationship.
Oliver: A what?
Aaron: A fuckuationship. Too complicated to be casual, too messy to be official. Classic.
Oliver: I’m removing you again.
Aaron: You keep doing that, and yet here I still am.
.
‘Just ignore him,’ said Dom down the line.
‘Easier said than done. He’s always been an annoying little shit.’
Dom laughed. ‘Yeah, but he’s our annoying little shit.’
‘True.’ I sat back in my chair. ‘So, what’s up?’
‘Nothing in particular.’
‘But something is bothering you.’ I knew my brother well.
‘Alex, that’s the first time I’ve met her, so I might be reading it wrong, but she seemed a bit… I don’t know, on edge when she met me and the new lads.’
‘In what way?’
Of course, I knew Alex was on edge and on the whole, she was pretty good at hiding it, but then again, Dom had always been good at reading people.
‘Just that, seemed on edge. What’s the deal?’
I hesitated. ‘It’s not for me to say, but she’s had some unwanted attention. Possibly someone from her past.’
‘Ah, hence the call yesterday. Samuel Henderson.’
‘Yeah. Anything back on him yet?’
‘Not yet, but I’ll chase. How real is the threat?’
‘No direct contact. Photos taken from a distance. Flowers. They know where she is.’
‘That’s enough.’
‘More than enough.’ I ran my hand down my face. ‘I was hoping to get up there mid-week, but I forgot Noah has an assembly and he’s doing a reading, so I need to be in London.’
‘Relax. I can stay up here this week.’
‘Thanks.’
The WhatsApp group chat pinged again.
Aaron has changed the group name to Laker Command.
Aaron: OK You win.
Aaron: This time
I let out a sigh. I could do without Aaron winding me up on this.
‘I’ll speak to him,’ said Dom.
‘Thanks. Keep me up to date with any developments up there.’
‘Goes without saying.’
‘I know.’
After I got off the phone with Dom, I made a phone call to Heather Potts, the florist at Risk.
‘Heather Potts Flowers, Heather speaking. How can I help you?’ She almost sang the greeting, her Scottish accent smooth and gentle.
‘Hello, Heather. It’s Oliver Laker here from Risk Estate.’
‘Oh, Mr Laker, hello. How are you?’
‘I’m good, thanks. And you?’ I wanted to get straight to the point, but I also wanted to have Heather on my side before I tried to get the information I needed.
‘Very well, thank you. So, what can I do for you? I assume you want to organise some flowers,’ she said. ‘I mean, you haven’t called me to order fruit and veg now, have you?’ She chuckled.
I forced myself to give a small laugh in return.
‘No, actually. I’m thinking ahead about Risk Estate, and when we open it up to the public, I’d like there to be fresh flowers in the reception area and a couple of other places around the main lodge.
Say, three medium-sized displays. Probably replaced every seven days.
Is that something you’d be interested in quoting for?’
‘Oh, yes, absolutely.’
I could hear the excitement in her voice. ‘That’s great. I want to keep everything local, and I can’t get any more local than you.’
‘I’d be very honoured, Mr Laker. Thank you for asking.’ She took a breath. ‘I could arrange to send you some quotes for various arrangements. I have a booklet with sample photographs. We can look at colour palettes and flowers local to Scotland. It’s really up to you.’
‘That all sounds great. As local as possible and I’m happy to have flowers that are in season,’ I replied. ‘If you could drop everything over to me in an email, that would be great.’
‘Of course.’
I gave her my email address. ‘There was one other thing,’ I said.
‘Yes?’
‘It’s a bit delicate. Burns Night, a bunch of flowers was delivered to Risk Estate. Left at the gate. Did they come from your shop?’
‘We delivered quite a few flowers at the weekend. Let me check the order book.’ I waited while she rustled through the pages. ‘Ah, yes, here we are. We did indeed. My son, Kyle, delivered them. Was everything all right with the flowers?’
‘Oh yes, they were lovely. Nothing wrong at all,’ I said.
‘We just weren’t sure who they were from, that was all.
It didn’t say on the card. You don’t happen to know who ordered them, do you?
Only my staff member who received them would like to say thank you, but without knowing who, it’s a bit awkward.’
‘Of course. Let me see.’ Another pause. ‘They actually came through from Flower Express. The London shop we work with. It doesn’t say who, I’m afraid.’
‘Ah, that’s a shame. Is there any way you can find out for me? Or maybe I could call them?’
‘Leave it with me. They’re more likely to tell me than they are you.’
‘Perfect. Thanks so much, Heather.’
‘My pleasure. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve spoken to them.’
‘Great. And I’ll look forward to your quote too.’
It was frustrating to have to rely on someone else to do the legwork, but it was more likely to yield results, letting Heather make the call.
That evening, I sent Alex a message asking if it was okay to FaceTime again. I didn’t want to come across as too pushy, but all day I’d thought about her and wanted to see her even if it was just on a phone screen.
So when she didn’t reply immediately, I found myself imagining all sorts of scenarios. I was on the verge of messaging Dom to check everything was okay when I got a reply.
Sorry. Was in the shower. Call whenever.
The mere mention of Alex in the shower had my body reacting in ways that were wholly frustrating for a man on his own. I seriously considered taking a cold shower before calling her.
‘Hey,’ she said, answering the video call.
Her hair was still damp, and she was wearing a loose t-shirt.
‘Is that my t-shirt?’ I asked, peering closer to the screen.
‘Oh yes. Sorry. You left it. Finders keepers.’ She stood up. It grazed the top of her thighs. ‘Do you like it?’
I swallowed hard. ‘The t-shirt is good, but I prefer what’s in it.’
‘Is that Alex?’ Noah flopped down on the sofa next to me.
I quickly dropped the phone to my chest. ‘Er, yes, it is.’ I lifted the phone tentatively, shielding the screen from Noah.
‘Let me see her.’
‘Hi, Noah!’ came Alex’s voice.
I lifted the phone completely. She was sitting up in bed, the camera just showing her face.
I sighed with relief and disappointment.
I sat there as she chatted to Noah for a couple of minutes.
He was telling her about his upcoming assembly, and she was asking questions.
I couldn’t help smiling at the warm exchange. Alex sounded genuinely interested.
‘So, maybe when I next see you, you can recite the poem to me,’ she said.
‘Dad can record it and send it to you,’ said Noah. ‘Can’t you, Dad?’
‘I guess so. Are we allowed to record at school?’
‘I think I’d like to hear it in person,’ said Alex. ‘Next time you’re here at Risk.’
‘Okay.’
‘Right, fella, probably time you got ready for bed,’ I said.
‘Ugh. If I have to.’
‘You do. Say goodnight to Alex.’
‘Night, Alex.’ He waved at her, and she waved back. Then he looked at me, and I could see that little devil of amusement in his eyes, not unlike his uncle Aaron. He leaned into the screen. ‘Dad said he likes you.’
Alex laughed. ‘I like your dad too.’
‘Noah,’ I warned.
‘I know. Bed.’ With that, he was gone. ‘What I’ve done to deserve another Aaron, I don’t know.’
Alex smiled. ‘He’s lovely.’
‘I hope you’re talking about Noah.’
She laughed. ‘I’m sure your brother is equally lovely.’
‘Hmm… maybe we’ll revisit this conversation another day.’
I paused as I looked at her. ‘Noah is right, though.’
She looked at me, and I wasn’t sure what expression crossed her face.
A vulnerability she didn’t often show, or even a bit of shyness, which was ridiculous, all things considered.
I moved the conversation on for her, at the same time damping down a disappointment that she hadn’t returned the sentiment.
‘Anyway, how’s your day been? You met Dom and the other lads, then.’
‘Yes. Dom is…’
‘Direct?’
‘Maybe.’
‘He had the nickname of The Drone in the regiment. Stealth mode. Sees everything.’
Alex laughed again. I liked it when she did. The way her eyes crinkled at the corners, and her smile was open and genuine. A few unguarded seconds.
‘He seems very capable,’ she said. ‘But then he is former special services, you said.’
‘Yes. That’s right. SAS.’
I didn’t tell people that very often. It was up to Dom when and if he revealed that, but I knew he wouldn’t mind me telling Alex, and I hoped it would offer her a sense of security.
‘That explains a lot.’
‘He doesn’t wear it on his sleeve.’
‘I gathered. I won’t say anything. You’re not going to surprise me with anything like that, are you?’
‘Nope. Marines all the way for me. Aaron was Navy.’ I hesitated. Now would be the time to mention Will. ‘There’s also Will, the youngest of us. He’s off in America at the moment.’
‘Four Laker brothers. I didn’t realise there was another one.’
‘It’s not that big a deal.’
‘And Will, is he military?’
I wished I hadn’t mentioned Will at that point, but I also didn’t want to lie to Alex. ‘Will was in the Met.’
‘Ah, I see but doing his own thing in America now.’
‘Yeah.’
‘I always thought the Marines were pretty cool,’ she said, with a grin.