Scrap Metal Read Online Free PDF Page B

careful, I was going to end up like Harry, inveighing against oigear an-diugh —young people today—and the decline of society. If it was money trouble, I had no right to pass judgement there. I couldn’t see the Brodick sheep-feed dealer coming after me for my unpaid dues, but… “Put your sleeves down. I’m sorry. When did you last eat?”
    He had to think about it. “On the ferry yesterday morning. The most expensive sandwich in the world, and then it got rough, and…” He made a face. “Well, I’m not much of a sailor.”
    “Oh, dear. Listen—my granddad won’t be back for a good bit yet. Do you want to come down and have some breakfast?”
    “You’re kidding. I couldn’t possibly.”
    “Come on. Toast, coffee. I’ll fry you an egg.” I watched in alarm while a faint sheen of sweat appeared on his brow. He swayed, and I reached out to grab him. “Jesus. You’re half starved, aren’t you? Come on with me. It won’t take long.”
    I followed him down the ladder. My cat allowed herself to be borne in state as far as the barn door then gave me a parting nip and leapt down. I wanted to seize her by the tail, push her inside my jacket next to my heart and never let her out of my sight again, but she had always been wildly intolerant of all restraint. I watched while she vanished into the shadows of the barn.
    The kitchen looked better by daylight. You could see its dereliction more clearly but, like most island living quarters, it faced south to welcome the sun. It seemed that the half-hearted fire I’d started in the Aga last night had taken as well, enough to throw a faint, welcome heat into the room.
    I directed Cameron to a chair in the sunlight and went about fixing an emergency breakfast. I’d become quite good at those, shovelling food down Harry and the farmhands before we piled out into the fields. Bread, bacon. The frying pan was soon sizzling nicely on the elderly hob. A couple of eggs—there were more in the basket than I expected, which meant our poor hens, discouraged by the long winter, must have started laying again—and instant coffee spooned into mugs. Neither of us spoke while I worked. He shot me one grateful look as I handed him his plate, then our silence continued until he’d demolished its contents.
    I went through mine a little more slowly, watching him in amusement. “A bit hungry, were we?”
    “Aye. Sorry.” He sat back. “That was bloody gorgeous.”
    “Can fetch you some more if you like.”
    “No. You’ve been too good to me already. I’ll help you clear up then I’ll…” He stopped. We sat looking at one another. Shadows chased across the room as clouds flickered over the sun. “What?”
    “Nothing. So…you came over yesterday. How did you end up out here?” I told myself it wasn’t a ploy to delay him. How long was it since I’d spoken to anyone but Kenzie and the old man? All my friends were long gone from Arran, pursuing less-heartbreaking careers. “We’re twelve miles from the harbour.”
    “I know. I tried to find somewhere to crash in Brodick, but I thought I saw one of the guys I knew in Glasgow. So I hitched a ride with a driver taking a night delivery of market veg to Kilpatrick. I paid him in advance for his petrol, but once we’re in the middle of nowhere he decides he wants a blow job too.” He delivered this casually enough, but he was watching me cautiously, gauging my response. “I’d have given him one—he wasn’t bad looking—but he got a bit rough with me. And, you know, I’d already paid.”
    “Well, fair enough.”
    “So I ducked out while his back was turned and jumped over the nearest wall. Which happened to be yours. I didn’t really think about how badly I was stranding myself.”
    “No.” There were things I was trying not to think about too. How long since I’d heard the words blow job , frank and straightforward, from a pair of male lips. How long since I’d had sex. Well, it had to be more than a year,