Winterbringers Read Free Page A

you must be. You’re more than welcome; we’ve always got more than we can eat. It’s good to be able to get rid of some of it.
    “I’d call Callie, Josh, but I’m afraid she’s out with George and the dog.”
    “Oh yes,” said his mum. “I heard about this huge dog.”
    Josh cringed.
    “He is big – a bit daunting if you don’t know him. He’s a Scottish Deerhound; we’ve kept them for years. Clever dogs, amazing vision. There’s an old legend about them you know: that their eyesight’s so keen they can see the wind.” She seemed to fall into a reverie for a few seconds, then roused herself. “Why don’t you come for lunch tomorrow? Youcan meet the dog properly and see where we grow the fruit and veg. It would be nice to have the company – especially for Callie. Don’t ever say I said this but I think she gets a bit lonely for company her own age with just us old fogeys around.”
    Oh no
, thought Josh.
Just say no, mum. Come on.
    “I’m afraid I’ll have to say no. I’m up here to work – trying to meet a deadline for a book I’m working on – and if I start doing enjoyable things I’ll never get it done.”
    Nice one mum.
    “I’m sure Josh would love to come though.”
What?
“I’m sure he’ll be bored hanging around all the time on his own.”
Nooooo!
“You’d like to come, wouldn’t you Josh?”
    He made some sort of
Urk
noise, which his mother decided meant, yes, I’d love to, and before he could do anything about it, he’d been well and truly
lunched
.
    Back in the car, he turned on his mother. “Why on earth did you say I’d go? I don’t want to have lunch with a mad girl and a couple of pensioners.”
    “First, it was very good of Mrs Ferguson to ask. Second, they were kind to you this morning, and if their granddaughter
is
lonely, it would be kind to go. Third, it gets you out from under my feet for another couple of hours.”
    “Charming. I don’t know why you didn’t just leave me at home with a week’s supply of microwave pizza.”
    She didn’t rise to it.
    ***
    It was raining again the next day, but at least it was a bit warmer. Josh swam again in the morning and hoped his mother had forgotten about his unwanted lunch appointment, but at twelve thirty, she said,
    “You’d better get ready soon.”
    He sighed, defeated, and went to get ready with the minimum possible effort.
    Callie opened the door with a scowl on her face and her hand on Luath’s collar. She looked as pleased to see him as he was to see her.
    “This wasn’t my idea,” she said.
    “Nor mine.”
    “Come in.” She pulled the dog out of the way, just enough to let him squeeze past.
    Don’t react
, he thought.
She’s doing it on purpose to try and
make you panic
. He managed to stroke the dog’s huge grey head briefly as he passed.
    “Outside, Luath.” She pushed the dog into the garden and shut the front door behind him.
    Josh followed her through into a kitchen with a big wooden table in the middle. Pots were bubbling on the cooker and Rose Ferguson was slicing tomatoes.
    “Hello Josh. It’s very good of you to give up your time to join us.”
    “Thank you for the invitation,” he said.
    A silence developed awkwardly. Rose seemed quite unaware of it, or at least, unwilling to break it.
    “Do you want a drink?” Callie said at last, and Josh thought he saw the corner of Rose’s mouth twitch.
    “Not just now, thanks.”
    “Callie, lunch will be another fifteen minutes. Take Josh across and show him round and bring your grandfather back with you.”
    “Okay. Come on Josh.”
    It would have been hard for her to sound less enthusiastic, but she led him out of the kitchen, stopping in the porch to pull on an ancient pair of trainers.
    To his surprise they went out of the garden and across the road. About fifty metres ahead there was a white-painted door in the high wall that bordered the pavement. Callie shoved it open with her shoulder and Josh found himself in another