Free The Finest Line by Catherine Taylor

to do.”
    James nodded, “I realise that
now and I should have let you speak.”
    She laughed softly. “Don’t get
me wrong. I’ve done a thousand terrible things in my life but
saving that dog wasn’t one of them. If you’re going to be angry
with me, please don’t let it be because of that. Let me have one
thing that I’ve done right.”
    “Mairead you have done an
incredible amount of right in your life. You are a wonderful
person.”
    She laughed again. “Let’s not
exaggerate James. Everything else you said is perfectly true. I’m
selfish, self-destructive and make everyone else’s life a
misery.”
    “I was wrong Mairead,” James
shook his head desperately. “I said everything wrong because I was
angry. When I saw you in that video...” He breathed out and then
smiled. “Come on Mairead... you were doing cartwheels on a six inch
wide beam a hundred feet in the air.”
    She grinned. “Did I look
good?”
    James nodded. “You looked
amazing. Even your father was impressed.”
    “But he still wants to kill
me.”
    James shifted and looked
uncomfortable. “His anger was mostly directed at me for not keeping
an eye on you properly.”
    Mairead sighed. “I’m sorry
James. Once again I fuck up and someone else pays the price. I
won’t let him fire you over this.”
    James still looked
uncomfortable. “He has already guaranteed my position and even a
defence team for my trial if... if I was to discipline you for
him.”
    Even in the cold air, Mairead
felt her face flush. “And what did you say to him?”
    “I told him I wouldn’t.”
    Mairead smiled sadly. “Of course
you wouldn’t. It’s not in the line of duty.”
    He frowned. “You say that as if
I don’t care about you.”
    “Of course you do,” Mairead
shrugged. “I’m the boss’s daughter and it’s your job to care for
me. You do a great job but it’s not like we’re friends or anything.
You’ve threatened me enough but when it comes down to it, all
you’ll every really do is yell at me.”
    James studied her intently and
shook his head. “I’ve really let you down haven’t I?”
    She wiped some tears away. “I
didn’t say that.”
    “Yes you did,” James walked up
to her and held his hand out, “Get down from there now.”
    His tone left no room for
refusal. She shuddered slightly as she tentatively reached out.
James grabbed her hand and lifted her down.
    For a long time he held her
against him. Mairead was startled and a little confused by the
intensity of his embrace. When he eventually held her at arm’s
length, he was smiling.
    “I am so sorry that I yelled at
you and said some terrible things.” He lightly brushed a stray
strand of hair away from her face. “You are right about what you
did today. What would terrify most people is obviously not even a
challenge to you. Your talent is incredible and you used your
abilities for a selfless act of heroism and I am very proud of
you.”
    She wilted under his praise and
stared back into his eyes, longing to touch the face so close to
hers.
    James continued but the smile
was gone. “I am also sorry that I failed to deliver on a promise I
made you five years ago and tonight I am going to rectify
that.”
    Mairead trembled, scarcely
daring to interpret his ominous statement, until he made it quite
clear to her.
    “I would never punish you for
doing something you believe to be right. What I am going to punish
you for, is ever doubting I care about you and thinking that you
aren’t even a friend to me. You are more than a friend to me and I
care about you more than any person I know. I am also going to make
sure that you receive the full retribution of every profane word
you have ever used in the last five years.”
    With that he picked her up and
tossed her over his shoulder, striding back inside. Mairead opened
her mouth but nothing would come out. She should be screaming her
protest, struggling to get away but she couldn’t.
    Every ounce of strength had
drained