Together Again: Spirit Travel Novel - Book #4 (Romance & Humor - The Vicarage Bench Series) (4 page)

“‘Ere! Give over, ya sissy. He’s ours, we found ‘im.” Two of the brutes reached over and each grabbed one of the tyke’s shoulders.

Brave or just stupid, he didn’t back down. “No! You’re hurting ‘im. I saw you with the cans. You can’t tie ‘em to his tail, the noise frightens ‘im.” The small lad whispered the last words from a throat too closed up to enunciate clearly. Tears poured down his face, and a puddle slowly started to form in the dirt under his leg. He trembled, but his intentions were clear. His arms held even more tightly to the whining bundle, while his eyes shut tight.

Without waiting for Troy to speak, Dani jumped in. “Let go of him, you two! You’re a right pair of idiots, ain’tcha, pickin’ on a nipper, and you three all twice his size.”

The leader of the pack sized up Troy, sensing weakness from the tone and the words used. “Don’t mess about, mister. Ain’t none of your business, this. The punk here has me dog, and I wants ‘im back. Me mum brought ‘im home for me yesterday—for me birthday.”

“You’re lyin’. Your mum never did.” Incensed, the boy tried to break away from the restraining hands.

“Shut your gob.” Neither the pointing finger nor the threats prevented the small boy from speaking up.

“The pup’s a stray.” Tears didn’t halt his words, either. He sensed Troy’s protection. Wriggling hard, he escaped from the two who’d been holding him and ran over to stand next to the big man. A hand rubbed the fair hair and settled on the boy’s neck in support.

Predictably, the two followers turned to their mouthpiece, waiting to take his lead. Three against one were pretty good odds. Tall as he stood, Troy’s presence hadn’t been threatening. His tone hadn’t scared them, and his relaxed demeanour confused rather than intimidated.

“Aye, there, hang on. The dog’s mine, and I want him.” Grubby, sandy-coloured hair curtained one half of the insolent face. Mismatched teeth protruded, detracting from any slight attractiveness the braggart might have had if he’d smiled rather than sneered. He had a slight build, still a youth but wiry, muscled, and unafraid.

His two sidekicks were similar in size, both dark-haired, both wary, and both heading to circle around the lone man and boy.

“Troy, they’re going to jump you. Maybe we should take the boy and get out of here.”
Dani’s anxiety brought a smile to Troy’s face—not a nice smile, not a smile that would make others respond similarly when they saw it. It was a mean grin full of menace and glee.

“I’ve got it covered, Miss Nosy Parker.”

Troy gently put the lad behind him and took off his leather jacket. Laying it across the youngster’s shoulders, he winked and took a second to ruffle the furry face peering up at him.

He stood, legs solid, braced, and slowly, purposefully, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. His obvious lack of concern threw his would-be attackers off guard. They looked at each other, nervous, hesitant, waiting.

“Hey, boys! Smart-assed little shits. Come pick on someone your own size.” Troy frowned, the lines in his forehead scrunching together while he flexed his hands and wiggled his fingers. The lower part of his face formed a malicious scowl with absolutely no humour involved. “My golden opportunity for a workout.” He pointed at the bigmouth. “You got a problem? You want the dog? Come get him.”

No one moved.

Finally, Troy approached the pushy goon. He stared him in the eye, and his intent gaze kept the lowlife from looking away. Without turning or dropping eye contact, he called to the hovering child and asked, “Hey, kid, do you know this jerk’s name?”

“Aye, that I do, sir, and his address.”

Troy poked his finger into the chest in front of him. “Not so brave now, are ya?”

The touch seemed to galvanize the others into action. Seeing their friend needed help, the two ran forward and were met with a nonchalant readiness. A karate kick to the groin put the first one out of order, and a flat-handed chop to the stomach and a push to have him trip over his partner fixed the second, while the third hung from Troy’s arm in a headlock. Gripping his ear, Troy hurled the leader onto the pile of bodies and then stood over the sprawling bunch.

“I’ll get your name, creep, and I’ll be checking in with the kid from time to time. If I hear of any trouble with my new friend, there’ll be hell to pay. Now, get out of my sight.”

Within a few seconds the alley was cleared except for the wide-eyed half-pint and his canine trophy.

“Mister, I never saw anyone move that fast. It was jolly well rivetin’, it was. Thank you for helping me.” He carefully handed Troy first his brown jacket, making sure it didn’t touch the ground, and then the puppy.

“Look, kid—”

“Me name’s Archie Butcher.”

“Right. Archie. Those three won’t be returning to hurt you after I leave, will they? ‘Cause if you need for me to walk you home, talk with your mom or dad and explain what happened, I can.”

“No, it’s fine. Me older brother will sort ‘em out when I tell ‘im what’s happened. Once he has a talk with those blighters, they’ll leave off. It’s the doggy I’m afeared for, sir. Me mum won’t have a dog ‘cause she’s algeric.”

“You mean ‘allergic.’ ” Troy’s smile invited the boy to smile back, and he did.

“Uh-huh. Allergic. Can you take ‘im? Otherwise those bullies will get hold of’ ‘im again. They were going to hurt ‘im, maybe kill ‘im, ya know.”

“So I gathered. Look, I’m just here on a visit, I don’t live here, and I can’t look after a dog. Isn’t there anyone else you can give him to?”

Without thinking, Troy had accepted the furry bundle, hugged him close, and soothed the trembling body. As they were talking, the boy had slowly backed away.

“Thanks, mister. I’ll tell me da about you. He’ll be wanting to thank you, I’m sure.”

One last wave and the boy ran towards the entrance of the lane and disappeared.

“Hey, kid! Come back here!” Troy took three steps as if to follow and then stopped. “Daw-gonit! First a female invasion and now a damn dog. Why me, Lord?”

“
Troy! You were fantastic. It felt great to experience that episode inside you. Myself, I’m a coward when it comes to anything physical, but you were so calm and controlled. I know you held back when you hit those boys, and I never felt you lose your temper at all or—”

“Don’t—talk—to—me.” She imagined if he had spoken out loud, it would’ve been through clenched teeth. “Because of you, I’ve lost Ellie Ward and gained a scrawny, homeless mutt. What the blasted, damn heck am I going to do with this sorry-looking thing?”

Troy held the pooch up in front of him with one hand and stared into the wet, black, almond-shaped eyes. The scruffy, matted coat looked to be a dirty brown with spots of white in some places. A glance downward confirmed his male status. Ears, too big for the size of his face, flopped over in an adorable way after a few seconds. He whined and arched his body, trying to land his small pink tongue on the cheek of the man glaring at him.

“He’s a cutie, Troy. I can’t believe you’re sorry. In fact, I know inside you’re not. You did the only thing possible in the circumstances, helping that boy. You know he wouldn’t have given them the dog. And, he would have gotten hurt if—”

He growled. “Do me a favour. Just—be—quiet.”

Chapter Five

“Robert Andrews, I have had it with you and your excuses. I want to talk to my daughter. This is the second time I’ve called in two hours, only to be put off by your impertinent housekeeper.”

“You mean Mrs. Dorn?”

“Of course I mean Mrs. Dorn. What other housekeeper do you have? Are you being purposely annoying?”

The thought came to him out of nowhere. If voices could cut, he’d be bleeding.

“No, dear. I’m, ah, I’m just very busy right now. I can’t discuss this—”

“Don’t—you—dare put me off again, or I’ll come over there personally and find out what the devil is going on. Where is Daniell?”

“I don’t want you getting upset, truly, Marion, but it’s best that I keep Dani here with me for a while.”

“Excuse me!!?”

“I said that I will be keeping Dani here with me for a short while.” His voice escalated annoyingly—on purpose.

She snarled and then replied, “Robert, you are being very difficult. She left the house four hours ago saying she wanted to visit you, and she hasn’t returned. What I want to know is—why?”

“Dear, have you heard of the vicious Asian flu going around Manchester? It’s a deadly strain, and we’ve only seen a few cases here in town. The victims have all had to be quarantined to protect—”

“Daniell has this flu? That’s what you’re telling me, isn’t it? I’ve warned her over and over again not to go to that blasted orphanage to teach soccer to those unhealthy homeless children. But does she listen to me? No!”

Dr. Andrews made comforting noises and then cleared his throat to cut off the tirade. “As soon as I realized her symptoms, I made her go to bed while I had some tests done. The results should be in soon. I was waiting to ring you until after I had them to confirm my diagnosis.”

“She has been acting a mite strange lately, now that I think on it. Is she very sick?”

“She’s sleeping, Marion, and will be fine in time. But unfortunately we cannot move her. I have to keep her here, where Mrs. Dorn and I will be taking care of her. I’ve given her a sedative, so she can rest.”

“I’ll be right over. My poor Daniell will be needing me.”

“No, Marion. You cannot come here!” Alarm was evident in the quick response. “The house is now under quarantine. Look, please don’t worry. I told you she’s in seclusion and sleeping, which is the best thing for her. The flu has some pretty nasty side effects; one is intense itching from the rashes that occur. This could cause horrific scarring. So I’ll be keeping her sedated until we see that her temperature has dropped.”

Marion’s voice rose another few octaves. “She has a temperature?”

“It’s not alarmingly high, but a bit more than normal.”

“You’re saying I can’t come and look after her, my own baby?” The woman’s voice came through like a child’s, scared and weepy.

“It’s for the best, my dear. And she isn’t a baby but a strong young woman. Look, you mustn’t come. I couldn’t bear it if you became ill also. It’s a much harder battle for the older generation than for the youngsters, and the rashes can be devastating.”

“Robert, how horrible! What about you and Mrs. Dorn? You could get the flu, too, couldn’t you?”

“I’ve already been inoculated, working at the hospital, you know, and Mrs. Dorn—she’s nursed her, ah, sister, who had it earlier this year, and so she’s built up an immunity. I’ll bring a special nurse in, Grace Joye, if I can convince her to come. She’s the best we have on staff, and she can take over most of Dani’s care while I’m away at work. You mustn’t worry. We’ll give her the best of attention, even better than if she was to go to the hospital.”

“What will I tell her father? Henry will be so worried.”

“Explain exactly what I’ve told you, and he’ll understand that it’s best this way. If he has any concerns, have him call me, and in the meantime know our girl is resting and in good hands. Trust me, Marion. Your child’s safe here.”

“You know I wouldn’t trust anyone else with her. Please call me if you need anything, anything at all. I’ll drop off her night things—I’ll ring the doorbell and leave the suitcase on the front steps. And I’ll get my ladies’ group at church to have a prayer sit-in for her.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. She’s young and healthy, and if I thought there could be any danger at all, I promise, I’d let you know. She just needs to rest.”

“Thank you, Robert. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ll ring you tomorrow, love. Ta-ra!”

Dr. Andrews lowered the phone, wiped his brow with the handkerchief from his pocket, and sighed long and deep. “I have no doubt,” he muttered soulfully.

Chapter Six

Still closed off, occupied with unanswerable questions and weary beyond words, Troy stared at the wiggling pup in his arms, and then his chin dropped comically to his chest.

The time had come to search for a room. He guessed it would be best to shelve all his problems for the moment. After all, the possibility of a girl lurking in his brain, or wherever the hell she lurked, couldn’t be real. But then he couldn’t dispute the fact that she knew his thoughts without a word being spoken. As crazy as the idea seemed, he felt her. A kind of glow lit his spirit, and as much as he didn’t understand, he kinda liked it. The feeling was warm and gentle and—well, nice.

Tucking the pup inside his jacket, he made his way to a local pharmacy to gather the essentials he’d need for the next few days. Then, at a small market nearby, he purchased a few pairs of cheap briefs, some socks, a bit of beef jerky, a newspaper, and, most important, a writing tablet. He walked the two blocks back to the Cozy Inn to book a room, and all the while he steamed in silence.

When the bell over the doorway tinkled to announce an arrival, a middle-aged woman with a bandana tied around her hair looked up from her magazine. Slouched over the counter, she nonchalantly wiped at non-existent dust with the cleaning rag she held.

“Good evening, sir. Can I help you?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’d like to have a room for tonight and possibly the next few days.”

She stared at him, and one eyebrow rose as she took in the wiggling bulge in his jacket, the newspapers under his arm, and the small paper bags he carried. “Do you have any other luggage?”

“No.” He chuckled. “Impulsive trip. I’m travelling light.” His smile faded when it wasn’t returned. He glanced around and discovered the interior of a room decorated with themes from nigh-on twenty years before. He remembered the same rose-patterned wallpaper in his grandmother’s farmhouse bedroom, and the light fixtures—pink frosted spaghetti-glass globes—were classic early fifties. He shuddered.

The heavy-chested, moustached female called over her shoulder as she walked past him and disappeared down the hallway. “Bunty, you’ve a customer.”

Within minutes, a stunner emerged from a doorway behind the desk and held her hand toward Troy. Her slim hips wiggled with a touch more effort after she had eyeballed and catalogued his charms.