Chapter 14
Charlie was transfixed by the new rabbits that had been dropped off by the RSPCA.
He couldn’t take his eyes off them in fact.
Felicity could hardly blame him for that.
They were mega-cute. Six miniature lops, huge fluffy feet and long droopy ears, and the softest grey fur.
And a raggedy old pigeon with a twisted beak that Charlie instantly and very proudly named Half Pint.
Felicity smiled when she walked past their room and found Charlie staring down at the rabbits, long after his shift had ended.
‘Don’t you have a home to go to?’ she whispered gently, walking up behind him.
‘I don’t know how either of you ever go home,’ he whispered back and she could hear the smile in his voice.
They stood side by side for a moment, staring down at the tiny balls of fluff who were lolloping their way slowly around the enclosure, nibbling up tiny morsels of dropped food and looking thoroughly at home already.
‘When are you going to ask me?’ said Charlie suddenly, not taking his eyes from the rabbits.
‘Ask you what?’ said Felicity, wondering what he was about to insinuate or whether he could read her thoughts.
‘What I did, of course,’ he said flatly.
‘I always thought that was terribly bad form.’
Charlie laughed lightly. ‘You watch too many movies.’
Felicity shrugged. ‘That’s certainly true, yes.’
They walked reluctantly away from the rabbits. When they reached the staff room, Charlie turned to her, an earnest look in his eyes.
‘It’s fine to ask me. I’d rather you did. I can feel you wanting to.’
‘I do want to…’ said Felicity. Tread carefully. ‘But I really don’t feel like I have a right to know, Charlie. It’s totally up to you what you tell people.’
Charlie blew out a breath. ‘I hacked into a retail site and ordered a lot of stuff on other people’s credit cards. Expensive shit. Laptops, tablets, smartwatches. My parents’ faces when it all turned up on a lorry. Priceless, basically.’
‘Okay…’
As he spoke, Charlie’s eyes were flashing with something she couldn’t quite determine. Something like pride, perhaps. Or was it shame?
‘The thing is, I don’t even know why I did it. It’s not like I needed the money. And I couldn’t sell the stuff after that, so it all sat there in our garage, can you imagine? Until it got seized anyways.’
‘You really don’t know why?’
‘I was just bored, I guess.’
Felicity forced herself not to look away. ‘When I’m bored, I binge eat. Not so illegal but then again, a bit more punishing on the waistline.’
Charlie smiled weakly. ‘I’ll try that next time.’
‘Next time?’
‘Next time I’m bored.’
‘Right.’
His brow crinkled. ‘I do like to burn stuff too. My mum always said I was a pyromaniac even when I was a kid. Maybe I’ll try that.’
Felicity tried to hide her shock. ‘I mean, I was thinking something more like knitting?’
Charlie guffawed.
‘Or crochet,’ she went on. ‘Crochet’s ever so popular these days. Or cross-stitch, how about some nice wholesome cross-stitch?’
‘Is that what you do?’ said Charlie, taking a step closer to her.
Felicity’s turn to laugh out loud. ‘God, no. I’m crap at all that stuff. My friend Sophie is the crafter of the group. I can’t do anything like that even remotely competently.’
Charlie lifted one eyebrow, his dark eyes flashing. ‘So, what do you do when you’re bored?’ If he wasn’t ten years her junior, she would have sworn he was flirting.
Felicity took a small step backwards. ‘I told you. I binge eat. And I watch Die Hard. Or, you know, Die Hard 2, Die Hard 3 – better known as Die Hard with a Vengeance – or Live Free or Die Hard… heck, even A Good Day to Die Hard if I’m really desperate.’
‘There are other films, you know,’ said Charlie. ‘You don’t have to watch old movies all the time.’
‘I’m aware. And also, ouch.’
Charlie chuckled softly. ‘So long as you know.’
‘But do these modern contrivances have Bruce Willis in a vest? That’s the crucial question,’ said Felicity.
‘Who’s Bruce Willis?’
‘Thanks for making me feel like a dinosaur, yet again.’
‘No problem.’
Felicity softened. ‘Look, Charlie, you’re working out your punishment, you’ve been honest about what you did. You’ll get no judgement here, okay? Just enjoy being around the animals. They are loving having you around.’
Charlie’s eyes widened slightly at her words.
‘Sorry. Did I say something wrong?’ said Felicity gently, putting a hand on his arm.
Charlie blinked at her. ‘I’m sure you’ll find this hard to believe, but no one has ever said anything like that to me before.’ He shrugged. ‘They don’t say much to me at all, to be honest. Not since I was like thirteen or fourteen. I became invisible at that point.’
Felicity felt tears spring to her eyes and blinked them back hastily. ‘Actually, I know exactly what you mean,’ she said.
Charlie’s eyes were like two dinner plates now. ‘Really?’
Felicity nodded. ‘You don’t got an exclusive on crap childhoods, I’m afraid,’ she said, with a half-smile.
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Charlie’s forehead crinkled, which somehow made him even more attractive.
‘Anyway, this is not about me,’ said Felicity, waving a hand. ‘The point is, the animals like you. And they are excellent judges of character, trust me.’
Charlie moved a little closer. ‘And you?’ he said, eyes soft.
Alarm bells.
‘We like you just fine,’ she said hastily. ‘Just don’t set fire to the place or anything. Let’s get home before Andrea locks us both in.’
On the way out, Charlie put his hand on her arm.
‘Felicity?’
‘Yes, Charlie?’
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’
‘I know what he did,’ said Felicity that night as she snuggled against James’s chest on the sofa.
‘You do? Nice detectoring… er, detectiving… er… detectoristing? Anyway, nice work, Miss Brooks.’
Felicity giggled. ‘Thanks but I didn’t have to do any. He told me.’
‘And?’
‘It’s not quite axe murdering.’
‘Disappointing. Armed robbery?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘Embezzlement?’
Felicity blinked. ‘I don’t know what that is.’
‘No one does,’ said James. ‘So, what then?’
‘Theft. Online. Laptops and such.’
‘Right. Makes sense.’
‘He reckons he was just bored. But I still don’t understand the shameless rule-breaking.’
‘Me neither,’ said James, his chest rising and falling steadily beneath her ear. ‘You know I’m a total stickler.’
She smiled, inhaling the reassuring scent of him. ‘I know, bless you. Never so much as stole a pick ’n’ mix, did you?’
‘I never did. Couldn’t. The guilt would eat me up.’
Felicity thought for a moment. ‘That was the weird thing. Charlie didn’t seem that bothered. He claims he was just looking for something to do.’
‘So? Maybe he was.’
‘Yes… maybe.’
‘You don’t sound convinced.’
‘I think there’s something else going on. I’m just not sure why or what.’
‘Detective Brooks is on the case.’
‘Damn straight,’ Felicity said, with a giggle.
‘Well… be careful,’ said James, his voice catching in his throat.
‘I always am,’ she whispered.
‘No, you’re not,’ he said, and laughed.
There was a pause. Felicity’s eyes were beginning to close when he spoke again, softly into her ear.
‘Felicity…?’
‘What?’
‘Do you ever…?’
‘What?’
‘Have you ever thought…?’
Felicity lifted her face to look at him. ‘Spit it out then, Penguin Man.’
He swallowed and she could see the muscle in his jaw clench. Sexy as the movement was, her heart gave a little lurch of anxiety.
‘Have you ever thought about getting married?’ he said carefully.
Felicity gave a little squeal which she tried – and failed – to cover with a cough.
‘Sorry, just got something caught in my throat there,’ she said, buying herself some time, pulse thumping. ‘What did you just say?’
‘You heard me.’
‘James Cowley. Are you proposing to me right now?’
James shook his head frantically. A little too vigorously in Felicity’s opinion.
‘No, no, nothing like that. I just wondered…’
‘I mean,’ Felicity cut in, ‘you could at least have hesitated for a second or two.’
‘Sorry, I’m panicking,’ said James.
Felicity’s heart gave a little jump in her chest. ‘It’s not like I haven’t thought about it.’
‘You have?’ James’s eyes grew wide.
‘Yes, of course I have. But after everything that’s happened, I’m a little frightened at the thought of it. I’ll be honest, I definitely wouldn’t want to rush into anything.’
‘Oh no, no, of course not.’ Felicity could feel James’s heart pounding in his chest.
‘And,’ she went on, ‘I definitely wouldn’t want the whole big wedding thing. Not just because of Bex and Adam, but regardless of that…’
James looked down at her, eyes fond. ‘Because it’s not really you?’ he said, gently.
‘It’s not really me,’ said Felicity, with a nod.
‘Hmmm, I thought as much. I mean, not that I’ve thought about it much.’ Now it was James’s turn to get flustered.
‘Are you… blushing?’
‘I don’t blush. Manly men like me definitely don’t blush.’
‘You are. You’re blushing.’
‘I most certainly am not.’
‘James, please tell me you weren’t actually going to propose to me just then.’
He shook his head even more strongly than before and something inside Felicity twisted like a knife.
‘I can assure you, I definitely wasn’t proposing. You don’t need to worry about that.’ He sounded a little… off, all of a sudden.
‘Good.’
‘Good.’
It was good. Wasn’t it? Then why did she suddenly feel so sideswiped?
‘Right then.’
‘Glad we got that straight.’
Cue awkward silence.
Felicity put her head back on his chest and they both went back to staring at the TV with the distinct feeling that nothing was actually straight whatsoever.